Yeah, it is all strange..........deafeningly silent.
And all these massive bids being banded around like loose change, but come to our players and the bids coming in ARE loose change!

I'm not overly fussed if Drinkwater is sold, as long as it's for £28 mill plus. This is on condition that we agree a fee for another midfielder first. Otherwise, no sale.

You don't sell at the 11th hour with no replacement in position. That would be diabolical, suicidal.
Same goes for Mahrez. Gotta have a replacement lined up, 99% ready to put pen to paper before he goes. No chance taking - it's too important not to prepare.

No your definately the only one KTF

The whole saga with Chelseas alleged interest in Drinky just makes no sense.

When I saw the alleged bids 15 million, then 20 million for a player who won the premier league and was an england intermational just over a year ago, made me think that Romas sporting director had moved to Chelsea. They are extracting the urine just like Roma are with Mahrez.

Are they leaving it late in the hope that we will cave in and sell him cheap before the window shuts. If so they will be disappointed, we are under no pressure to sell.
Will Chelsea sell Costa for a knock down price or is he doing a Ronnie Biggs and hiding in Brazil.

It all comes down to what you beleive coming from our learned journalist freinds. Frankly I wouldnt even believe the date on most newspapers.

UTF

Oh sugar , Sorry it should have raed

No you are definately NOT the only one KTF

Doooooh

UTF

I agree, it's bizarre to say the least. Although the only logic I can see in it is the partnership with Kanye and the fact that they need to increase their home grown pool after the loss of Terry etc.

£20m however is insulting to both Leicester and the player and should any bids materialise then I suspect we will hold firm as we have done with others. Drinky will be battling it out for the other CM role alongside James and Iborra and at this stage probably comes top of that list meaning he'll get much more game time than at Chelsea.

I don't think he is the type of guy to demand a more and don't think Chelsea will pay anything like what we want so I'm not overly concerned, even if interest is genuine.

What I am a little concerned about is zero noise around any further signings. Teams around us continue to strengthen and I still think we are 2 players short of a good window - preferably a CB (Gibson?) and attacking CM (Silva?). The possibility of an injury to Maguire without further strengthening at CB position makes me very concerned.

*Kante 😂

Mention of Gibson here brings to mind his recent performance in the match against Sheffield United that I watched on Sky. A solid, resilient defensive show from the rearguard which kept Evans and Sharp largely quiet throughout and already purports Middlesbrough to be leading contenders for a return to the top flight. I wasn't overly impressed with Gibson in the past but he now meets with my approval and he can also play as a CB.

Gibson would slot in well, probably at Morgan's expense, though I believe there are several clubs interested and Garry Monk has declared he is not for sale. It's time for our club to press him on that one.

comment by downsouf (U4095)
posted 35 seconds ago
Mention of Gibson here brings to mind his recent performance in the match against Sheffield United that I watched on Sky. A solid, resilient defensive show from the rearguard which kept Evans and Sharp largely quiet throughout and already purports Middlesbrough to be leading contenders for a return to the top flight. I wasn't overly impressed with Gibson in the past but he now meets with my approval and he can also play as a CB.

Gibson would slot in well, probably at Morgan's expense, though I believe there are several clubs interested and Garry Monk has declared he is not for sale. It's time for our club to press him on that one.
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It's about time we played a bit more aggressively in the transfer market I think. I would really like to see us go all out and spend £20-25m on someone like Gibson and an attacking CM. Whilst I am pleased with what we have done so far, I'm not sure it's done any more than kept us where we were compared to the others.

comment by Woodhouse Fox (U11444)
posted 1 hour, 37 minutes ago
comment by downsouf (U4095)
posted 35 seconds ago
Mention of Gibson here brings to mind his recent performance in the match against Sheffield United that I watched on Sky. A solid, resilient defensive show from the rearguard which kept Evans and Sharp largely quiet throughout and already purports Middlesbrough to be leading contenders for a return to the top flight. I wasn't overly impressed with Gibson in the past but he now meets with my approval and he can also play as a CB.

Gibson would slot in well, probably at Morgan's expense, though I believe there are several clubs interested and Garry Monk has declared he is not for sale. It's time for our club to press him on that one.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's about time we played a bit more aggressively in the transfer market I think. I would really like to see us go all out and spend £20-25m on someone like Gibson and an attacking CM. Whilst I am pleased with what we have done so far, I'm not sure it's done any more than kept us where we were compared to the others.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The aspect of 'lack of height' in a CB has always been of a concern to me. Yes, I know Ben Gibson is no taller, I'd say, than Wes Morgan but I've always wanted to see someone of a similar stamp to Huth who can face up eye-to-eye to the likes of Ibrahim or longshanks at Stoke whose name escapes me.

