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Sorry if it causes offence but I've had it with this bloke.  Sunday's performance was the best he's produced for a bloody long time imo but, right at the death, when an unlikely but deserved point was there for the taking he gets brushed in the back, falls over like a tart who's sunk too many G and T's and from the resulting corner the deserved point goes down the flusher.  

Fuck my old boots! Noble and DiCanio often fell to the invisible touch with a lot less abuse. Kane; Saka; Sallah; Son and Grealish are all stalked by a regiment of snipers but you rarely, if ever, do you hear their clubs supporters moan about them. 
I doubt he will be here next year and I will miss him. Not just his skill and passing but his willingness to get stuck in. Yes, he has gone missing on occasion. With a procession of average managers, the appalling FA "enquiry", enhancing his quality of life and now this sort of shit from his own supporters.
Consider this. Next season there is no European football; with no stars to attract potential signings to play with, it looks like Kudus is off too, what do we have to offer? Add in Rush Green; Sullivan doing the transfer negotiations and a bang average manager who has already split the fan base, quicker than both Moyes and Loppetegui, and things don't look good.
So what the fuck are we going to replace him with? "Potter players will make us better?" How? If Potts and Earthy, in whom I have hopes, don't have stellar seasons then the bar starts with Ward-Prowse and Soucek, willing triers but simply not good enough.
Paqueta has been the best player on the pitch for the last three games, bordering world class in an average, badly set up team. That he cares was evident when he banged the ground in frustration when he misplaced a pass at Liverpool. In a shit season I look forward to seeing his, potentially, last games for us and will never join in with slagging off some4one who has given us moments of sheer brilliance.   

Paqueta is entertainment, I like when he plays. Hope that court nonsense goes his way and we can see more of his good play next season.

Paqueta is simply not consistent enough in giving good performances although I can understand this season that his head has been all over the place.  He tends, like the team, to do better against teams that do not sit deep in a low block with 10 behind the ball.  If there is space he will find it.  

He’s the best central midfielder we got though.  The squad has Alvarez, Paqueta, JWP, Soucek, Soler and Irvine to choose from. I’ve long come to the conclusion that any 2, even 3 or 4 of them on the pitch cannot meet the physical and athletic demands of the Premier League.  We need 3 replacements at least for that area in the summer and sell Soucek and Alvarez assuming we can decent fees for them.  Irvine and Soler will be gone anyway you would think?   Those we need to bring in to the squad for central midfield can include one or both of Earthy and Potts but we need to buy some athletic types with pace and strength without doubt.  

All comes down to whether Macaulay has identified the right targets, and whether Sullivan can get deals done? The last part I have little confidence in happening. Sullivan has largely wreaked havoc and failure for all of the 15 years he’s been owner. 

The dream is Macaulay has identified some yping, fast developing players not yet on the radars of too many other clubs. But if they are not “razzle dazzle” players who have played at one of Europe’s big clubs, Sullivan wont be interested. 

We 100% should be portraying the club as somewhere a footballer can build a career.
There will be exceptions that no matter how hard you try, they will naturally find their way to bigger clubs but on the flip side they should turn a tidy profit to soften the blow.
In an ideal world we keep Rice too, but we can't offer players of that caliber the success that they clearly want.

The issue we have right now is that those promises we made when we were in Europe and finishing in the top 7 look a bit laughable now.  No matter how we try and convince players to join a "project" that is looking to once again compete on the European stage, if we don't achieve that then we have to expect players will leave. 

So that for me is on the management of the club.  Sulli has to appoint the right manager to take us back to where we want to be (massively failed in the summer) and he needs to support that player with the right signings (another failure).

Mike Oxsaw" wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 11:59

scott_d wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 09:09

Manuel wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 08:53 I've always seen Paqueta as nearly a top player, he just doesn't have all the tools, but on his day he can be effective, doesn't hide and gives 100%. Anyway, he's been discussed to death now and either way don't think he will be here next season.

Agree - hence why he signed for West Ham.
Would suggest maybe the same for Kudus.

 

So, who is it who is responsible for portraying the club as a stepping stone for players to advertise themselves to other clubs rather than somewhere to build a career?

scott_d wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 09:09

Manuel wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 08:53 I've always seen Paqueta as nearly a top player, he just doesn't have all the tools, but on his day he can be effective, doesn't hide and gives 100%. Anyway, he's been discussed to death now and either way don't think he will be here next season.

Agree - hence why he signed for West Ham.
Would suggest maybe the same for Kudus.

 

Manuel wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 08:53 I've always seen Paqueta as nearly a top player, he just doesn't have all the tools, but on his day he can be effective, doesn't hide and gives 100%. Anyway, he's been discussed to death now and either way don't think he will be here next season.

We won't sign 4 Southampton players.  Pretty lazy journalism.  We probably won't sign anyone that we are linked with 2 months before the transfer window is even (when have we ever been that organised) so I'd ignore those bullshit rumours.

 

I've always seen Paqueta as nearly a top player, he just doesn't have all the tools, but on his day he can be effective, doesn't hide and gives 100%. Anyway, he's been discussed to death now and either way don't think he will be here next season.

wils wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025, 23:06

Vexed wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025, 22:38 Wait and see how fucking painfully turgid and shit we are without him and Kudus in the squad and this fucking boring, gutless geography teacher looking dullard cսnt still at the helm next season.

