12 Mar 2026 17:54:58
Oh dear, Licha has picked up an injury in training and is out of Villa match.
It's getting concerning all these knocks, we really miss him playing the ball out so well and instigating attacks.
Don't care what anyone says. The absolute necessity for a title challenging side is a top, top class Goalkeeper and a quality Centre Back. We are on the way with the keeper but not so with a centre back.
You won't do as well with top class strikers and poor keeper/centre back as you will the other way around. Look at our teams of the last 30 years. When did we win league titles without them. Look at when we did NOT win leagues and the keepers we had.
I do think both Yoro and Heaven are very, very promising. We must remember that Yoro is not long turned 20 and although over recent times he has struggled he made his debut at 18 and for the majority of the time, until recently, looked good. Longer term, I would be hopeful of both players coming good, but the concern is now.
A player I think who could come in and succeed would be Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck, 26 years old, 6'3'' excellent in the air and very quick, also strong and very aggressive in the tackle. A left footer who has top quality passing skills. He is also known to have a strong ''warrior'' mentality.
He ticks all the boxes and I would love us to do all possible to sign him this summer, his contract expires next year (Dortmund very keen on getting him to renew but not achieved yet). Despite this, I would be prepared to make a significant offer to try and sign him.
Real Madrid are also very keen but as is their way they want a cheap deal, so we need to blow them out of the water. Only my view but I think he would be very much worth it.
The foregoing all sounds perfectly reasonable to me, but sadly, I have just remembered I am not the one making the decisions, so I hope someone there agrees with me!
12 Mar 2026 18:24:56
He is too injury prone to be relied upon for the first team, same as MDL, really. It does change things in the CB if this is a longer term injury or just a niggle.
12 Mar 2026 21:11:19
Jbr, you have not backed that up in any way. Let's have a look at the facts, shall we?
2025.
He had a meniscus injury last year that kept him out from 7th April until 17th October, obviously a major injury, apart from that, excluding cold/flu, he had 5 days of injury.
2024.
He missed 14 days in total from 3 small injuries.
2023.
A total of 70 days from 6 injuries (3 injuries accounting for 60 days).
2022.
12 days in total from 2 small injuries.
2021.
22 days in total from 3 injuries.
2020.
Hamstring injury from 3rd October to 14th January, obviously a more serious issue; apart from that, 6 days in total.
So, over a 6 year period, apart from the 2 significant injuries, this is a history that could hardly be described as ''too injury prone'' and the ''same as Mdl''. There are many, many players who could match and even exceed that record. I have no doubt you would welcome them to the club.
I do not accept your assertion as valid.
12 Mar 2026 22:17:08
Time to get rid of Martinez and de Ligt, both always injured.