Rousseau

That too, yes. Ugh...

I don't know, but I pulled the word 'contrarian' out of thin air and I can't stop using it. Contrarian.

Contrarian...

I do think any other 'keeper collects that cross.

You're being childish.

I don't think so. He has shown talent. He’s only been at two clubs permanently, on loan at three. He was seen as a very promising player - certainly still when Norwich signed him three years ago - he’s just not quite fulfilled it. I would need to rake through club forums to find out why it hasn't worked out. We could be getting a bargain, or a damp squib.

Jeeeeezzz... Spurs are getting blown away early. Again. 2-0 down after 4 minutes!

Nazi flag in the Rangers end doing the rounds...

You think 1-0 defeats are worse than 4-0 pumpings. You think Kent is our best attacker. You think Cantwell flatters to deceive. You're just contrarian, aren't you?

Dowell is similar to Cantwell in style, I believe, but without a consistent run in a team over the years. I know he did well at Forest, then barely played when the manager (Warburton) left. He's not been in the Norwich squad at all the last month or two, despite playing regularly throughout the rest of the season. I have no idea why that is. There's no injury-based absence according to TM.

I don't think he does have a dodgy injury record, he's just fallen out of favour.

I stayed away from the game because I was my usual pessimistic self. I thought I felt better, but when the whistle went and that alert came through, I still felt sick.

PotY contender?

Palace 3 - 2 West Ham after 35 minutes.

OK--I don't disagree with these points. I have said he should have been sold a few years ago. He encapsulates the perfect transfer, for me: stats-based scouting, finding an under-utilised asset, signing for tuppence, developing them and then selling for £10-15M. We just messed up with the last stage.

If you remove that first sentence, you're spot on. Too many are quite fragile. Barisic comes to mind, too.

The majority want to let him go. I'd give him a 1-year contract. He's one of our best midfielders, and although he's often injured, it's not Helander level, so you still get around 30 games a season from him.

Yes, not me, though; I've got it under control ...

It's a drug. You know what it does to you, but you just can't help yourself...

Well, I feel better.

I went back through the thread because the arguments were becoming messy. I agree with your basic process, here - although with data analysts working closely with the DoF and scouts. I'd also want a layer of future planning, which the DoF should manage, and to be more ruthless in selling players when their peak value is reached. I don't think we've got this system implemented properly yet; we're in-between systems, which is not doing us any good, IMO.

Didn't he say so?

You seem to be saying GvB was useless because he was picking from a pre-existing scouting list AND/OR he's useless because he's had too much freedom when he's actually used to a mode rigid DoF model such as at Feyenoord. Surely both can't be true? Or I'm conflating ideas?

I think I'm winning this vote, by virtue of all the abstentions.

You're mistaken. It's stats for past performance. It's Juju - always capitalised - for the manipulation of future events.