Given that I am now resigned to relegation, and today is Easter Sunday, I'm quite happy for us to put all our eggs in a Sofiane Boufal shaped basket for the rest of the season. Unlike anybody else, including Tadic, Boufal might just do something magical. A bit like how Mahrez pretty much saved Leicester by himself three years ago. I'm basically with Schad in thinking that we need a miracle, and Boufal is probably our best chance of that. Roll the dice, hope we get six.
Agree. We're going to be playing a lot of teams that are better than us (most are!); playing fast counters might be our only real hope of getting something. The biggest issue, and the one that I don't know if we can overcome, is that failing to replace VVD has left us catastrophically poor at the back. Since January 1st we have surrendered 17 goals in 10 matches, and six times have given up multiple goals. And that was against the softer part of our schedule! When you can't grind out 1-0s, and you cannot win goalfests, it's hard to imagine picking up three wins in the last seven.
I’m prepared for the championship. It will be disappointing to go down but hopefully we can shift something of the **** from the team and, mainly, the board. Wonder what our line up would actually look like in the Championship. McCarthy Pied Stephens Yoshida Targett Jwp Davis Redmond sims McQueen Long / Austin
If we go down, we have to sell any player for whom there is a suitor. The second we reach the Championship, Gao's investment will be £80-100m underwater, and we will need to batten down the hatches and plan for a lengthy spell outside the PL, because I don't think that we can absorb significant losses. So, basically, our lineup will probably consist of whatever players no one wants, plus a few experienced Championship players, back-filling through our sadly-depleted youth.
That's my understanding, but I could be wrong. If he is, I wouldn't be surprised if he returned to France (or moved to Leicester!). I'd expect Cedric, Bertrand, Lemina, Boufal, and Gabbi to leave without question. Next category down is Forster, Romeu and Tadic - probably more likely to leave than stay, but not certain. And then the next category down is Long and Austin; two players who I think we'd want to keep, and who I think wouldn't be against playing in the Championship - but if PL clubs come calling (and potentially that could even include Millwall!), then they too could go for the right money. You don't sell your entire squad when you go down, so I'd say that Hoedt, Carrillio and PEH would all be here next year, regardless of whether they want to be. They're all relatively new through the door, so presumably aren't out of contract next summer. They haven't pulled up any trees, so I couldn't see huge offers for them. So worst case scenario as I see it is: McCarthy Yoshida, Stephens, Hoedt, Bednarek, McQueen, Targett JWP, Davis, PEH, Redmond, Sims, Reed Carrillio, Gallagher Plus whichever kids we want to promote, no doubt let by Hesketh. Probably leaves us needing to sign four, maybe five, players. Less if any of the likes of Long and Austin stay.
I still am surprised that most people see JWP as definitely staying if we go down. He could quite easily leave too.
... but not all. Should have been done this season months and months ago. Absolutely no imagination in the side otherwise.
Wednesday 2nd May... ... well, that’s when I have a meeting in Port Talbot, just down the road from Swansea anyway!
Not I. If you're a team that i) has some pace and creativity in the open field, and ii) struggles mightily to create quality chances and score goals in congested areas, it kinda behooves you to play to your strengths rather than hoping that you'll suddenly overcome your weaknesses.
I like to see Gallagher and hesketh in there. Davis. Won’t be there imo, so I would expect to see reed retained in that spot. Quite honestly I would expect our football to be significantly better.
It makes me angry to think about how badly the board have let us down in the transfers and other decisions. 1. Not replacing Pelle - Austin isn’t and is too injury prone. 2. Nor replacing VVD 3. Thinking Redmond was a suitable replacement for Mane 4. Not signing someone who has a decent cross in them. 5. Sacking Puel 6. Replacing MP2 with MH who has just been sacked by a team below us. 7. Doing a crap interview where they actually say to the fans that we are a small team and we shouldn’t expect anything better Tossers!
