LDN Blue

Lot of temptation will be to vote RLC Young POTY, but it's got to be Zouma. Pre-injury was an automatic starter.

Just sounds like sour grapes tbh. Roman's clearly someone who will make decisions made on his own opinion, he was eager to get Villas-Boas and had a personal interest in procuring him. If he really wanted Sampaoli I think he would've got him.

He's clearly settled at Juve, might as well sell him and get as much of the £27m as we can. Didn't they say the other day they hope to do more business with us anyway?

Not necessarily Chou. Many clubs, on their own prerogative, cancel POTY award nights and Xmas dos etc if the team isn't performing. Villa have cancelled theirs this season and I'm sure I remember Fergie/Redknapp infamously cancelling theirs once..

Not necessarily. Their record signing Adrej Kramaric is still currently loaned out to Hoffenheim.. No guarantees he would've made a difference or even been there..

Absolutely. No doubt Willian deserves his award but no-one else deserves it, the club shouldn't host one tbh.

Back then it probably wasn't a good thing to do, but now the situation is much more different. So much is invested in academies now that these players are walking cash cows, especially the longer the stay at an academy. Our ex-players are settled at the clubs they've moved on to, but not before they wasted loads of time on meaningless loans in the Netherlands or Championship, etc.

Great article demonstrating the attitudes wrong in the academy and criticising Emelano's comments re Tottenham's policy. Can't disagree with a word of this. And this part right there shows exactly why I wholeheartedly disagree with the title of this thread.

I'll drink to it when it does! Until then, who knows if we can trust this board to do what's right

For sure man!

Absolutely. Would be an ideal replacement for Courtois but it won't happen

Cesc is Pirlo and Matic is Zidane, is Conte now Arrigo Sacchi?* *minus the racial outburst

Perhaps, perhaps not. There are more dynamic central/defensive midfield players. Guys who can win the ball back but also play with it at their feet and start attacks. We're past this need for 4-2-3-1 where a strong, broad player who majorly rely on his strength to get by. He can't distribute the ball fluidly nor can he bloody shoot. You'd ideally want either/or. He'd be a great squad player, holding out a lead against a team who're on waves of attacks late on in games. But should we build a team around him? Perhaps not.

To be fair anyone with a pair of eyes knew Pogba was going to be a great player, supposedly. Even Mourinho had his pay offs with using Varane and Zouma from early ages, but they were exceptional talents that were signed from other clubs, no claim to being academy graduates.

Ruud Gullit was on MOTD today and raised the point that on a sunny afternoon where the opposing team is playing in a risk free manner of course Fabregas will be magical. With no-one applying pressure, closing down space and restricting the time he has of course he'll knock up 3 assists from 4 goals today. He's got the quality, vision and accuracy. No-one's doubting that, but it's how he can be a better player by being stronger and tactically better. If he doesn't fit with Conte's system then he's going to find life at Stamford Bridge hard.

The Vitesse project seems to be unravelling before the club's very eyes it seems. Todd Kane did well to go elsewhere in Holland but now he's sidelined until August or October, whichever it was. The disillusionment in the younger camp is understandable but it'll be dangerous precedent if players are using that as leverage to leave. It's the age old argument of playing them, but I raised the point before, some of these guys can't complain about where they've ended up. We've helped nurture a lot of talent other clubs can make the most from. I've read we've lined up 19 year old Moussa Dembele as a replacement should he go, not a bad shout at all. He's earned rave reviews at Fulham.

Yeah I'm sure on a commercial level the club wants us to clinch a Europa spot if we can (if things go a certain way, 8th will be granted a place). On a sporting level I'd rather we bloody avoid it so we can focus solely on the title race next season. No need to worry about finishing 4th, finish in the top 2.

Away fans did a brilliant job letting the team know exactly how they want this title race to go at Bournemouth. No fuck ups please, take as many points off them as possible.

Lmao yeah, edited mine before saying 'incorrect', weirdly reverted itself.

Disagree and agree to separate points. Yeah he has made a profit on the player mentioned and I also respect the stance on not selling to domestic rivals. But aside from this season it's come at the detriment to the team with failure to reinvest and, much like us, having a rotating door policy didn't help. They're nailed to rights on the job they've done this season, with a lot of that particular credit down to Pochettino. Whether Levy will stand firm on this round of summer transfer window remains to be seen, but to suggest he's done a great job I'd disagree. It's all going smoothly now, time will tell if he'll continue to be so.. less interfering.

It'll be worth it as a neutral anyway, all games feature more than 4 goals

You know James Milner has the most assists in 2016 out of anyone right?

Championship is, as usual, exciting as hell coming to close-season. Week 45 Birmingham v Middlesbrough Brighton v Derby Burnley v QPR Week 46 Middlesbrough v Brighton Charlton v Burnley

That's more like it Eden. Albeit in useless times, in useless circumstances but hey it's something.. Long may it continue, talent like his has to be expressed.

Incorrect.