I know it's blasphemous but he's been directly responsible for a fair few of goals we've conceded recently (although his absence in the Liverpool game didn't exactly rectify anything!) I'd also clarify that I'm a huge Fonte fan, but anybody at the Stoke and Villa games (and City to a lesser extent) will surely have been scratching their heads at some of his positional play.
Probably because Big Vic isn't at his best and we don't have a second DM who can hold a candle to Snidders so the CBs are exposed
For half a season? A season which (in the hypothetical scenario I suggested) would be basically over.
An additional 5m could fade pretty quickly, however. If we fall two places further down the table and lose a game that otherwise would have been selected for TV, that's more than 3m gone. If it lowers our gates and merchandise, there goes a bit more. And if it impacts our sponsorship deals in upcoming years, it's a net loser.
We could play with two DM with either Romeo or Reed playing alongside Wanyama but RK prefers Clasie who is still settling in but doesn't appear to be another DM, more like another Steve Davis
Selling Mane in January doesn't sound good to me (unless the black box has identified several high quality replacements for him in somewhere like the Bulgarian league).
Did the whole dinner and drinks gig with Ronald tonight. He said we won't pay more in terms of wages or fees, and suggested that will hold us back. Said we pay less than almost all the other PL clubs. Said we need to spend, but if we do in January it'll only be a striker coming in. But it won't be Charlie Austin. Managed to record the chat, so I'll post that when I get a chance.
If he's talking about their strategy beyond this window, it's nigh on suicidal. Having our best players poached by the top four is a problem...having others poached by mid-table sides willing (and able) to pay more is a bigger one.
The times we have played with romeu and wanyama we look more assured and like the saints of last year.
With the unprecedented number of goals we are conceding we must start the game with two from Wanyama, Romeo and Reed then we chose one from Davis, Clasie and JWP. Keeping clean sheets is the most important thing at the moment as our defence looks a shambles in recent games Having Frazer back in goal in the new year will help too