January Transfer Window, 25/26 Season

[b3h]

How about Ross's Dad from Friends?

I was terrified we were going to hire him at one point. He's almost as bad as Lage.

Should hire him now just for a laugh. Ha - try playing 14 center mids now!

 

[Jinky]

Sounds like we’re potentially recalling Lima so we can flog him permanently (according to rumours in Brazil) - and Besiktas are sniffing around Agbadou with us willing to sell in Jan.

I guess the mass exodus is about to begin. Rats.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Besiktas supposedly sniffing around Agbadou.

 

[Jinky]

Besiktas supposedly sniffing around Agbadou.

How have we used the exact same wording and posted at the exact same time then

 

[YoungWolf]

It sounds like if we can the squad will change a lot.

I’m not against it at all tbh. I’m just not sure a) who will want some of these pricks and b) who in their right mind would join us

 

[jd1981]

Some need selling the big project for next season to join us now not that we have a suitable in place

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It sounds like if we can the squad will change a lot.

I’m not against it at all tbh. I’m just not sure a) who will want some of these pricks and b) who in their right mind would join us

And also if we have a team capable of identifying the right targets.

 

[Tredman]

It’s a proper shame if Agbadou goes under a cloud. He was immense last season.

 

[broughtonwolf]

Sounds like we’re potentially recalling Lima so we can flog him permanently (according to rumours in Brazil) - and Besiktas are sniffing around Agbadou with us willing to sell in Jan.

I guess the mass exodus is about to begin. Rats.

Agreed, although Lima doesn't deserve to be bracketed as such.

 

[basher]

Agbadou's form last season has all the hallmarks of being an outlier as opposed to an indicator of his general form.

 

[YoungWolf]

i reckon when we signed him in the January we had given him the impression we’d sell him in the summer to a bigger club. So he threw a strop. Then probably fell out with Vitor too.

 

[Tony Towner]

i reckon when we signed him in the January we had given him the impression we’d sell him in the summer to a bigger club. So he threw a strop. Then probably fell out with Vitor too.

It definitely feels like they'll be one of LL's post leaving revelations that he never says when it's relevant.

 

[Lycan]

I think he's probably been one of the worst examples of the squad's lack of professionalism. His attitude has been pathetic since early summer.

I appreciate it's a weird thing to say but the pre season videos of the players worried me far more than the lack of business in the summer. They struck me then as a very unserious, laid back, rudderless group. Guys like Agbadou, Mosquera and Strand Larsen clowning around and then you've got people like Doherty & Toti who are supposed to be leading them.

 

[YoungWolf]

Yeah pre-season was so clearly a mess. I think I’ve said before but I kinda wrote it off as sometimes teams can be rubbish in pre-season and it doesn’t mean anything.

The week leading to the city game I heard a couple of things that again I thought might just be silly rumours.

3 games in and it was clearly all true.

 

[Mel Evo]

Yeah pre-season was so clearly a mess. I think I’ve said before but I kinda wrote it off as sometimes teams can be rubbish in pre-season and it doesn’t mean anything.

The week leading to the city game I heard a couple of things that again I thought might just be silly rumours.

3 games in and it was clearly all true.

Trust your instincts. You could see the complete shambles that was coming when you watched the players under Lage at the end of season match. Simple as that.

Regardless, it is disgusting when you think about the way they’ve approached the season compared to the money and effort fans commit to supporting them. And then to even slightly hint it’s the fans fault at home - disgraceful commentary from all those who indulge.

 

[Alan]

He's another one of those who would be a decent option in a good team but looks worse than he actually is in a terrible one.

Going waaaaay back here, apologies, but do you not find this to be true generally? There are just so many variables to a player being successful. Gervinho was unplayable at Roma (better than Salah in the same team, and I stand by that), but at Arsenal he was okay at best. That’s speaking tactically, more than team quality, but the principle is the same, IMO. Won’t be true of every player (is Marshmallow turning into Cruyff anytime soon?), but if you stuck me at #9 for City or Wolves, I know which I’d get more chances from.

Ah, maybe I’m just rambling in the name of being a precious lil flower about players.

God, how badly did we fuck ourselves letting Nélson and Rayan (look, I know when I’m wrong, or at least I know when the table is concussing me with the truth) go. Such awful mismanagement of the squad.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Not necessarily, going way back and would be before your time (but the first example off the top of my head), Nigel Clough was brilliant for Forest and rubbish for Liverpool.

 

[Alan]

Not necessarily, going way back and would be before your time (but the first example off the top of my head), Nigel Clough was brilliant for Forest and rubbish for Liverpool.

Oh for sure, can work both ways. I think that’s probably tactical, by and large (when a player goes from good to bad). Equally, though, you do get a lot of the “big fish in small pond becomes small fish in big pond” effect when players move to the biggest clubs, so maybe I’m talking completely out of my ass.

As ever in football, no commonality is without it’s obvious exceptions.

 

[jd1981]

Trust your instincts. You could see the complete shambles that was coming when you watched the players under Lage at the end of season match. Simple as that.

Regardless, it is disgusting when you think about the way they’ve approached the season compared to the money and effort fans commit to supporting them. And then to even slightly hint it’s the fans fault at home - disgraceful commentary from all those who indulge.

Everything about pre-season was a disgrace and set the tone for the rest of the season. Only 4 matches in front of live crowds, we looked unfit physically and mentally at the start of the season. The blame is an all round thing VP and teti take a huge lump of it because of the recruitment and allowing such appalling preparation to occur. Certain players for treating pre season like a holiday camp.
I think the better members of the squad got seriously pissed off with how amateur things were being done also doesn’t absolve them of their poor performances.
Try and find a squad anywhere that is so unbalanced and poorly suited for the league that it’s in.
We have a clear quality gap, therefore you need to run and compete as hard as anyone in the league to get anything, I’d say we’re 20th at that also.
Complete lack of leadership is a huge problem.
Keep going back to the Nuno era players but you knew a poor run of form we had players who would dig deep and stop the rot ie Coady, Saiss, Boly, Moutinho, Neves etc
None of these lot have an ounce of character that they had.
Again comes back to PL quality players deal with pressure and adversity well our current crop don’t.

 

[PuntsWolf]

All a bit hindsight with Agbadou from me, but I think it’s more last season was an outlier. The way he plays is a bit ‘maverick’ for a CB. He’s unorthodox and takes risks. He seemed to always get away with them last year and often being the “spare defender” in the centre of the 3 meant he didn’t actually do that much 1v1 defending.

Now this year he’s taking risks and is looking like an idiot. And because of the way he plays, if he’s mentally 1% off it then it ends up just being a mess.

The Bruno goal is good example of him taking risks. Tried to second guess the pass to Cunha but ends up just letting Fernandes in to have a free shot at goal.