S-Clarke

I think that's always been our market though really. Young players, or relatively low profile/unknowns from weaker leagues with the hope that they can grow with us and sell on for a profit. Or a final return for one of our academy players. (that's only been happening the last couple of years though). We will never be able to sign what I'd call 'ready' players. You see a lot of fans calling for their team to buy a 15-20m PL striker - there isn't anyone who can unless you are Liverpool or Man City. We just have to gamble on youth and hope our scouting is shit hot. That's why it's so critical that scouting at clubs like ourselves, Brighton, Brentford etc is absolutley shit hot because it needs to work, there is zero margin for error. We have been catastrophically bad for so long now and that needs to change this window.

The playoff games can cloud the judgement a bit on the overall run, but you're right - we were utter dog shit towards the end of the season. Stoke, Blackburn, Leicester, Cardiff. We woke up for the playoffs though and that's all that mattered at the end.

I'd rather we shifted the squad dross in Sulemana and Mara before we go after Aribo, you can rely on him at least - the less said about the first 2 the better.

Chris Lines, Brian Howard, Matt Holland, John Halls, Elliot Ward - the ITK 'almost signed' top 5.

Probably the most I've looked forward to an FM game for years, maybe ever. Don't think you can underestimate how much a difference the Unity Engine is going to make to the match engine graphics. Graphically this is going to feel pretty immersive. I assume it'll still be aiming for the Nov release, can't wait for the beta.

Once they've sold Pickford, Branthwaite, Onana, and Calvert-Lewin maybe. They can't move until they've sold at least £100m of assets.

Not fully related, but we've lost another member of staff who was only appointed last summer - along with the U18 manager, we've now lost the youth recruiter. Southampton's head of academy recruitment set to depart for Tottenham | Daily Echo

I think that ''two weeks behind' thing is a bit of a myth in reality. In that 2 week period between us getting promoted and Ipswich/Leicester already being up, nothing has happened. We all released our retained lists at around the same time. If anything we're well ahead of Leicester because we actually have a manager. I agree with a lot of your other points. The financial issues that other clubs are facing will severely slow down the market and restrict movement for many weeks, my hunch is that we'll focus on free transfers throughout July and loans towards the end of the window.

If that's a valid argument, then they should stop fucking around the week after the season sending players half way around the world to play a friendly against each other. The ''too many games'' argument died a death as soon as they did that. Holds no grounds anymore.

Bit like the Harry Kane experiment under Woy, he was on all corners. Think it was WC 14.

Interesting comparison. Look at 04 and the players who are playing for the big sides, compared to the bunch now. Especially the back 4. Not to discredit Palace as they've been great, but when the biggest team call up for the England squad is Crystal Palace players then you know it's dropped off a bit. The defence this year scares this crap out of me, it's no better than average.

If you live your life being bitter about the past, you'll never move on. Time to put that to bed.

I think that's fair, I wouldn't trust him totally at PL level as first choice. It would be strange to see us dump our captain, but we did it before with Hammond....it's not unheard of. Clubs need to be ruthless sometimes and we did start by chopping Armstrong from the squad, so who knows what our approach is going to be. I don't think he'll go to Plymouth if he leaves though, there will be a team like PNE or Sheff U, Burnley etc who'd surely have him.

He was all over the place for Brighton this season as well, they had one of the worst records in the league at the back. I think his time is drawing to the end at the top end. I think he's firmly 4th or so choice though, he's just there to make up the numbers. Gomez and Konza will be in front of him.

But, but, but...he'd be getting managed by Rooney!!! Stephens does only have a year left on his contract, so there is a decision to make this summer. My hunch is that he'll extend with us, the romantic fan may look at a homecoming to Plymouth but it's simply not realistic I don't think.

TUI is based on an entirely different forum platform though, It's probably just a limitation of how Invision does it. Something for their developers to sort in future releases maybe.

Guehi is a decent player to be fair, I'd go with him and Stones as the two. Ralph really wanted him a few seasons ago, but we picked Salisu instead (as he was a bit cheaper).

Take heart in the fact that we won't be starting in the position Everton, Forest, Leicester etc have to start in. They can't even think about additions until they sell their best players first. Leicester are going to be on a double back foot with a weaker side, transfer embargo, no manager and minus points. I feel a bit for them. It will be one hell of a story if they manage to stay up. Window isn't even open yet, once the Euro's is over it will all ramp up.

My main argument is that he needs lots of minutes and lots of games to build back up, I don't think he'll get that from day 1 here. He's not done enough to be our starting first choice CF next season, if he does start then something has gone horrifically wrong in our recruitment. I think our plan is to sign new strikers, so come the end of the window I think we may look at a loan - just to get him back match fit again. It's for his benefit as well as ours really. If he keeps making sporadic appearances here and there he'll keep getting knocks, given the time he's been out. (As we've seen).

The problem with Ross is that I fail to see how he will be able to get up to speed and get the mins he needs for us next season, we will get a new first choice striker or 2 without question - so Ross will have to be in and around the squad, I don't think that'll help someone who hasn't played in any decent regularity for at least 18 months. I think for his sake so he can build his body back up again, he needs to play every week - get him out on loan and we can then asses him the next summer. That would be my call if I was in charge.

I think most fans would take JWP back, not that it's an option. He is a proven PL midfielder of which we have absolutely zero as it stands. He can then carry on from where he paused and his FK record.

Don't disagree at all, I just look at the names of our CB options then and what they'd achieved, compared to now - Dunk and Konza. Massive regression at CB., need some quality coming through at CB sharpish, otherwise the generation of Bellingham/Saka/Foden/Palmer/Kane etc will be all a bit pointless. THB has a great shout of being the next England CB if he progresses with us.

I see a lot of pundits claiming this is the strongest ever team England have gone into a tournament with, not sure I buy that. Maybe in terms of depth in certain positions (i.e players who could all claim a starting birth) but as a team-wide effort it's not. I look back to our 2004/2006 teams. Sol Campbell, Rio, Ashley Cole, Terry, Neville, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Beckham, Scholes, Owen - in every position we had a world star. Fair enough they couldn't form a team, but as individual players across the entire 11 that is way stronger than what we have now. Compare Terry and Rio to Lewis Dunk and Ezri Konza for starters.

Only one I'm surprised by is Dunk or Gomez for Jarrad Branthwaite - he should have been in ahead of one of those two. The rest kind of makes sense. Picked on form for a change rather than past endeavours. (i.e Sterling/Henderson)

I can understand why Maddison was dropped, if it was based on the first half of this season he'd be a shoe in - but since Christmas (and his injury) he has been dogshit for Spurs, even their fans are wondering what happened to him. I was surprised he was initially called up really. I think with the likes of Saka, Foden, Eze, Palmer, Gordon we have more than enough in those attacking wide areas - so losing Grealish and Maddison makes sense to me.