tajjuk

Why did some idiots boo the Danish national anthem? WTF is that about, we have no historical or footballing rivalry with them to my knowledge and half their team play for English teams pretty much, what is wrong with people? Aside from that I think England deserved it, first half pretty even but second half and then extra time it was pretty much all England they just didn't finish the game off and Schmeichal made some good saves to keep them in it. Not a pen IMO, but also not a foul for their free kick that led to the goal, pretty much every player in that mass group was holding and grappling all over the place and he gives a free kick because a Danish player basically falls over. Overall I thought the ref wasn't great all round. Italy I think suit England better oddly than Spain even though Italy have probably been the stand out team of the tournament. Watching England chase shadows as Spain keep 70% of the ball would be painful and I think we'd end up making a mistake, whereas I think we can better combat Italy as styles are more similar. Plus Kane dropping off and Sterling run in behind will cause Chillieni and Bonucci problems. They had issues with Spain's false nine but Spain got no one into the box whereas Kane does that role but often gets back in the box and Sterling has a nose for space and timing his runs. Italy also looked like they'd lost something in their attacking flow without Spinazola marauding down the left.

He's a world class set piece taker, that is undeniable. He also has fantastic fitness levels, work rate and consistency levels. He's English, an England international (and was talked about being unlucky to miss out on the Euro squad, plus is generally well rated by neutrals) and a proven PL player. He's 26 so still likely to improve rather than decline and have big re-sale. He's on a long contract. He's our captain. He's just had his best season. If if people have doubts about his general ability as a midfielder those factors above easily make him worth £50 million or more to have any potential of the board even entertaining selling him. As other have said look at the quoted figures for Rice, Kane, Grealish and what Sancho has gone for, you are talking £80 million to £100 plus million for those players, which easily equates to someone like JPW being worth around £50 million plus in the current market.

Yeh which to me suggests maybe their hasn't been much interest.

There is an outside possibility in this that maybe this is just his/his agents attempt to drum up interest, like a come and get me plea, and that really there is still an outside chance if no one comes in he'll sign. But personally I say sell, we've got one good season from him in 3, he's basically played one full season in what 5? The other have all been stop start and injury hit. Odds on that this season he'll not play much more than 25 ish games based on his fitness record. Then you have the worry in the second half of the season he'll potentially have a move lined up and will then phone it in not wanting to jeopardise that. I say take the £20 - 30 million, push for the most we can get because he's English and proven PL goalscorer, so should be more than Hojberg for example, and then take the cash AND that big contract we were going to offer him and get the best talent in Europe we can find, as others have said £20 million odd in the this window could go far with Covid, if someone highly rated like Daka is only going for that amount there is a real gem to be found, and it seems like Armstrong was an additional signing anyway we could already budget for. So you then get the new guy in, and Armstrong, and hope that out of the 3 someone replaces Ings goals.

He seems to have an annoying knack of picking up a lot of little injuries as soon as he's got going, plus he had spells playing wingback. Not really seen him have a long run in the team.

I’d more reckon the media department needs something to do and Ings has been amongst the few positive things they could highlight in the last few years. I don’t think we will know either way until nearer the end of the window, as said before I think he is the back back up option for any club he’d move to.

Still a strange move, it sideways or maybe a gradual incline at best. Everton are nowhere near challenging for anything. I think it’s a top 4 club or he stays IMO. He’ll be it’s highest earner, seems to enjoy playing for the club and his family is here, don’t think he’ll move unless it’s a chance to challenge for trophies and Champs league, which realistically is Utd, City, Chelsea or back to Liverpool. I don’t think pool is an option and the other 3 are going for higher profile targets, so it will come down to how far they get on their list.

None of those aside Torres were proven PL quality and Torres was a panic buy and his legs had gone (plus he helped them win a champions league). Van Dijk, Mane, Walker, Mahrez, Chillwell etc those are the sort of players that were expensive but not really gambles .

First game or two maybe but I think his movement and take ons have been essential, he started and finished the first goal, running at the defence and playing into Kane drawing people to him which created the space for Shaw. Yes he’s far from perfect and his passing at times is ropey, he’s no playmaker but his movement, work rate and running with the ball causes all sort of problems. Agree on Pickford, seems to have improved and seems a calming presence now behind the defence not a rash mistake waiting to happen and he is making big saves. Apparently he’s been seeing a psychologist and it seems it’s worked.