Am I the only one that wouldn't be that disappointed if Drinkwater left?

I don't think he's very effective without Kante making space for him and James was first choice over him when fit anyway. If we could get someone in to midfield, I wouldn't really mind if he left. It also suddenly makes me like the look of 3-5-2 again as an option:

Vardy Nacho
Mahrez
Fuchs Ndidi James Albrighton
Huth Morgan Maguire

Nice.

Its funny how times change over the space of 18 months, DD was one of the first name on our teamsheet now there is a consensus that we wouldn't miss him if he went, and maybe the reasoning behind the Iborra signing was to step into DD shoes if he left, or if his form dropped like it did last season.

I believe that the CM partnership of Ndidi and Iborra would be an excellent one and moving forward DD wouldn't be first choice, so as a player do you be a squad player with us or a squad player with a team who can pay you more and are involved in the CL and lots of big games week in week out?
Its a no brainer for the player and I wouldn't shed a tear if we sold him, as long as we then bring in a body to replace him in the squad.

As for Ben Gibson, I was calling for our CB partnership to be Maguire and Gibson this season, as they have PL experience and age on their side. I for one would be over the moon if we went to Uncle Steve and offered him £35m for Gibson right now.

UTF

If you're judging Drinkwater on last season you're judging him playing most of the season in pain with an injury to shaw up the rest of our non existent midfield. If fit he's an auto pick for me and his understanding with Vardy if we were to lose Mahrez is also a key factor.

Flip - I guess we're judging drinkwater on every season other than the title winning season.

The question we need to ask is: which is the anomaly?

I honestly don't know, but I agree with Applecart's assessment that Ndidi and Iborra could easily be as good as Ndidi and DD. Even James was Ranieri's preferred player over DD.

All in all, it's a funny one.

Mersey - he was a driving force in the season we got promoted. He and Vardy both took time to settle in the prem - if you compare their form I think you'd say it's been similar to when they've performed and not.

Last season I thought he played well given the injury and he was paired with Amartey for a good few games (wish anyone luck playing in a central 2 with him), plus asked to play a possession game not suited to the side (pass to Amartey, King, whoops they've lost it again). I'd say it was circumstances rather than a drop in form, when we pressed he looked good, it was a bit of magic from him that got us the away goal at Sevilla.

Unsure how Raneiri rated James over DD as donor think James was ever fit during his reign? Were you meaning someone else?

DD does seem to have alternative seasons,
Main midfielder
Championship 1 yr james
Championship win yr DD
great escape james untill inj
Champions DD
last season both injured

There are so many things involved fitness,system,who the played with,
But overall I wouldn't want to see him go,
3-5-2
DD,ndidi,james would hold there own with most,

Vardy Nacho
Fuchs Ndidi DD James Albrighton
Huth Morgan Maguire

SUB
marhez,oki,grey,chilwel,iborra,

King almarty
It gives us a lot of options

Drinkwater is a fair weather player, he plays well when the teams playing well but he doesn't drive the team himself.

Goes missing far too easily when the goings tough but I'm sure IF he went to Chelsea he'd look a lot more consistent with all that protection from his quality team mates.

DD is a superb player when his teammates create the space for him to pull the strings. When teams are allowed to close him and not let him get his head up and Jepi the ball moving, he disappears.

Isn't that like all our players, we play to their strengths and we're pretty formidable. We don't and we look like relegation fodder. We've got a much better squad now but we've not got multiple people who can pull the strings like the top 4

The question thought Flip, is that now we're not going to get Kante back, will we ever get Drinkwater back?

If we're never going to play to his strengths, let him go so we clan play to other players strengths. If we think we can get him back to his best, we should obviously fight to keep him.

I honestly don't know, which is why I wouldn't be that upset.

Get you Mersey. But I'd rather back DD who the other players know than try and build tactics during the season round new players.

Looks like Drinkwater has gone!!

What news True?

Oh wait, there he is.

Just a friend of a friend who met some bloke in the newsagents said all the media promotional stuff is being altered with Drinkwater removed. 😂

Which newsagents?

That one on the corner, just up from the offie.