Hobsons Choice

Indeed, but as long as success and popularity are linked (and that’s always), the alternative, a cap that rewards popularity (revenue) financially will always unfairly favour those clubs that are already successful/popular. This is why ffp cannot be enacted democratically. And why an alternative will never happen, despite it improving the overall health and quality of the league massively.

If we are annoyed about clubs being corporate entities now, a salary cap based on revenue generation will mean that the number one priority of football clubs will be revenue generation. It will have to be to succeed. Success won’t precede wealth, wealth will precede success. Even more so than now. It is 100% anticompetitive. Blanket salary cap is the way forward. The only way to even the playing field is to deny the richest clubs access to their full wealth. It’s why it won’t happen.

It will have been a joint decision. We have a Director of football.

Out of the box thinking here. Just trying it on for size:

Bailey on the right, and Buendia through the middle, surely?

I'm guessing that poll was done before the Watford match.

Yeah, it's that no-one is going to let a good quality player go now that the season has started unless we bid massively over what they are worth. Why we should have done our business before now.

Doucoure scored a belter too.

I was wanting to post something like this, but you have done all the leg work for me. 100% agree. Would add that Deano had two seperate bouts of self isolation cos of covid, and that his wife was really very ill. Also we lost two first team coaches. I don’t see how much of that could be avoided tbh.

He’s earned nearly half a million quid since the charity shield. Pretty sure he’s laughing now.

Anyone else think it's weird that there have been no draws during the first round of fixtures? Used to be that everyone was desperate not to lose their first fixture.

Fair. Hope Man City cheat on him with Messi.

So if it stays like this will we be above city by virtue of goals scored?

Thoughts after the games this weekend: Norwich and Crystal Palace are gonna be bang in trouble. The Norwich defence is absolute junk, and they are still relying on Pukki up front, who’s too inconsistent. Crystal Palace have not really strengthened. Also really not bothered about Cantwell. At all.

I’ll explain my thinking here. Look we all know where the issue is. Midfield. More specifically Defensive Midfield. Having the three centre backs gives us a supernumerary. We play the best ball player of the 3 main CBs- Axel, Mings and Konsa in the centre, giving him license to step out of defence to lay it off to one of Luiz or Mcginn in a CM position but their main role would be defensive. Essentially it would be like having an extreme defensive DM, but would allow us to use the personnel we have. It would free up the midfield from part of their defensive duty, as we’ll have the spare man, plus limit the damage from lack of protection. In addition we can field full backs who are perhaps more on the attacking side, either Cash and Targett, or Cash and Young. Being wingbacks both limits their need to be defensive (although they will still partly fulfil that role), and again limits the damage if they are compromised, since the spare CB can cover. The starting position of the wing backs further forward would allow them to link the defence and midfield, and also provide width. Two up top would allow ings and ollie to both play, and we could have two behind in the form of Buendia and Bailey who could take up wide or central positions depending on the situation. We sacrifice some of our attacking width by not operating inside forwards, but at least we wouldn’t get battered defensively. Alternatively we buy a Defensive Midfielder.

The only way out that I can see for him is going 3-5-2

Thanks. Checking now.

A move to Aston Villa

Is that an interview? Where?

I know they are paid a load of money, but I doubt they would be going over tactics at 8pm

Eh? Whether or not they paid up front, Jack was worth 100 million to us. We lost a player worth 100 million. Anyway if you are net -10million down in terms of the equity of the playing staff, your team is demonstrably weaker.

You may be right about taking his eye off the ball, but I’m not sure what the Brentford thing has to do with it. The players would not have been training last night.

Grealish didn’t play for Brentford. Smith did OK there.

What kind of money? We’ve spent -10 million.

And this is the absolute truth of the situation. Great post.