Pwoite

Charlie is struggling to speak English. Glaswegian?

We might be quiet in terms of rumours, but so is the rest of our division. Hardly any major deals, so far. Indeed, very few significant deals across all 20 clubs. Little talk of that many moves, either. Is that profit and sustainability holding everyone back, everyone holding out for higher prices on players being sold, or a lack of cash in the game? I suspect we might see a very busy second half to the month with us and other clubs being a lot more active than the last couple of weeks.

Only if he moves to Liverpool or back to Chelsea.

Where would this leave JWP? Certainly, surplus to requirements.

Changing the goalposts? Certainly not going to help McCarthy……….unless they’re moved closer together.

I know Bragg made it on the pitch, briefly, last season, but he hasn’t been near a squad in the matches this summer. I’m presuming he isn’t part of our future plans, or isn’t unless he makes a huge stride forward this season. Anyone got a handle on his ability? Is his future in L1 or2?

I live in hope. The club has been extremely effective so far this summer, and seem to be addressing the major concerns shared by most fans. I do wonder whether this breathe of fresh air will be continued where Bazunu is concerned. Unfortunately, he is a valuable asset, because we paid so much for him, so he won’t ever be cast aside cheaply, but I believe there will be a new number one arriving in the next month.

Hang on, so that means we’re not in for O’Hare. Hoped we’d pull that one out of the hat.

Doesn’t a lot depend on the old ‘two players plus for every position? GK: we need three, so Lys out only if one in LB: we have four, though look like losing Meghoma, sadly. Who is the lesser risk, Manning or Larios? Or Fraser in a five? RB: need one of Bree or Kyle to remain, or bring someone in CB: we have five plus Lawrence, but three of those have no PL experience. Can’t see us wanting to lose Jan. DM: Downes and Charles. Guess Smallbone, though I feel he is better further forward AM: Lallana, SAA, Dibling, potentially Fraser, possibly O’Reilly, Alcatraz, Aribo, Edozie. Guess the debate here is whether we twist or stick, and the pre-season has massively thrown the two youngsters into the mix. Do we need Fraser, or Charlie? No room for Sulamana. FW: Arma, Stewart, BBD, Ballard. Can’t see Dom being around, and I’m not even mentioning Mara! Still looks light, but a lot depends on formations. Arguably, the AM/FW roles will merge, rather than being too definable. Have I missed anyone? Guess there will be the odd surprise signing or loan, meaning someone else sees the door.

When Jack joined us we were in league 1 and he was around 17. Not exactly a valid comparison.

Plus, possibly/probably Kyle, Lys, Mara, Salamana, and the youngsters don’t count as part of our squad total. However, it will still make it a big squad, with some players never getting near the bench, which potentially might work against our youngsters. Also makes me think that the Fraser deal is less likely.

From this image there is only one conclusion, I hope the right conclusion, and, if true, a bloody good conclusion. Fantastic news. As if we ever doubted you, CoFT.

But would he get the game time at a bigger club? Or, would he be satisfied to earn more and play less? Potentially the parallel to Kyle’s position.

Yes, but a rolling three years, as I understand it, and you’re right about the desperation buys 18 months back but I thought a lot of that was recovered in sales post relegation. Of course, P&S isn’t the same as balancing the books but I’m not sure many owners are looking too closely at that! Perhaps they should.

Explain something. Under ‘profit and sustainability’, say we sell players and generate a clear £30m after sell ons, etc. Any new purchases are amortised over five years, so surely we could spend £150m this year, in theory, and only record £30m of cost. Now, I fully appreciate that club finances involve a lot more than buying and selling, but wages, the ground improvements, and so on, plus we have income from Sky. The obvious flaw in this equation is that we cannot, with this crude example, buy anyone next season, but might need to generate a further £30m from sales, so the old Saints philosophy of buying young and cheap and selling on could come into play. So, logically, we wouldn’t want to spend that £150m, but we could spend, maybe £90m if that was seen as what it will take to preserve EPL status, and if we don’t, we have a fire sale of our more valuable assets. If this theory holds, we could expect maybe three decent signings this summer, or certainly two after Taylor and Flynn.

I'm really pleased that Hojbjerg has gone on to have a great club and international career since leaving Saints (better than I expected, to be fair), he always gave his all and seems like a genuine guy. Not in his final season with us, he didn’t. Clearly wanted out.

