Redslo

Premier League 38 games (excluding theoretical possibility of playoff if we have a tied that matters that cannot be broken by goal dif or goals) Europa League 2 to 19 games League Cup 1 to 6 games (instead of 1 to 7 in a normal season) FA Cup 1 to 10 games (including possible replays) Normal Season: 40 to 55 games This season (hopefully the new normal) 42 to 73 games Thus the potential variability is indeed much higher this year. I doubt the club is expecting to play 73 games but they are undoubtedly planning as if we will have to play 12 extra games before January.

I am not disputing that he wasn't that much help in the Premier League. I still remember his brilliant header back across goal in the first game back against Manchester City.

As an American, I was not able to watch many of the games from the Championship season. That being said, it seems bizarre to nitpick the performances of the starting players that season. They must have done ok.

Exactly what I predicted you would say.

Manchester City will probably go with a 21 person squad for Europe because they do not have any club trained players--unless a new one has qualified. Last year their only club trained player was Boyata and he is gone now.

I think everyone will perform exactly at the appropriate level of expectations. However, we will not know what those are until the season is over.

I hope not. We would have trouble holding onto him in January.

The real question Villa fans should be asking is why did Delph have such a low release fee. Benteke's was perfectly reasonable--if not a bit too high.

It was not in any way tapping up a player. It was asserting a contractual right to buy a player upon which the parties had already agreed. Assuming what we are told is correct, the problem was that Toby wanted to go to Spurs so the contractual right did not matter. Plus, our interest in Toby was hardly a secret that we were ethically bound to keep in order to avoid unsettling him--he was playing for us at the time. I think you have some valid points, but I think there is still a difference and Southampton might be practicing what it preaches--we just don't know. Possibly, for example, we went to Feyenoord several months ago and said that we wanted to buy Clasie if Schneiderlin left this summer as expected. This is a lot different from briefing reporters or letting agents run wild on our behalf. I do not know for sure that this is what happened, but it is consistent with what we know about the transfer--and the complete lack of displeasure displayed by Feyenoord.

I just posted "The New Financial Fair Play Rules."

As of April 2014, the Spurs claimed to have 47,000 people on their season ticket waiting list. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10739060/Tottenham-eye-2017-stadium-switch-as-Daniel-Levy-defends-summer-spending-and-Tim-Sherwood-role.html

We could end up playing 73 games. I hope he is ready for that.

This has a completely different meaning in America. And one that makes more sense. (The second bolding is mine.)

The problem is that there are innumerable references to Celtic not being willing to sell him until they are done with their Champions league qualification matches. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/sunderland-afc-transfers-kaboul-others-9668662 http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/celtic_s_virgil_van_dijk_is_ideal_transfer_target_for_norwich_city_1_4126153 This one has a very familiar ring to it. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-assistant-boss-john-collins-5916424 This one suggests that we are not good enough for him. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/13352739.display/

I agree. Given the money involved moving was necessary for him and for the club.

If this is really an issue, make up a song about him and sing it. Isn't that what you (plural) like to do anyway?

There is lots about him in the black box given the easy availability of MLS video. That being said, there is little chance he would be available before January since Toronto is in a tight play off race and will need him to keep (or improve) their place in the standings. (Standings is correct because it is a North American league.) Also, he appears to be on 80K pounds per week so he is too expensive for us. Giovinco is reported to be on 86K pounds per week. Please note that I am using google, not Football Manager for these numbers. I am not sure if that is better or worse.

Chelsea are really more of a selling club than anyone else since their business plan to meet FFP requirements involves buying young players, developing them, and selling them for a profit. But what do people say about other clubs that are not in the top four--I am pretty sure it is also not very complimentary.

I made an error in my last blog which I have now fixed.

Oops. Now I have to stay up to fix it instead of going to bed. Thank you, I guess. I have corrected the blog now. I hope it is alright since I didn't do my normal multiple rereads which, as we have seen, are a foolproof way of avoiding mistakes.

Is that another one of those English things? In 2016-2017, Stephens, Ward-Prowse, Turnbull, and Gape would have to be registered on the 25 man SQUAD. In 2017-2018, Targett, Reed, McCarthy, Gallagher, McQueen, Britt, and Mugabi would have to be registered on the 25 man squad. In 2018-2019 Hesketh, Seager, Wood, Debayo, Flannigan, and Barnes would have to be registered on the 25 man squad. If we are lucky, most of these folks won't pan out so we don't have any roster problems. I am sorry but calling it a squad problem just doesn't sound right. USA USA USA

I just posted "Southampton’s European Roster Update (16 July 2015)" http://redsloscf.blogspot.com/ http://redsloscf.blogspot.co.uk/

Possibly the transfer committed follows soccernomics/moneyball but not Rodgers.

Link please.