Silvio Dante

I think spending in the summer, without an unexpected Webster shaped windfall, is very unlikely to be huge. FWIW: - on the OOC I see us keeping Klose and Cundy, while moving the rest on (King into coaching). Baker retiring. - I think we’ll see Wells move on, with us likely still funding some wages (he’d go with best wishes but he is too expensive for the role we have him playing). - I think Massengo we overvalue, but if he won’t sign (as looks likely), I think he’ll go - I get the logic of Kalas going. I’d rather keep with creative accounting but that may not be viable - We’ll want rid of some - notably Palmer, Vyner. The latter easier to move on wage rise than the former, but in terms of Kasey, he now has to make the decision if he wants to be a footballer or not - as he will be yesterdays man very soon at this level, and he can either move for a longer contract and lower wages, or go into a league one bunfight after this deal expires In the words of Russell Osman - This ain’t gonna be easy

It’s an unhappy truth for some that when COD moves on in the summer, he will have suitors at this level. Not too old, experienced at this level, full international and a degree of versatility on paper. I’m not suggesting in any way we should keep him, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him back at AG in opposing colours next season. The sliding doors moment for me was Hull away a few years ago. Coming up to that game, he was in quality form and showing signs of kicking on to the next level. Picked up a bad injury and hasn’t ever got back to the same level. Without that, the conversation around COD would be markedly different.

To be fair, what Dave does in his bedroom isn’t a door any of us want to open…

True. But you have to start doing the right thing at one point, and at least it was a step towards the right behaviours…!

Didn’t think so. This is the best screengrab I have at the moment, just before ball played:

I’ve just put similar to this on another thread, but people who think the last minute goal today was anything to do with “psychology” are wrong. We displayed exactly the right behaviours post 90 minutes. - Free kick given. Don’t flood forward. Check. - Taking free kick. Wells and Martin try and keep in corner. Check. - Pring gets ball with chance to drive into box. Goes for corner. Check. I’d agree in prior games on the 90+ front we have displayed the wrong behaviours and looked scared. That didn’t happen today, and it was pure and simple, unlucky. People tying it to psychology are, ironically, amateur psychologists.

(Oh and also, whether the OP states he doesn’t want NP to go or not if a thread is titled “How Long has Pearson Got Left” it’ll naturally attract people who want him to go, which is bizarre if they’re justifying on todays performance. It’s like calling a thread “How big a tosser do we think Joey Barton is” and feigning surprise when people say “A huge one”)

Yeah I’d agree there. I actually don’t put the last minute goal today down to any kind of psychological thing - we actually did the right behaviours of going for corners etc and were unlucky on decisions such as the throw. I think the making a tactical sub was the only thing missing in what you’d expect from game management 90+ minutes

I dunno. Maybe because those are the rules? (Hint: They are)

Big Nev did it first and best at Goodison:

You’ve missed the bit off wiki where apparently after retiring he formed a band managed by Dion Dublin. I have a vague recollection he was into music while here. Certainly couldn’t pull the strings in midfield (ho ho)

This is actually one of those moves I like to see, and I assume it doesn’t hurt that Arter came from non league originally. Most players would quite happily sit and take the wage, and at the age of 32, wouldn’t be putting themselves up as a target to be kicked in non league. He clearly wants to play and doesn’t care who for, he just wants a game. That’s one of a dying breed of ex prem players with the money in the game these days. Good luck to him.

Thinking about it a city Irish XI is the stuff of nightmares. GK - Gilmartin RB - Ryan McGivern LB - Cunningham (good, but nob) CB - ?? CB - ?? LM - O’Dowda RM - Sproule CM - Tommy Doc (he’d go mental in this company) CM - John Burns?? CF - Andy Smith CF - Andy Keogh (think he played on loan?) Bejaysus it’s bad

Underrated comment.

No shame in conceding to a prem team.

The “behind closed doors” aspect (which I’d flagged as likely on cup games when sanctions were announced) was always going to happen. There are a couple of aspects here though… - Boro sold tickets before the sanctions were announced. Therefore they act as a “pre sanction” revenue stream for Chelsea under the split Steve identified, and are perfectly allowable under the sanctions regime. It’s the same as Chelsea being allowed to admit season ticket holders to all intents and purposes - And here’s the rub. If Chelsea are successful in their representation, it naturally follows that any pre existing tickets sold should not be honoured as away fans can’t buy tickets to provide revenue to Chelsea (thereby reducing sporting integrity). So they would be duty bound to play any game behind closed doors. Thereby refusing to admit any season ticket holders. Not very bright these cockernees….

And this is why people need to see things like the Louis Britton decision for what it was. Bell and Conway ahead of him, Palmer-Holden coming up in the u23s. It’s actually better in the long run to release the players that, although having ability, cause a logjam in the pathway as they’re just not likely to make it for our level. James Morton is a great example here - he’s now unlikely to get in at a pro club in view of his age, and is not making it here. Pearsons expressed a view that at 19 you need to be in or around the first team to have a chance of making it. There will be Reid’s that disprove that, but as a general position, it makes sense to clear all but the marginals out at the age of 20ish for both us and their sake

Just as a mods request. Now this has come back up the post listing can we change the title to “Bournemouth“. It’s doing my OCD no good at all!

Jesus, there’s a blast. Wasn’t @SaulGoodman a Barnsley fan as well? Odd pair.

I can only think it wasn’t given as a red because the goal went in. If you look at the angle of his leg, it’s nowhere near the trajectory of the ball. If that was two outfield players and nowhere near the goal, it’d have been a red. The only plausible reason here is that they bottled the decision because the ball went in the net - had it rolled wide, I’ve got no doubt he’d have walked.

Massengo 6?!? Same grade as Wells & Weimann?!? ”I’ll have what he’s drinking”

Agree with all stated. When the story of Wells here is written, it’ll be that we signed a player that wasn’t right for us and us not right for him, but he didn’t sulk (notwithstanding demeanour!) gave his best when called upon but ultimately wasn’t a “fit”. Not his fault, Ashton and LJs fault, but I find it hard to question his attitude

Just a question. What do you have against BAKER not to put him in CAPITALS

As with anything, there are multiple causes: - A move to 3-5-2 - Playing against a team with a current horrific goal scoring record - Bentley saving a penalty - Return to fitness (and very good game) from Atkinson - Assured debut from Cundy Theres nothing to say Kalas (fully fit) playing instead of one of the three at the back wouldn’t have produced the same result.