LAM09

Didier, is that you?

Enzo tucks this one away. Palmer with a bit of magic.

I really hope the decision to take Neto off instead of Madueke wasn't just tactical. If so, that sums up everything about this manager.

Not sure what Sancho is going to do. Perfect farewell on the cards?

Nkunku got enough flak for being anonymous. Jackson & Palmer have been exactly the same for months (putting that Liverpool game to the side).

Doesn't he know him from his time at City. If there's one player that should be keen on him, it's Palmer (unless something has been under wraps for years). Maresca was probably going to keep his job had we lost on Sunday. I don't believe he has the tools to take us anywhere, but we have to get used to seeing him on the touchline for another 6 months (at least).

They have shown they are shaking when defending. Maresca has to make amends by bringing James on at the very least & keeping Madueke on the right.

He gives off vibes that he doesn't want to be here or something rather than that of a player who's "just out of form".

Betis aren't exactly regulars in Europe, let alone finals. The decision to omit the only player in our squad to win a European final is still baffling. If Maresca has anything about him, he brings James on before HT.

The entire Betis squad look hungrier for it. Madueke it's disposed and just complains. If the whistle hasn't been blown, get on with it!

Gusto has looked lost from the first minute. He has regressed massively, so the decision to start him could be costly.

Loyalty. It's quite clear by a number of the selection choices.

Jackson walls back into the starting XI like nothing happened, and I needn't say much about the backline. Maresca really thinks it's smart to rotate or have "loyalty" to those who play thus far.

Marmoush hasn't done enough to sway you? He's impact arguably swung City's season which saw them finish third. The fact we are actually looking at his ex-teammate for €80m, €10m more than the fee commanded for him. The difference in quality between the two is massive.

The window is open from next Sunday until the 10th June for CWC registration. It would be nice for us to do some serious business to help improve our chances for next month and years to come. I feel like people seem to forget he hardly featured for PSG when they had no CF at all.

I mentioned something similar after Sunday's result. With the additional income from CL qualification & sizeable payout for CWC participation (hefty bump should we go all the way), the business we do or don't do will say everything about where the owners actually want to take their "investment". Kick on to challenge the best around or be satisfied with the bare minimum.

On £300kpw~. Until they become less reluctant to offer players their worth, in form players won't be joining this club. That's something the board cares a great deal about.

I was going to mention that, but I thought it would be rebuffed considering that's over an extended period. He are the cash cows in the long run.

It's based on the lesser of two evils. None of us are paying a dime, but the idea of spending €80m~ on Ekitike, not Gyokeres or Osimhem will just hold us back. I can't get behind someone banging goals for a side in Portugal and that won't change (don't want to hear about his exploits for Sweden considering the opposition). If the buzzword is gamble, I'd prefer us to bet on a different horse.

If it's between him & Ekitike, I'd take him solely because of the price tag. I really hope neither end up in a Chelsea shirt, though.

It's jarring seeing such celebrations for finishing fourth (just look at James). I do understand this will the first UCL campaign for the majority of our squad, but James' response—or lack thereof—demonstrates that this kind of thing isn't a significant accomplishment for the club based on our recent history. People might laugh at the trophy up for grabs on Wednesday, but a European trophy of any kind is something to celebrate. We all hope that we will win our seventh European trophy, celebrate something special, and will be the start of what we all hope will be the first of many to come.

I believe it's easier in the grand scheme of things. 10 years ago~ only three teams were guaranteed to qualify for the actual CL with the team finishing in fourth having to go through a playoff. Now, you have five teams going directly into the CL, without having a single worry, and on top of that, you have a "get out of jail card" that Tottenham took advantage of. Not to mention what happened to the latter in 2012-2013 (Premier League 2011-12 Table & Standings - Sports Mole). I agree that the league on the whole has improved drastically with arguably two sides effectively being guaranteed a place by most outsider while the gap between the rest continues getting smaller. However, there's far more opportunities than the previous decade.

Tbh, they were hanging their hopes on winning on Wednesday. If they had won, Osimhen or Gyokeres would have been their major signing. Their extended absence from the CL has finally caught up with them and is primarily why they are even sounding out the possible sale of Fernandes.

They have no European football at all, so these are the signings you should expect. Players from sides who were relegation candidates.

Him & Wissa would both add something to our squad if either were to be signed. We have a CL place secure, so this window will probably be the most telling as to what the owners actually want from their "investment". Settle or kick on from this (hopefully our first piece of silverware on Wednesday) by adding quality that improves our starting XI right now.