03 Jul 2026 06:52:43
Morning Ed
What do you make of Bournemouths Alex Scott?
For me and said this before, I would be looking at Scott and Kroupi from Bournemouth.
{Ed001's Note - I actually had a few days ill in bed just after the Slot sacking and spent it watching Bournemouth games from last season so I can write an Iraola profile at some point. I didn't really rate Scott all that much before that, having watched him a lot before signing for the Cherries and found him a bit soft, lightweight and lacking in the kind of aggression and drive you really need in the Prem. But watching those games changed my mind completely and made me check the stats on him, he makes a lot of challenges now and has excelled in the centre of midfield for them. He has turned into a really good player, good on the ball, can dribble, can put himself about, progressive passer and excellent on the press. I really like him now. Iraola has worked wonders with him and turned him into a really good player. If Carrick wants a hard working, high pressing, highly mobile midfielder, with good passing and dribbling skills, then he is it. Though he is still a little on the light side, he has toughened up and no longer gets brushed aside easily.}
03 Jul 2026 08:51:17
Thanks Ed.
Hope you are feeling ok now.
Impressed me when I watched him. Could be a good choice and age is good as well. The sort of buy SAF may have made.
Also think we should push hard for Kroupi, suspect they may not want to sell but that pair could breathe life in to the team
{Ed001's Note - I'm fine mate, it was a while ago now. Thanks for the well wishes. I think Scott would be a good buy for anyone except maybe Citeh as they got Anderson, who is a very similar player really.}
03 Jul 2026 11:08:12
I like Kroupi, Redman. He looks like a real talent. I think Bournemouth should hold onto him for another year.
I'm sure they will want to support their new coach, and it looks like Scott will be their big sale this year.
But who knows?
Scott is a terrific player. He excelled in Iraola's system. He might follow him to Liverpool if they have an interest.
It will be interesting to see how the cards fall over the next few weeks.
03 Jul 2026 12:44:45
I'm a Scott fan. People will say he is a poor replacement for Cas, but Cas had no legs last year. Scott would bring great energy, and he has potential to get better.
03 Jul 2026 13:20:55
Think Scott will either stay for another year or be off to Arsenal or Liverpool.
03 Jul 2026 15:17:52
Well fallguy the least likely thing we can expect from you is anything positive or any positive thoughts or hopes??
03 Jul 2026 15:33:57
At some point, we will have to be strong and decisive in the transfer market, or accept 5th may be the target. There again, maybe it is.
Scott supported Spurs as a kid, so you kind of wonder whether Spurs missed a trick there.
Depends whether he wants to stay now Iraola has gone. Timing could be important; wait a year, and Iraola may want him. The lure of United should make Scott think about it.
I am not sure we should be taking Touchhameni, or however it is spelled, from Madrid.
Big money and not used to the pace and power of our league. We have been caught out a couple of times buying from Madrid.
As to Kroupi, he is exactly what the club should look at, but yet I feel we are more likely to look for a bargain left winger from West Ham. That's what we are like.
Never mind, dividends should be good for a year or two.
03 Jul 2026 17:08:58
Scott looks like a good player, with bags of potential. He is a risk to be the main man at a big club. But, if he comes in as a rotation option for any major club, or simply makes the leap without skipping a beat, he could be a key player for years to come for someone.
03 Jul 2026 19:06:24
? I'm a Scott fan.
Ski-bi dibby dib yo da dub dub.
Yo da dub dub.
Ski-bi dibby dib yo da dub dub.
Yo da dub dub. ?
03 Jul 2026 21:59:51
Touchameni, certainly won't be caught out by power and pace; he is head and shoulders above anything we have in both respects. He would be a terrific signing if he were to come, I am only hopeful though.
04 Jul 2026 00:13:15
You ever watched Tchouameni, red man?
04 Jul 2026 01:44:40
Touchi best defensive no6 in the world, bar none. World class.
04 Jul 2026 03:27:44
Be stunned if Jose let him go, though. I guess if they get Rodri then maybe. But Jose is more likely to want to play both of them!
