S-Clarke

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.

Nice one, you'll enjoy it. This is the first season for a while where I won't be getting a season ticket, primarily financial reasons as I've just purchased my first house - so penny pinching is of the highest order atm and out goes the fun things for a few years. I'll probably go to the odd game though.

Yeah, probably. What you'd get is a 'Premier, Premier League' and the rest in what would be the 'new' Championship. Anyone decent in the 'new' championship would get poached by the premier, premier league. And obviously all players would then aspire to play in the premier premier league, obviously because of it's competitiveness and not the $$$. I wouldn't be against letting them battle it out in their own league though, it would close the gap between the rest and maybe even the leagues below and it would all be a bit more compeatative. I enjoyed the Championship last season, it's nice going into a league where you have a shot of maybe doing something, rather than being in a league where you're just food and drink for the top 6. Don't get me wrong I'm glad we're there, for the club it's imperative financially, but it won't be as enjoyable from a footballing perspective next year. If you could guarantee that we'd continue as a top Championship team and be fine financially, always pushing up the top end and coming 1st or 2nd, but never actually getting promoted, I'd probably take that.

I saw that on social media as well, rather amusingly one of the comments from our 'fan' questioned why we are letting someone so important go for free. Thus the club is 'clearly asset stripping' and we're skint, or something equally daft. Someone doesn't understand contracts I guess.

There was chatter about VAR maybe being binned next season, but it's here to stay. The big boys have spoken and they don't want it scrapped, so little old clubs will have to suck it up. There is talk of them 'tweaking it' some more though, so I guess we have that to look forward to again next year! This year has been so much more authentic without VAR.

I'd imagine we'll hear regarding Lallana in July, his Brighton contract doesn't actually expire until the end of this month.

If you think those names are uninspiring, just imagine who we'd have been linked with without promotion! Doesn't bear thinking about.

That's quite muted given the rest of the crap he's done in his life, assault, fraud, prison time - you name it. Should definitely be in the team. I want to say Valery did something bad, but I can't remember exactly what. It might not have been criminal and more personal.

He was third choice at Newcastle for a reason, became a bit of a banter figure for them when everyone else was getting injured. They preferred to use Dubrabva when Pope was out. Not sure we should be signing 8th placed PL teams third choice keepers tbh.

Great read, find myself agreeing with pretty much all you say. One caveat is that as far as I know...DCC is an obligation, so Lyon will be forced to buy him for a fixed £3m and he'll never return here. Probably for the best.

1 - Downes winner v Watford. Won't get much more dramatic than that, I thought that would have given us the boost to get top 2. You never forget the feeling of last min winners like that. 2 - The first half away v Swansea. Honestly it was majestic, going in 6-0 up wouldn't have been unjust. 3 - Edozies 5th goal against Huddersfield, we knew we'd wrapped it up then after one of the most topsy Turvey games of the season.

Wrexham could be a good gravy train to jump on for players like him.

Most of those will go for a mega pay-day in Saudi I reckon, their reputations are high enough to earn some interest from those teams. Tanganga had a decent season at Millwall by all accounts, but my feeling on him is that he's a Championship player and no more than that. I'd rather focus on someone like Ben Johnson rather than Tanganga.

He was one of the players on our mega-list of potential signings back in the January we sold VVD. Sessegnon, Shaw, Theo, Promes - we were signing them all. Then we ended up with Carillo.

He did well at Carlisle didn't he? I remember he was loved by their fans during his little stint. I think the pathway could be similar, I think we've outgrown him and I don't believe he'll be a PL player but I'm sure he can make a name for himself in the EFL.

He's been absolutely invisible for a year now, has he been injured? He does need a fresh start, not sure I'd be willing to gamble on him though as LB is a position I'd say we need a new starter from day 1. A player I think we'll go for is Ben Johnson of WHU. Right back, but can play right mid, DM, third CB and LB. Powerful runner with the ball and that sort of handy versatile option you need throughout a season. Available on a freebie.

Yep, just read a bit more on it this morning. Basically they are trying to complain about some of the rules that they say they didn't break, but they want them changed so they can operate within them. Hmm. I smell something. As much as most neutrals want to see them punished, the leagues/FA do not have the guts to do anything meaningful to clubs like City. They bring the PL/FA a lot of money in their European exploits and player recruitment, raises the profile of the league etc - the PL will want to protect that at all costs. Doesn't matter if little old Forest or Leicester overspend, dock them points until the cows come home as it won't harm the leagues pull - but god forbid they stopped Man City being able to bring in the next Hallanad - that's why nothing will happen with City.

I don't think it was his 'dilly dialling' on the ball which caused us many problems, he was great with his feet. The issue with Baz is that he cannot save any decent shot on goal, which is a pretty big failing for any aspiring top level GK.

Club already blinked on Lumley and gave him an extension in March for some reason.