Memphis

It's been very tedious and I'm thankful it seems to be coming to an end. I think he's a very very good player and will be an excellent fit on and off the pitch, perhaps even helping Gordon get his mojo back since they're quite close. I don't see the point in being mad about a 70m deal vs a 65m one or a 60m one. None of us know the specific structures or the specific wages he'll be on. The priority was finding a top-tier CB and if this goes through, we will have done that - and presumably be set for 8-10 seasons. It feels as though some people want to see him struggle just to justify their concerns about the deal or the price. It's all very silly.

I will say that we have played like dog shit for about 120 of our 180 minutes this season and yet we've managed 4 points out of 6 and bettered a result from last year. So in theory, if we can make a signing or two, Tonali returns and plays well, we've got a lot of room for improvement. That's the glass half full approach anyway. It does feel like a pivotal week though. We need something big to energize this group. I hope Mitchell et al can bring it in.

JBLinton hit him with the clothesline from hell

How did Joelinton not get sent off? What the fuck was he doing?

We do look a side in need of freshening up. Gordon is non-existent in his role. Joelinton is having one of those games, but we cannot afford that. Not too dissimilar from a Bruce team, which should never be the case.

Yuck. We look knackered or uninterested.

Head's gone. Heart's already black and white.

Tedious. Fucking tedious. Shit or get off the pot.

Truly cannot be overstated how important his signing was at the time. Absolutely critical. That alone makes him a legend and unforgettable. BUT. His head does appear to be gone. His performances have waned. He's got obvious off the field issues that are deeply problematic for him and I wish him well in handling them. It is very much time to separate. A sale would be ideal but a loan to get wages off the books wouldn't hurt. It's best for both partie that it happens now. It is a shame how it has ended but that should not change the incredible 18 months or so that transformed our club, and he was vital.

Window at the end of May: Window today:

That was the shithouse Mags at our best!!

I'd say you have to walk away now.

There are a lot of people jumping to conclusions based on nothing but their own feelings. I have to wonder if we played Villa or Chelsea to start the season, someone we're theoretically competing for 3rd/4th with, would be have felt more urgency to act quickly? But starting with Southampton should theoretically give us a bit more time with which to work, perhaps that's gone into the mindset of the decision-makers.

I'd love to be selling a house to some of our fans. They'd pay 2x or more than what it was worth - all it would take is a little gamesmanship. Keep a cool head. It will work out.

I called one of their matches against Memphis, was really bizarre to look through the lineup and see those names. Didn't look out of place at all in the USL Championship.

Again, as I've said before regarding ITKs - whenever you see one on Twitter, think to yourself, "Why would this person have any information?" I can understand why a journalist might have information - they are disseminators of information, and agents and clubs might use that to their advantage in giving them relevant information. NUFCWill or whoever has no such status. Why would anyone in a position to know any of this information that is HIGHLY HIGHLY proprietary and potentially damaging to any deal give that info to NUFCWill or anyone else? Why would they jeopardize their job to give some random fucker a few more likes on social media? How are they or the club given any advantage by that? The truth is these guys take slivers of info from any and everywhere and blast it out. Occasionally they'll be right purely by luck. But if they were truly connected, they'd rarely be wrong. Please be a smart consumer of information. Save us from this shit.

Would be fascinating to try him as a DM at times. Stones/Pep type thing. I think his qualities may well lend themselves to that role and it would allow Bruno to move further forward, where his passing could be even more incisive.

Stephen Glass was canny and now he's the manager of my local USL team Memphis 901 FC, kind of cool. Chatted with him a bit and he's a lovely guy too.

Does N'Zogbia count? Dunno if he was forgotten and I know he was a bit of a twat but he had his moments.

This is what happens when you have a well-run club. You get a sniff of the deal, then jack shit else until it's done. The waiting game turns everyone into lunatics with 1000 word posts on the potential of Marc Guehi's progressive passing growth. (I hope we sign him, he seems v good at football)

I think the FFP/PSR concerns are always legitimate when it comes to any deal of this size, but I also think the club is accounting for significant growth on the revenue side to help us have some headroom for these deals. The assumption has to be that we will be European qualifiers and that as we have already seen significant revenue growth due to our new partnerships, there's more to come. In this case, you pay a premium to remove some uncertainty. He is a known quantity and should be at this level or slightly higher for 4-5 seasons. That type of surety is rare and costly but could well be worth it.

May be good, may be shit, who knows? But...a signing!

(it's a turn of phrase, it's not literally the worst) (BUT the fact that I've had to find out about Antonio Mango makes it close)

look at that graphic, you know he means business seriously what the fuck is happening this is the worst transfer window

Is Guler playing tomorrow in the friendly? Did we get him to Japan in time?