Babylon

Well, back in the day professionals weren't allowed. So all the golfers, tennis players, basketballers etc simply were not allowed to compete. It was relaxed in the 70's and I think by 88 anyone was allowed to compete. So depending on how old you are, people might remember them not being allowed and all the contention about allowing them. For me, it doesn't sit right in some sports. But then these days your big name athletes are all professionals aren't they.

Photographers seem to be leaving them around the track, I think. I've seen a few just kicking around on the floor near where they are, and they end up thrust into the hands of athletes.

Used to play in my youth, had an actual chess board that you played against (never liked computer versions). But not really touched it for 25 years or more. Problem was I was the only person I knew who could play, always a bit of a problem pre internet

If Brighton rate the player, it would be a ludicrous amount anyway. They have all the power and would just dictate a deal that suits them, if we didn't take him someone else would. Look at Fatawu, in the end we aren't too fussed about the cost. But that was a huge amount of money for an obligation, considering how raw he is as a player. It could have been a total bust, and we'd have to blow a large percentage on him.

Have a day off moaning Victor.

Course they do.

Jesus half this forum must be loaded with their amazing negotiation skills where they can just convince people to do the exact deal that’s perfect for us and not the other person

Has any club EVER not slid down again without billions? The simple fact is they will continue to get their players and managers poached until they make a few wrong decisions, which every single person in the world will do at some point. As we saw ourselves, it doesn't take much to slide down.

It's nearly the start of the season, we've already moved on from numerous deals because of one reason or another. At some point you need to get people in.

If that's the case they'll have a January recall. Nobody is going to sign a player who you need to guarantee minutes to.

Can we pin this to the start of the thread.

And if Brighton say no? If he improves the team and the squad then we gain from it, simple as that.

Least we know what websites our scouts use now...

Sorry I was in a coma and missed it.

Do we need to keep mentioning "how far we've dropped" every five minutes. Unless someone has been in a coma for two years, I'm fairly sure we're all aware that we aren't at the level we were and it's going to take a fair amount of time to get back there.

A sweetner for Chelsea to do the deal by the time we needed it done no doubt.

If we played Alves and he stunk the place out or got injured, every single person going on about him would complain about the club not getting anyone else in.

He's coming off the back of a serious injury, just at a time it looked like he might make a breakthrough. To put all your eggs in that basket would be foolish, he's still got the chance to impress.

Chilwell, Choudhury, Barnes, KDH, Lucas, Thomas, Mcateer have all progressed just fine. We've lost one supposed talent, which will always happen no matter what your pathway is because it was Liverpool tapping him up.

Alves will get his chance to impress every single day in training, if he doesn't impress or look better he won't play. It's on him.

We still can, if we think Alves is better during the season. But if he's not better, we'd be in the shit a bit wouldn't we.

6th fastest time and 5th fastest person. We all know what a freak Micahel Johnson was and how he obliterated everyone... MHS matched Johnson's 3rd best time ever. And it was nearly a full second ahead of the next best time by a British athlete ever. Incredible run; just incredibly frustrating not to see it over the line for the gold. But what can you do!

No matter how many times I see that, I'll sit laughing away.

My guess would be we are almost stuck between two things, the realisation that we are likely to go down and keeping one eye on that. But also that, we want to have a bit of a stab at staying up, as much as finances dictate. So we end up doing neither well.

And who told him how much he had to spend and what the budgets were?