lenny3k

Swansea City face competition from Rangers, Newcastle United and others for Coventry City starlet George Thomas

 

The 20-year-old Coventry City winger is attracting plenty of interest

 

Reported Swansea City target George Thomas is attracting plenty of summer interest and Paul Clement faces a battle to land the talented Welshman.

 

Coventry City starlet Thomas has been linked with Leicester City, Rangers and Newcastle United in the past few days, with Derby County, Burnley, Brighton and QPR all reportedly in the running as well.

 

It comes after the 20-year-old impressed for Wales Under-20s at the Toulon Tournament, following a breakthrough season for Coventry.

 

Thomas scored nine goals in 36 appearances for the Ricoh Arena club last season — including a winner in the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley— but he could not prevent the Sky Blues' relegation to League Two.

 

HITC Sport reports Rangers as the latest club to join the race to sign the Wales prospect, though 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester are also believed to have expressed an interest.

 

Thomas is out of contract with Coventry but any move would include compensation with the player under the age of 24.

 

The 20-year-old midfielder, who can also play up front, would join Wales Under-20 teammates Daniel James, Joe Rodon, Aaron Lewis and Jack Evans in the Liberty Stadium nursery should he choose a move to SA1.

 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/swansea-city-face-competition-rangers-13276438

I guess this is another player like Rossiter and Dodoo where we only have to pay £250,000 for him as its cross border?

The green boots thing is funny as to just how much coverage it is being given by everybody outside of Ibrox. IMO its just a wee part of the overall spirit of togetherness (not even siege mentality) that the manager is bringing in. Why would a player wear the colour of boots of their fiercest rivals?

why would a player wear green football boots full stop

Excellent! I especially liked the quote about the balls we don't fight for. It reminded me of Al Pacino in Every other Sunday (I think that's what it's called anyway). His speech in that film was one of the best ever in my opinion.

love that speech, gave me goosebumps the first couple of times I heard it....

Obviously it depends on match fitness but I really hope we don't start with that team.

 

I hope we replace Holt with Rossiter Miller with Candeas and Waghorn with Morelos.

Exactly the same as my thoughts

Yes. It would be a bit of a fall to be at Everton, Man Utd and Sunderland plus a stint in Spain before going back to Preston

The fall would match that of his reputation..

Foderingham - 5

Tavernier - 6

Bates - 6

Cardoso - 7

Wallace - 5

Jack - 8

Holt - 6

Kranjcar - 9

Dalcio - 6

Waghorn - 5

Miller - 7

Subs :

Candeis - 6

Rossiter - 6

Morelos - 5

I thought it was after the deadline?

I think his registration with the Turkish FA from his previous loan spell runs out on 30th June/1st July so I would guess either they have released his registration allowing him to play, or he will be available to play the second leg and has been added to the squad as the wildcard entry.. I orignally thought the wildcard was being held open for Dorrans/Walker but I guess now they don't see them joining in time...

That may change though.....

 

I can understand PC not wanting to field EVERY new player immediately, who he plays will be interesting though....

He also stated 4 players would start before Candeias was added to the squad so that may change, however, I think if the chosen players have been aware they are playing since Monday, there is obviously a plan in place which i doubt he will want to change this close to the game.

Love that we have a Spanish speaking reporter in the press conference, followed world-wide even though its only QR1

I have a sneaky feeling that either Morelos or Herrera may start on Thursday, but, maybe thats just wishful thinking

I can't be the only one whos excited about a defensive midfield partnership of Rossiter and Jack this season? although, thats probably jinxed them but heres hoping they can both stay fit and form a parternship

Other than that, I think that line up is pretty nailed on, potential banana skin for making wholesale chanegs

I'm with John 100% on this one. McKay is (Niko excepted) the most talented and best player we have at the club, and if what I heard is correct is on a fraction of what other, lesser, players are on in our squad. The new offer took him to just below what other poorer players are on, and his agent would be right to ask for at least the same as the improved contracts given to some at this time last year.

 

I hope Barrie and the club can find a solution to this impasse, as we can ill afford to lose one of our best players.

 

I recall one game last season after Barrie had been criticised in the media compared to some other players that he didnt have enough assists - he created 5 good chances in a 15 minute spell and our forwards missed every one of them. Comparing assists is only fair if the same percentage of chances are taken at each club. When our strikers were as woeful as ours were last season, not even Messi could get his assists up to an acceptable level.

