GrahamC

We extended Wells’ contract last season by a further two years, logic behind that must be we see him as playing a significant role. He’s also played in a side that’s won the playoffs & (briefly) in the Prem for Burnley, that’s not too shabby a CV. I know Cornick isn’t rated by many on here but he was a squad player for a side that made the playoffs two years running, he scored 13 in 21/22, we didn’t buy him to discard him already & he can play through the middle. As I pointed out last week Sam Bell scored more goals last season than Liam Delap, but people would be going mental if we signed him on loan.. Then of course we have Weimann, not seen as a striker but the scorer of 22 just a year ago. If he had to play up front it’s not like asking Jay DaSilva to do so, is it? I think Nige sees O’Leary as his first choice goalkeeper whatever is the view on here, I do think we are short of experience in terms of cover for him though & depending what happens with Bajic that is an area we might bring someone in.

Check your junk mail, I had mine through last week, 3 went into my inbox, one into my spam.

That would be a very good move for Kane Wilson, last season Derby played Korey at RB a lot because they didn’t have one who was good enough, they’re comfortably the biggest club in the division now Wednesday has got promoted & it’s his part of the world. If say they knock £200k off their asking price for Knight to bring him in then everyone wins really.

I think it is that to an extent, plus he’s a realist, he knows this is his third season now & he’d acknowledge that whilst finances have been tight he is effectively has “his” squad & so is expected to show signs that we are genuine contenders for top ten, at least. I still think that’s difficult & also reckon it looks a tougher division than last season but we’ll see.

Or as has been said already, spending someone else’s money. We have spent a fair bit since selling Semenyo, Mehmeti was a million, Cornick £300k, plus McCrorie & Dickie. I think we are waiting to see what compensation we get for Massengo, whether we can get a fee for Wilson & possibly another squad player then we’ll know our budget to get the 2 in (now Kalas appears to have left) we need. Won’t stop a few of the more intellectually challenged from repeating “roof, roof” on social media, mind.

I honestly didn’t, but also get that perception is subjective. Those 9 games included an excellent point at Boro, one at home to Watford & a win in vital six pointer against Rotherham, who I thought would go down. I thought West Brom simply too good for us & expected them to feature in the top six & Stoke just one of those games we have often had against Alex Neil sides.

On Boxing Day we were 18th, level on points with the 4 sides immediately below us & 2 clear of the drop zone, so to say we were “heading for relegation” isn’t so much glass half empty, as glass empty. I don’t know anyone who thought we were definitely going down, but do recall a few who had lost patience with NP, though still a minority of those I speak to. Dire is certainly an overstatement, there were some dreadful performances, especially at Birmingham (again) & Reading, but they weren’t regular occurrences. I suppose it all boils down to whether you think giving an experienced, proven manager at this level time to sort out the mess he inherited is a better idea that changing course again & again, with no obvious plan.

Strange he didn’t include it in his defence then? Or would that be because he’d have to prove it?

Agree with every word. @Merrick's Marvels & I were discussing this the other week, he reckoned if we wanted to be a top six side then Kalas was exactly the sort of player we needed to keep. My view was he was too injury prone over the last year to offer him any more than we had & if that meant (as appears to have happened) that he’s going to get more money elsewhere, that’s life. Both points of view are equally valid. I would also say those reckoning he was a waste of money appear to be totally ignoring the market when we signed him, one where you got £20m for Webster. He also featured well over 100 times for us & for me was consistently excellent, to even put him in the same sentence as Kasey Palmer, who only started 28 games for us & who contributed virtually nothing is just lazy & ridiculous.

100%. Then factor In suspensions & injuries, it is impossible to say this before a ball was kicked. I doubt anyone would have said prior to last season that Zak Vyner would start 45/46 for us or that Kane Wilson wouldn’t start a single league game. Moyes could realistically say I don’t see you starting the season in the side but with 9 subs & European games to play, to say this (no likelihood of any first team involvement) seems highly unlikely.

Quite probable, hence Paul Warne’s comments which were hardly discouraging. Think they realise they will sell but are trying to squeeze a few more quid out of us.

It’s all over social media. Time will tell, certainly he’s going to make a definitive decision in the next few weeks.

Yes & both were wrong. We didn’t employ a convicted criminal as our manager or a chief scout who was on trial for the manslaughter of a policeman, though.

Not really, the cult of Barton. Once you’ve reconciled yourself to appointing him & Spendlove then you’re on the road to accepting pretty much anything. Those that refuse to watch them under him have my total respect but they’re a small percentage.

Yep, Paul Gallagher named as first team coach, too. Expect the number of penalties that Stoke get to absolutely rocket..

If any of the clubs in La Liga, the Bundesliga & Ligue 1 that he’s been linked with are true, then I’d be absolutely amazed if he is in The Championship again next season. Burnley I could understand, the chance to play against Man City, Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool etc, but not to play in England again at our level.

Clearly it is subjective, but also clearly that list is utter bollocks. How many Championship games do you have to have played to qualify? Andy Cole say, he was quite good.. Very sad what happened to Whittingham but no way in a million years is the best ever. Norwood as well, seriously? Collymore as mentioned above was sensational, Rob Lee another that was top quality.

I assumed he was continuing his recovery at home, nothing to worry about. Rob Atkinson hasn’t travelled either, has he?

Wasn’t that a UB40 song?

Suppose once we know the compensation figure for HNM & also possibly sell Wilson that could change the picture?

No way have we got that still left to spend unless Scott leaves. We’ve already shelled out somewhere between £1.7m & £2.5m in this window & haven’t got a penny back in since January.

I love Curtis, top bloke. There’s a bit of skill by Nakhi as well in this clip, bloody hell that’s why they are pros, superb stuff.

One of mine went into my junk mail, the others didn’t- might be worth a look there.

Me too. Think Vince backs his managers with far more funds than their rather tiny crowds deserve, if he’s given a few quid & some time he’d do a great job. Gloucestershire is home to him, as well.

He is really good on us. I do wonder if in the interests of “balance” he has to be seen to be kind to the jailbird though? Can only explain some of the stuff that’s written about them. Sign of the times for the media that the editor appears to be writing all the articles across the summer with both club’s reporters, Rich Forrester & Kim Jung Frost having left.