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Darthlaw

Regarding my previous post ,does anyone know if City have the first option on JT or do they have the choice to buy him back whenever ,possibly a bit like Ramsey. Definitely has a buy back clause, although I believe its substantially higher than the fee we paid them. You'd imagine they have first re...

Darthlaw

How many more times… heaton was number one. Hart took over when he was injured and Heaton took back over when fit Not forgetting the defence, who’d played together for the best part of 2 years previous and had qualified for Europe the year before. This defence (all 13 variants of it this season) ca...

Darthlaw

https://twitter.com/historyinmemes/status/1754487285180223611?t=M-Y6JvGrbleWlQM5J_yiPA&s=19 Darthlaw comforts Trafford after getting lobbed from the half way line again. :D Wow, two posts about me from you. I believe ‘living in your head rent free’ is the expression. Interesting that being compared...

Darthlaw

Can walk off into the sunset anytime Apart from this window or in the summer, apparently. VK clearly saw the position as needing an upgrade early in the summer (hence why we went for Verbruggen) so you'd say Muric certainly has had the time to decide if he wants to move to get some first team games...

Darthlaw

bumba wrote: ↑
Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:13 pm
His mind will already be made up to leave

And yet no takers?

Darthlaw

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑
Mon Feb 05, 2024 1:12 pm
My main concern about Trafford is that if we go down Im not sure we'll be able to keep hold of him and we'll probably have to settle for our money back or only a small profit.

Its a cultured cast but such subtlety isnt needed to get a rise from your target demographic here, DA.

Darthlaw

Yes its a Trafford thread but I'm actually surprised that Muric is still with us. Not a murmur in the transfer window about any suitors or agent release to the press to stir up interest. As has been said, he has the trait of being good with his feet which is often desirable amongst the top teams and...

Darthlaw

Gordaleman wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:34 pm
Idiot.

Gordaleman wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:34 pm
I mean howlers by Trafford. He has been culpable for goals on at least ten occasions.

The irony.

Darthlaw

Except that that howler was more down to V V D than Alison. He left a ball he should have dealt with and also blocked Alison's attempt to get to the ball. Oh, and things like that don't happen every week at Liverpool. Show me once this season it’s happened to Trafford. As for Murger and the gang, i...

Darthlaw

For anyone wanting to see what a real GK howler looks like, check Alison’s for the scousers that’s just happened.

Personally I think it’s because the Brazilian has never played in league 1

Darthlaw

Well done to whoever re-opened this thread. Whilst we might not all agree, it’s clearly a conversation that needs to be had. If by conversation you mean the predictable 5-10 card carrying Muric fanclub irrationally attack Trafford, whilst others prove the attacks are baseless and unwarranted, then ...

Darthlaw

23 played, 13 different defence combinations.

Although suddenly dropping Ramsey into the fray yesterday was a new one on me.

Darthlaw

If he’s off his line he gets lobbed, if he backs off he gives the oppo a bigger target by not closing the angles and gets slated for not coming for it.

Meanwhile, Vitinho gets a free pass for being 3 yards beyond the back line playing the Fulham lad on because (you know) Trafford’s fault.

Darthlaw

That’s how it should be, in which instance the keeper needs to be stronger. We have a weakling in the nets Clearly you didn’t see the goal v Spuds. Keeper in the air collecting the cross till the scouse shoved him from under it. If you want a free for all where oppo players can obstruct or just pla...

Darthlaw

Look at traffords starting position he’s well behind the goal line because he’s allowed himself to be bullied out of the way. See Everton’s goal vs Tottenham yesterday or Luton’s goal vs us. The PL have set a precedent that players can bully the GK as much as they want now with zero recompense.

Darthlaw

Sorry, but I don’t see it. Whipped, deflected cross onto the head of a man marked opposition player (Which he anticipated correctly O’Shea would deal with). It’s not the ‘Dolly’ it’s being made out to be. Even then the point is Assignon can hoof it for a throw in at worst but acknowledging that woul...

Darthlaw

: IMG_0034.jpeg (1.03 MiB) Viewed 1038 times

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1914tyrone wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 04, 2024 10:00 am
It's the cross that led to the corner, that was really a dolly of a take he should have claimed, not the actual corner!!!!

This ‘Dolly’ off a deflected cross onto the Fulham player ( credit to O’Shea for outmuscling him, btw).

Darthlaw

daveisaclaret wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:55 am
The rest of us are left to determine if you really don't get it or if you're pretending, as it was very obvious.

I give my rationale, some give mistruths and you give hyperbole.

I’m not saying he wasn’t at fault, just asking why it was dreadful given the circumstances.

Darthlaw

Anyway if people want to spend time analysing situations to try and defend Trafford then crack on. Personally I’ll only analyze where our players take criticism based on folk who are making things up (Westleigh and his ‘only two olayers’ comment). Fwiw, I don’t know whether he’ll be good enough for...

Darthlaw

Trafford and Assignon both let it go. Doesn't matter much as conceding a corner shouldn't be a big deal, it's just unfortunate that we can't defend them. Nothing Trafford could do about the first goal either. The second however he was dreadful for. I don’t get why he’s dreadful though. He’s middle ...

Darthlaw

Don’t think so? Trafford didn’t come to claim it so one of our players had to concede a corner. Can’t remember who and I didn’t watch MOTD when I got home as I didn’t want reminding of it. See Cryer BFC post a bit further up and you will understand what happened. Just watched it on MOTD. Trafford c...

Darthlaw

I might be wrong here Jamesy, but was that the corner which Assignon let go out because he thought it was a goal kick, only for the ref to then give a corner?