04 Jul 2026 07:40:43
Angel
Yes. Not saying don't buy, just I am not sure.
Perhaps I am tainted by the injuries of Varane and how we were skinned on Casemiro with massive wages holding us back. Touch will be 27 in January. Scott is what, 22? He could drive us for 10 plus years.
04 Jul 2026 08:13:06
You're missing the point though, Red Man.
Scott wouldn't be a Casemiro replacement. They are completely different players. He's the Mainoo rotational option - Kobbie and Scott certainly could not play in the same team, as it'd be far too lightweight, although very pretty in possession.
Tchouameni is the No.1 in world football at what Casemiro does - shield, win the ball, etc.
He's the absolute perfect Casemiro replacement and if there's a tiny chance we could actually get him, we should make it happen. Hell, I'd happily watch us pay £100m and give him £300k per week if that's what it took.
Tchouameni/Ederson as the 6 options.
Mainoo/Scott as the connecting 8.
Bruno/Mount at 10.
04 Jul 2026 08:36:13
Downsie
Above Ed says Scott and Anderson are very similar players and gave him high praise.
Without reigniting the Mainoo debate, just maybe he isn't quite good enough to be in a midfield two, with anyone, including Touchameni. One of a three in midfield without the positional responsibility, then yes Mainoo could work there. So we need to look carefully. Maybe Ederson, Scott and Mainoo if we play that way, but I don't think Mainoo is quite good enough to be absolute first choice. Another days debate.
We didn't sign Anderson because apparently he wanted City, hum nothing to do with the £116m or the £300k a week. Fernandes because Spurs would pay what West Ham wanted and too much for us, plus he was said to be ambivalent on joining United.
So two players we are told were not driven to join us.
Enter Touchameni, on £205k a week already. Is he really wanting to leave trophy laden Madrid to come to us? Will Madrid really sell the No1 in world football in his position? If he is at his peak at near 27 how long will he stay there? . It's a young man's game, old saying, but it's very athletic now, the EPL is a bunch of super fit robots and also we saw how Casemiro tailed off quite quickly.
My money is on Scott rather than someone from Madrid who we don't know their motivation nor whether week in week out they can fight it out at places like Hull, no disrespect.
04 Jul 2026 11:16:38
RedMan, you're strange, so you are now saying 27 is old and past it... There is not a chance on earth we can keep signing 20 year old potentials and think we will win anything.
Gone are the days when anyone stays for 10 years.
You seriously need experience in the team, especially the spine of the team.
Touchi would be a fantastic signing, do I see it coming off? Probably no, but to first say he has not enough power, then he's too old, is just plain crazy talk.
04 Jul 2026 12:35:30
I've been impressed with Alex Scott this season, he'd certainly add something to our midfield.
I'm also not against signing Tchouameni, although I do have slight concerns over signing a player with his skillset.
There aren't really many top level true holding No.6 type players in the modern game. Your Makelele types that Tchouameni is reminiscent of.
Modern football at the highest level seems to have left behind this slightly more restrictive, defensive midfielder whose primary job is winning the ball and shielding the defence. Players who are slightly more limited on the ball and progressing it.
That isn't to say Tchouameni is a bad passer of the ball, just that he is a safe passer. He wins the ball back, then makes the safe pass, and when he receives the ball he tends to slow the game down, making safer passes rather than risky split the line passes. Not because he isn't capable, but because he has the safety-first mindset of a defensive player.
That is at odds with the modern game that looks to break teams down with quick transitions and organised pressing, over slower, methodical passing of the ball to try and pull teams out of shape.
Ultimately, there is a reason why Real Madrid are happy to let Tchouameni leave, and that, for me, makes me slightly more skeptical of this deal.
Alex Scott, on the other hand, is everything you want from a modern midfielder, energetic, mobile, and technically sound, a player with an aggressive mentality both on and off the ball. Someone who'll fight hard to win the ball and then look to be aggressive with it once they have it.
There is the question of how much of that was down to how Iraola had him play within his system at Bournemouth, and how much is Scott's natural game. Would he be able to replicate those performances in another team?