Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016

And there's me thinking you would be reassured by Jose's programme notes

 

Haven't we all learned that things change very rapidly? I would be more reassured if he had played a part on Saturday and showed more real enthusiasm. Not like our Jose at all. There's probably a good chance he's staying, but it would be nice if he appeared like a willing volunteer rather than a hostage.

 

I'm at work and don't have the programme to hand, but I did scan Jose's notes* quite closely for negativity and could find none. I see no cause for concern about him being on the bench, he played almost every game for us last season before going off to play in the Euros, and he's older than Cedric so will take longer to recover. Having started with Virgil and Maya, It's extremely unusual for a manager to sub a CB for any reason other than injury. So I don't read anything into Jose remaining on the bench.



*I fell asleep on the train reading Claude's notes.

 

Option 5 - Flexibility - don't just think about one formation, 11 players or even any players being in one position (eg, Redmond now a converted striker)

We have lots of games and 4 competitions. We signed Jayrod as a CF and only used him really as a wide left forward. We could be doing similar or reverse with someone else. Puel may not rate Long or Austin enough? Could be any number of reasons.

As fans we often don't look to wide or long.

 

I should have read this before posting above. I agree.

 

The game I was at, Tadic hardly ever picked up wide positions. My view was that he nearly always was central or just off central. In fact, I don't even recall seeing him hugging a touch line.

I may be wrong.

 

Plenty of other team's key Euro players were benched too - eg. Sigurdsson at Swansea. They played two games less at the tournament than Jose, and not as many extra time periods either.

And let's face it, I think Cedric probably should have been benched yesterday too! He will be if he keeps playing like that. Puel may not have wanted to chuck Pied in from the start in a new league, so less options at RB?

 

Fran, now I'm not sat opposite you in a pub where I would be in reach of a slap....

I think we'd mainly miss Jose the man, not so much Jose the player. Yes, he's first choice CB with VVD however Virgil is above him and better than him and if he left we would sign, or have ready to sign a first choice CB who would quite possibly be better as a player.

I can't deny that we'd miss Jose and I wouldn't like the message it sends again. I think this is like a love story movie where we are in the last ten minutes and we're looking at the screen with tears in our eyes, praying that the handsome hero stays with the girl as we know they're meant to be together.

 

Cedric played well in the Bilbao game....going to reserve judgement until I've seen him in a game where the rest of the team aren't below par as well.

 

One thing is for sure, Mourinho will be dragging the Fonte spec out for another week, anything to get an advantage, he'll be loving it.

 

Don't disagree with you...Jose is a leader in the dressing room and on the field. He has been stalwart in the past when others were misty eyed at being on the bench at a bigger club, but time for him to be faithful to the end. It's like one Fonte went to the Euros and they sent back a facsimile. He looks the same, but something is different. The driver here is Mourinho...not saying he's done anything wrong, but the chance to work with him is like a big fat worm on a hook. I want my proper Jose back.

 

He was definitely drifting into wider areas on occasion in the second half, particularly early in buildups when we ceased to wait for the fullbacks to provide wide support. Not necessarily running the touchline, but well beyond the width of the box. He actually led the team in crosses, and his heat map features a lot of paint on (both) flanks.

 

Fair enough. My perception was that he had most of the ball more central.

 

He did, on balance. But I think that we looked much better in buildup when they ceased sticking to their designated positions...Tadic moving out wide to pick up the ball, Redmond dropping into an effective midfield role to make himself available. Basically, when we dropped the patient, structured possession-building and looked to get the ball into dangerous areas with some urgency.

 

Defiantly agree with that. Pete helped with the pace of the build up to, as he seemed to inject urgency.

I felt the lack of that in the first half wasn't so much playing the patient build up, more that we kept giving the other team that round white thing when we looked to start anything!

 

We were basically caught cold. We know we are a good team and we had a plan and some bastards turned up who were well drilled in how to stop us executing that plan. That has worked for us before when we've beaten teams better on paper because we turned up to thwart them. We mustn't go all Hope Solo about it....we were taken by surprise and recovered. Could easily have won, but didn't....important thing is that we didn't lose.

 

I think that the patient buildup was intentional, even if the execution was appalling. That's the bit I'd like to see change, and part of the reason I'd like to see us revert to a 4-3-3. His tactical approach is an exaggerated version of Poch's, and for all of the good play from that era, the congestion in central areas and lack of quick transitions really hampered us at times.

 

Sheffield Wednesday manager has shone some light on the impasse surrounding Fernando Forestieri. Derby had an offer for the 26-year-old rebuffed last week and are expected to come back with an improved offer.

Speaking after the Owls 0-0 draw with Norwich at Carrow Road, manager Carlos Carvalhal said Forestieri had effectively gone on strike.

"He came up to me before that game and said he wanted a chat," said the Owls boss. "He told me he didn't want to play against Villa but we talked it through and he had a change of mind and ended up scoring our winner.

"We then trained with Fernando as usual, preparing for the Norwich game, and then he spoke to me again and said he didn't want play. This time he didn't change his mind and we had to do without him.

Footballers are scum.

 

I geunuinely have no connection with players, including Saints players anymore, on the pitch playing for the club I'm cheering them on or moaning about them but off the pitch and what the want to do, interviews with them, what they say and believe? Nowadays I couldn't give a monkey's toss.

It's obvious they are greedy, thoughtless pillocks, who would rather sit on the bench and play two games all season for one of the the top four clubs and get £100k per week than actually play regulalry for a lower table side and try to help them improve [I'm not just referring to Saints either] yet when they are interviewed they say stuff like 'I've always loved football, it's all I want to do is play'....

 

Interesting to see if Jose does leave , look at Schneiderlin barely plays for United and has lost his international place , the grass isn't always greener!!