The Fish

Does it solely affect loans? Or would it cover sales as well? Because I can see why Man City would want freedom to buy players from their City Group affiliates on the cheap?

Nothing has changed Paddy. Nothing at all.

I dunno, I think it would be fun to see Liverpool and Man Utd down to 2 outfield players for 10 minutes every other game.

Transfermarkt says: Clarke - €15m Ballard - €3.8m Bellingham - €9m Ekwah - €1.8m Hume - €5m Patterson - €10m Rigg - €300k Neil - €5m Cirkin - €2.2m Alese - €1m

Hey! Before you penetrate my echo chamber, you have to get consent!

Little known fact, Matt Le Tissier has all his conversations from a child's roundabout.

It'd be the only thing that actually belongs there.

It's taken you this long? For what it's worth I think whatever training they receive focuses on the wrong thing. They are often so guarded, so bland so as not to provide soundbites or make mistakes. When really, a course that allows them to be more human and have a laugh would make interviews way more interesting. It's a game after all, they don't need to hit the soundbites like a backbench MP

We have you Sir Rounded, you should Sir Render.

Reckon that's just him playing his cards close to his chest, to be honest. I guess the ideal would be to have players who can operate in that DM position, but who has the flexibility to play further forward. Didn't Man City do that with Toure? They'd bring on a defensive midfielder when they were chasing a game/looking for the win and that would free up Yaya Toure to play further forward

Last few games Bruno's been more conservative with his runs and passing, which I think has diminished his impact, but served the team better. It's like trying to get Tom Hanks to fix the spaceship with whatever they've got lying around.

I think had the right player been available we would have moved for them. Without the DM we can play a form of the high pressing game we saw last year, but only when Joelinton and Pope are fit.

The kind of player we're are presumably after; between 18 and 26 years old PL quality tall and strong technically proficient, familiar with pressing style, Rare as rocking horse shit.

I don't know if that's true. We're not inside the room, we don't really know who we're after, or what Howe wants. Maybe you're right and he just wants more 8s? I mean in terms of non-DMs we have Anderson, Bruno, Joelinton, Longstaff, Miley, Tonali, and Willock. When they're all fit we'd find a way to make up the 6's role in the aggregate. With Tonali and Joelinton we'd have physicality and tenacity, with the added bonus of passing range and dynamism. But maybe Howe is desperate for a 6 but there aren't any available for the price or profile we're after?

I get what you're saying, but I think there's a way to play with a 6 and maintain the high press. If you've got 5 more attack minded players, 2 attacking fullbacks, a sweeper keeper and a mobile number 6, you can push high up so the 6 is doing his work closer to the centre circle. There he can cover the marauding fullbacks, help break up attacks, protect the centrebacks and start counters.

Why, in the world, would promising South American talents move to the Saudi League? The standard over there is terrible, so their progress would be stymied.

The only reason we switch to 3 at the back in attack is because we don't have the defensive cover that a DM would give. Get a DM and we could play with 2 attacking fullbacks.

The Independent's twitter account had a live feed of Buckingham palace running last night. What were they expecting to happen?

Thing is when Tino comes on he looks mint because he's doing the stuff that gets your attention; bombing forward, big tackles etc. He may not be quite there positionally, or tactically. We'll see