Darthlaw

IMG_0033.jpeg Just for those claiming how Trafford should have come collected the first, here is the pic with the corner mid flight (the smudge near the touch line) a millisecond before where it finished up on Paulinha’s head (circled in red). For clarity, Westleigh: there were only 2 people near t...

Darthlaw

Same group of posters keep this thread going each week with their vendetta.

Colour me shocked.

Darthlaw

If you look at the City team the other night they had three ‘youngsters’ in the team Lewis, Foden and the £77 million Gvardiol. Conversely we had three experienced players Brownhill, Berge and JBG. I don't think Man City are the ones to look towards when it comes to developing players. They're more...

Darthlaw

AAD with an apology of a finish

Darthlaw

You know, if we were a bit more clinical with our final ball, we might have had a couple here...

Darthlaw

Odobert looking the real deal, at least.

Darthlaw

Easy peasy

Darthlaw

Ekdal looked like he was running through custard, he was that sloooooow

Darthlaw

that we prioritised signing players for future value ahead of competing in the division this season . No misrepresentation at all. You stated the club was choosing resale value over competing in the division. Ideally every player we sign will increase in value, surely that’s a prerequisite? I just ...

Darthlaw

I thought you said adults were talking, yet you’re being quite disingenuous calling this a conspiracy. Take a look at our squad. Take a look at the ages of our players. Take a look at the balance of the squad, the numerous players all competing for the same positions. Take a look at some key positi...

Darthlaw

It’s quite obvious from the profile of players, and the unbalanced nature of the recruitment, that we prioritised signing players for future value ahead of competing in the division this season. So, not adding to our existing 6 wingers with the signing of Andros Townsend aside, it’s not quite obvio...

Darthlaw

I mean, that one is the clearest example as we literally had a seasoned PL player in the shower and told him he wasn’t needed, before signing an 18 year old. I’m not sure you’ll get a better example. That suggests we had 5 other wingers (already too many) with one on the brink and told him he wasn'...

Darthlaw

Rileybobs wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 30, 2024 10:16 pm
I’m not saying we should or shouldn’t have signed Townsend. But Darthlaw asked me to ‘present the 'evidence' oven ready PL players were available and rejected for potential sales value’, so I did.

playerS

Who else was there to support your theory/conspiracy

Darthlaw

StayingDown4Ever wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 30, 2024 10:20 pm
Darthlaw having an absolute nightmare in this thread

feel free to crawl back into your stable.

Adults talking out here.

Darthlaw

He didn't turn us down - we made him an offer and then withdrew it because we had younger options. Whether we should or shouldn't have signed him is one argument but he definitely 100% did not turn us down. I stand corrected in that case. Looking at the Burnley Express article, Kompany stated we al...

Darthlaw

I wouldn’t say I understand Moneyball per se, other than having watched the film a few times. But I seem to recall their manager, Brad Pitt, signed players who had unfashionable technique, or personal issues, and as a result were overlooked by higher spending competitors. But these same players’ st...

Darthlaw

Interesting that you raise Townsend. Isn’t that evidence of an oven ready PL player who was available and we rejected for an unproven player with a higher potential resale value? Which bit of 'he turned us down' are you struggling with, because that certainly doesnt suggest we rejected him. At leas...

Darthlaw

Rileybobs wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 30, 2024 10:01 pm
How is our approach similar to the Moneyball one?

If you understand moneyball, you'll understand the previous coaches comments and how the same criticism was levelled at Billy Beane's Oakland A's

Darthlaw

Rileybobs wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 30, 2024 9:59 pm
Hardly a conspiracy. Look at the evidence.

You present the 'evidence' oven ready PL players were available and rejected for potential sales value and I'll sign up.

I'll counter your conspiracy with the fact we even wanted Townsend, till he turned us down, rather than the other way around.

Darthlaw

bfcjg wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 30, 2024 9:54 pm
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/18982734 ... -nonsense/
Hmmmmmm.

'"True football experts recognise talent with the naked eye. They don't rely on numbers in a computer to scout players.''

If that doesn't scream we're taking the moneyball approach, nothing will.

Darthlaw

How can anyone not see it? We literally signed a raft of wingers, you don’t stock pile positions like we did for anything other than hoping a few make it and we can sell them on. I can't see that all of them were signed, with better alternatives readily available, purely on the basis of potential s...

Darthlaw

Rileybobs wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 30, 2024 9:50 pm
Yes.

Fair enough. Thats quite the conspiracy.

Darthlaw

It’s quite obvious from the profile of players, and the unbalanced nature of the recruitment, including the absence of signings in key positions, that we prioritised signing players for future value ahead of competing in the division this season. If you’re fine with that then fair enough, quite a f...

Darthlaw

We signed a squad of individual players with potential, abandoning last seasons DNA in the process.

Luton have signed team players to augment their squad with some PL nous.

Who'da thunk theyd be in a better position to survive?

Darthlaw

Can hear the scouse hearts breaking from here on the Pennines.

The good news is Southgate might be available after the summer..

Darthlaw

Between 10pm and 1am it’s suppose to be quite tasty.

Remember if you wake up in Oz, to follow the yellow brick road

Darthlaw

I’m more surprised that one English club paid another English club in euros, three years before they were introduced.

Darthlaw

For additional Info the most settled defence has been Taylor, Beyer, Oshea and Vitinho who have started 8 games together. Taylor, Beyer, AAD and Roberts have started 4.

Each other combination (nine of them) has started one game together.

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