Feedthewolf

Absolutely brilliant. Love so much of that Kranky/Constellation stuff...

Agreed. If Hanley isn't ready, it's got to be Amadou - he's already played a bunch of games there, and while he wasn't great he has more experience of playing there, and Tettey is vital for the DM role.

I was only being flippant, Lakey. As I recall, we sorted our disagreement out at the time and moved on. Season's greetings, OTBC!

Yeah, he was only signed as backup to Lewis in the first place, and obviously hasn't made the grade. Maybe we should rename him Ehemann (that's German for 'husband', or sh*t left-back).

Byram has done very well, but is right-footed and a natural RB. He's filled in brilliantly, but I'd be wary of making him a full-time left-back. I think we need to get rid of Heise in January and bring in another left-footer (preferably home-grown).

Yeah, but I'm clever.

Good insight Corky, thank you. I'd be surprised if he was played out of position, though - hasn't he always been a centre forward? I'd imagine his best next move would be to go to a Championship/League One club where he will get good service... maybe a club near the top of League One who aren't Ipswich might be a convenient solution all round? 🙂

Who would want to be normal anyway? I can't wait to see what Idah's made of either... I'm sure we will in 2020, whether that's with us or on loan.

Yeah, agree about Srbeny. Idah is faster and more mobile, but still pretty strong from what I've seen - certainly seems to have more weapons than Dennis, and I can see what @Ward 3 is getting at. But ultimately, if Farke thought he was ready he'd already be ahead of Srbeny... I can't wait to see the lad develop, but I think we might have to be patient.

What a strange attitude.

Farke and Webber have a great record with bringing our young players through... I'm sure if he was that talented he'd be ahead of Srbeny in the pecking order. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go out on loan to a Championship side in January if we bring in Rhodes or another striker.

Funny lookin'.

Well unless he's somehow 'tweaked' it overnight (going down Onel's stairs?), I guess the brace is just a precaution. He does seem to be walking unaided in the photo, so presumably it's just a minor op... strained knee ligaments would be my guess.

That wasn't actually a typo, I was joking about how young the team was - but I can see how it might've looked like I meant to type 'Under 21s' and got them the wrong way round by mistake! 🙂

Yup. Still a domestic loan spot free if they don't want to go down the 'panic buy' route.

A mate has just told me who the WOTB poster is who posted that (name is 'lurd' on there)... it's someone who I know, and I would be extremely surprised if this wasn't true.

Or doing a Kathy Bates-style job on his ankles to prevent him being sold in the transfer window...

