So… Nick Pope

We need 3 keepers tho lol

 

I think you know what I mean ....

If we can generate a few million by getting shot of Darlow then it is a small outlay in football terms

 

He upgrades us.
If each signing does that it's a very good thing for our journey to greatness.
Don't forget the Eddie Howe factor too... he improves players...

 

Gillespie

 

I'm happy with Pope. He's a good keeper

 

Likes his crosses.

 

Capable of miracles too. I'd keep hin away from kids though!

 

Excellent competition for Dubs. Like him - he'll make some great saves.

 

Not sure if he’ll go to hell and back for the team if required.

 

I’ve never seen as much guff written about a player transfer than Mane over the last few days

 

Definitely improves us, especially for the money quoted. Proper competition in the GK position and reliable back option is really important. I don't think he's automatically a replacement for Dubz though, they will have to fight it out between now and the start of the season.

Only thing that is a bit odd is that I thought they might go for someone better with the ball at his feet. That's what I was assuming they were looking for when going for Henderson. I reckon the Man U wanted silly money for him. I rate Pope as a better shot stopper mind you.

 

Worlds best ever player. Scored more than 7,000 goals a season and cured Covid.

Solved world poverty and stopped the war.

That’s what he did to get so much adulation.

 

Mane £35m Vs Wood £25m.
I'll leave it there ...

 

We got a bargain then!!

I reckon there's a chance Wood will score more Premier League goals than Mane next season.

 

I'm prepared to offer you a bet that he'll score the exact same amount

 

I like this signing. It's the right way to go. Our biggest need right now is to replace our backup options with players who are first team quality. Ideally that would be done by signing players better than our existing first teamers, with those first teamers becoming the backups, but anything that improves our quality in depth is a step forward. Quality in depth is more important right now than a big name marquee signing, as we really struggle as soon as one of our first team players is injured. I am happier with this approach than just trying to do a Chelsea or Man City from one day one.

 

Bang on

 

Disagree. Our biggest priority is replacing average starters with PL quality players. Better than Darlow should be pretty low on a priority list, given we have Fraser/Almiron RW, Schar/Lascelles CB, Wood/WIlson CF and Longstaff/Willock CM.

 

I think we need one CB, one midfielder and two strikers. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

We have all been so scarred over the years that we have become used to taking the pessimistic view (not just you). The additions to the squad saw us finish the second half of the season in third place behind Man City and Liverpool. I'm not suggesting that is the level we should expect from the current team, but I do think it's far better than we realise due to the way Eddie has improved them.

No matter how well some of them play (and the majority did play well in the second half of the season) we can't help thinking 'yeah, but it's Shelvey/Krafth/Longstaff etc. The first team does need improvements, but our biggest weakness has been the lack of quality beyond our 'purple' players.

 

So explain this to me - if we sign, say, Jonathan David, he becomes first choice CF and our backup is now Callum Wilson. Isn't that a better idea than keeping Wilson as your CF and having Ekitike as backup?

Or shouldn't we sign Jack Harrison to start at RW, with Fraser as backup? Or Paqueta at CM to then have Longstaff/Willock as backup?

It's pretty obvious you strengthen the first team not the bloody subs!!!