Dominus Maximus

I’d absolutely love that. I heard 60 mil clause but someone said in the EUROS thread that he’s on very high wages already.

As if. You’ll be back calling me names next week. It’s ok. We live either way. I only reply when put on the spot. I don’t particularly enjoy this either. I can say sure I’ll stop and then salmon else will come and call me a c*** or take the piss or put words in my mouth, state wrong facts or just be plainly rude and then I have to reply again.

No one ever said Dutch coaches were doomed to fail outside Holland. That’s a pretty dramatic interpretation tbh.

1) I don't. That's the point. You don't either. No one does, actually. We have no comparables because he's only worked in a massively inferior league. That's why I call it unknown territory. 2) I can't solve your riddles, tbh. Just use your words. Did you mean Ferguson? If so, then I fail to see the connection to 2024 football since that was a generation or two ago. 3) Since the league is massively inferior, we have no direct comparables. It's always extremely relevant to look at a manager's resume when stating things like, he can do this or this. In this situation, you could maybe look at his performance in the Champions League for a better comparison for the Prem, but that won't help him since he crashed out early when he got the chance. Basically, he couldn't scale his winning brand from Holland to the Champions League. 4) Thanks. I appreciate that you recognize this. 5) I think I get your point. "Good managers are just good managers." "The level of the Dutch league doesn't matter." I just don't agree. Scalability will always be a factor when trying to integrate people from much inferior leagues. There's just no two ways about it.

Brave stuff mate. I hope they don't start mocking you for stating facts.

There's no valid reason to think Dutch photographers are worse than British photographers. b******s.

Because, and I hate to break it to you, good managers are good managers. They don't automatically bring success, but talent is talent. How do you know if he’s any good for us when he only has experience from the seventh best league in Europe? We have no valid comparables. Manchester Utd once hired a guy from a "s*** league", to use your vernacular. He did OK. Ipswich are currently managed by a former youth coach. Who? Ten Hag? Are you serious? My point, once again, is that you thinking the Dutch league is "s***" and that no one had heard of Slott before yesterday lunchtime is - and I can't stress this enough - irrelevant. You have formed an opinion based on an assumption and stated it as a fact. Why is it irrelevant? The Dutch league is the seventh best league in Europe. That’s a fact. Six leagues are better. That’s also a fact. It’s the entire basis for me saying that he has no experience outside the seventh best league and it is highly relevant when you want to transfer his scale his ideas from Holland to England. What I and others have done is some research. Read stuff. Watched stuff. Listened to stuff. And THEN have formed an opinion. Are you praising yourself for reading stuff now? OK. I’ve read stuff too. They write that the Dutch league is the seventh best in Europe and experts are doubting if Slots’ style can be scaled to the Prem. I’ve also been to Holland nine times in the past ten years to watch Danish players play for midtable Dutch teams and then formed an opinion of the standard of football they have over there. But sure, read some articles, watch some Tifo videos and a podcast or two that confirms your bias and then say stuff like ‘good managers are just good’ is obviously a much more informed position. Now we all know there are no guarantees in football. Angel Di Maria is a phenominal footballer, but he was bobbins when he played over here. Nathan Jones is an utter clown anytime he tries to manage a club other than Luton. It's what makes the game we love the game we love. Has nothing to do with the level of the Dutch league. You're perfectly entitled to your opinion, obviously, but while you continue to not be able to back it up with anything bordering on a reasonable argument, people are going to call you out on it. Equally, while you continue to not see the irony of you having avatars of players you hadn't heard of before they arrived, I'd expect that to also be a 'thing' for a little bit. It’s an avatar. It has no influence on anything. I can change it to a huge salmon and it wouldn’t change the gulf in levels between the Prem and the Dutch league. I also don’t get why you say that I didn’t know Dom before he arrived. That's just incorrect. I've liked him since Salzburg. My point was only ever that Slot arrives here on potential, not reputation or merit and I think the praise he gets has to be viewed in the context of the league he worked in. That's it. So there are questions about his level, since we have no valid base for comparison, and questions about the scalability of his tactics, since we know there is a huge gap in quality between those two leagues. It doesn’t mean anything else than what it means. It doesn’t mean I don’t like him or don't want him to do well and it doesn't mean that I expect him to fail. It's just unknown territory since we have no comparables.

