Dman

Surely this puts to bed any deal for O'riely..? We're a little stacked in midfield as it stands.. DM / 6: Downes / Lesley (I think this is a really solid set of options) CM / 8's: Smallbone, Aribo, Fernandes, Alcaraz Downes is going to start every game hes fit to, which will probably be about 70% of the season all being well. Lesely hasn't signed to sit on the bench for 70% of the season, so realistically leaves 4 people fighting for 1 spot atm.. Obviously Alcaraz is going to leave, I wouldn't be surprised if Aribo left as well tbh. Could see him going somewhere like Saudi. I do fear that given our options, whislt I think we'll be defensivley a load more sound, there is not much goal threat.

On the keeper front, we've massivley shot ourselves in the foot by offering Lumley a new deal half way through last season (why?) then after that, McCarthy a new one at the end of the season (again, why?). I appreciate they're probably both cheap options, but it was so clear we needed an upgrade. The oversight of such an important position is bordering on negligence from Martin / the board.

How many loan slots are we allowed? https://www.givemesport.com/how-loan-rules-work-english-football-premier-league/#:~:text=Premier League clubs may not,club at any one time. would suggest 2, does anyone know how accurate that is? Would assume that the talk of Broja on loan is just agent talk if that's the case.

So yeah, exactly like Lennon I guess @hypochondriac.... 🤦‍♂️

That answers that one. I did have a quick check, not many have played for both... Like I said, it was a genuine question, I know it can be quite partizan in that part of the UK...

I think Charles to Celtic is a pretty sensible move for the lad. He should get regular game time and Brendan plays in a similar style to us. Will the fact he plays for NI, cause any issues? I know he was born in Manchester, but would playing for Celtic cause any issues with him playing for the national team? genuinely intregiued..

MArtin said the other day we're not currently in the running for MOR, which to me, would suggest we well and truely are... Martin has a tendency to not be completely honest with the media..

I think it was Villa essentially knowing they could re-sale for more than they brought him back for. They had a ridiculous deal where they had a buy back (£16m I think), then had a sell on, so basically got him back for about 6m cheaper than they paid for him... who signed that off at Sheff Utd, is a moron. The more I look at this chelsea chap, the more excited I am. I had major fears over Downes ability to play all game, every game. He's so important to us, that we simply would need him to. This lad looks like hes more than capable of covering in downes absence and playing along side him when he is fit. Great deal.

It must drive the council and club mad. It has such untapped potential on a residential and commerical basis that strip between Shamrock Quay and Ocean Village.

Thinking about the links / leaks we've seen in recently weeks.. all to be taken with a pinch of salt of course.... Charles, Alcaraz, TP & Mara all to leave. Lesley, Carvalho, Oriley (apparently we wanted both) & Archer Lesley seems like a logical replacement for an outbound Charles. Archer seems logical to replace Mara & TP. And could play on the wing, so also the Carvalho cover. So I wouldn't be surprised if we're still in the market for a creative central midfielder. Maybe Oriley (looks unlikely), as we still lack a replacement for Stu and Alcaraz should he leave. Probably just being optimistic.

I wouldn't mind us taking a look at Mcatee. I think he's be a great addition in behind a front 2, but its all feeling a bit Sheff Utd.

a team of; New GK Stephens, THB, Bednerak Sugawara Downes Lesley KWP / Taylor Aribo / Smallbone AA BBD / Archer Looks a hell of a lot more solid, but also looks we'd struggle to score any more than 10 goals next season.

aye? 😂

It was notable when they done this shit last time that Smallbone wouldn't. Good on the lad, I wonder if the pressure of the PL will lead him to do it this time round...

At his best, he was birlliant. People on here just hate him because he was picked for England ahead of JWP... He then went on to be englands player of the tounrament which left a lot of egg on peoples face. I could see him doing really, really well at Ipswich.

Closer to half of that. He's costing us fuck all, its a mutal agreement to keep his career going and get him back into the club. He'll be on the coaching staff in the next season or 2.

Genuine question... If he is that highlighly rated, if we spend £30m on him and we go down, surely we'd easily recoup our money on him anyway...

Looks like Carvalho link was us moving on. No way Atalanta would have put in 5 bids if they were sure they'd get him.

apart from the time he 'popped up' in the box to set up the winner in the only game he played for us last season?

If he really was our no1 target we should have paid the money to get it done before a bigger club came sniffing. At our poisiton in the food chain, we need to move fast, we can't afford to play the long game... bitten on the arse over (releatively speaking) peanuts... again..

after getting 60m for Solanke, they have significantly more funds that we do. They're also (like it or not) probably more attractive and likley to stay up than we are atm.

That's got to be a concern for him... Probably pop his shoulder signing the contract. Or does he only get 'injured' when the going gets tough? Good riddance.

KWP isn't going to be the difference between us staying up or not. He's brilliant and arguably our only real PL quality player, but RB's aren't match winners. So no.

Given we're scraping the barrell in the PL, imagine how bad it'd have been if we'd stayed down... People are niave to how skint we are as a club. They'll hide behind FFP.

How much money would it cost us to survive? We've spent over £50m and we're at a par with how we finished last season. We'd need to spend another 50 just to give ourselvs a fighting chance. The irony is, we're not actually too far away. A GK (ramsdale), CM, and a decent number 9 would give us a real fighting chance. Say Ramsdale, Oreily and Nketiah, that's the best part of £60m there.