21 Jan 2025 14:46:24
It is hard to. make sense of the rumours about possible in and out transfers this window.

Why for instance are we doing a pre. transfer agreement for 19 Yr old Strasbourg CB Sarr for the summer? Will TC be sold . I certainly hope not given how he has always played well for us.

Why are we linked with yer another wide player in Ganacho . as a Mudryk replacement? Because no good striker available? Does the same go for goalkeeper or do either Petrovic or Johansen still have a chsncebof making it?

Why dies EM not trust either Chucky - who looked do good at start of last season - or Casadei who has also looked v promising on few occasions he's been given minutes in first team? Neither were even on the bench yesterday.

Presumably Nkunku was notbused because going to be sold? Otherwise he should surely come on for Jackson at some stage last night?

1.) 21 Jan 2025
21 Jan 2025 15:42:15
Do we really need to replace a player (Mudryk) who hardly played this season?

2.) 21 Jan 2025
21 Jan 2025 15:54:34
I think we look a mess. Starting from the players we’ve bought. To players we’re forcing out, then calling back. Maresca is a one trick pony. I can see the next couple years being a waste.

Who would you actually keep. Gusto, James, cucurella, challobah, Collwill. Caiciedo, enzo, palmer. Would keep lavia and fofana if injury free. Neto and madueke, I don’t think are good enough to be starters. The rest of them I really wouldn’t keep. Also it’s a shame chillwell can’t get a wing back role sometimes and maresca change his tactics now and then.

I really believe the sterling and chillwell situations was down to the owners removing big money earners. Also they wanted the profit from challobah. I know we’ve been singing we’ve got our Chelsea back at leicster away Southampton away. But I think we are from it.

3.) 21 Jan 2025
21 Jan 2025 16:00:24
JBS,

I feel your frustration and I'm pretty sure we are not alone.

We seem to collect wingers and goalkeepers, have a number of CH's who are normally injured and a ST in Nkunku and the young Spanish lad who seem not to get a look in despite Jackson not being able to hit a barn door from 6 inches since Xmas.

I really do not know what our SD"s thinking is apart from buying up lots of youngsters only for Maresca to say, they are not needed. I just hope the media start to question our DD's and put pressure on them and the club to explain what their thinking is.

Whist I'm at it, still no word on the fantastic FOS we are supposed to be soging up with and not a peep on the so called SB project. When the owners first arrived updates were coming out on a regular basis, now absolutely nothing from them.

4.) 21 Jan 2025
21 Jan 2025 16:17:29
JBS, I would have a clue about the young CH from Strasbourg but I hope it doesn’t mean we have no more interest in the young lad from Ajax.

Looks like Chuka is going out on loan (thankfully) and we are selling Casadei with a substantial sell on clause. I personally wouldn’t have signed Felix on KDH. If they hadn’t signed them maybe things would have been different.

I don’t think the club want to sell Nkunku unless our valuation is met but maybe the sale could be driven by a player transfer request. There are two things to consider (a) we have a valuation that Bayern don’t want to pay and (b) the club would probably want a replacement in this window.

The Ganacho rumours are a worry to me. I can only assume the club feel that Mudryk is going to get a ban if some sort but more importantly to me I would be happy to stick with the four wide players we have and that includes George. I really don’t know enough about the lad himself other than he is playing Utd.

5.) 21 Jan 2025
21 Jan 2025 16:58:07
Bloody hell, just seen about Ed002. I'm a bit off the pace here. Condolences to his family – and to you Ed001.

JBS, I generally find your posts well reasoned and thoughtful, and this is no exception. Surely – surely – these Garnacho rumours are just agent faff? Another inconsistent, arrogant young winger with a sulky attitude who doesn't get his head up – would at least provide balance with Noni on the other side I guess. I'd be hugely disappointed in this transfer, especially at the prices quoted – although his output would probably be higher than Mudryk at least, saying that isn't saying much.

I wish Maresca wasn't treating Chucky like this. I get that he's coming back from a severe injury, so a loan might make sense, but every time he plays he's looked more dynamic than, say, Enzo, to me (although in recent European sub appearances, understandably a bit nervous. Wish he'd scored one of the chances he had in the last game he played) . I really rate him, and we're killing his career at the moment. Casadei also always looked good to me when he's been given minutes by the club – though clearly asked to do a much more conservative safety-first Lavia-style job by Maresca this season, he wins headers in the midfield and can bomb forward. Maybe not the profile of midfielder we want in this setup, but another talented player on the pyre of the SDs' confusion.

Nkunku looks a cert to be sold. He's looked disinterested last five games or so – guess he's known the writing's on the wall for a while. Not a great reflection on him, that – I'm not a fan of players sulking and feel you should give your all if you play, regardless – but he looked so dynamic in his first games back from the injury and it seems a strange one to be letting our club's top scorer go when we have an issue with scoring goals.

{Ed001's Note - thank you EdW. He is very missed.}

6.) 22 Jan 2025
22 Jan 2025 07:18:15
Garnacho surely not, the last type of player we need both positionally and personality wise.

The two obvious positions are keeper and centre forward, may as well give the nos 2 keeper a run although I wouldn't start him against city but the games after that.

Centre forward Delap or Duran at Villa

An experienced midfielder would be useful but not vital

If it was up to me would sell Nkunku, Felix Casadei, Diasi, Veiga, Chucka on loan.

7.) 22 Jan 2025
22 Jan 2025 11:50:50
Enjoyed reading all responses to my questions about the logic of our transfer policy and current transfer rumours. Reckon we are all largely on the same page in terms of degree of puzzlement although clearly some (slight) differences in terms of who we should keep and who we might let go.

EdW good to see you back posting and in your typically well considered way.

Yes Ed02 is hugely missed and perhaps particularly in this first transfer window without him. He shed so much light on what were nonsense rumours and what had legs and could happen. We loved his input and even if some replies were (usually justifiably) short and sharp e. g. as in when he used the one word 'twitter? ' (ie did we get this from twitter) .