This is the exact reason why I prefer the 'goal scoring chances created' stat to the 'assists stat' as only really the player in question can affect that stat whereas the other stat is dependent much more on other players

Of course it is entirely possible that McKay is in earlier for extra training/treatment?, after all this is all gutter press talk!

very true, he did miss the first few days/week of pre-season if i recall correctly?

Would be sad to see him go because I think with better players around him he would be a huge asset. I think if we do sell him soon then we need to push the boat out for Walker to replace him.

I personally think Walker may actually be a better player for us than McKay... Don't get me wrong, I think McKay is more talented and has more potential, however, I just don't think he has the right mindset to realise that potential to its full extent.

£1.2Billion?..............................

Dave King upping the Hubris.....

[TWEET]878264560112762881[/TWEET]

Assists & goals scored would say different!, I hope Barrie gets his finger out and finally realise his full potential, either he wants to sign or he doesn't, time for him to decide!

Personally, I think McKay may be biding his time to try and see who shows interest and also where he fits in PC's plans in the first couple of Euro games...

Notice no Crooks as well (not that its surprising)

[TWEET]879273696451604480[/TWEET]

Can't buy tickets anymore....

I maintain that we've missed a player in the mould of McCoist/Boyd for some time. These players were never the most technical etc, but they got chances & took a good percentage of them.

I always felt that with these type of "Poachers", wingers etc could almost blindly put the ball into the box, knowing that they would be there, or there abouts.

 

Hopefully, Morelos is that type of player & can get goals by the sack-full. Don't really know much about Herreras' style - maybe bit more of a work-horse type???

By the sounds of it he's pretty much a stereotypical hold up/target man striker

Notice this line in the article...

We are confident therefore that the first team will be able to have two Academy graduates within their three first team goalkeeping slots in the coming years which would be great for the Academy and the club.

Sounds like a smart idea and very cost efficient...

That whole article just sounds like...

"I want credit, I want credit, I want credit, "

I think we all know that yesterday's starting 11 will more than likely be the starting 11 for Thursday i.e. Fod, Tav, Bates, Cardoso, Wallace, Jack, Holt, Kranjcar, Dalcio, Waghorn, Miller. Potentially Morelos and Candeias could start ahead of Waghorn and Miller.

 

Feel a bit disappointed for the youngsters that stepped up at the end of last season, some of them may make the Euro squad but unlikely any of them will even make the bench, possibly McCrorie and Beerman.

 

I think the youngsters will end up on loan, shame really because they gave a good account of themselves.

I would be surprised if you don't see one or both of Pena and Herrera making a start. I get that they have only just joined and haven't played a game with the team but they will have a full week of training with the squad under their belt and seeing as we have only scored one goal in the last two games, that being an own goal too, I would think they would come into contention, especially as they are both supposedly goal scoring threats....

I think you are right about the youngsters though, its a shame but, for their development, its probably best if they do go out on loan, as long as its to a suitable team etc and they get good game time...

Couldn't really have asked for a much better start than that! Our first two games against what will probably be top half teams (Hearts and Hibs) are at home too

No complaints from me

Always nice for the first game of the season to be on your birthday

Does anyone know who is in the squad apart from the 3 mentioned and how big is the squad, I had heard it was 25? Is it the case that some of the squad have to be "home grown"? Cheers

Just copied and pasted this from the 'Offical Regulations for Europa League'...

42.02 No club may have more than 25 players on List A during the season, two of whom

must be goalkeepers. As a minimum, eight places are reserved exclusively for

"locally trained players" and no club may have more than four "associationtrained

players" listed on these eight places on List A. List A must specify the

players who qualify as being "locally trained", as well as whether they are "clubtrained"

or "association-trained".

 

42.03 A "locally trained player" is either a "club-trained player" or an "association trained

player".

 

42.04 A "club-trained player" is a player who, between the age of 15 (or the start of the

season during which he turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which

he turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, has been registered with

his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons (i.e. a

period starting with the first official match of the relevant national championship

and ending with the last official match of that relevant national championship) or

of 36 months.

 

42.05 An "association-trained player" is a player who, between the age of 15 (or the

start of the season during which the player turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the

season during which the player turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and

age, has been registered with a club or with other clubs affiliated to the same

association as that of his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three

entire seasons or of 36 months.