JimmyC74

Goodnight😢

I see the plan to catch everyone off guard and lowering expectations is going well;D

Brought in a few key players last minute that season if I remember right.

The optimistic take is we have time to bring in a couple of important players, all our international players are now back and building fitness but I can’t help but feel we have a hell of a lot of work to do (new players, organisation, patterns of play) before we are anywhere near competitive.

Whether we like it or not we are a club in transition, needing to build back and re establish ourselves in the prem (which may take a number of years, another relegation and promotion). Whether we ever stood a realistic chance of landing the lad Soule I am not so sure, especially given who we were up against, even on the basis of him using us as a stepping stone. He is without doubt though the calibre of player we are crying out for. The transfer window remains open and we could still do business, but I struggle to understand the speculation linking us to Ayew. Surely there are better options we can attract, perhaps with less top flight experience, but with equal or greater attributes and resale value? I hope we can still make some important signings, that show progress and generate some enthusiasm that we can at least be competitive and fight to stay up.

Absolutely gutting. Never forgotten. A true legend.

You can be sure he will be seeking a signing on fee if he stays - not necessarily paid up front / but phased over the term of any new contract - but lets be clear he won't be a bargain deal.

Didn’t he favour 3 central defenders (3-4-1-2 or 3-4-3) and attacking wing backs. Using Ricky as a wing back would seem sensible given his injuries, and an extra central defender providing cover for Vestergaard would again be key. Using 3-4-3 would let you include Fatawu / Bobby / Mavididi. Not sure that would suit Kristiansen tho and so we may need to bring in a new LWB.

The quality of the incoming player is really key for our chances. I don’t see us doing much incoming business.

Football is on its arse largely because of people likes the Glazers and Radcliffe. Fcuk the fcuk off.

This and the fact it has been long signposted we were likely to fail PSR for 2023-24 if we didn’t sell a key asset before June-30. There is a little time I guess they could announce a deal with Chelsea but why do we leave things to the last minute.

More of a need to sell one of our central defenders to bring in one with pace or sell Daka and bring in another striker. Likely we need to sell KDH before we bring anyone in.

If we go next season with Ndidi and Winks in a double pivot midfield it will be crucial we bring in a creative 10.

Such a poor half. Side to side and backwards…..awful and then some.

Prem upset about clubs overtly taking steps to get around PSR but there are no rules preventing them doing what they have done.

Poor governance by the Prem pure and simple.......they are afraid of the independent regulator and putting on a show.

I wouldn't be surprised is all I am saying

Would you be surprised if Enzo and Chelsea came in for Fatawu or mads / maybe offered us one of their academy lads on loan.

This close season I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of clubs sniff around our best players and try and low ball us. As others have said I don’t see anyone offering the unamortised transfer fee for Kristiansen so we should plan to use the lad. I don’t see us having funds to spend on a new left back. Priorities are elsewhere.

he has had chronic hamstring problems (2x surgeries). Good player, but based on wages and risk of further injury probably one we would be better passing on.

In our financial situation (and lack of left footed defenders) realistically we have little room for manoeuvre in terms of transfers, so unless someone steps up with decent money we have to try and reintegrate the lad into the first XI.

If the decision is Cooper then I will back him but, I wonder if we have really cast our net wide enough or we are only looking at who is not in employment. I wonder if the board are resigned to a massive penalty / points deduction/ relegation and are planning on who (worst case) they think can get us promoted quickly / won’t jump ship. Meh.

If he is the preferred choice I have no issue with the Club spending a *little* time trying to persuade him , but in the coming days if he ain’t indicating he will sign we need to move on.

Presumably to have got him out of his contract the cash must have been received (pre-30 Jun) but from an accounting perspective we have some freedom as to when we recognise the 10m gain. That said reading between the lines from comments by @Slsbn and Kieran Maguire regardless we need sales to avoid breaching PSR in 2023-24. So incomings surely will forces on loans and freebies.