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Seen Dwight Gayle's record at Stoke?

*and Wood, not just Karius...

I'd expect we have it now so there's 6-9 candidates for each signing ranging from ideal (Botman) to helpful-hopeful (Burn, Targett) - people with good character who are fairly cost neutral, provide at least squad cover/competition and might succeed beyond our hopes. I imagine we'll avoid any genuine panic signings because the club just doesn't need them in it's life. Probably Karius is the only one that would go in that category so far, and even that was a special scenario as he's a goalie.

Worked out pretty well altogether!

Yes, as I recall.

It's boring, but given their track record, I support whatever they do in the circumstances. We're so watertight now, it's not as if we have a clear idea of the options available and choices made, even. That said, I don't know why anyone would panic about a lack of activity at this point. As said about Bruno and last January, there's so much that can materialize in the last week, even the last 24 hours.

Interesting to see only one of the other entrants there comes in the past 15 years or so. Shows what an achievement it is.

Illustrious company.

I have no real doubts we'll do this. Stay calm everyone.

*Domestic competition

Genuinely, what's his longest stretch of essentially uninjured games? Wonder if the time out fires him up psychologically just long enough until the next injury...

Frustrating. Not surprised though based on the starting line up, we're lacking a bit of invention at the moment. Would've been nice to see Isak and Wilson on together, ideally from the start, as we need a bit of a shake up.

Thinking of going on a boating holiday. Considered sailing up the Nile, or a cruise in the Amazon. Anyone got any other good river suggestions?

Not a lot due to the quality of what we're wanting to let go and the contracts they're probably on... Probably another couple of years at least until we're fully rid of Mike Ashley's legacy.

Both were true. I think Kluivert showed some of what we were missing while also being a big fat problem in his own right. That's why I said earlier in the thread, it was a weird time at the cub. We were like rats in a sack with all kinds of resentments boiling over. Maybe the most telling thing was Bellamy's palpable delight to be playing alongside him rather than having his talents sacrificed to fit Shearer into the main man role.

Par for the course here. Bootcut jeans make you a cunt, skirts and mascara both shouldn't be judged and are daring and cool at the same time. Ugly equals low human value and handsome equals have my girlfriend and I'll lick you both clean afterwards. Welcome to N-O.

Now you mention it, he'd look a bit like Lee Clark in his day.

Rafa did, certainly. Still suspect he's one of the reasons we've had continued interest in him.

Wouldn't be surprised if he starts on the bench and stays there as it's a bit too early for him. The rest wouldn't harm him and his appearance there would help consolidate our position in transfer negotiations.

Fwiw, I've always had a feeling this one would happen. Nothing logical in that, but I have. The kid has got something. Can't say I'm wild about it but it's amazing how opinions can change over time...

Yes, this now has to be classified under cosmic ordering, and will definitely happen now, thanks to Jack27. Good work Jack.

Given the quality of our signings and the progress at the club, there's not much room for criticising our approach to transfers. If we kept picking up duffers, or missing out on signings that would take us to 'the next level' it would be another story, but we're a million miles away from that at the moment.

It's not like we've gone down with a plot to do a number on Sheffield Wednesday's stadium, over some hard feelings towards Guy Whittingham from a quarter of a century ago or something.

It's an interesting one, obviously. But I think it's difficult to compare not least as football and it's associated technologies have come on in such a major way in the past 25 years. Howe has access to statistics, equipment and support staff that Robson couldn't have dreamed of, for example. So it's fair to question what Howe would've been like in 1997, and conversely what a 40 year old Robson or Keegan would be like today. Fwiw, I'm sure Howe and Robson would've flourished. Keegan I should never count out, and he always drove for the best, but I wonder if all the DoFs and xGs and game management etc. would've tainted his love for the game and put him off doing it in the first place.

Oh yes. Massive if, obviously. But I could tolerate Wood and Shelvey out, Bellingham in. If you put a gun to my head, obviously.