DH1988

Makes sense, as above, whether I agree with it or not is another matter but a one year deal then shop around for another sponsor when we are, hopefully, back in the CL, rather than be tied into a multi year deal with a less than favourable company.

Quite a shame with regard to Onana although I’m surprised people in the media made alot of his final performance, personally I thought he looked shaky aside from a solid Haaland save. I enjoy Onana’s attitude to be honest, his interviews are a laugh, wouldn’t be my first choice of keeper however.

Football therapy or other side of the coin, have it on in the background, if I hear it again I’ll make a note of the video. Considering, as you quite rightly say, the people in charge work day in day out with money in dozens of areas of their portfolios, irrespective of being football specific, a deal is a deal, deadlines are deadlines, accounting is accounting, so on and so forth, definitely an interesting few weeks ahead.

100% trying to long this out toward end of June when we need our accounts submitted in the hope we panic and submit to a lowball bid, yawn. From what I was listening to on a podcast at the weekend our financial situation isn’t dire nor do we NEED to submit by end of June or sanctions incoming, the club would prefer to register the money this year, not a ‘we must’.

Nobody remembers how you play in finals and even if it’s brought up the narrative is quickly the ILOVEBRITISHTEAMS mentality of commentators to turn shite performance into ‘determined’ ‘gritty’ blah blah blah, end of the day we all knew they’d take a catastrophic cock up to not beat Inter and they almost did. Treble is mightily special and congrats, if I were Pep I’d call it there, naturally.

Dzeko ran himself into the ground, Lukaku comes on and the first thing I notice is that he is literally stood still and then proceeds to walk, joke of a player that is clearly clearly out of shape, again. Has it reached the (more?) embarrassing stage of having clauses in the contract related to weight and fitness? How did that not occur to anyone when we signed him? The only time he’s looked like a good player is when he had a personal trainer and chef for every meal at Inter under Conte.

Id take £60m + add-ons for Mount for sure, just seen him pop up on another advert smh.

Couldn't care about losing out on Rice, conbative and plays for the badge sure absolutely, but he doesn't add another dimension to Arsenal other than legs. Would it be good to have him? Sure, Chelsea lad, but at £90m?? We’ve been done over by the return love story previously, Romelu.

I'd love to see what goes on in a typical month inside the negotiation team etc because we seem to do our business backwards, all the news on XYZ players leaving, terms agreed and such, albeit gossip(ish) and all I would be thinking on the opposite side, say Brighton, is adding more to the price tag of Cai etc. as it's just a given we will panic and put ourselves in a terrible negotiating position - That said, glad we missed out on Ugarte. I was still under the impression we needed to register sales before end of June in order for them to count toward FFP balances, again if I knew that as the opposing club...

That’s amazing business by Liverpool to snatch Mac for that, can’t believe other clubs haven’t got in once they were aware of the spend required, including us. Wondering what system Poch will go with but regardless I can’t believe we’d rely on Enzo and an incoming, most likely Lavia at this point. Off topic but like most English talent, Ruben has really pissed away his talent, despite his claims to try and stay fit. Most of Spurs transitional success was down to Dembele, who I still consider to be massively underrated, in being able to carry the ball into the third, Ruben has the ability to do that but he’s fit one minute and out the next with whatever random injury.

Hoping we do miss out on Ugarte, he’s such a rash player, we already have one of those, Conor.

The regression of Trev was actually shocking but there are so many factors into why the squad were under performing, JT always said the importance of having the old players in the squad to guide the youth in and out of games, fair enough it was a different era but how can you develop IF and I say IF what we are reading about standards, training etc are true. That said, it’s a gamble and I like Poch’s seemingly ruthless decisions early with Felix, let’s be honest, it probably winds Poch up that he’s labelled as a nearly man just as much as anyone else, he knows this is THE opportunity to go a step further than his, begrudgingly admitting, very good Spurs side.

Quality move there, another glamour distraction for the life of Rom. I will be gutted if we make Poch go into the season on a potential Rom return.

Kova is such a good fit for City, a shame that we consider selling in-league to rivals, feels all a bit too Arsenal/Spurs-like and not the strategic sale we were known for, under prior leadership. Can’t help but feel the miss on UCL and the need to settle the books before the end of the month may make for some ugly outcomes like this.

Felix has all the skill in the world, no killer instinct or application it seems, a theme from AM to here. Needs a bit of grit and attitude. I can see him ending up at Newcastle though.

So surprised on Ugarte, really don’t see him as a quality addition to us, better than what we have? Sure, stats wise, in another league. Rather we look elsewhere to be frank.

I was under the impression we needed sales done by end of June in order for it to comply or be submitted numbers wise for FFP, I definitely could be wrong and it may only apply to buying, just something I vaguely recall. In any case we know that we need unhappy or discontent players out of an already toxic situation.

I expect him to bring our squad cohesion forward and fitness through the roof, as much as we all despise Spurs, their team under him were intense, the minimum I expect of my team, 90 minutes wearing the badge. Do I think he will get us over the line for a championship? Honestly, as I’ve posted before, no, but if he gets us to where Spurs were and someone else comes in once we are established at that level again, I’m happy.

As a baseline I’m not fussed if he wins anything, if he can get this young squad firing and integrated in the next two years to where Spurs were, I’d be happy with us returning back to the ruthless model of having someone else to take that jump, if he’s not capable. Watched a clip recently of Rickie Lambert on fitness under Poch, he’ll either get us firing or he will lose the players. One real concern for me has and will always be losing the Rudi’s and the Jorgi’s, not because he’s some world class CB or CM, he can be under the right system, but day to day leaders like that.

Real have received almost every pass with their back to goal unable to turn, just not at the races.

Said it before, rolls royce of a player, we’re incredibly lucky to have him, and by extension his family. If the players cared like her then we’d be challenging for honours, love to see it.

Enzo’s passing ability has literally disappeared.

Strong goalkeeping.

In fairness I can see Gundo leaving City and being replaced by Kova, £20m or so. Rather he goes to Bayern or just anywhere abroad really, as he'd slot into City. You can for sure tell that his heart isn't in it lately, I imagine it's quite difficult to soldier on being on £100k a week.

Terrible post match interview, sounds like a pundit describing the team that’s easy to play against, no closing the space etc your job is to, at least, motivate and get the extra yard out, if nothing else in this whacky interim period. Fast forward, please, the one positive is that Frank will/should never get another managers job. As I said, hasn’t improved markedly since Derby, just look at our set piece setup today.