ExiledAjax

Agree it's likely Wells either does get the appearances or just drops off in terms of goals per game. If Conway does become 1st choice then he'll likely/need to score 15+ a season. Young players that do that get sold, so he'd likely depart when on something between 25 and 35.

@italian dave but yes it's between Brownhill, Akpom and Gyokeres. Akpom will get it I reckon, goals tend to win out in this kind of thing. I wonder if Scott will make team of the season as well? Personally I'd be surprised as there's a lot of competition in his position, but there's a chance.

Not been announced yet. Follow live here if you've nothing better to do. https://www.efl.com/news/2023/april/follow-the-efl-awards-2023-live/

Brilliant news. Well deserved and what a pleasure it is to watch him play. Joins an interesting list of past winners. Some to emulate, some to contradict.

I said on some other thread that it's based on an assumption that Pearson doesn't want to extend/renew past 2024. On that basis I'd hope he'd be involved in the process. If he wants to carry on then it's a different conversation. If Pearson did quit halfway once told he wasn't being renewed then I guess the answer is that we try to already have the successor lined up and he starts early. I've also said elsewhere I'd be fine with him carrying on, there's always a chance of a bit of luck turning a top ten team into a top 6 team. I just suspect there are others out there who may have a better chance.

Potter's a sadist if he goes there. Forever blighted by having no effective No 9 and he goes to another pissing team with no No 9.

Not sure Kane cares about Champs League! But I take your points.

Chelsea may (really should) sell quite a few in the summer. I think they'd be in the conversation. Tbh I'd love Kane to go wherever Potter ends up. I'd like to see what a Potter team with a proper centre forward could do.

Chelsea. Need a striker, have the money to spend, he gets to stay in London. Can see it working for all parties.

Completely. I don't think Pearson's hypothetical summer 2024 successor needs to be young. I just think that it might be a good idea at that point to hand the squad over to someone with a system and a plan to take it forward and to the next level. I don't care how old they are, what nationality they are. Say we finish 9th in 2023/24, with a clear slate under whatever FFP rules are in place and a settled squad with a decent mix of prime young, and experienced players. Why not - whilst the club is positive and we have clear heads - why not have a managed proactive handover to a new regime that has new ideas, new energy, and a system tailored to promotion rather than toward "survival during a financial reset". Why wait until we're 21st and panicking to change manager?

I didn't read Sutton's tweet as saying he thinks we should sack Pearson and switch manager now. Dilks was saying that, but I read Sutton's as a more general point that maybe Pearson isn't the guy to take us to the top6/PL. If Sutton was advocating for a switch now then I retract my agreement.

Us needing a "Complete squad overhaul" and "new identity" is a ludicrous opinion. Switching to a different manager in order to take the next step - not so crazy in my opinion. Not this summer, but when Pearson's contract ends this time next year then there's a valid debate to be had over whether to renew/extend it or whether to look for a new option. I agree with Sutton.

Just looked at Wells a bit more. As above he's on 30 in 151 games and just over 9,000 minutes. As with Andi he scores roughly once every 300 minutes. If we assume he can keep that rate up then he needs 6,000 minutes to get to 50 goals. That's 66 full 90 minute games, plus 66 minutes, so 67 games. Crucially he's already contracted for the next two seasons, with a maximum of 46 league games and maybe 4 cup games each season. That gives him the time he needs to get the goals. It is quite possible that Wells will be the next man to 50 goals in a couple of years' time. This assumes no drop in performance or output, but it's possibly not going to be too long until we see the next name on the list.

JL has full oversight over kit. He's heavily involved in design. It all goes through him.

Anyone who's on Twitter. Just make sure to @ Jon Lansdown in your negative comments. It's his project, his hobby, and no one at the Club is going to tell him it's crap, so it's on us to do that.

Whenever we get around to doing hall of fame for the 2020's then he's a dead cert imo. If he sees out his career with us I think he's got another 2 or 3 seasons in him. Averaging 40 apps and 8 goals over that time lands him on 74 goals and 310ish appearances. Proper legend territory if he wants it.

Nope. More often they get bought or retire. Had Semenyo stayed with us I think he'd have got to 50. He was on 21 when he left so maybe would have got there in the next two or three seasons. But alas the market does what the market does. Wells is on 30 currently (151 games), Conway on 12 (47 games). So we might see Wells do it if he has a great season next term. Conway will get it if he stays fit and with us.

I really wish he'd worked out for us

He's got more than double the number of goals for us than he has for Villa, and has 70+ more appearances. Born in Villa. Made in Bristol.

27 assists as well btw.

He's coming to end of his 5th season with us. In seasons 1, 2, 4 and now 5 he's played 40+ games. Just that 3rd season where he had that serious injury was a disappointment. Obviously the bulk of his 50 goals came last season when he got 23, but in his first two seasons he scored 10 and 9 respectively. Then today was his 6th this season, and in the aforementioned injury hit season he scored just twice. He's got a goals/minute ratio of 1 every 303 minutes. That's not stellar compared to many CFs - most would hope for more like 1 every 200 minutes or so. However, as you say for a guy who has played long spells at RWB, CM, RW, and only really a season or so as an CF, it's a good return. As an aside he's never been sent off for us, has only 29 yellows, and is by all accounts a bloody nice guy.

I think they're both probably going to be safe in the end though.

That goal today is Weimann's 50th goal for the club. Should see him up on the honours board/web page. The last man to do it was Diedhiou. 193 matches taken to get there. 49 league goals. 1 League Cup goal. Congratulations Andi, bloody good job for a bloke who just runs around and points.

I knew it. Thanks chaps.

Are we now just a Kalas away from a fully fit squad? Or have I forgotten someone bleedingly obvious? Ah Wilson I suppose.