Merrick's Marvels

Yes, noticed that. And tells us all we need to know, I reckon.

Do you think Full Back is his best position?

He was doing so well, they bought someone better? A ringing endorsement indeed.

We tried him at Full Back - it wasn't his best position. Fulham tried him at Full Back too - that didn't work out either. Maybe he's not a Full Back!

Although it might be significant that Benarous was with the U21s when it came to the full contact drill at the end that cranked the physical, competitive edge up a notch or two (from 12:20 on the video) So I suspect he has a way to go yet. For sure it was good to see him but he's got this far before and was then injured again, so let's keep our fingers crossed for him this time...

Fee agreed, player doesn't "fail" his medical but it highlights some potential concerns about his injury ("he'll always have to manage it" Pearson said) - so maybe Bolton wanted to hedge their bets and change what was a straight up fee to one paid in instalments based on how many games Wilson manages to play?

Good news if you're first sentence is correct. Let's wait and see about your second. After all, "there's many a slip betwixt cup and lip", as Shakespeare said during the transfer window of 1601. Alternative version? "Don't count thee chickens before them hatched" Adge Cutler, also 1601 (being the century in which the county of Zzzzzomerzet appears to still exist in). @GrahamC - calm down ?

Yes, definitely fringe. Miles ahead of Pearson I'd have thought, though - is he really still here?? Edwards just brings a point of difference if we're not signing any new forwards this summer - more of a "tricky winger" type compared to Bell, Sykes, Cornick, Mehmeti. Personally think he's not good enough but what do I know. In Nige we trust.

1 straight red. 1 yellow x 2. I'm more concerned about his behaviour behind the wheel tbh. Tammy-esque!

He fits the formation we finished last season with. Got good energy, decent technique. Brings a slightly different skill set to the others who've played wide Left or Right up top. Probably a better option than the young forwards we've got coming through the U21s - who aren't ready yet. So kind of makes sense apart from one thing - is he any good!?! Personally not sure the Championship is his level but would be delighted to be wrong. Maybe he'll be a late developer.

No sign of Kalas on the Twitter videos. Otherwise, all present and correct bar the who've been involved in internationals and are still on their hols.

1. If there's no room for sentiment, why will you be booing him? Which will likely only make him play better, btw. Is that what you want? 2. What he achieved here previously deserves our respect, whatever has happened this summer. 3. It's not as if he was the only Left sided option out there - it took all of 5 minutes to find an alternative signing (if that's what Roberts was - we'll never know. Roberts is a better defender, btw) So all in all, no great loss and we move on as this sort of thing happens all the time in football. You could have a point about Bryan wanting to be first choice. At 29 and not having played much recently, perhaps he wants to go somewhere he's guaranteed games. Good luck to him, I say.

Agree with much of what you've posted on this today. Think plenty of people are getting a tad carried away and the point you make, above, adds valuable context and perspective. And that's not, in any way, by the way, to under estimate how good Scott is - and may go on to be. Those arguing that a fee north of 25M might be optimistic can see perfectly well how good the kid is, thank you very much. He'd be in a best XI from my 40+ years of purgatory supporting City, that's for sure.

Ralph Milne's goal at their place a brilliant one - mazy dribble, shot from 20 yards, top corner. Beers all round!

If Kalas and/or Vyner left, we'd try to sign O'Brien from Palace. Then we'd be: Dickie + McCrorie/O'Brien Atkinson + Naismith/Roberts If Kalas stayed, so much the better.

Perhaps they plan to ignore FFP, like Bournemouth and Villa did? So they could try to buy their way out of the division, gambling that, by the time the EFL catches up with them, they're in the Premier League and loaded. Or has that loophole been closed now?

Really? Well **** me.

We know how much we want to spend. They know how much they'd like to receive. It can't take that long to establish whether those two figures are compatible. If they are and we're in the same ballpark, thrash out a deal.

Disappointing. Also confirms the suspicion that McCrorie is earmarked for Right Back.

I'm sure he's had plenty of support. But sometimes you can lead a horse to water... Just ask George Best. It is very sad though, that's for sure.

True. Couple of significant differences though - Bournemouth aren't Southampton and, while we wait to see who they appoint, I bet it won't be the next Pochettino. The example you quote is the exception rather than the rule, after all.

Maybe but I'd be amazed if they didn't make some sort of offer. In which case, if we turn it down there's a danger of the player saying - you didn't let me go in January but I'd like my move to the Prem now please. And we get into a stand off or, at the very least, have an unhappy player in the building. I'm not suggesting we'll accept any old offer but all this talk of 25 million is nonsense - that's our opening gambit in the inevitable negotiations we'll be having with one or more clubs. We've gone high. The buying club will go low. And a deal is struck somewhere in between. But it won't be 25M, imo. If Wolves offer 15M, I think we'll do a deal - with add-ons increasing that to a bit more further down the line. That allows us to crack on with the recruitment we've been waiting several windows for.

Yep, strap yourselves in, here we go.

They are aggressive, territorial birds, actually. What's not to like?