Pre-Season 2024

[superpull]

Carlo Ancelotti is the only manager to ever get a tune out of Keane-Holgate as a CB pairing and I'm not sure there's another manager in world football that could do that, so lining up with them and losing 3-0 in 2024 is no surprise even in a pre-season friendly.

We'll have some twin Keane on Keane action in a couple of days against Preston.

Suspect the lack of pressure thanks to empty stadiums probably had as much to do with this than Ancelotti's training

[TheRam]

I'm struggling with DCL as well. After the season he's just had then you'd hope he'd be bang up for pre-season and banging in the goals to build a bit of confidence ahead of the season but he's already had some shocking misses.

He doesn’t want to be here.

I’d be disappointed if he starts the season for us.

A combination of the injuries taking their toll and him not wanting to be here has made for a frustrating striker leading the line for us.

It’s like Louis Saha without the quality to dig out a goal from nowhere.

Really hope we can move him on and replace but I don’t think anyone team out there is willing to spend good money on him.

[Bluebridge]

I’ve had a lot of time for Dom, but definitely time to move him on, for all concerned.

[Escalator]

Suspect the lack of pressure thanks to empty stadiums probably had as much to do with this than Ancelotti's training

That’s a very good point indeed, esp them both being such confidence players, first murder from the crowd and they fall to pieces.

[brap2]

Salivating at the thought of the drop off from Dom to whatever deal we can pull out on layaway.

If it's Beto and Cherms, the big chermster is our starting cf by September.

[TheRam]

Salivating at the thought of the drop off from Dom to whatever deal we can pull out on layaway.

If it's Beto and Cherms, the big chermster is our starting cf by September.

The DCL of the last three years isn’t that hard to replace.

[brap2]

The DCL of the last three years isn’t that hard to replace.

I strongly disagree but look forward to us knocking it out the park.

[Shogun]

I strongly disagree but look forward to us knocking it out the park.

Where do you rank DCL in PL strikers over the last 3 years?

[TheRam]

I strongly disagree but look forward to us knocking it out the park.

Have you been asleep for the last three year?

[brap2]

Have you been asleep for the last three year?

Where do you rank DCL in PL strikers over the last 3 years?

Sadly not.

Bottom third, about where we are as a side! Mostly due to his injuries though.

I'm not deluded, has never been a finisher other than a period under carlo with specific one touch finishes and headers.

But a big, tall, fast, jump machine who can play into feet, is honestly not easy to find especially these days with number 9s drifting out the game.

You could get someone who you could change the shape to accommodate, but I don't think it's easy at all.

I think Chermiti is honestly in with a shout for 500+ minutes.

[TheRam]

Sadly not.

Bottom third, about where we are as a side! Mostly due to his injuries though.

I'm not deluded, has never been a finisher other than a period under carlo with specific one touch finishes and headers.

But a big, tall, fast, jump machine who can play into feet, is honestly not easy to find especially these days with number 9s drifting out the game.

You could get someone who you could change the shape to accommodate, but I don't think it's easy at all.

I think Chermiti is honestly in with a shout for 500+ minutes.

You can’t ignore his injuries. They’ve made him a worse player when he can actually get on the pitch.

That’s why it shouldn’t be hard to replace him.

He’s contributed little to us over the last three seasons bar the odd couple of goals here and there.

[Toddacelli]

I strongly disagree but look forward to us knocking it out the park.

Absolutely loving the effort you’re putting in to be positive here mate (recently - not one post in particular).

[Trowel]

The main two problems I have with DCL at the moment are:
1. He and Beto play in exactly the same spaces, so there's no effective way to play the two of them together
2. We don't have the sort of players who can benefit from DCL's hold up play, so any good play of his is usually wasted on us anyway

[brap2]

Absolutely loving the effort you’re putting in to be positive here mate (recently - not one post in particular).

Don't think @TheRam 's convinced

[Cods]

Suspect the lack of pressure thanks to empty stadiums probably had as much to do with this than Ancelotti's training

That and the considerable quality around them we had at that time, but have since sold off.