The Athletic (Daniel Taylor) has us making an offer for Ibrahim Sangare of PSV. By all accounts a bloody good player in a position (DM) where we could do with an upgrade, so here’s hoping this has legs
Those who pay attention to football outside of England say that he's a terrific player and it would be surprising if he went to Forest, but that he's Premier League ready and would be a heck of a coup if we got him. Apparently has a €37.5M release clause which is a lot of money, but it probably makes sense for us to make two or three marquee signings rather than 16 mid range ones.
I picked Sangare last year as a fantasy pick. I would be amazed and delighted if we got him. We need not worry about AFCON as a certain Ryan Yates can fill in for him. Sorted! Also rumours of a Mavro bid that was turned down.
OK, insights and analysis that you don't need on the players we are closely linked with:
Henderson - if the medicals are right and he will be back soon he's good enough, but he isn't great at kicking, and that's important in today's game and why Man U don't want him. I'm with the guys who are wary about signing injured players. Sa could offer better value. It's a meh from me.
Callum H-O - if the medicals are or could be right he is well worth a gamble as he is potentially of very high quality and he is young. It's a yes please from me.
Donny van den Beek - kicks like a well schooled Dutchman. Doubts about whether he can deal with pace of premier league. Seriously off the boil for last few years, a huge gamble but gambles sometimes pay off. He's no Donny van den Talkback. It's a maybe from me.
Willian - old and will only get worse, but turned us over at the Cottage last year and probably would do no worse than Lingaard.
Lodi - will get better than he was last season and he was OK. It's a yes but he won't sign so it's a no.
Joel Piroe - being roundly hawked to the Championship big boys as well as us and Everton, but a good all round striker, better than Dennis, Surridge or Wood and therefore an upgrade. Could be 2023/2024's answer to Neal Maupay. But potential to be premier league quality. It's a yes from me.
Syd Van Hooijdonk - lazy paper linkage. Not good enough for us (yet, maybe ever) and not happening.
I'm very literal. When people say specific things, I assume that they mean them. Particularly, as in this case, if I believe that they've then requested a further action supporting that statement.
On Tuesday night I was mostly bawling at kids. Some highlights:
A couple of kids teams had booked one of the pitches for a match, and started the game on the wrong pitch. The other clubs, who along with us had booked the nearest pitch, moved to the further, smaller pitch. I explained to all concerned why that wasn't happening. We moved the two clubs back to our pitch, and the kids match and all their parents/supporters to the far one at their half time.
Got given a big lad that the other side had lost patience with. Has a thunderbastard left foot, but insists on playing down the right and struggles to get it in play effectively. Told him to play centrally or down the left, but on no account down the right. Every time he drifted that side, I shouted at him, and threatened him with an arse kicking unless he got back in his appointed lane.
Had a running battle with a big lad on their side, after I hacked him down just outside the box (accident!) on the way through to score. Physical and verbal.
I hate you as my knees are missing a lot of meniscus nowadays and can play for a while before excruciating pain wrecks me for a week. Although due to a mental replapse of delusion I believe I can play again. A large Cadillac SUV ran a red light on the main road as I was crossing and I sprinted for my life. Made it without a scratch and no knee pain. I celebrated only to have a miffed wifey on the other side of the road yell at me for abandoning her.
It isn't JP. You know who it is and he knows full well why he isn't welcome. I can only imagine he's actually banned from all the other Forest boards as it's the only explanation for why he keeps returning.