GrahamC

Always remember driving down Regent St in Clifton & he was crossing the road. Severely tempted to knock him down, second spell he was absolutely useless.

We never signed him permanently, 2 loan spells.

So, just a thought here. Why don’t we buy players from clubs like that? Luton today are fleecing Reading in exactly this way for 2 players because they’re a total basket case. I said to @Davefevs Femi Azeez, young wide player there is in a decent run of form (5 goals in 11, few assists). Someone “like Luton” (so very clearly not us) will probably swoop for him in the next few weeks. You keep saying it is all too tough, get someone on loan. Burnley don’t need to sell & we will keep making crap decisions.

No. Look to bring in someone for the longer term, like Pearson did with TGH. Although he’s been a mixed bag so far bringing in another Mehmeti type makes far more sense. If Twine goes back to Burnley at the end of the season it will have been pointless.

Push for the playoffs? As has been pointed out, we’re 14th, there are loads of sides much better placed & Coventry in 6th place are not only 4 points & a vastly superior goal difference ahead, but also on a truly incredible run of form (won 7 drawn 3, lost just 1 of their last 11 league games). There’s absolutely no chance we will make up the 9 points to fifth or 15 (!) points to fourth. Come back in May & let’s see how that goes, eh?

“Pretty much everyone” didn’t. Signing players on loan like TGH makes sense, try before you buy with a fee agreed. Borrowing a player you have no control over signing makes much less sense. 6th place is in my opinion already highly unlikely, 5th & above? No chance. If we’d signed him in the same way as TGH I would have understood it, but not this. The Chuckle brothers strike again.

Liam Fontaine, Wade Elliott. Outstanding signings.

Didn’t seem to bother Tomlin.

Definitely just left AG, driven out in a black Range Rover. Just gone for a walk (bloody freezing) & saw him.

Apart from one being largely about technical skill, the other much more about distance covered, stamina, work rate & press. Twine being a 10, or wide midfielder, Brownhill best centrally in midfield. That’s just for starters.

All in the past now but we both know there were some incredible rumours flying around via private message on August 31st & the day after (deadline day) when we announced he had signed a new contract..

Yes you’re right but as the risk of straying into politics I don’t think football genuinely expected the pandemic to last as long & decimate finances in the way it subsequently did. My hunch therefore (I’m clearly not Joe Williams’ agent) is he & Chris Martin who we signed at a similar time, were on top wages for us in the Ashton wra. Not Kalas or Wells ones (then) but right up there.

Do you not think Williams is on this sort of sum? Only player left on a pre pandemic contract, Holden’s marquee signing? Not disputing your figures because we didn’t lose £22m by paying everyone £8k a week, that’s certain, but I reckon he’s right up there too.

Don’t do yourself down mate, JL on his laptop was part of the scouting team once..

Because the sums still wouldn’t add up, losing one player on say £13k a week for six months wouldn’t fund a replacement & justify an outlay of £2.5m in isolation. Not saying it doesn’t make sense (it does) but it wouldn’t be a game changer after we were told all the budget had gone after loaning in TGH.

The spin will be Weimann is now off the wage bill, the Cup money if we beat West Ham but like “top ten budget & top six squad” it’s horseshit.

Certainly £2.5m makes far more sense though @Harry & @Finley_Smith10 should probably replace our existing scouting team, seeing as both of them were miles ahead in recommending we sign him.

Dear oh dear. He’s been linked in this window with Luton & Brentford, so why on earth do you think Plymouth would sell him to a side in the same league? Azaz and Cundle weren’t their players, that’s why they had no choice there. There is absolutely no thought process behind this sort of suggestion at all.

True, the other choice is the one Sky has now gone for, games against Leeds & Southampton, ex Prem teams on almost all the time.

Great post & although as you have articulately explained, it doesn’t make much sense, when you then consider who we have running the club & particularly the recruitment strategy I’m therefore totally convinced it’s happening now.

I don’t know if it’s because they support the minor club in the city but some of the comments are there are frankly completely mental. Every week on their pre match thread the majority of them predict they’ll win, even if they’re away to a Derby or Barnsley. There seems to be some groupthink that honestly believes they are the best side in the division. I know the local media seem to perpetuate they are consistently unlucky but even so..

There was no fee. There was compensation & it wasn’t structured. It appears to have been circa £500k, a one off payment.

If it was down to me I’d give it a go. Sykes is like Weimann in that he’ll play wherever he’s told but he said before that he feels it is his best position. Also worth pointing out Knight plays on the right side routinely for the Republic, I certainly don’t think he’s a 10 but we could have tried this without the need to bring anyone in.

Yes. I really don’t understand the argument here. If your relative was fighting for their life at a game & the emergency services wanted it abandoned, why on earth not? This person died, a game of football is really not important in the scheme of things & how someone can even question the decision to stop it totally baffles me.

Thing is though, does this work? We all know of managers who have gone absolutely ballistic in the dressing room (GJ, Cotts) before coming out with a far more watered down version in public. Maybe he’s inherited a squad of wasters & losers but the trick is how you turn that around. He brought in 3 players last week so he’s being given the opportunity to change it. I’m not sure saying in public a player you picked (& who was in the Championship last season) like Dabo is basically rubbish, works.