Here's the latest contract situation, from the 'Contract conundrums' thread I started over the summer. Short answer: they all signed new contracts in the summer except Lewis, who signed his in October 2018. GOALKEEPERS 21 Ralf Fahrmann (born 27.9.88, age 31): signed on loan until 2020 (contract signed in July 2019) H 1 Tim Krul (born 3.4.88, age 31): signed until 2022 (contract signed in June 2019) 33 Michael McGovern (born 12.7.84, age 35): signed until 2021 (contract signed in April 2019) H 38 Aston Oxborough (born 9.5.98, age 21): signed until 2020 with club option to 2021 and on loan to Wealdstone until January 2020 (contract signed in April 2018) DEFENDERS H 2 Max Aarons (born 4.1.00, age 19): signed until 2024 (contract signed in July 2019) H 3 Sam Byram (born 16.9.93, age 26): signed until 2023 (contract signed in July 2019) 6 Christoph Zimmermann (born 12.1.93, age 26): signed until 2023 with club option to 2024 (contract signed in July 2019) H 4 Ben Godfrey (born 15.1.98, age 21): signed until 2023 (contract signed in June 2019) 15 Timm Klose (born 9.5.88, age 31): signed until 2022 (contract signed in May 2019) 16 Philip Heise (20.6.91, born age 28): signed until 2022 (contract signed in January 2019) H 5 Grant Hanley (born 20.11.91, age 28): signed until 2023 (contract signed in November 2018) H 12 Jamal Lewis (born 25.1.98, age 21): signed until 2023 (contract signed in October 2018) Sean Raggett (born 25.1.94, age 25): signed until 2020 with club option to 2021 and on loan with Rotherham for 2019/20 (contract signed in August 2017) James Husband (born 3.1.94, age 25): signed until 2020 and on loan with Blackpool for 2019/20 (contract signed in July 2017) MIDFIELDERS 24 Ibrahim Amadou (born 6.4.93, age 26): signed on loan until 2020 (contract signed in August 2019) 8 Mario Vrancic (born 23.5.89, age 30): signed until 2021 (contract signed in July 2019) 19 Tom Trybull (born 9.3.93, age 26): signed until 2022 with club option to 2023 (contract signed in July 2019) 17 Emi Buendia (born 25.12.96, age 22): signed until 2024 (contract signed in July 2019) H 14 Todd Cantwell (born 27.2.98, age 21): signed until 2022 (contract signed in July 2019) 23 Kenny McLean (born 8.1.92, age 27): signed until 2022 (contract signed in June 2019) 11 Onel Hernandez (born 1.2.93, age 26): signed until 2023 (contract signed in June 2019) 18 Marco Stiepermann (born 9.2.91, age 28): signed until 2022 (contract signed in May 2019) H 34 Louis Thompson (born 19.12.94, age 25): signed until 2022 with club option to 2023 and on loan with Shrewsbury for 2019/20 (contract signed in October 2018) 10 Moritz Leitner (born 8.12.92, age 27): signed until 2022 (contract signed in June 2018) 27 Alex Tettey (born 4.4.86, age 33): signed until 2020 (contract signed in May 2018) FORWARDS H 35 Adam Idah (born 11.2.01, age 18): signed until 2023 (contract signed in July 2019) 22 Teemu Pukki (born 29.3.90, age 29): signed until 2022 (contract signed in July 2019) H 7 Patrick Roberts (born 5.2.97, age 22): signed on loan until 2020 (contract signed in July 2019) 20 Josip Drmic (born 8.8.92, age 27): signed until 2022 (contract signed in June 2019) H Carlton Morris (born 16.12.95, age 24): signed until 2021 and on loan with Rotherham for 2019/20 (contract signed in May 2019) 32 Dennis Srbeny (born 5.5.94, age 25): signed until 2021 with club option to 2022 (contract signed in January 2018) Finally, here are all the squad members listed by year of contract expiry, with (+1) indicating we have the option of an extra year: 2020 Fahrmann (loan), Oxborough (+1), Raggett (+1), Husband, Amadou (loan), Tettey, Roberts (loan) 2021 McGovern, Vrancic, Srbeny (+1), Morris 2022 Krul, Klose, Heise, Trybull (+1), Cantwell, McLean, Stiepermann, Thompson (+1), Leitner, Pukki, Drmic 2023 Byram, Zimmermann (+1), Godfrey, Hanley, Lewis, Hernandez, Idah 2024 Aarons, Buendia

Source?

Even in the worst-case scenario that all six of those players were to leave, we could expect to recoup a total in excess of £100m for them. Considering Pukki cost us nothing, Emi £1.5m up front, and the other four nothing, what's to say we couldn't repeat the feat? While Farke and Webber are still at the helm, I trust them to identify the right targets to fit the system at the right price. It might mean one more year of consolidation while the new players bed in, but £100m plus parachute payments should be enough to guarantee financial stability for a good few years as well as rebuilding the team. I don't think all six of them would necessarily leave, anyway. I think we could at least hope to hold on to Jamal and Todd for another season, and possibly Max too.

Absolutely right; just like Alex Neil lost his mind after the 6-2 at Newcastle. We have a distinct philosophy now, on and off the pitch, and those in charge of it aren't going to start doubting themselves when the going gets tough. 'Tis the season... believe! 🙂

Villa have had three shots on goal and scored four goals. Liverpool U12s are actually the better team, weirdly enough.

Teemu will be fine. I think Wolves's style will afford us chances; if we play the same XI as Leicester I think we'll have a good chance of getting something.

Never mind that, Quagliarella is at 94!

Because it's counterbalanced by the joy he gets from winding people up on an internet forum 🙂