Great analysis - I’m not sure I totally agree with you though. We managed proper Farkeball twice (excluding vs Bournemouth for obvious reasons) - against Leicester and against Brentford. Even against Arsenal we played quite nicely. That showed we can play it in the Premier League, but we need all three of: 1 a fit squad with our best players; 2 our best players having a strong performance; 3 more than a slice of luck. We have missed out on all three of those combining far too many times, and two of them you just cannot legislate for. The MFW sounds a bit too much like Robbie wrote it - sort of right in parts, but deliberately trying to pass blame onto Farke and specific players, plus playing style, without flexibility. It results in digging heels in on opinions which might have had a kernel of truth in one way but become ridiculous when they are taken to the nth degree. That just doesn’t work in football, you can’t have dogmatic opinions because it’s not as simple a game as it looks. And frankly, I don’t want to be in the Premier League if the only way of staying there is to play Pulis style football. IMO, we definitely had the players this season to scrape through, but not the luck. I know that because the Brentford squad was weaker than ours, the Watford squad was hardly better (and dysfunctional) and the Burnley squad is weakest of all. The bad luck started with a horrific pre-season and continued. It was a huge mistake sacking Farke when we did. Our best players - Pukki, Hanley and Krul - have been left on their own too often (or not at all, when they’ve been injured). It wasn’t to be this season, but it would be a huge mistake to try to kill off quality footballing style which we have been working on for several seasons just because of one relegation - hell, we should know, we’ve managed it more than any other club. Here’s to another season of attractive, technical football in the Championship. OTBC (and stay there).
Our failure to recruit a dedicated DM borders on lunacy. Was it believed Lungi would fill that hole? If so, the failure to utilise him in that role FROM THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEASON compounds this lunacy. The fact that whenever, and wherever, he has played matches he has never let us down but still remains sidelined, is unbelievable. He should be starting ahead of Gilmour or McLean for the rest of the season to ascertain whether we need to recruit a DM for next season. It would be pointless getting a new one in it we already have a competent one in house.
Both Normann and Gilmour will be gone next season so DM will be our weakest position, so we will need to recruit at least one more DM. I would love to agree with Rob about Farke, but we just don't have the resources to bring in the players to make it work. We have to find a new approach which can succeed in both the PL and the Championship and I suspect that will be Smith's preferred 4-3-3 which we do have the players for.
Believe this is the Greek journalist who broke both the Giannoulis and Tzolis moves, so is presumably fairly accurate.
Pretty sure that's right DH, and that Giannoulis will be the starting LB. Wonder whether he has any insight into Tzolis's future plans.
I hope Giannoulis can be brought back into the fold because he's certainly good enough for the Championship. I also suspect this would have a good effect on Tzolis in terms of him settling down and being able to overcome what must have been a very difficult and disappointing first season.
It has been reported that Lawrence from Derby is on our radar. Competition from WBA and Brighton. I mentioned him a few days ago as he has scored 10 goals and has 4 assists to his credit. As it extremely likely that we will be in the second tier next season, then Brighton will have more pulling power.
https://app.pinkun.com/?article=page-27811&edition=subscriberexclusive& Sounds like Norwich will extend Pukki's contract...but there's potential buyers sniffing around already.
Pukki seems to be wanted in Spain by Celta Vigo. Out of contract this summer so could go for free? If this is so, then we could lose one of our prized assets for nothing. Crazy
I think we have another years option on Pukki so he won't be available on a free. I am assuming that none of our squad are out of contract this summer so all we will lose are the loan players and Normann might well decide to stay.
It could come down to wages for Teemu. He doesn't have many big earnings years left as a player. I think someone on here said he's making £50k per week and will stay on that in the championship, but all I can find searching the net says he's on £25k (that sounds quite low tbh).
Actually, Vigo's not that sunny. It gets quite a lot of rain up there on the north-west coast close to the Portuguese border. Obviously still sunnier than England, though.
Ruffle feathers time.... First out the door should be Smith & Pinching Jones, about time the club was properly put up for sale, but we all know that's about as likely as finding hens teeth & rocking horse excre....... Hopefully we'll stop focussing on fluff players with minimal physicality and players abroad that take 6 months to settle. Tranfermarkt suggest we obligated to purchase Ozan Kebab, not sure if that's true? Assume Rupp will leave along with loanees. I expect both Aarons & Rashica to be sold, Krul may wish to leave if there's sufficient interest. Zimmerman Can't see the rest of the unsuitable EPL players attracting much attention to go unless we pay off their contracts. Not sure what we do with Tzolis/Placheta, maybe a season in the EFL will be their level? Hugill, Cantwell, Sinani will return can't see either having a future here however.... Mumba to be first choice RB, with Rowe challenging Sargent for RM/RW. In terms of incoming I'd love to see one of Adebayo/Karla Grant/Clarke-Harris brought in upfront they seem to know where the onion sack is. James Garner seems to having a decent season for Forest on the occasions I've watched EFL show, wonder if we could twist Man U's arm unless they have lower Prem interest for a loan.
How depressing is it that with eight games still to go, we have 54 replies to a thread about the summer transfer window?
Smith and Jones wanting to sell is more likely than a wealthy benefactor wanting to buy. We are not an attractive financial proposition except to an asset stripper. Be careful what you wish for!!!
Just seen on Twitter Chesterfield striker Kabongo Tshimanga has been linked with City, has scored 24 goals in 27 National League appearances for them this season, dont know if he'd be any good in championship or prem (if we stay up) Middlesboro' and Burnley also intersted apparently.
I did not read the ruling in great detail but I thought that all it said was that any player on loan from Russia did not have to return to that Club as long as the current situation existed. I do not think it said that they never have to return or that their contract with the Russian Club was cancelled or that they could now consider themselves as a free agent deciding themselves what they wanted to do. If that is correct then all he could do to avoid going back to Russia is stay with us.
Whether we can afford to do that after relegation is another matter I guess, I think I saw a fee of around £11m agreed?
