The Rosk

Who cares? Probably will get a big signing bonus, short term it works out better for him there, and he could have a career-ending injury at any moment. I wish him the best and thank him for - without question - putting the effort in every game he played with us.

I absolutely love SJM but it has been a stall in progress across this season for him. Not sure if you saw the Fifa video that he did with JJ but he even said briefly "I'm sure my stats are down this year" when talking about how their player ratings on the game. I'm sure he's conscious of it but then again, I do wonder if we have just completely screwed him by playing in a non-attacking role. He's an all-rounder which hasn't helped this, fitting in to different places, covering for Luiz in DM, barely ever getting forward - I don't think I've seen him have a shot in the box this season. He thrives there for Scotland and whilst we have a lot of talent in the forward lines now I do wonder where we could push him into a more advanced position and make the most of the lad.

Last season - 29 games played of 38 This season - 18 games played of 36 If we're putting all our eggs in one basket for a rock at the heart of our midfield then we can't have someone missing 40% of the action. He's 26 and injuries will start to pile up. My concern is that this would be our marquee signing of the window and then we're stuck in exactly the same position as we are this season crying about not having a good DM when he gets another injury.

It reminds me of an Owen Hargreaves type situation - ridden with injuries but a top player so it's a hard decision to make. He COULD play for teams a lot higher than us in the League no doubt, but for such an outlay you'd obviously want him to be the anchor in midfield consistently. Not sure if he has the legs for it. I can't see us getting him in any case.

You don't get xG if you don't shoot. The one/s where he ran it and didn't shoot wouldn't have counted, I assume.

They spent £45m on Haller, and according to Moyes made "3 club record bids" that were turned down in January. So there is money there.

I reckon we'd get £20m at best for Ings, whereas we could easily command £50m for Watkins. Depends on where the funds are and how much we're looking to spend elsewhere - whilst we're looking to move on the likes of AEG/Trez/Keinan etc, I can't see us getting tons of money for them. Can't be spending net £100m+ every window.

I guess if we're aiming to put Coutinho and Buendia in the same team and keeping INgs then Ollie is the most sellable asset for a high price. Id be hesitant to move him on as I do love him a little bit.

I've been asked by two separate people today about my thoughts on Watkins to West Ham. Is this just mindless speculation or is there some truth to it?

I bloody love Tyrone Mings and we are much better with him as a visible influence on the team and a rock at the back. I am constantly flabbergasted at the cr*p he gets from some fans. Respect the man who stuck with us from a loan spell when we were in the sh*t and has helped lead us to PL security, all whilst getting caps for England.

There is zero chance we will get Kalvin Phillips. He was England's best player at the Euros. Big 6 team will snap him up if they go down. Only 26 and top reputation right now, can't see him moving to a team that's not in Europe.

I'm so excited for this lad to come back that it almost feels like a new NEW signing. The difference and blend of styles between Coutinho, Buendia, Bailey, Traore in those attacking channels with Ings/Watkins as the striker is mouthwatering.

We have no idea what has been discussed, or observed by SG, behind the scenes. All we know is that there are rumours of one player going out on loan for 17 games after we have just signed a player in his position for a sh*tload of money. Gerrard has made a big deal of wanting a squad for competition - so assumedly he sees Young (or maybe even Hause/) slotting in at LB if needs be for cover for the next 17 games if Digne gets injured or banned. Targett has had a pretty terrible season this year, and if he is under the impression he's not fancied from here, then fair play to him for wanting to go out and keep his career going. I'll always appreciate him for his efforts whilst with us, but his end product has never been great, and he was extremely fortunate to be on the same side as a bloke who had two people marking him every game before this year.

I asked my scouting friend about him and he said he likes him - and suggested this report, whilst being a bit data-y, is a good source of info: https://thefalse9.com/2021/10/rodrigo-bentancur-a-scouting-report.html

I love Ollie - exactly the sort of character we need in the team. The last thing he needs are fans getting on his case. He's still got his prime years ahead of him and was one of our best players last year. He does so much for the team and clearly puts so much pressure on himself to score. Almost every interview I've seen of him he constantly reflects on how accountable he feels for everything. He looks like he's not fully enjoying it at the moment for some reason and it feels like he's feeling the pressure with the team "moving forward". I hope he kicks on this season as he's more than capable, but this is a step up from where he came in (signing for us from the Championship when we were odds on to be relegated) and now we're clearly investing wherever we see gaps in quality).