Because Sancho is not a striker? Why would you put someone adept at running at people from deep as a striker often having to face away from goal? Rashford has played as a number 9 for Utd before not brilliantly but more than Sancho has. Also his tactics have been spot on, he dealt with the midfield issues we had previously against Croatia. He played more attacking line ups against Scotland and the Czechs the players tempo was the main issue there, they got out fought against Scotland abs didn’t move the ball quick enough. Against Germany he switched to match up their system and nullify their wingbacks, used the pace of Sterling and Saka against Hummels and Rudiger, and Walkers pace in the 3 mainly nullified the threat from Werner (also allowing Stones and Maguire to step out with the ball and start attacks) Then as the Germans tired he brought Grealish on, switched Sterling to the other side which dragged people across and opened up space for Shaw to overlap which got the goal. He very clearly knows what he is doing and they have a plan against all opposition. I fully expect he will switch to a back 4 against the Ukraine with Grealish probably starting. Oh and he backed Sterling when everyone was calling for him to be dropped and he’s been our best player.

Over the last 20 years in international football yes it does, keeping it tight and clean sheets have won tournaments over being attack minded, that extends beyond just Greece and Portugal, look at all the other winners, they were not expansive, didn’t score that many goals and crucially didn’t concede many.

Every signing for us is a gamble because proven premier league quality costs £50 million plus

No it isn’t.

Both this game and the Spain game it seems European central-backs don’t seem to relish a battle in the air

Yeh the Athletic had an article on it, basically most of the recent winners of Euros and World Cups going back like 30 years, aside I think one of the Spain wins, have been basically solid and were not that attacking nor that convincing in the group stages.

I do not think clubs by signings off the back of tournaments anymore, usually organised clubs with their recruitment sorted will have been watching players for months if not year so players won’t appear from nowhere in a tournament like say the Czechs did in Euro 96 or like Senegal did in that World Cup. More likely a watched target might add a few million to his asking price with a good tournament or maybe moves up a priority list. Also an Athletic article on the mess at Barcelona reckons they are desperate to get rid of Firpo and that he’s been well short of expectations, but shouldn’t expect anyway near what they paid.

Typical England international performance, no tempo, too slow, it happens time and time again. Don't know what has happened to Kane, seems totally off the ball, either completely knackered or distracted by wanting to move. 20-30 minutes of the game against Croatia we honestly looked really good and I had hope, the tempo dropping off in 29 degrees heat in the middle of the day I can understand. No tempo in an evening game that wasn't hot and was drizzling so they could zip the ball about it just baffling. I think we'll actually be better against better teams because we seem set up to keep it solid and there will be more space in behind. Plus Portugal won the thing drawing most of their games so there is always that!

The previous years of not scoring any goals would be a big pointer, the guy was nearly 34 and his entire game revolved around physicality, and we gave him a two year deal. Even with the mini-blip in form it was a very poor decision IMO.

I know and I doubt he took a pay cut either, it was like the Forster contract renewal, just not really necessary. It's one thing signing up a promising player from Europe who you think will be good and then flops, that happens and we have just been unlucky with a few of those over the last few years. But lumping the club with big long contracts on players who didn't really deserve it just really bad planning.

So that is still Palace, Spurs and Everton without a manager. Palace fans have to be bricking it surely, no manager and half the squad out of contract to sort out in like 2 months before the season.

That's probably £60k a week off the wages, overall a costly mistake though. Lemina and Long probably the next biggest earners we need to get rid of and whatever is happening with either or both keepers. That is probably another £250k a week between those 4 I reckon.

Yeh good point, think all contracts go till 30th June so yeh probably loyalty bonus or something, also never sure on when the window actually opens for international transfers.

Yeh 1 goal, 7 assists and was amongst the very highest in the league for chances created IIRC, all for a relegated club is pretty decent. Plus he looks like he might have got better last season as well. yes it was only the Championship but 15 goals and 16 assists is pretty impressive, it's more than Maddison had in the Championship the year before he went to Leicester and when we were supposedly trying to buy him for £25 million. So 3 years later and like £8 million more for a player who'd also already played in the PL doesn't seem an over the top price to me. Think they have got a good signing there, but does look like an obvious Grealish replacement (especially with them also linked with Smith-Rowe) so big shoes to fill if that is the case.

I think he broke some rules but not sure they would want rid off a player like that, more he's just had some injuries this year and had a stop start season. But maybe.

Great so he can buy another house or another Ferrari, JWP doesn't strike me as that sort of player so I doubt he'd move sideways just for the cash. As for the last bit, transfers and wages are not necessarily the same thing, like I said depends on budgets and FFP. Villa will naturally have more room in their wage budget than us because a lot of their squad will be on championship level wages with a small bonus for promotion and then the PL sends £100 million their way, so initially for the first 3-4 years in the league they will have more room to make some big signings. Unlike more established clubs like us who will have their PL players expecting PL wages when they sign new deals, so the likes of JWP, Ings, Armstrong etc. will be wanting £70-80k a week. So just cos Villa might spend £30 million on a player (and we don't know whether that is because they already have a sale lined up for grealish) doesn't mean they are suddenly going to be paying players £150k a week like the Liverpools and Man Citys. Because then for a £40 million transfer fee, that makes it £80 million over the 5 years which is a massively outlay.