ClaphamFox

It is. But no incomings would mean far fewer outgoings.

Pressure to do what, exactly? On the contrary, it would give them a ready-made excuse for the inevitable collapse that would follow. And besides, when we were last relegated our summer signings included Hermansen, Fatawu, Winks and Mavididi - all of whom played a major part in our immediate promotion. Steve Cooper has left the club, so there will be no more Ayew/BDCR/Skipp-type signings.

There would be hardly any outgoings if we were not allowed to replace them.

Indeed it wasn’t. And I actually think it will be decent this summer.

A transfer embargo would force us to cling onto many of the disinterested players who we desperately need to leave. It would prevent a full clear-out and make it impossible for us to stop the rot and start afresh. It would be disastrous for us. Thankfully it’s not going to happen because the EFL has no grounds to impose one. But it’s extraordinary that some people actually believe it would be a good thing if we were prevented from buying players at precisely the moment we need a major overhaul of the squad.

It's a team that will start to improve and pick up more points but will not catch Wolves. The question is whether it improves enough for Top to decide that RVN deserves a shot next season.

It’s very far from certain. Possible, yes, but not certain.

This is it. It all comes down to whether the EFL can successfully argue that we should come under their jurisdiction for 2020-23. If they can, then yes, a points deduction is likely. But it's a big 'if'.

They can't do it this summer. They'll likely be all over us like a rash when the accounts are due to be submitted by the end of the year, but that won't matter much if we get our summer transfer window right. Ha - I've just realised that I actually wrote the words, "...if we get our summer transfer window right"

Leaving? No. Moved into a different role to make way for a new DoF? Possibly.

That only gets sung at us when we’re winning, so I’d happily take a season of that.

Would it be a good thing if we got a new DoF in and his hands were immediately tied, forcing us to keep disinterested players that we badly need to offload?

There will not be a transfer embargo and it’s far from certain that we’ll get a points deduction.

Here we go again. On what possible basis do you think we’re ‘nailed on’ to bring Martin in?! There’s literally not a chance it would happen.

Didn’t see it. Who was it?!

Wait. What?!

"I'm so angry with you right now that I'm going to do exactly what you've been urging me to do for months. I hope that teaches you a lesson!"

RVN will stick with the back three now and we'll see an improvement. We'll be harder to beat and will start picking up points - but not enough to overhaul Wolves. Then at the end of the season the defining narrative of our relegation will be a nagging sense that things might have been different if RVN had changed things earlier rather than stubbornly persisting with 4231 despite overwhelming evidence that it wasn't working.

His most recent experience was of being an absolutely shit manager at Everton, as demonstrated by their sudden and vast improvement from the moment he left.

He would not accept that.

The summer, if at all.

No.

I know several people who are making the trip down but have no intention of leaving the pub.

Me five minutes after the final whistle, having been forced to inhale our performance during the game:

Worth eight minutes of your time… https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danbowyer_vivelaeurope-activity-7303369085101199360-o_4y?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAAAAUYUYBrJP7Hn44qqwhzKQkIfJoHVyXVqc&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=whatsapp