This is ridiculous. I could literally say the same. I mean how can you argue with statements like “good managers are just good managers.”

New head coach. Same stingy owners.

Tbf Chiesa was extremely unlucky with injuries and Williams has had a great season in Bilbao by all reports. At 21 you would think a good head coach could teach him to be more effective. But other than that I do agree with you. Euro’s aren’t for scouting but if you have a prospect on your shortlist beforehand and he goes on to impresses on the biggest stage it’s not going to make him less of a prospect. I imagine all the big clubs have extensive dossiers on him already.

I agree. Trent was fine compared to the rest. At least he tried to ping some passes. He looked lethargic but I was thinking he was mainly focused on finding the right pass and not so much getting stuck in. We don’t have visual indicators for mental load during games but I’m sure his brain was working at max capacity scanning for opportunities. It was just difficult because no one were making runs for him or creating passing lanes.

All good points. It is very complicated. I just want the scenario where he signs for five more years. Let the pros figure out where to play him. We shouldn’t get rid of our own talent this easily.

Yeah 250 would take him above Virg which sounds wrong but … If he goes for 60 mil euro surely that’s way below our and anyone elses valuation of him. The total package may well be within our means. Idk. Left winger is not a priority either. I just like what I saw yesterday. They rarely come fast and strong. Guy was fast, strong and technically sound. Like a Kinder Surprise.

If so this happens now for a reduced price or he leaves for free next summer and takes all the money as a big sign-on fee.

170k pr week according to internet. Not great for us but not terrible. It is a lot though. But yeah wages will always rise and this kid looks amazing. He has that many games at a young age trait FSG talks about.

Fair point. It’s just astounding to me every time it happens.

Yes, I absolutely agree here in principle, it shouldn’t be up to the player to force a positional change but would you bomb him out today still if he insists? I wouldn’t. If he doesn’t fancy RB there’s no point in forcing it upon him. Unfortunately for us right now he’s holding the aces, if that’s the correct term.

Yeah perhaps you are right, seems very plausible and the likeliest of outcomes, or maybe they turn him into the quarterback of dreams since they have the players to make runs for him and protect him much better than us or England. Plus with Kroos and Modric done/almost done there is space for playmakers in that squad. Imagine Camavinga wins a ball in midfield and rolls it Trent who looks up and has Vini, Mbappe, Rodrygo and Jude making runs for him. Dear God. Either way going Madrid will represent a huge bag and some serious trophy winning chances for him. We really need to get that contract signed asap. I’m inclined to give him whatever he wants here. I don’t want to live in a world where he’s not here with us.

Commentator in my feed said Williams has a 60mil euro release clause. If that’s true you best send Hughes to Bilbao asap. Low key my favorites after the first two games. Those two young wingers are great prospects and Rodri, Fabian and Pedri have done well together. Fabian has been awesome.

This is it for me. Southgate has the ability to nullify his best players. You rarely see that skill in international football. I also don’t really care where Trent play for us because I just want him to stay. If Trent makes it a condition to play in midfield before signing a new contract I’d rather indulge him than see him leave. Big decision here for Arne, Trent and the backroom lads.

It really is. He basically views Trent as a discount Kalvin Phillips

I’m not arguing. I don’t have any arguments. Like I said before. All I’m saying is that the dutch league is massively inferior to the Prem. So more focus on my avatars? That’s what you are going with?

Ah yes. Make fun of my avatar. That will make the Dutch league less s***e. FFS do better.

Great game so far.

That Williams kid is lively. Looks like a great prospect at 21.