80

It does seem like that's the thought process sometimes.

This. I think he was used pretty well while with us, he just couldn't score - he enabled others to score, though. We were in Champions' League form for the 12 months he was with us, so we shouldn't have been changing much that we did.

One of the stranger transfer stories to come up. Interesting that we don't appear to have totally dismissed the interest out of hand.

Shit news, but a month barely counts as an injury considering what we've been used to in our club historically. To try and see the positives.

To take it seriously, I'd leave that one up to Howe re: what he thinks he can do with Kelly long term. We also can't start to think of Targett as serious backup yet. It does sound like one to file under the 'good sellers' category, though.

The football authorities are busy trying to distort and destroy the concept of an open market, though.

Ultimately, the club felt stronger and safer as a project with her and Mehrdad around. Some people make it sound like we're well rid of them. PSR was a problem, but it was a problem solved and they are excellent problem solvers. It's not as though PSR was ever going to not be a big problem for us. They tried - and largely succeeded - in growing us out of the Ashley hole we were in, getting players in who give us a serious chance of earning money in the CL or selling them on for extremely substantial profits that can fund the club for years to come. Don't buy the players and you get no sales, no Europe, and no profile worthy of sponsorship. The only real alternative was to go the luxury Brighton route, but that would've made the last 3 years, and probably the next several, a very different experience. Buy a horde of Ashbys and Mintehs, forget buying Isak from Sociedad, and if we do splash out on a Bruno or Botman, have them understand very clearly that we are a temporary stepping stone towards their real future. All things considered I'm very happy we gambled.

Well that was a pack of lies, then. Was on the end of 'concerted shouting' from Trippier to calm him down and get him back in position, according to Louise Taylor.

Yep, there was one point it started sounding like an episode of Mastermind, the interviewer was rattling through his pre-set question list so fast

Enjoyable interview uploaded by the club. He has a refreshing lack of media training. Seems like a good kid, very confident but not arrogant - excellent English, too. Doesn't have a preferred position, just wants to play

We have a habit of thinking potential buyers don't know why we want to sell the ones we want to sell.

I've felt this way for a while but I think they've demonstrated they're genuinely in a new mode now. I don't see Wolves as being a gimme at all given the new management, but plenty of reason for confidence. If there's one to be nervous about, it's Bournemouth, who've been a bogey team for us. I'll see beating them as more of a statement than Man United or Tottenham, personally.

Looks like 2.5 years left on his contract? We're gonna have to make a plan on his future one way or another. Unfortunately, what we might gain in value from him being injury free next season, we'd lose on his deal approaching expiry, so there might not be much point in waiting around.

Yeah, thought that was odd.

Agreed. Ironically, he was probably our safest purchase the summer he came in. I don't believe he had a fitness record anything like what we've seen prior to coming here, and it's shattered his career here, unfortunately.

I don't. There were good reasons for trying it but we've won 8 games in a row since we ditched it... Body language-tastic but he looks like he's lost heart since he was putting everything into the start of the season, was our only reliable offensive outlet, and still didn't look like he was gonna be made a true starter for us. Would understand if that got him down, albeit you'd want him to keep digging away.

Mentality.

Any way you cut it, at the end of the day it's another start for Longstaff and another win for the Toon.

Didn't see the first half, so no comment on that, but when I saw the lineup, with no Bruno or Willock, I thought Barnes especially would suffer - we were halfway toothless, in terms of experienced creativity. Our best two lock picks were in defence.

Saw something about him having to be dragged away from celebrating his goal? Not sure how much bollocks it was. From what I saw, which was only the second half, he looks like a puppy with big paws. Optimistic he can grow into them with our coaching and squad ethos. Agree with everyone saying he looks desperate to please, which it's hard not to find endearing, even if he does need to wise up.

Was thinking of saying earlier, this is one of the less surprising revelations

Of course, give a manager the job security of a sports director and perhaps they would be more willing to take long term views on buying and selling players.

Yay.

I keep thinking, we'd have to be fucking mad to sell him. I get there are totally perverse, deranged rules that mean it has to be thought about. But unique people like him and his family are what footballing dynasties are built on. Real, heartfelt allegiance to the club. They create the atmosphere that help the Tonalis and their families thrive and believe this is more than a career stopover.

That video has given me a flashback to his earlier days here when he seemed to chicken out of blocking shots in a couple of games. He's made that a VERY distant memory now, shies away from nothing.