SKD

If we get anything around the value of £70/£75m for VVD we will (rightly, IMO) sell. Still fairly sure that Bertrand will be leaving, unless MP can somehow convince him to stay. I'd consider him a 'top player'. Cedric wasn't happy at the end of the season and he wanted out (I assume all the links have come from his Agent). If that is still the case, or if we would consider selling, I don't know. Other than the above, I can only see us off loading (Sell or Loan) JRod (certainly) and possibly Clasie, Targett, Tadic and Long or Austin (dependent on who we bring in).

So if Brentford is on 22nd July, I reckon Austria will fall over the w/c of 10th and the France w/c of 24th. With a bit of luck at least one of them will fall over the weekend, pretty high chance if you ask me. Should leave us enough time to squeeze in 2 home games (midweek w/c 31st then on 5/6th August). I wonder if the club are planning a pre-season tournament, either away or at home?

The same would have been said about Lambert with Poch's arrival, but he managed. In fact he arguably had his best years. Austin offers something different, get rid of him and we have 4 very similar forwards. I'm a massive believer that the best coaches can get the best out of average players. If Pellegrino is half as good as poch, all of our squad will go up a level or 2 next season, IMO.

Pure speculation, but I reckon we will play 2 tiny teams in the Austrian Alps, before moving onto play RB Salazburg into France to play 2 similar size teams (Nice and Lille wouldn't come as a surprise). I'd also guess that we'll squeeze 1 last game in, at home, a week before the season starts.

Perfect player to replace Jay-Rod in the squad if you ask me. I'd be more than happy if our squad of forwards next season was something like this: Redmond (R/LW) Boufal (L/RW) Tadic (L/RW) Gallagher (CF/L/RW) Gabbi (CF/RW) Austin (CF) Sell Long and Jay and get a quality no10 in and that's a pretty formidable front 4, if you ask me.

Whilst I don't know first hand and I can only base my opinion on things I've been told. From that I'd say Sammy Lee is much, much better for the club than Black. I expect Black (and Plancque) will go and that Pellegrino will bring in his own coaching staff, with Watson and the fitness lad to stay. Xavi Tamarit is an interesting one. Didn't he write a coaching book or something, Monk?

£12m would be a snip, IMO. I've a friend who coaches at Norwich and from what I've been told, they rate Murphy higher than they did Redmond. If the fee of £12m is accurate, I would definitely take the gamble. £12m for an English player is peanuts in today's market.

Ryan has been unhappy and wanted out for some time. Les will have known this and has had plenty of time to assess his options. I cannot believe we will go into next season without a top choice LB. I wouldn't be surprised if Targett went, either on loan or permanently. Apparently Kieran Gibbs is available for £15m. If we sell Ryan and get Gibbs in with £10m left in our pocket, I'd say that's a pretty good deal. I'd also take Lucas Perez off their hands as well.

Christensen would be a fantastic option... I doubt we would get him though. For me, I'd probably just chose Zouma over Ake, but think Ake is probably more realistic.

Who's to say Ake would be VVD's replacement? I think we desperately need a Fonte replacement, Ake would fill that role, easy. If/When VVD goes, he will need to be replaced with an experienced, powerful, quality CB. Over to you, Ross.

It's not a fair comparison though, is it. Alves were odds on to go down, they massively over achieved last season. Puel had to go. He lost the fans and dressing room, there was no way back for him. I can't say that I'm that excited by the appointment (I don't know enough about him to really make a judgement), but I'm willing to give him a chance.

I doubt he would want to come back after the way he was treated following Puel/Blacks appointment.

Add Ake, Zouma or Andreas Christensen (less likely) then bite their hand off. In fact, I'd take £50/£55m + one the the above, then also try and get a sweetened deal for Lewis Baker. I have a few friends that are vitesse fans... they love him, also it has to be said he's played well in the u21's from what I've seen of him.

I agree, I think for whatever reason he had decided we're not the right fit for him (I'd guess it's that we want/expect the new manager to hang around and not treat us as a stepping stone). However, I remember last summer a certain manager saying he wasn't interested and ruled himself out of a certain job and then taking said job....

I suspect that the "exciting name" didn't want to join us... I was told we were after a big name but that name wasn't given. Looking at the market, I assumed that name was Tuchel. I really don't believe anything that says we weren't in for him, looks like a face saving exercise to me. Personal opinion of course.

Sympathise with Virgil and explain you appreciate he is disappointed that he won't have the chance to suck off Klopp, but then remind him that he is contracted to Southampton for another 5 years and that we are angry with how Liverpool have conducted their transfer business over the past couple of years so will not sell to them. Offer the alternative of us being willing to sell, should another club come in an match our asking price.

Puel lost the dressing room, he had to go. I don't know enough about Pellegrino to make a judgement. It seems he done a pretty incredible job at Alaves, however can be slightly defensive, at times.

ITK or just a completely made up statement?

Hoped for Tuchel (Isn't happening, but I do not believe that we weren't interested) Now want Vieira (He's grown on me, I think we should take the punt) Expecting Pellegrino

I would not be at all surprised if VVD is a Liverpool player come the start of the season. I just wish, if we do sell him to them, we'd kept our mouth shut about the tapping up stuff as it makes us look a little stupid. Time for Les and the board to grow some backbone and just tell them to f*ck off, IMO.

The rejection list grows..... Wagner Semedo Tuchel Schmit Pellegrino We'll end up with Tony Adams at this rate.

Really....?

If you had asked me this time last week if I'd like Vieira as our new manager I would have laughed in your face, however the more I read about him, the more I'm actually starting to think we should take the gamble and go for it. That said, I honestly cannot say I've seen much MLS football (I have a contact who is currently working out in NYC, so I may drop him a line and get his thoughts), so my judgement is purely based on what I've read. He knows the league He's a big name and will get respect from the players almost instantly Seems to play pretty exciting football Even with his limited experience, he's managed some of the worlds best players (Lampard, Pirlo and Villa) He will have a good network (in France and in England) He seems like a decent bloke who will bring that 'family feel' we had under Poch. I believe the players would love him, as they did Poch. Experience of youth development It would be a gamble, a big one at that, but every coach has to start somewhere (Pep at Barca, Poch at Espanyol and Zidane at Real were all appointed with little to no management experience and look how they've done). FWIW, I do not believe that we weren't in for Tuchel.

Whilst this is true, its a very simple way of looking at it. Puel hasn't been sacked because of performances, he's been sacked because he lost the dressing room, fans and for the majority of the time played pretty awful football which probably resulted in the first 2. I don't think we were wrong to sack him and whilst from the outside it appears a strange one, anyone who knows a bit of what happened last season will understand.

Jack has done very well after he was chucked in at the deep end this season, but the fact Chambers and Mawson are starting ahead of him, to me confirms exactly why we cannot go into next season with him as a 1st choice CB. Same can be said about Targett.