SKD

For me it highlights how average our squad is. Let's not kid ourselves, we played Augsburg not a top European team.

Sell VVD, bring in 2 top CB's and a ball winning CM to complement Romeu needed ASAP. Get it done Les.

Unfortunately, other than 45 minutes last Saturday, today's performance is no difference to any others this pre season. Today is a shining example of why our business model is very very high risk. We've been left with a squad full of very bang average players and if we don't make a couple of shrewd signings in the next couple of weeks we could be in trouble this season. It's no wonder Tuchel turned us down.

he's under contract (a long one at that) at Southampton football club. They can, within reason, do as they please and try and sell/not sell to whoever they want. Of course if an offer is accepted from another club we cannot force anyone to accept it, but we can offer an ultimatum and say that he either goes to xyx club or he stays at his current club. If we don't want to sell to Liverpool, unless it's in his contract that we have to accept an offer from them, which it's clearly not, then we do not have to accept an offer. If given the two options mentioned, it's very very likely that he'll accept an offer from the club of our choosing. Whilst you're right in saying it's not the "slave trade", we effectively 'own' this player until the end of his contract... the power and the players destiny is in our hands.

If that is the case, add a 20% rather than 10% sell on fee, that'll generate an extra £5-10m.. problem solved. We cannot sell to Liverpool, regardless of what they are willing to pay. End of.

£10-£15m is nothing in today's market it's a JayRod or a Fonte.... So I'd sell him to Chelsea or City, bring in some real quality with the £50m and keep fans happy.

Fantastic idea and I actually think companies would buy into it as it really sticks 2 fingers up to bigger clubs, agents and greedy players whilst it would also receive massive coverage. Not that it'll ever happen, but you have to question if we can legally do this though, surely the player would have some sort of image rights in his contract.

A bit OTT. We currently sit 4th with what, 5 games to play? and have looked pretty good in the longer form of the game (look at last year, that was tripe).

I was going to add a disclaimer that that is based on the 2 posts I've seen from him recently!

In which case the answer to your previous question.... Would simply be yes.

Yep, pretty much what I was saying all along - I think most business men would be happy to double their money for a potential glorified loan (FWIW the buy back clause will be seen more often in the PL, IMO). I think he's a great player and will have a good season this year.

Seen you get a bit of stick on here, which is obvious due to the club you support.. but you're probably the most level headed skate I've come across so for that fair play. Agree with what you say about needed to build infrastructure before you try and push to the PL and then get caught in that vicious circle of outspending your means again. One thing, the PL money pot will burst soon enough, lets just hope you're not too slow that you miss it as you'll be left with a very unhappy owner (oh and don't destroy the respect I have for you and say that he's brought you because of your most passionate, bestest fans in the world, like the rest of the blue few do..)

publicly apologize and pay for everyone's season tickets out the money he's received since downing tools

The damage was done way before that.... If Liverpool hadn't tapped him up previously, do you think he would be on 'strike' now?

The trouble the board have now is: 1) If they lower valuation they will look even weaker than giving into his transfer demands and basically every player will know they can strike to get their own way (regardless of valuation). 2) If they sell to Liverpool, the fans will be furious. 3) No one matches valuation, they have a player that doesn't want to be here and is a major disruption (a bit like Fonte last season). If the club really does have any evidence of tapping up, now is the time to show that hand. If it's true that the player has refused to do the BT/Sky bits and we can prove he's had his head turned by tapping up by Liverpool, surely they have nowhere to hide? I suspect we have little to no evidence if i'm honest. Gut feel is that Coutinho will go to Barca and then with that money, VvD will end up at Liverpool. Oh, and we (the fans) end up with egg on our faces.... once again.

Why would he stop digging when he knows our board is as weak as it is and he knows if he carries on, he'll eventually get what he wants. Dangerous precedent set by the club here and they now cannot complain if and when this happens again next season. If he goes to Liverpool that'll be the end for Les.

Jack Stephens is the new Jack Cork IMO. Massively overrated because he's young, English and plays for Saints. Lets look at the facts... Deemed not good enough for England U21's, only got his chance due to injury and our failures in the transfer market last January, done well when he came in, but still made a lot of mistakes (one of which cost us the cup final) and our defensive record went down the pan (if Puel was good at anything, it was to set us up defensively...).

My god you do speak some utter nonsense. If Hoedt is better than Stephens, he would and should play ahead of him. Age doesn't really come into it. If we signed Dele Alli, do you think Steve Davis or JWP would be "miffed" that he's playing ahead of them? I wonder if Yoshida is miffed that VvD came in and went straight in ahead of him. And before you come back with your usual "we don't need a CB we've already got 5", if we're given the chance to improve the team we should take it and offload those that aren't good enough.

If we are sensible, we would bring him (or another) in this season and play him next to VvD to bed him in for when he becomes his replacement next year.

Why? correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't VvD right footed? VvD could play on the right side of the 2 and new could play on the left side?

That's not what he said. He said he'll be intergrated back into the squad, ie no longer on strike I would guess. The longer this drags on the more confident I am that he'll stay, however with Coutinho looking almost certain to go to Barca, they'll have the funds to make us an offer we cannot refuse.

As it currently stands: A solid start until November where we will struggle until the end of Jan. Pick up a few wins in Feb and March to all but confirm safety and then have an awful end to the season. Finish anywhere between 15th - 8th (I would guess 11th) Stephens struggles and people realise he's not the messiah as some are making out and we regret not buying a CB to play with VVD. JWP shows glimpses of class, but continues to struggle with the pace of the PL and still doesn't find his best position. Yoshida continues to make at least 1 glaring mistake a game. If we bring in a couple of players (CB & DM), as I expect us to, and keep VVD: Still struggle from November - Jan (as we do every season), but look better overall and finish comfortably 8th (possibly 7th if Everton don't adapt to the EL). Front 3/4 look outstanding as they have a solid bank of 6 (4 defenders, 2 DM's) behind them giving them freedom to cause havoc (think Lallana, Jay-Rod, Lambert under Poch), we're very fluid in the final 3rd and it's entertaining and enjoyable to watch us again.

Big season for him this year. He has the ability to become a world beater, he's still a young lad he just needs a bit of fine tuning. Make it happen, Mr Boufal.

Exactly, as perfectly demonstrated in this case. To my knowledge no one has mentioned or referred to Hillsbrough, which very clearly would be crossing the line. For me, the victims title is perfectly justified as they generally are offended by everything and ashamed by nothing. And to add further evidence to the above, I've had a quick flick on RAWK and found this quote

All we have to do is tell them, and mean it, that VvD is not for sale and they will possibly have the worse transfer window possible