TRon

The plan was always to sell him next season anyway unless he signed a new contract. We would just be holding fast to our plans.

Is that even though that Vinelli bloke drove his Maserati all the way there to take matters into hand personally?

Tbf, we've got guys lined up who are highly rated, just like Ashworth and Eales were before that. We just shouldn't have let it drift for months once it became clear that Eales was not fit for work.

I expected us having the richest owners in the world would lead to us being able to buy some of the best players. But the cartel did too, and fair play, they got the PL to draft some new rules so we couldn't do that.

I assumed he already had full control tbh.

Those sort of things will help but they will barely make a dent in reality. We really need City to win their case with the PL and then use APT sponsorships to close the gap in a hurry. Assuming we want to, but we won't know that until the opportunity is there.

No. As it stands he'll be here for the coming season.

Yep, and tbf, he might have been doing a shit job, depending on what you believe. But what is clear is that we are in above our heads with our current transfer plans. They just aren't realistic and hence we are failing time and time again. But I maintain, as long as we don't let Isak go without getting a suitable replacement, we can still come out of this ok.

Other clubs find players by shopping in different markets to the cartel clubs. That was what I thought Mitchell had been brought in for. With him and Eales gone, we are left with Howe's team identifying players I presume, and they are finding out that these are deep waters with plenty of sharks prowling. I don't know who's leading the recruitment at the club but we are going to need to be more inventive. Or failing that at least not lose the players we've got.

Yep. No one wants to hear it, but as long as we are going up against cartel clubs for players, we've got virtually no chance unless we can somehow offer them more money.

Buying good players does tend to help mind.

It's not like we've been chasing superstars though. We've mostly gone for up and coming players who aren't quite there yet. It's just been our bad luck that most of the cartel clubs are struggling with their own strikers and are in the same market at the same time.

I've said from day one that some clubs have extra appeal because historically they have won stuff. Just like we think of Real Madrid and Barcelona above Celta Vigo, foreign players obviously recognise Man U and Liverpool above us.

As I thought. The owners at Man U are overruling Amorin's judgement and sending their own delegation instead. Can't say I blame them, Watkins is a good player but in their position they can't afford players with no resale value.

I would fucking hope not. Most of us here can see it, so you would like to think the hierarchy at Newcastle ( or what's left of it) can see it.

I don't think players are choosing Liverpool and Man U over us because of no DOF like.

At least we could blow them out of the water with a tempting bid.

Man City definitely needed to throw money at players to get themselves into the elite category, and Chelsea would have needed to pay higher than the big boys of that era as well to persuade top players to go there. Otherwise they would have preferred Liverpool and Man U as well.

Does Muniz even count as PL proven?

I don't think we were preventing any sale like, you actually need someone to want to buy. His injury record over the last two years would make most teams think twice.

Mr Glass it is then.

It drops his value further as well. The only way to sell is if he goes a spell injury free.

This is not really a practical viewpoint. PIF will have their opinions but they aren't football people, Howe would definitely have major input on which players stay or go.

Tbf the Koreans were getting away with some late fouls. I didn't see the challenge but if he's gone down that hard it might not be down to him.

They'll both probably want to sign for Man U as well.