ExiledAjax

£13m is excellent money when you consider we sold Magnússon, a full international CB/LB who played most games that season, for £2-3m. Howe will develop Kelly further and we should be in with a decent chance of getting the add ons.

Would also make a wonderful ending to "Sunderland 'til I Die" series 2.

Seems as though maybe Goalhanger/Lineker/Baker are letting the whoo hah die down a bit? Not seen anything official on why there was no episode this week. Just silence from all parties.

39 appearances (28 starts), 2,202 minutes according to whoscored. But not played since 9 April In their Man City first leg Champs league game.

To be fair there's not much chance they could have predicted 4 English teams making that final. Only 10 days ago everyone was betting on Barcelona v Ajax in the Champs league final - so had that happened you'd immediately have the Spurs and Liverpool players free. UEFA want the European finals to be the last thing in every domestic league. Ligue 1 and Serie A still have two rounds to play, La Liga and the Bundesliga have one left each. So it's only for English teams that this weird three week gap has opened up between the league end and the finals. then they have to squeeze the Nations League in so it minimises the effects on pre-season. Ultimately I guess there are really just too many games, and for English players at these four clubs the season has just fallen to be particularly long.

Agree Trippier is very lucky to be included. Foster or McCarthy over Butland? Butland has played well...but for mid-table championship team. Yes he's third choice and unlikely to actually play but still; there's a few English keepers who could feel aggrieved at this.

Apologies. I just got Groenwald out in the same way.

Tiny percentage if you presume that 4 CBs start each match. What's the average age of a starting CB? I'd maybe guess it to be 28. Our CBs this season were generally pretty young. Webster at 23/24 and Kalas I think 25/26?

Sky are going to do their nut if the final is Villa v Frank Lampard.

Sky are going to do their nut if the final is Villa v Leeds.

Chuck him up front with Fam against Wimbledon pre-season? See what he can do?

So announced so far: Wimbledon (A) July 9th Tampa July 11th - 19th (presumably at least one full 90 minute game v local opposition) Crystal Palace (H) July 27th City XI v WSM Aug 3rd (first day of the new season for the first XI so presumably this is basically an U23 game) Then we can assume that we will at some point play Torquay away for the "Johnson Cup" plus the community match away v a local non-league side. Last season this was Bitton (A) on July 8th. Can we expect any others? There's not even much room left in July even, maybe room for Torquay and the community game in the first week of the month, or you could squeeze one in in between Tampa and Palace?

Cheers. Interesting to hear how tight the money was at Oldham. Interesting to hear about the competitiveness with his dad - surely getting us promoted would be his ultimate "win" against his old man? Interesting as well to hear about his attitude to the younger players. I and others criticise him sometimes for seemingly not fully committing to the younger players. You look at how Morrell, Eisa, Eliasson, even Semenyo have been treated, how they all seem to be on this infamously tough learning curve, all struggling to impress LJ enough to be allowed some scraps of first team minutes. Seems to be at odds with what he says here, that Bristol City are "desperately trying to nurture and develop our young players.". Perhaps though he sees this happening off the pitch, and fears throwing them in too early. Patience may prove wise in the long term, but you have to think that next season is the big one for many of our younger charges.

Top shithousing from West Brom if that happens.

As if our U18s are playing Juventus U18s. Cristiano Ronaldo Jr turning out at AG?