Pizy

If the midfield is vulnerable defensively with both Enzo and Lavia in there then we’re in trouble all season. Those two were bought specifically to give us defensive solidity, surely?

Sterling situation feels kinda fucked up, tbh. Sounds like we’re doing with him what we did to Trev in that they had no intention to move away and have no destination lined up but are just being frozen out because the manager either doesn’t fancy them or the club need the money.

Guess we have our answer on which one of Sterling or Mudryk we’d be trying to move. As frustrating as Sterling is he at least has had a couple of stretches during the seasons with us where he’s awesome. They’re too few and far between but they happen. Mudryk has been hopeless. I’d have sold him before Sterling but I guess Sterling’s wages mean it had to be him. How we’re going to convince someone to buy him is a different story.

Think our best chance today is to hope for another chaotic, high scoring affair like the 4-4 last season. Gotta hope their defense looks shaky because I can’t see ours conceding fewer than 2 today. Just want to see us play an impressive, solid match where we look at least near their level.

Outstanding business if true.

One of the teams is called CUM….Lmao

It’s looking very likely to me now that no new striker will be bought. Osimhen to PSG, Omorodion is a no-go thankfully, Duran did the “I stay” gesture during his goal celebration today and there’s surely no way they sell him this late in the window. Toney is Brentford’s best player and they wouldn’t sell him this late or they’d be a relegation candidate. I probably wouldn’t have him anyways. Does’t really leave much out there in an already sparse center forward market. I say play the patient game. Trust that Nico will take a step up, that Guiu will develop well, and that the combo of Nkunku, Palmer, Felix, and Neto can contribute plenty of goals. I actually think these are pretty realistic bets. Then have a look in January at how the strike market shales up if we need to. Do NOT panic buy some random dude near the deadline in 2 weeks, please!

Which would be worst case scenario.

WH’s midfield is completely wide open. Zero resistance whatsoever that’s allowing Villa to rush through there like a tidal wave.

Eh. If anything I’d say Napoli are the ones in sort of a desperate situation, not us. They’re the ones who have the striker who has already told them he wants to leave and they’re the ones who desperately want a striker we have. We don’t need Osimhen, whereas if they don’t get Lukaku their fiery manager will explode. Up until PSG lost Ramos we actually had quite a bit of leverage since no other big clubs were apparently in for Osimhen. Now PSG can take Osimhen off their hands and we’re either forced to sell Napoli Lukaku or be forced to keep his ass and his monster wages rotting in the reserves for a year.

That’s game over. Wolves are shockingly poor and could go down this season I feel. As much as it pains me to say, the way Arse press like maniacs as a unit whilst also playing beautiful passing moves is amazing. Like City, their players just seem to have a telepathic sense of EXACTLY where their teammates are at all times. This is the sort of thing that we’ll be hoping for from Maresca who comes from the same coaching tree.

Soon as Arse score 1 this could be anything. This Wolves team look dire in terms of talent.

Not desperate at all from me. Just think it lined up perfectly for us to get him on a significant discount compared to what his price was even a few months ago. I’m skeptical he will reach world class level too but for Lukaku as part exchange to lower the fee it’s something we probably shouldn’t pass up.

Zero chance Isak could be had. Wasn’t it reported that they would’ve asked £100m+ for him earlier in this window when they were still in PSR trouble? Probably be even more now. Osimhen was/is the only “top” striker we know we can get if we simply pay the wages. It’s a deal that could’ve been extremely easy with them badly wanting Lukaku. Instead, we mess around for weeks and now PSG’s striker picks up a fluke injury at the worst possible time.

Fabrice Hawkins who is a French football reporter and is very reliable I believe (was the first to break the news that we were signing Neto) has also said that PSG could go for a new striker. You know PSG are always after big names and star power. With us haggling and dragging our feet for weeks it may very well have annoyed Osimhen. He can go to the weak as hell French league, score a boat load of goals easily, and surely earn even more than his already high Napoli wages. It’s a no brainer for them and for him. So I hope the club has another plan, whether that’s some other striker or sitting on what we have and not panicking.

Think both of these early kickoff matches will be hammerings sadly. Arse will probably pump Wolves next. West Ham v Villa should be good, though.

Yep, hammering it is. Ipswich are horrendous defensively. Fullbacks getting roasted.

Fabrizio confirming PSG is likely to go for a striker now that Goncalo Ramos is out for months. So there’s Osimhen off the table for us, surely.

What in the FUCK was that from the Ipswich fullback?! He just leaves the most dangerous player on the pitch?! Could be a hammering now.

Ipswich play some tidy stuff on the ball. Can see why McKenna is highly rated. Not sure they’ll fare too well defensively, though. Their CB’s look painfully slow.

Think it’s a perfectly reasonable fee myself. I know people here are mixed on him but for me he’s still an elite talent and is still young. This day and age you see random players from the Championship being bought for silly money. So £38m for someone with world class technical ability is a good deal, imo.

I just can’t escape the feeling that Toney is a big fish in a small pond type. Not convinced he’s good enough for the very biggest clubs. Him going from a small club like Brentford to a medium sized one feels more like his level to me. If it’s not Osimhen I’d just stick with what we have and Guiu will get loads of minutes this season rotating with Nico. Jackson as the starter, Guiu as his backup, and Nkunku or perhaps Felix as emergency false 9’s. Spending £50-60m on 28 year old Toney is too risky, imo. If he flops in his first season of what I assume would be a 5 year contract it would be a disaster even bigger than Lukaku in terms of trying to shift him.

I just can’t imagine any of these clubs being willing to sell such key players so late in the window. Especially PL clubs.

I’m not sure Brentford can do that. Selling their best player and main source of goals with no time for a replacement? They could get relegated if the do that.

Wonder who the club will panic buy in place of Osimhen if we miss out? Just go back in for Omorodion? Christ, I hope not. If we’re lucky someone else will have bought him by then. Wouldn’t be surprised if we get someone on loan completely out of the blue on deadline day.