chinapig

Quite. Though I am one of what seems to be a minority who gives credits LJ for transforming Reid he did not go straight from the academy to the first team under him so comparison with Scott and Conway doesn't really work. Plus it was reported that he was told to bring Semenyo back from loan The one breakthrough was Kelly whose potential had been noticed in the game before he made his debut. I suspect Tinnion would give a pretty blunt view as to how seriously previous managers took the academy!

Sure but it wasn't part of a strategy of sending players on loan to develop them or they would not have sent him to a rival. They just wanted shot of him.

Spence was loaned out because Colin didn't like his attitude and they had Jones already. Conte made it clear he wasn't his signing hence he doesn't get a look in at Spurs.

He could have sent Conway on loan and carried on starting Martin. He could have persisted with Palmer but saw that Scott was better. With 3 experienced strikers he wasn't obliged to pick Semenyo either.

Of course but you have to have a manager who is prepared to play them as opposed to shifting them out on loan. It's only by playing them that their value increases. Though he doesn't pick them for the sake of it but because he thinks they are up to it. As to loans Nigel has made it clear that players will only go out if it genuinely benefits their development. Under the previous regime it was routine regardless of whether it was beneficial. The worst example for me was Pring who was shipped out again, ignoring Tinnion's view that he was ready for the first team squad. Conway for instance benefited from training with the first team rather than being loaned out. We now seem to have got the balance right.

Scott, Semenyo, Conway have considerably more value than they had before Nigel joined. Under Ashton and LJ they'd probably be on loan somewhere!

Everything he has said the club has already said. There is no new information here. Though I still find it odd that he has intervened.

The cumulative savings from both reducing the squad size and renegotiating contracts on significantly lower wages is a key part of fixing the disaster left by the previous regime (and by SL himself). We have reduced our costs by £10m and Gould was keen at the fans forum to give Nigel his share of credit for that. But we need to make further savings across the club's operations. The fact remains though that FFP does not allow owners to keep pumping in cash to remain compliant so SL doesn't really have that option. Though I doubt he would do it if he could.

We need to continue to reduce our operating costs. Wells' new contract is presumably another step in that direction but we need to increase our income also. But an owner can't just pay off any FFP deficit so the only way to raise substantial funds is to sell players.

More detail: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64111067

Take a look at the accounts, their legacy is still very evident and will be for some time to come. It's going to take at least as long to fix the damage as it took to create it, whoever the manager is.

Don't know, they're not on any comparison sites.?

Yep. Caveat Emptor and all that.

Kieran Maguire mentions on today's PoF podcast with more details to come on Thursday's pod. He seemed to suggest the regulator might be appointed imminently though it would be odd in advance of the White Paper becoming a Bill and subsequently law.

Launch Roll it to the big man!

Apparently they stopped showing him on the stadium screens precisely because he was booed when they did before.

Plus with Ronaldo out they can actually play at a high tempo.

Bring him on with 2 minutes to go and see if he refuses!

Possibly, though Frasers' latest statement is pretty vague and general and doesn't resolve things. Still amounts to 'sign the revised licence to be allowed to play there': https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/dec/05/mike-ashley-frasers-groups-serves-coventry-city-fc-eviction-notice-stadium Frasers Group said it wanted to work with the club to secure its future at the stadium. “Frasers has, throughout all its involvement with the stadium, been supportive of securing the long-term future of CCFC playing its games at the stadium. This position remains unchanged,” it said. “Prior to acquiring the stadium, Frasers issued a new licence mirroring the terms CCFC had agreed with the previous owners. However, CCFC chose not to sign it at that time. “A revised proposal, together with a new licence, has been issued to CCFC and will secure the immediate future of CCFC at the stadium. “Signing the licence would allow for more detailed discussions to take place about CCFC’s long-term arrangements at the stadium, including to accommodate a number of requests which were raised by CCFC. Frasers looks forward to working with the club to host the upcoming games.”

To be a proper agricultural shot in cricket it surely has to go to cow corner??

Why on earth do players do it when they know they will be booked?

I love the country having worked all around Wales for a few years. Full of beautiful places, lots of friendly people. Given the option and the money I would choose to live on the Gower coast. But I am heartily sick of the constant romanticising and if I was Welsh I would be embarrassed by now. For God's sake make it stop!

Judging from what Rashford said Southgate told them at half time that they weren't moving the ball fast enough so it seems unlikely he sent them out at the start to do otherwise. We'll see how he sets up from now on but Germany eventually showed against Spain for instance that it's best to press the good teams high rather than sit back. I hope we continue that but time will tell. I loved the media narrative about Iran btw which went: •Good side, England will struggle to beat them. •England only beat Iran because they're crap. •Wales couldn't be expected to beat a side as good as Iran. Agenda or what??

I agreed with the thrust of your original post but I think the point applies more to the likes of Denmark, Netherlands, Poland and Germany, even Portugal. Even Deschamps is regarded in France as too pragmatic. It's worth noting also that Tite spent time in Germany and, I think, Spain studying European tactics because he wanted Brazil to play in a more European way. For all their galaxy of talent who did he replace the injured Neymar with? Fred! So the implication that Southgate is somehow particularly negative doesn't stand up for me, especially as his team has 9 goals, more then any previous England side in the group stage. I'd add that against Wales 2 goals came from Foden and Rashford running at defenders and the other from Rashford pressing Davies and nicking the ball off him to set up Kane for the cross. Indeed the high press was excellent all round, especially in the second half. Not particularly shackled perhaps?

Exactly my thoughts but would his ego accept that I wonder? And he should get rid of the ridiculous hair and embrace his encroaching baldness!