Sports The Football Discussion Thread!

[Lipstick Vogue]

Seeing Nick Marshiter (clearly has contact with Webber) confirming that Howson to Boro is almost done is not what I wanted to see upon returning home from work today.

Hopefully Burnley come in for him at the last minute. He'd improve every Championship squad.

 

[Eruption]

I must admit this is the first I have heard of it, literally haven't looked into any Boro transfer speculation or any Boro news at all really since we hired Monk. A quick glance at my usual Boro forum tells me we're in for Howson, Assombalonga & Gunter (haven't heard his name in a while). I would be pretty happy with any of the three, especially Assombalonga who I hoped we would be after before the relegation was even confirmed.

Really need to see some movement on wingers though, it's our weak spot every season.

Pre season friendlies begin this Friday for my team (AFC Totton). It's been a long 10 weeks with no football to watch.

Respect for supporting a non-league side. It does make me curious as to how your soft spot for Inverness came about though, do you have family in Scotland?

 

[Arjay]

I must admit this is the first I have heard of it, literally haven't looked into any Boro transfer speculation or any Boro news at all really since we hired Monk. A quick glance at my usual Boro forum tells me we're in for Howson, Assombalonga & Gunter (haven't heard his name in a while). I would be pretty happy with any of the three, especially Assombalonga who I hoped we would be after before the relegation was even confirmed.

Really need to see some movement on wingers though, it's our weak spot every season.



Respect for supporting a non-league side. It does make me curious as to how your soft spot for Inverness came about though, do you have family in Scotland?

Yeah I've got family and friends in Inverness, try and get up there to see them play at least 4/5 times a season. Went to Hampden 2 years ago when we won the Scottish Cup.

Totton are my hometown team. The town is right next to Southampton and Bournemouth is only 20 mins away the other side so when we're at home on the same day that Saints and/or Bournemouth are then our crowds drop a little bit. Just renewed my season ticket this weekend for the 9th season in a row.

 

[EC]

CONCACAF Gold Cup starts today!!

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Howson and Dorrans gone then. Hopefully that means some buttons get pushed and we get some defenders in soon.

 

[Eruption]

Howson and Cyrus Christie in, good to get some transfers done. I don't know much about Christie at all, but anything is an improvement on Barragan.

Very sad news about Carl Ikeme & Bradley Lowery. Today is also the first time I heard about Yeray (Athletic Club)'s cancer diagnosis, which is again very sad to hear but it was nice to hear the heartwarming story of his teammates shaving their heads in solidarity.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Christie is your typical modern fullback. Physical and quick but not fantastic defensively. Good on a free.

 

[Eruption]

Sounds a bit like Nsue then, he did the job two years ago so that's fine.

We've sold Bernardo Espinosa which is the best news I've had all year. Awful player, have no idea how our recruitment team thought he was Premiership quality.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

I'd ask you if he's any good but I doubt you'd even remember watching him play.

 

[Eruption]

Yeah, never really given a chance here. Although he did start the terrible game were Hull put 4 past us, so I guess he can't cut it in the prem.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Pritchard ligament injury.
Jacob Murphy to Newcastle.

Not a good couple of days tbh.

 

[Amore]

So United's transfer window appears to be taking a downturn as we're apparently going for Perisic for £40 million. That'll be a great deal...for Inter.

As an aside, AC Milan are having what could possibly go down as one of the greatest transfer windows ever (if people keep track of these things), bar perhaps United's 2006 when our only signing was Michael Carrick and we sold our top scorer and captain in the same year, yet won the league. Not only have they gotten Gigi Donnarumma to sign a new deal (although the presence of a release clause makes me thing his agent expects him to either replace Buffon next year or end up with us, as we appear to be Mino's new favourite club), but they've signed arguably the best central defender on the planet (Sergio Ramos is Bonucci's only equal imo), as well as adding seemingly the first good Portuguese striker in a generation, two key components of Atalanta's massive overachievement last season, Musacchio and Ricardo Rodriguez for small sums in today's inflated market, and you could argue the same for Calhanoglu and Lucas Biglia.

It may all come crashing down on them, but right now it seems like their ownership is actually putting their money where their mouth is.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Britt(le) Assombalonga for 14 million. One of the best goalscorers in the league but isn't his play style awfully similar to another striker you recently spent big money on but didn't do too well up there?

Assume we'll be signing another few players through the spine of the side with that Murphy money. Who'd have imagined 12.5(rising to a record fee with addons) a year ago when we rejected a 300k bid from Coventry.

Can't say I've not really been following transfer news outside of the Championship.

 

[Amore]

Assombalonga. What a name.

Which Murphy is this? The way the transfer market is right now, one good season for an English player puts them over £10 million value, you could probably get £30million from one family alone if the other does well.

As an aside - as Sunderland were relegated, is Jordan Pickford now the record sale by a Championship club?

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Jacob, he was with Coventry in league 1 before last season. During that same season Josh was POTS at MK Dons in the Championship.

It'll be Pickford or Sissoko from Newcastle last year. As for incomings it would be Assombalonga but for Jorge Mendes FC signing Ruben Neves. Wonder when this bubble will burst.

 

[Eruption]

I think Assombalonga is quite different to Rhodes, Assombalonga can create his own chances through his strength whereas Rhodes is a pure poacher. Being a poacher isn't necessarily bad, but in our woefully uncreative team he never stood a chance. Plus Karanka never really wanted him there. I wish we hadn't sold him, but unfortunately we did. Hopefully Assombalonga stays fit and I can see him scoring twenty goals, but even if he doesn't we still have Bamford and Gestede.

It seems we're operating under the presumption that the Murphy twins can't bear to be apart as now we've made a bid to sign Josh Murphy so he can join Jacob in the North East. If he ends up moving then it's definitely been a bad few weeks for Norwich.

AC Milan mean business this season, hopefully they can break Juve's monopoly on Serie A. They might not be done just yet either, apparently they're also in for Morata.

I think you're probably right on Pickford, but no doubt it will be broken again if the current rate of inflation in football continues. edit: oh yeah it's probably Sissoko, nevermind.

Finally, as for Perisic, I think you have the money for it. He could be a useful signing whilst Martial keeps progressing. Sure he's not worth £40m+, but I'm sure Ed Woodward has a lot of money available.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

4 million pound bid apparently. Presume that's a typo and Gibson forgot to put a 1 in front of it.

 

[Eruption]

Aye, pretty cheeky bid. Bit of a sideways move for the lad anyway, I can't see it coming off.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

Wish I had the confidence to just laugh it off.

I would say that all of our departures thus far have made sense, even if we haven't liked them all. This just wouldn't now that the we're out of the woods financially.

Josh has better offensive weapons than a player that's just gone for silly money. I sure hope that anything below what we've gotten for Jacob isn't even considered, even without as much first team football last year.

It's all player power though. If he decides he's 'unsettled' and he makes it known then I suppose Webber would sell. I assume that's what this public bid is about.

 

[Eruption]

I always felt like the Murphys had a strong link to you as a club, so I'm sure he won't be throwing his toys out of pram just to move to Boro. I definitely can't see us making another £10m+ transfer.

I didn't realise Wolves had picked up Ruddy, they're having a real go this year.