ClaphamFox

It’s unbelievable. Whenever I read fans of other clubs describe our fanbase as arrogant and entitled, I instinctively dismiss it as unfair and untrue. Then I read threads like this and I’m not so sure…

I doubt it very much. The best thing we can do for our finances is to stay in the Premier League (assuming we get there, of course). This will only be achieved if we establish a squad with enough quality to do that. If Fatawu stays - and I think he will - he will be a major part of our plans next season.

Now watch them battle on Monday like they're defending Rorke's Drift...

They've imposed it because they think we're heading for a breach this season and we refused to submit a business plan that would effectively give them control of our finances. As it happens, we were completely vindicated in our refusal to submit the business plan, and we were also vindicated in our objection to the EFL trying to impose a points deduction on us this season for the alleged 2020-23 breach in the PL. They've slapped the transfer embargo on us because they want to get at us and have no other means of doing so. We've challenged the legality of the embargo, but it hasn't been resolved yet - hence the transfer ban remains in place.

It's still in place.

It's before July 1st, not June. It's not entirely clear, but my understanding is that we can't get a points deduction in the PL for a breach that occurred in the Championship. So assuming we go up, if we do end up breaching for the 2021-24 period, we'll likely just receive a financial penalty for that. This seems to be what most journalists who have covered the issue believe, but I don't think anybody knows for certain. IF the club believes that we're only likely to get a financial penalty for a 2021-24 breach, it does raise the question of whether it will be worth flogging KDH and weakening the team, or better just to take the financial hit of the PSR fine.

It's the transfer embargo that makes it 'complicated'. And given that will not apply if we go up, I'll be very surprised if Fatawu isn't with us next season.

According to the Athletic, we''ll be holding talks with him soon on a new contract: https://theathletic.com/5441760/2024/04/24/jamie-vardy-leicester-contract-new/

If he does, I'm looking forward him posing more questions, including: "Wow, no points deduction - who saw that coming?' and 'Come on lads, which of you really expected us to be top of the Prem after 10 games?'

Yeah - get rid. I’ve never called for a thread to be deleted before, but this one needs to get in the bin.

Tell that to the ‘Where do you rank this promotion?’ thread 😂

The (highly dubious) transfer embargo has been imposed by the EFL, not the PL, and won't apply if we go up. If we somehow failed to get promoted, it presumably would be lifted if we sold enough players in June to avoid a PSR breach for the period ending this season.

I did it at Bruges and Seville. It wasn't so bad at Bruges as there were a few empty seats around us and it didn't feel particularly dicey. Seville was different - we really had to keep a low profile there. Not reacting to Schmeichel's penalty save or Vardy's goal was torture...

It really, really doesn't. The entire squad massively underperformed that season. Something had clearly gone horribly wrong behind the scenes that led to a complete malaise on the pitch. It wasn't just Vardy. I reckon the club will offer him another year and he will take it. It's probably all been agreed already - they're just waiting on promotion to be confirmed before finalising the terms.

We won't have a transfer embargo if we go up. I'll be very surprised if the points deduction is more than four points. But yes - let's get over the line this season before focusing on all that stuff.

Very likely. This one makes so much sense - we were after McAtee last summer before he went to Sheff Utd, he's not going to trouble Man City's first team squad any time soon and Maresca knows him well from when he coached their under-23s. In fact, I'll be amazed if he ISN'T in our squad of 25 on 1st of September (assuming of course that we don't somehow foul up this season at the last minute).

Have you had a look at their forum though? There are several different threads all dedicated to how much they hate us and want us to fail next year. It goes way beyond any moaning I’ve read on here about them or any other club this season.

Don't be so pessimistic - there might be a happy ending.

Norwich at home a few weeks ago?

Our away form has been poor since Christmas. Our home form in 2024 has been broadly in line with how it was earlier in the season. In the first half of the season we were brilliant away from home - we only lost one of our first 13 away games. Sine Christmas, we've lost six out of nine. It's that collapse in our form away from home that has dragged us back into the scrap for promotion. At home, we've been pretty consistent all season - losing twice before Christmas and twice since. I think we'll win tonight and also beat Blackburn on the last day. I also think we'll get a result at Preston, but based on our recent form that's the game that could cause us some issues.

Chant for tonight (to the tune of 'You're ****ing shit'): It's in our hands! It's in our hands! It's in our hands, it's in our hands, It's in our hands....

Does that mean you’d leave out Ricardo even if he’s fit enough to play?

You're right - it is pathetic and childish. But they started it.

According to Football League World, Martin said in his press conference that they won't rush him back because their chances of getting in the top two are very low (my italics): "The Saints' manager has said that they will: "wait and see," whether the 25-year-old is fit enough to return to face Leicester on Tuesday night. He added that, due to the result at the weekend, they aren't as likely to rush him back because the possibility of them finishing in the top two is now unlikely. "Martin also said, via the Daily Echo: "We also have other guys that need to get on the pitch and stake a claim now for the final stages of the season, so we'll have to wait and see.""