Football

The transfer window slams shut (© Sky Sports News) then. Considering Grayson's job description of feeding 5,000 using five loaves of bread and two fish, yesterday wasn't too bad for us. I think we all assumed that the proposed loan deal for McCormack was on the cards, but we have three strikers in the squad with another two still to come back from injury, and have at least rebuilt in a few areas that were seriously lacking. Let's see where we are in January.

On 01/09/2017 at 2:21 PM, Michael* said:

The transfer window slams shut (© Sky Sports News) then. Considering Grayson's job description of feeding 5,000 using five loaves of bread and two fish, yesterday wasn't too bad for us. I think we all assumed that the proposed loan deal for McCormack was on the cards, but we have three strikers in the squad with another two still to come back from injury, and have at least rebuilt in a few areas that were seriously lacking. Let's see where we are in January.

Seems we pulled the plug on the big Tommy Elphick move, which tells you a lot about the first impressions Terry and Samba have made.

You know Sky are phoning it in when C list blowhards like Joleon 'bum tweet' Lescott and Shay Given are on duty during primetime, it almost made me long for Guillem Balague's phone call from a West London lounge bar purporting to be from Spain! The only outright highlight was when some fans started shouting over one of the Car Park Frankensteins, prompting the usual wobbly apology. Needed much more of that.

We qualified after eight games so I should be happy, but I can't say that the football under Bobby Martinez has suggested that all of the ails of the Wilmots era have been cured.

1 hour ago, SympathysSilhouette said:

We qualified after eight games so I should be happy, but I can't say that the football under Bobby Martinez has suggested that all of the ails of the Wilmots era have been cured.

So far, I'm unsure what to think about Martinez at international level. He seems to have this Belgian side playing much more direct football, which isn't something I'd usually associate with him.

Still, outside of the Spain game, I suppose he hasn't really had to face many major tests yet.

8 hours ago, Michael* said:

 

So far, I'm unsure what to think about Martinez at international level. He seems to have this Belgian side playing much more direct football, which isn't something I'd usually associate with him.

 

Still, outside of the Spain game, I suppose he hasn't really had to face many major tests yet.

We were pretty poor against Greece, which isn't a great team.

The France / Lux result seems like it should be impossible.

On 9/7/2017 at 0:07 AM, jkjk said:

The France / Lux result seems like it should be impossible.

Perhaps Gareth Southgate, after eking out that result against Malta, is a better manager than I gave him credit for.

Then again, I never really rated Didier Deschamps at the highest level of management either. Such a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal, but seemingly so incapable of setting up a fluid starting eleven.

Oh the neverending tedious inevitability of it all! Hogan blocked one off the line for them, them!  Lose to Barnsley, which I firmly expect we will, and I expect Bruce will be canned. Even though he's rubbish and will likely always be rubbish, my blood lust is pretty low at the moment because who would we end up with instead? This must be what the David Platt era at Forest felt like.

Roy is back though!

1 hour ago, SympathysSilhouette said:

Roy is back though!

I wonder if perhaps we can expect to see Benteke taking the corners on Saturday?

1 hour ago, Michael* said:

 

I wonder if perhaps we can expect to see Benteke taking the corners on Saturday?

I believe Joseph Anthony Barton made that same joke within hours of the appointment being made public.

6 hours ago, SympathysSilhouette said:

I believe Joseph Anthony Barton made that same joke within hours of the appointment being made public.

Urgh. I'd always hoped that an appreciation of The Smiths was the only thing I shared with Joey 'Joseph' Barton.

If they've got any sense, Birmingham will go out and get Harry Redknapp to replace Harry Redknapp. After miraculously avoiding relegation with Spurs in the year they took just two points from their first eight games, this would be a breeze for him.

12 hours ago, Michael* said:

If they've got any sense, Birmingham will go out and get Harry Redknapp to replace Harry Redknapp. After miraculously avoiding relegation with Spurs in the year they took just two points from their first eight games, this would be a breeze for him.

Haven't checked the betting but surely one to get Moyesy off the golf course? They've still got these eleventy seven new Harry players to bed in so send in a grim Glaswegian pragmatist to organise them (as previously enjoyed during their greatest ever era).  

8 hours ago, Frederick said:

Haven't checked the betting but surely one to get Moyesy off the golf course? They've still got these eleventy seven new Harry players to bed in so send in a grim Glaswegian pragmatist to organise them (as previously enjoyed during their greatest ever era).  

I would expect Redknapp Sr to join the ranks at Sky Sports now in fairly short order, they'll be needing someone to provide analysis on why Harry Kane should win the Ballon D'or.

My money is still just about on a middle-order Scottish side being the Chosen One's next destination, although it's hard to rule out the possibility of him convincing some desperate Championship chairman that he was just the guy left holding the parcel when we finally got ourselves relegated. Out of the frying pan and into the fire springs to mind, for all concerned.

Good to see some proper bomb lobbing nutters like Cotterill, Poyet and Sherwood all in the betting. Sadly it's going to be Karanka, yawn.

Charly Musonda Jr. finally got a start for Chelsea. His joy after scoring his first official goal for them was honestly endearing but it's still up for debate if he didn't ruin his career by going to Chelsea at such a young age.

Tielemans is of his generation and stayed with Anderlecht instead of leaving at 16 leading to him now being a (bubble) starter for Monaco.

8 hours ago, SympathysSilhouette said:

Charly Musonda Jr. finally got a start for Chelsea. His joy after scoring his first official goal for them was honestly endearing but it's still up for debate if he didn't ruin his career by going to Chelsea at such a young age.

Tielemans is of his generation and stayed with Anderlecht instead of leaving at 16 leading to him now being a (bubble) starter for Monaco.

The early rounds of the League Cup are always a great opportunity for young hopefuls to grasp the nettle and certainly, no-one can accuse the lad Musonda of not doing exactly that. Perhaps needless to say, a lot of prospects have come and gone from Chelsea in recent years, but he seems especially determined to make it and honestly, I think he's in with a chance.

I hope so. Apart from Januzaj very briefly, none of the players who left Belgium for England at a young age made it.

Hope there are no ostriches in the Belgian second division!