Monty13

Great result, good performance overall and definitely not boring. Sargent and Gunn indispensable to this team. Sainz is looking better and better as well.

I believe “some” covers 5 lol. Yea I agree entirely.

One of the best half’s of Wagnerball IMO despite the scoreline and some misplaced passing. Pretty even but we really should have done enough to be ahead.

I know, I meant in the 11.

No Barnes, interesting.

It’s a fair criticism. He should have had his contract immediately terminated IMO. I’m surprised there wouldn’t be grounds to tear it up with no cost to us given his actions. I’m all for people learning from their mistakes and getting redemption, but he can do that somewhere else.

He’d be foolish not to, the rots already started so a big move before they properly lose that promotion spot would make sense.

Honestly this is setting up to be one of the biggest churns in playing squad for a long while. Probably more than any of Webber’s. Forshaw and Placheta already gone. A large number of players out of contract in the summer and I see little reason to keep any of them. Sargent and Rowe at a minimum will be in high demand. Probably Gunn and Sara as well. Idah May move on if we still deem him not ready. There’s possibly Kenny as well, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Farke come knocking again. Even if we somehow get to the PL I don’t think it changes much of the above other than keeping players safe from the circling teams. It would be unthinkable IMO for us to repeat the mistakes of the past and sell a Rowe or Sargent on promotion.

I honestly wondered if that’s Knapper’s thinking. Wagner has appeared to be reluctant to play younger players, reducing the options forces him to use the players at his disposal. To be honest if Varane had come off I’d say on paper it would have been an excellent first window, especially given the extreme lack of movement in England. The only slight negative for me is if we were really pushing for top 6 Knapper didn’t have one player in mind for a loan to give us a bit of an edge, I was hoping he’d pluck someone from the Arsenal academy. On paper I think he’s done well, each decision makes sense to me. The proof is in what happens next as always, I always feel positive after a window. There’s always a chance the Donk is a masterstroke that kicks on our season.

Being a working Dad is just as hard as a working Mum most of the time yet you rarely hear “working dad” even explored as a concept. At a time like this must be awful for him and so hard to concentrate on work. Wish him and his family all the best.

That’s all Pinkun saying.

Then that’s a very good move for us IMO.

Be interesting to find out if they do have a buy option. Best thing for us is he bangs in goals and either comes back or goes for a decent fee in the summer. Have a sinking feeling we’ll have a Sargent shaped hole to fill.

So presumably he is the Barnes upgrade? Imagine he’s not been persuaded here to sit on a bench and his record in Holland was impressive.

He was training in Spain this morning, it’s done at least until summer it seems.

Not if Idah goes. Let’s see what happens, I’d be pretty happy with that swap but it’s no more bodies.

If nothing more happens I agree, very underwhelming. Some good moves to get rid of deadwood and get some youth players some game time but if we genuinely want to be top 6 zero reinforcements and reducing the backup options certainly isn’t going to help.

Time will obviously tell. Idah is by no means a bad striker, but given he has had golden opportunities to establish himself in the first eleven and never has, swapping him for a striker who might makes sense to me. Especially if we make money on the exchange and he has a decent sell on clause. It’s probably the best result for all parties unfortunately.

What like Ben Gibson, he couldn’t look more Aryan and gets booed on to the pitch 😂

207 minutes and only 2 starts and no goals in Serie A. 175 minutes 2 starts and 1 goal in the Cup. Hardly had a lot of chances to shine. His record the previous season in Holland in comparison was 3067 minutes, 39 appearances and 19 goals.

I agree. Idah is a good striker. Our supporters are overly critical of players IMO, especially young players for some reason. That said I don’t think it’s quite working out for him here, behind Barnes and never really cementing a 1st team place even with Sargent out for a long period. I also understand why he no longer wants to be a bit part player. Maybe a fresh start best thing for all parties. SVH seems a similar proposition in terms of fairly young, clearly has talent from his previous seasons and not working out for him where he is. I can see the logic in swapping one for the other assuming SVH is seen as better fit for how we want to play and we get a good sell on clause on Idah when he inevitably (IMO) comes good.

Translation of the Spanish article, sounds like they have pulled out as we’ve underbid. May all be tactics trying to get more but sounds pretty resounding. “Sporting closes the 'Varane case', without contemplating its exit in this market. From June onwards, the situation will be seen. But today, the club is not in a position to negotiate the sale of the 22-year-old French midfielder to Norwich, who did not rule out the presentation of a last offensive in this end of the market, which ends on Thursday at midnight. Sporting's thought is clear and resounding: Varane will not go out. There is satisfaction in how the squad has been configured, with alternatives, and the message that has been transmitted to all players is trustworthy. Saturday's Norwich offer, close to two million euros, is already rejected, prioritising keeping the group intact. The thought is the same in the face of the possibility that a second attempt may arrive in these last days. Varane has a clause of 10 million euros.”

I don’t believe it, I just said we’d be crazy to say no if true.

I like Dimi but for 5 million Euros we’d be crazy to say no.

Will wait till after it closes to judge, but if we don’t bring anyone in given we’re in touching distance of the play-offs and the stated aim of top 6, I’ll find it pretty odd personally. It’s not like I’m willing to believe there’s not a single player available that would improve our squad.