I’ve seen it suggested in a couple of places that we have a worse squad now than the one at the end of last season. Really? I don’t see that, and yet we know there are further purchases and loans still to happen, though equally, players to leave. In summary: Keepers - weaker. Bazunu is injured, and no one brought in. Defenders - we moved on two central defenders out on loan and brought in two squad players who might develop. Bella Kotchup is back training, for now, though we might have to sell Bednarek. Until any sale, we are stronger overall in the middle. In terms of full backs, we have brought in two, plus got the use of Larios, though will almost certainly sell Kyle. However, I still think we are stronger. Midfield - we have lost Brooks, Armstrong and Rothwell, and brought in Lallana. The Downes position is unclear. Dibling, if he doesn’t go out on loan, should be more of an asset. However, even presuming we acquire Downes, that is significantly weaker. Forwards - presuming we lose Adams, but have a fit Stewart, though he is injury prone and stepping up significantly, that cannot be judged as stronger. Ballard going out on loan surprised me. Armstrong in the EPL is a risk. Therefore, massively weaker, as things stand. In conclusion, in three of the four areas I’d conclude we are weaker, as things stand. However, Downes, an additional midfielder and another forward addresses the balance, whilst getting anything positive from Alcaraz, Salamana or Tall Paul would also help, though I doubt there will be anything except sales revenue from two of these. And of course, our new additions are pretty much unknown quantities. With over a month to go, before the window closes, though, I’m very comfortable with how the squad looks. If there are no changes by August, it will be a very different story.

Not Edozie, please. He’s fine going forward if you forgive the lack of end product, but poor at tracking back and defending. I do wonder, though, how close we might be to completing our summer business, with Fraser and Sugawara. I suspect that there might be no more than four more deals, possibly five: * Downes or equivalent * O’Riley or equivalent. Ghoddos? * a striker * a keeper, though maybe another Lumley, or maybe Lys. would we need any more than this? Okay, can seeing us looking to upsell on Manning, Bree, etc, replacing Janny B if necessary, but in terms of additions, I think four more.

And it has to be easier to rip up trees at Forest than anywhere else!

Whilst such an approach makes sense, presumably the club needs to find teams playing Russball, which might be a bit of an issue. I guess any playing time is better than none, but a team playing hoofball or a high press might not be much better than the U21s playing a more familiar style, though we know U21 is not great preparation for big boys football.

All this talk of new players, but nothing on this forum about integrating our existing youngsters, apart from Meghoma. Are they all considered too raw. Lawrence made the bench last season. Is he way below Nathan Wood? Ballard got injured, but will be play a part? Are Dibling and toned for season long loans? Will Bragg get a look in?

Downes certainly went to school in Brentwood, but whilst I agree he has two options, a failure to take our one could see his choices halved, if he go elsewhere. Can see some brinkmanship coming into play on this one, and us potentially lining up our own Plan B, to push forward a conclusion.

Shopping list: Re-sign McCarthy, and bring in new keeper, so they compete to be number 1. New left back Additional central defender, or ABK if he is over his injury issues Sign Downes Additional defensive midfielder Sign Fraser Potentially additional attacking midfielder, dependent on Stuart A staying, Alcatraz upping his game, and Salamana being moved on. New striker, possibly two, if Che leaves. Move on Mara

Do we have a potential ‘golden generation’? Dibbling, Meghoma, SAA, Bragg, Lawrence, Ballard, never mind some potentially outstanding U17s….. or will some or all flatter to deceive and become Ryan Seagers? I was talking with someone who is close to the Liverpool academy, and their approach, despite the size of the club, is very similar to ours, in that they take on around a dozen kids each year, and develop them individually to play the way the first team does, and teach them how to handle themselves in the public eye. This is in contrast to the football farms of youngsters at Manchester City, Chelsea, Man United or Arsenal. No doubt someone will produce a study of the relative successes of the two differing approaches, perhaps comparing the costs per first team appearance or something. We certainly appear to have got it right in recent years, after a decade, nearly, where our famed academy had come off the rails, whether through organic growth or acquisition as is the case with SAA and Meghoma. Potentially exciting times.

Is this chicken or egg? (Certainly, not Egg!) Was Holgate not replaced because of Lawrence? And Charles, of course. Guess it’s too early for a bench appearance tonight.