 

Depends who they are replaced with. My view is a less talented player than Paqueta who is also less sloppy, doesn't turn the ball over as frequently and stayed on his feet would probably be better for us. All that brilliance yesterday was for what if he also hands the opposition a goal scoring opportunity that they take? An hour of effort is cancelled out in a blink. And that's when he is playing well.

Though I share your pessimism about next season. Paqueta or no Paqueta.

wils wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025, 23:06

Vexed wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025, 22:38 Wait and see how fucking painfully turgid and shit we are without him and Kudus in the squad and this fucking boring, gutless geography teacher looking dullard cսnt still at the helm next season.

 

Depends who they are replaced with. My view is a less talented player than Paqueta who is also less sloppy, doesn't turn the ball over as frequently and stayed on his feet would probably be better for us. All that brilliance yesterday was for what if he also hands the opposition a goal scoring opportunity that they take? An hour of effort is cancelled out in a blink. And that's when he is playing well.

Though I share your pessimism about next season. Paqueta or no Paqueta.

Vexed wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025, 22:38 Wait and see how fucking painfully turgid and shit we are without him and Kudus in the squad and this fucking boring, gutless geography teacher looking dullard cսnt still at the helm next season.
 

Wait and see how fucking painfully turgid and shit we are without him and Kudus in the squad and this fucking boring, gutless geography teacher looking dullard cսnt still at the helm next season.

Factor in that we're looking to replace Paqueta and Kudus with shit from the championship or relegated teams of which there are zero standout players. We fucking foolishly bought last seasons 'standout' championship player and he's proven to be useless, lightweight, no end product and made of fucking biscuits. 

Just think how fucking shit that will be. Relegation scrap level shit. 

The only silver lining is that the self awareness void that is Sullivan is playing at 'ace negotiator' again so there's fucking zero chance of anyone Potter really wants getting brought in.  Fall off your perch Sully you grimy little prick. 

Zero optimism for next season, we're fucked already. 

I've lost my patience with the gormless shiny toothed cսnt in the dugout

The Kudus shot which was hit low and saved. That move was started by a deft back heel from Paqueta... It was a brilliant move that nearly resulted in a goal.. On another day it goes to the opposition and he gets called a show boating cսnt giving the ball away... 

Not sure who below said one good pass during the game, nearly every good attack and chance came from his play.. Yes he has some awful games, but was excellent yesterday. 

Losing patience with our best player.

Interesting..

He was as good as I've seen him in a long while yesterday.  Some of those passes were sublime.  Shame we haven't seen it enough and the showboating and diving is embarrassing.

What you need to remember is life is bigger, it’s bigger than you, and you are not me.

The lengths that I would go to. The distance in your eyes.

Oh no I’ve said to much.

Best player at the club by far .when he's on his game . If he's cleared of the charges and joins man city . I've little doubt he'll be the best player in the premier league next season. 

Got some sympathy with the argument that we have no-one to replace him with who can do what he offered yesterday considering our ponderous midfield. But I don't buy the argument that what he did yesterday that led to the goal comes with the package with flair players. There was a moment earlier in the game where he was trying to pirouette through about 4 Liverpool players and inevitably lost possession. Perhaps that you can put up with as coming with the package of a creative flair player. But taking a dive where he did seems something a player at that level should be called out for and is avoidable.

To be honest I don't even like when he takes his dives on the edge of the opposition's box and wins us a free kick. Perhaps I am too old fashioned but I prefer not win with stunts like that. His constant rolling around stopping play doesn't make for an entertaining game either.

We would have much less goal scoring opportunities if he goes, but I have lost count of the goals conceded becuase of his sloppiness and I am convinced his absence would be net benefit. Even if it wasn't I would enjoy watching the games more with him gone.

Come on with all his baggage and little impact over the last 18 months he's not a £50m player let alone £85m.
Kudus yesterday was more effective.
How many shots did Paqueta have and 1 decent pass.
He's not influencing a game like an aged De Bruyne did against Palace

Generally he's been better at not giving the ball away in 2025.  Last season and the first half of this season, he was a real liability with trying to do fancy flicks and tricks and giving the ball away.  I don't have a problem with trying, when he's scoring and setting goals up too, but when he's not doing much else it can really cost us.

I think he's been better in the last few months at holding onto the ball and seems to be a bit more willing and succesful going forward but I will never be comfortably and happy about the blatant diving and falling over.  Even if that was Bowen I wouldn't like it.

The flopping about on the floor like an idiot does wind everyone up, particularly, like yesterday in dangerous areas. However, if he plays like regularly, his flaws are forgiven. 

He played with freedom yesterday, so makes me think that his case is coming to a close and he believes he's going to win it. 

I lost patience with him ages ago......the Geezer is a fraud! When we played Lyon twice 3 years doe's anyone remember how anonymous he was in both games? 

Got to agree with the OP.
Paqueta went down like a 90yr granny being hit by a juggernaut.
I yelled at him at the time to get up.
"Why always me?"
He went downclutching his face for the umpteenth time.
He played well but not that great.
Having watched the Newcastle Brazilians yesterday too that's haow you compete and 
complete a performance.
and oh another booking