Faz

Except it's not an excuse is it? We lost 20% of revenue as a result of our league position vs finishing 8th. That scale of loss will impact any business.

Most mixed up post ever.

Unfortunately, the EPL is going the same way as Serie A. In the noneties Serie A was the pre-eminent league to the extent that Clubs and managers wouldn't take risks on youngsters and the average age of a team was Maldini. A young player has to be exceptional to make the breakthrough now - almost England quality from the get go. As with Terrence Trent-D'arby at Liverpool. Incidentally, if anyone is nostalgic for 90's football have a listen to the excellent "Quickly Kevin, will he score" podcast series.

The reality is that any English player between the ages of 23 and 30, and who is playing regularly in the EPL, is probably in the frame for a call up.

In fairness, it's not just us. Whenever a PL team comes calling the European Leagues see it as a bigger pay day. £29m for Tosun anybody?

Height: 73kg Weight: 1m80cm

Real Sociedad are interested in signing Everton's Spanish striker Sandro Ramirez. The 23-year-old moved to Goodison Park last summer but was sent out on loan to Sevilla. It seems Everton's black box is more than capable of misfiring. It also seems to make them pay £10m more than the real value of any player they look to purchase. Williams, Keane, Tosun, Sigurdsson, Bolassie etcetera,etcetera, etcetera.

Don't we all?

Still think this won't happen? On a side issue, interesting to see SKD in the pics, presumably working towards his pro licence.

Why anyone would pay money for that waddling waste of space is beyond me.

Oh dear, that’s slightly ruined the narrative for some of you depressives

In fairness to Jeff, he didn't wait for the defeats to start blaming Hughes.

Bielsa a is mad as a box of frogs. No EPL club would take a chance on him, nor any other top league in Europe after his most recent exploits. Some of his students have turned out to be better than their master.

I know you're trotting out one of your three repeat posts, but finishing 17th, as opposed to 8th represents a near on 20% reduction in central funds. That degree of drop in turnover is a commercial disaster. It's nonsens to say we target mere survival.

I suspect that you'll be as wrong on this as you have been on so many past dire proclamations.

Pace again. Pace pace pace pace pace. He may not be Mane quick, but he's quick enough. And to suggest that no-one develops vision with maturity is manifestly ridiculous.

Then it's just a lazy comparison.

Do please define mediocre. If we were to let him go, my guess is he would be comfortably employed up by most PL teams.

Exactly. I want (and I think Hughes wants, and we all want) Redmond to be taking player on and beating them, and then creating chances. In doing so he is likely to lose the ball more often. If Hughes is doing his job properly the team is set up to understand that, and who bomb's on to take advantage, and who prepares for a turnover.

He gives me the willies at the moment, but I think he can make it. He needs a leader next to him, and better protection than he's getting at the moment. Even DoubleVD would struggle.

He has always had talent, just had it knocked out of him - particularly last year. If Hughes can give him the confidence (and he's been talking him up), then that potential can be a very potent weapon for us.

Good move for him. Although I was hoping he would get more game time this year with us, if that isn't going to happen, he needs to play to progress - he's beyond the U23s.

..... Edit - scrub that, I've just seen the source is Alan Nixon.