STM

I thought he was injured? Hopefully he's peddled.

Anyone who looks at the comments on twitter and see it as some proportionate reality of the real world wants their head checked. Also people make jokes on any topic, no matter how inappropriate or offensive it may be. Even if you don't find it funny, don't wish humour away, it's one of the few things we have left as a society. There's many a worse thing than some daft teen making an inappropriate joke about Greenwood getting the soap treatment in jail.

Yeah but I genuinely worry that Howe has a blind spot with Ritchie. I think we all agree that Manquillo and Lewis are far superior options.

If its two more, CB is obvious, after that you could make a claim for CF, RW, LB or another CB. Any of them will improve us.

Yeah, I think there is no easy answer with two senior first team players. Fans think "just drop them" but it's not that easy. It's different with someone like Clark, he's older, making horrific errors and has never been a guaranteed regular. Ritchie is my biggest worry. He's culpable for so many errors and seems a big dressing influence. Lascelles and Shelvey are serviceable PL players, Ritchie is gone. Hopefully Howe has nudged him into touch.

Fairly confident we will get 2 after Bruno. I doubt even NUFC know who at this stage. They will need to be flexible and move quickly when the right deal pops up. I hope we have 5m set aside to over pay on a couple of deals if needs be, loan fees or whatever.

It's not so much loyalty, its man management. Publicly dropping either of those players could stir a hornets nest. They will find themselves dropped organically. Same with the captains armband. We know Trippier will get it in the summer.

Yep, it's the risk factor which Howe won't like. He won't want to drop Shelvey and lose any progress he believes he has made. At some point Shelvey will get an injury and we will see for ourselves what the future holds.

As long as its proved that it is his voice, which it it will be, he's done. It's really hard to see anything mitigating or anything which would appropriately explain his words. When players grow up idolising Ryan Giggs, its hardly a surprise when they turn into him.

If you think Shelvey is getting dropped, you haven't been paying much attention. He's been the first name on the teamsheet for Howe and arguably one of our best players since Howe came in. The time to bin Shelvey is coming but that one's for the summer. It will be Shelvey, Joelinton and Bruno. Joelinton might move back into the number 8/10 role though.

There's not really much to debate. It will be Shelvey, Joelinton and Bruno in midfield. They will defend as a team and attack as a team. By the sounds of it, we have become instantly better at both attacking and defending by signing this guy.

We are making big boy signings. This is a move that Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool would make. Its the sort of move that Arsenal, Man Utd and Spurs would like to make but because they are such a mess they keep cocking up their transfer policies.

They are 3 hours behind, so reckon this could be done by 10/11 tonight.

The fact that we have these players without release clauses, meaning we would certainly piss the championship, tells me it's not our destiny to get relegated. Imagine having Trippier, Bruno, ASM, Wilson, Wood and Joelinton in championship.

He said surprise.

I'm telling you, this signing could turn out to be bigger than Shearers.... if we win something.

That's exactly what they are doing.

Basically, he thinks we will buy a quality centre back but doesn't have the balls to actually say it.

This is the sort of deal where a "survival bonus" makes sense. Give them 11/12m and 3m if we survive. We are right to not "give them what they want". We can do that Monday morning.

How many from abroad? Another 2?

Only allowed 2 loans aren't we?

Thank fuck it will be over in 2 days.

Medicals generally take two days at most clubs. I read an article on it. They also can differ from club to club, player to player. Even dental checks can be involved. Makes sense when you are spending 30m+ IMO. Although towards deadline day, clubs start rushing things through.

Triggering Diego Carlos release clause would be my guess.