Saint Mikey

To be honest I don’t recall anyone saying Sims was going to become the next Le Tiss. He looked like he had a bit of potential and hasn’t managed to realise it. Clearly has some injury issues, as should have a club at Lge 1 level, but personally I didn’t think he’d make it in the Prem. More widely, many players show a lot of promise but for varying reasons just don’t kick on. We have countless examples over the years. The Guardian are running their Next Gen series at the moment and it’s interesting to see that many players seen as the best players in the world at 16/17/18 still don’t go on to make it at the top level and some drop out of the game all together. Players picked as the best prospects at Prem clubs also vary on whether they push on, less than 50% usually do. All this highlights that it is extremely difficult to become a pro footballer. Even more difficult to become an elite player at Premier League level. The guys playing in this league are amongst the best in the world, the top 0.1%.

To whittle it down, I’ve only used players that I really enjoyed watching and played 2 seasons or more: Flowers Clyne Monkou Van Dijk Bridge Case Schneiderlin Rod Wallace Le Tiss Lallana Lambert

Were you at the game? If not, you seem to be going in hard on a player you still haven't seen play. Thanks for the balanced report. I will reserve judgement until I see him play a number of times. There are comparisons to the reaction to Mane, but last season some posters were going mental that we'd bought Salisu, who 'was clearly a dud' or some such bollocks. Should teach people to be a bit more rational, but clearly doesn't.

Indeed. May work in our favour: https://www.hammers.news/international/west-ham-star-michail-antonio-lasts-just-70-minutes-of-international-debut-for-woeful-jamaica-after-10500-mile-round-trip/

Just seen your other post, great minds! Yeah, it’s an odd one. Was training with the skates too, I think.

Still without a club. Strange as he was clearly good enough for Lge 1 at least. Anyone know if this injury is the reason?

People keep banging on about Romero, but there must be a reason why he's still without a club and someone like West Ham haven't even picked him up. It must be crazy wage demands or his professionalism. You have to question why someone who was Argie's No1 decided to willingly go and play second fiddle to De Gea and then stayed there playing very little football at the peak of his career. Maybe just wants to be a Stuart Taylor type now.

To be honest, he doesn't actually come across as that passionate about football or the club - just seems like a job he's fallen into. Nowhere near the level of Carl, or the previous Echo journalist (name escapes me), or someone like Adam Blackmore. He doesn't seem that bothered and it is reflected in the quality of his output.

If he was as furious as the article makes out, I think Small could have been a bit more creative with the destruction of his contract - maybe dowsed it in lighter fluid and set fire to it?

Nice finishes from Doyle. One to keep an eye on. Whoever put the vid together thought we were playing Brighton!

Sending tactics in by post? I'm sure Redknapp employed this method in our relegation season.

Hmmm. The ‘LOL’ is on you. I remember Hoddle playing as a sweeper for both Swindon and Chelsea.

When he signed for WBA it was reported he wanted to stay in North, wouldn't have changed with his next transfer. Same for Maguire I thought.

According to this article would command a '7 figure' compensation fee, but that seems a bit steep for a player without any 1st team appearances: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/exclusive-millwall-striker-abdul-abdulmalik-training-with-league-one-outfit-portsmouth/

Relevant to this ongoing saga - who was the last player we signed from Utd, either directly, loan or free transfer? I can't think of any players, but there must be?!

You do realise that all those players you've mentioned retired years ago and couldn't compete even at this level. The idea is that you find a player that can still play and can demonstrate coaching and leadership on the pitch. You need to find a player coming to the end of their career that's happy with just playing U23 football and learning coaching. I admit that I wouldn't have personally chosen Olly, but looking at his career stats he's played almost 350 games (admittedly mostly at League 1 & 2 level). That's a good chunk of experience to pass onto the young lads coming through.

Poland: a mixed bag with Boruc, Bart, Hajto, Saganowski, Raziak and Kosowski. Uruguay pretty poor with Gaston and Tejera.

Also Federico Arias, the ‘torpedo’. Didn’t even make an appearance.

Seems an odd one to me. They have Allan, Doucoure, Delph and Davies. Not sure Winks would improve that position markedly above any of those.

Depressing? Time for a bit of perspective maybe? I think it was depressing when we signed garbage like Anthony Pulis, Jordan Robertson, Romain Gasmi and Tommy Forecast. Players that were never good enough for us, barely played (if at all) and showed we were utterly desperate. Looking to sign a promising young player from Utd and a player who scored 28 goals in the Championship is not in that bracket.

When on song, Vesty gave us a really good way of turning defence into attack. Firstly through the long diagonal to KWP, secondly, the quick ball into midfield and thirdly his ability to bring the ball out himself. Whilst I think Salisu has been promising, certainly defensively - I haven’t seen him do this and wonder if it’s in his locker?

All becomes clear now. Obviously the reason he left out Ings, JWP and Bertrand before that. Can’t be any other explanation. 😐

I won't. I hope he scores an OG and gets sent off all inside 20 mins.

I didn’t see it at the time, but have since looked up the BBC coverage and am now outraged. #wanttobeoffended

Agreed. I'm willing to be shot down here, but I don't think he'll have a long Premier League career. He has some good attributes: pace and work-rate, but you need much more than that in this league. I think his technical quality, first touch, decision making and composure aren't good enough. They could improve, but at 22 that is less likely. Oxlade-Chamberlain, for example, was a superior player aged 17. It's seems like a Josh Simms situation to me, but I hope I'm proved wrong and it's just my opinion.