Yeah on face value after the last season it looks the wrong decision but he’s at his best when we are defending in our own half, not the best in possession. Think Slater showed a lot in the second half of the season to fill that role whilst also being better on the ball. The replacement is already in the club for Richie for me, it’s just about finding a different calibre of midfielder who’ll take us to a different level in possession which is what Fernando will do if we get him.
I wish all this was announced prior to the last game of the season as we could've given Smallwood, Eaves and Huddlestone the send off they deserved. I understand we're fishing in a different market now and whilst we could have kept them as back ups, realistically none of them would have featured next year
If that lad’s post is 100% true, then I just don’t get why Elder would spill all this to a fan in a bar. It would be extremely reckless and unprofessional for a player to tell a fan that the squad dislikes the coach and thinks the new owner will destroy the club.
But the players were very close with Grant and they all seemed to like/tolerate Ehab too. It's no surprise that they're unsure of the new regime when most of the will no longer be wanted
I’m not objecting to the possibility the players liked McCann more than Shota. They’re entitled to be hesitant and not always think the grass is greener on the other side. What I object to is a contracted player sowing discord within the club by airing dirty laundry in public to a City fan in a bar. Elder may have been slightly pissed but surely he wouldn’t be stupid enough to think that the guy he spoke to wouldn’t tell others and/or post on social media. If it’s true, it’s unacceptable.
A player wouldn't and if they did the club's code of conduct would kick in and they would be delt with internally etc, I think it was just a guess on the person's part as it was pretty obvious who we where going to retain and release imo. The bit about players being unhappy etc and the new owner killing the club is just flat out bollox. The players are fully behind the new regime. As I said before a few are frustrated by lack of playing time but you get that at every single club in the world.
Fair enough. The post has since been deleted. The lad being spot on with the retained list before it being announced made me believe it a little bit more.
The retained list was pretty easy to guess imo so could have just been that. Or potentially elder did spill on that which if he did then it's a breach of code of conduct but more importantly from a player's POV they have a player in the squad they can't trust not to spill things after a couple of drinks.
Elder spilling about the retained list sounds more believable than him telling a City fan he just met that the players don’t like Shota and think the owner will ruin the club. I’m sure everyone here has had a boss/manager they don’t like but even Joe Bloggs wouldn’t walk into a bar and tell someone they’ve never met they don’t like their boss and manager and going into specific detail about it that could lead back to their employer.
The fact Moncur was mentioned makes me think he’s heard he doesn’t like the manager and gone with it for them all. I’ve heard he’s probably the most technical player at the club but also is ****ed after making one sprint
Shota did publicly criticise Moncur’s lack of ambition to force his way into the starting XI, which I don’t really condone. I think those discussions should be kept between the coaching staff and players and Shota criticising players in the media kinda sets a bad example where players think they can do the same if unhappy. That being said, I don’t think Elder, Moncur, Bernard etc. have any right to be upset with Shota for not starting recently. The starting XI on the last day against Forest was our strongest XI.
I do wonder if the comment about Honeyman rejecting a 3-year deal so we just activated the one-year option instead was true. He’s likely to be named captain in the summer but may be gone come 2023. Personally, I think if Greaves signs a new long-term contract like he’s openly said he wants, then we should groom him as our future captain in long term.
Yeah it should’ve stayed in doors but when you’re always asked where he is I guess you’ll eventually just answer honestly. He seemed confused more then critical to me though, questioning why he’s so happy to not play…
I think this Adama Traoré is a fairly sensible signing. A player who cost 8 figures when he joined Monaco as a teenager signing for us on a free when he’s still only in his mid-20s is really a minimal risk signing that could be a great addition.
I bet his wages aren't particularly different to a half decent championship midfielder either, I can't see him costing us a fortune. It just seems really sensible
9 in 28 for 2nd bottom Belgian premier league side. Full international too 19 in 21 games last season for them in the Belgian second tier
