On the three points above:
Agree, especially as there will have to be more sales if they are not to end up with another points deduction this summer. Branthwaite and/or Pickford and/or Onana (anyone get why so many big clubs like him?) will have to go. Maybe two of them. Branthwaite is the biggest loss of those for me. The problem they have is that under normal circumstances those players go for huge money but given everyone knows they need to cash they’ll be forced to take 20% less or do what Forest did with Johnson and wait for value but take a points deduction in doing so. The rules are absolute sh*te because of that but they are, still, the rules.
On Pickford I can’t understand why people aren’t a fan. He LOVES Everton to the degree that you wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed his whole career. For some players trophies are less important than being a part of something and he is now part of the fabric of the club. He is a truly outstanding keeper and I don’t get why people question that. He’s still a great age, will still get better and most of the ricks he used to have in him every now and then have been ironed out. Unbelievable reflexes, decent with his feet, prepared to be brave, huge international experience. If he had joined a bigger club and performed like he does for England and Everton with such consistency there’d be few questions. I’m not saying he’s in the Courtois/Neuer/Alisson/Ederson/Oblak class but he’s just below and absolutely CL class.
On staying up: it’s a major indictment of the league that there’s little realistic prospect that clubs who broke rules to such a degree that they got points deductions are never really likely to go down. So much cash has gone into them that it’s impossible for promoted clubs to compete really. The praise for Luton is ridiculous. They lose every week. They have NOT done well or competed really. Take away the points deductions and the bottom three was set months ago. That said I think the deductions in themselves were unduly lenient but that’s another story.
Sent from my iPhone using
TZ-UK mobile app