gaz90

Don't get ahead of yourselves lads, it was only Liverpool. It's not like we played against Aston Villa.

I hope I'm wrong in this instance, but I get the feeling that Percy's not as informed as he usually is this transfer window...

The way I read it (which involves a bit of guesswork on my part) is that WB are the blockers due to fee/payment structure (as discussed) and Milot is happy to come here. WB probably either want us to cough up a bit extra or want Milot to put in a transfer request, so that they get to keep more of the transfer fee. Milot originally had his heart set on (and expected to join) a Champions League club, so is unlikely to force a move to us and is happy to hold off until the last possible minute, so that he doesn't lose his share of the fee for not requesting a transfer. Also, if another Leipzig-style club comes in, he then has the luxury of options. I think everyone knows that WB will cave at some point due to their financial situation, but it's a waiting game until then. I can understand Milot not handing in a transfer request (like it seems a lot of people want him to do so that he can come here quicker) but I'd probably do the same as him in that situation and pocket a fair chunk of money in the process. I do, however, believe he's been convinced that Villa will be a great club for him, with our ambition to get to where the likes of Leipzig are and with his old friend Nakamba being here. That's how I see it anyway, though it could all be pollocks...

FTFY

Is he our first Argentinian player.......? All of my Arsenal and Reading supporting mates arce telling me that we've got one hell of a keeper on our hands. Someone that also has the right motivations and who seems like a really good guy. He may seem a tad expensive right now but, in the long-term, I think we've got a bargain here.

Ramsey looks so composed on the ball. Love to see that!

So much hyperbole in this thread with people getting very stressed out over something they can't control. He might have been rubbish previously, but many players have looked dreadful, then come good in the right environment. How about we wait a few months and see how he's doing once he's played a bit? With all of the good that's going on at the club at the moment I'm surprised to see so much anger.

I like versatility in players and there are clear benefits to being able to mix things up during a match and between matches. I do get the feeling, though, that by getting in Watkins and Cash, Smith will think we've got enough for RW, even with it being both player's secondary position. Whilst I think we need round pegs in round holes and I'd love an out-and-out LW, RW and ST to come in, I think if we get those two in and someone like Rashica (which looks increasingly unlikely) who can play LW and up front, Smith might think that we're covered across the front line, which leaves me nervous. I also don't think we'll get more than one striker in - I think it'll be Watkins and that's it. Whilst I'd love 3/4 players to come in across our front line, realistically I don't think it'll happen now.

If you're looking to discuss Edouard, you want the John McGinn thread. This is the Edouard thread.

I'd rather he was sold than loaned out, but villareport is probably talking rubbish like usual anyway.

His feet must have been massive!

I'd rather not fund/encourage them to write that fabricated tosh by clicking on it and contributing to their digital ad revenue.

He's costing AC Milan 3.5 million euros per season, apparently they want him off their books and he'll be retiring very soon. Let's start the bidding at £7 million! Realistically, I think they'd accept around £1 million for him, so if you're talking about saving money for other positions we might want to start the bidding a little lower...

Probably the signing of Stine Larsen for our Women's team.

If we manage to stay up, I hope that the owners match his ambition and convince him that we can grow into a team that's capable of competing closer to the level that he can play at. I get the feeling from the post-match interview, though, that the wheels are already in motion for him to leave (not to say that anything's finalised though). If we have to sell him, there are many clubs that sell their best players and build a better team off the back of it (hopefully we manage to recruit effectively), so I won't be too annoyed with him leaving his boyhood club. It's better to have had him play for us and for him to have helped drive our club forward (especially considering what could have happened following our relegation) than to never have had him play for us at all.

I'll wait until after the Everton game to decide if I want Watford or West Ham to win. If we manage to get 3 points against Everton, I'd hope for a draw as you'd hope Man Utd beat West Ham, leaving it in our hands on the final day to potentially put them down (unless we manage to beat Arsenal as well). If we get anything less than three points against Everton, I'd hope for West Ham to win as we could potentially stay up with 4 points (with them hopefully being on the beach on the final day).

Smith lost me tonight. I know that things have been getting progressively worse, but I hung onto hope that we might get a result somewhere over the next few games. The fact that tonight we had no structure, style, tactics, heart and we looked like we've never seen a corner taken in our lives (and none of this is new to tonight either), I feel like there's no turning this around. I'd get rid and look to get a manager in that we'd like to lead the team into next season, which will more than likely be in the Championship.

I'm sure that theoretically we can spend progressively more over the next two years if we stay up. I think FFP works off a three year cycle and whilst this year we've had premier league revenue (TV money etc), the previous two years we've been in the championship so revenue would have been much lower. As an optimist, I'd hope that next season we spend at least as much as we have this season just on fewer, higher quality players.

This place is going to erupt.... Jim White just said on SSN that we turned down Ighalo last night (who's just signed for Man Utd) and we rejected approaches from Celtic and Sheffield Utd for Neil Taylor.

I could have swore that I read somewhere that he had been training with us. I'll try and dig it out.

Yeah, I think Wesley got 1 point under the Part A criteria as he played all but 18 mins of the CL group stage games for Club Brugge last season.

He has 50+ caps, so he'd already be ticking one of the main boxes for a work permit. Wesley didn't have caps, so my understanding was that his value had to be proved in a different way (i.e. his transfer value).

I thought it was the case for both.