Unbelievable

What a steaming pile of crap. Reading that you would think McClaren was Mourinho if you didn't know any better.

PSV will be in no hurry to sell both their best players this summer you would have thought, plus as has been said they are good sellers. We will have to dig deep to get him.

In terms of squad priorities he is absolutely right. Unless we also spend big to bring in the centre backs, right back, winger and forwards we need, the money would probably have been better spent elsewhere.

We are not too far off being able to play a behind closed doors France Reserves XI vs Holland Reserves XI at Benton

Methinks Mr Jongsma is talking bollocks. Well he's right insofar as they are both attacking midfield players who play centrally and like to get on the end of things rather than very creative forces. Whether they could work together I don't know, but it's not unreasonable to suggest their strengths are not exactly complimentary.

Memphis Depay is on another level as a player.

If it wasn't so unlike us to replace a player before selling, I'd be 100% convinced that this means Sissoko is off. As it is, I'm only about 95% certain of it. CM/AM really isn't where we should be looking at players tbh, we've already got De Jong, Marveaux and Cabella fighting for a spot there (Cabella only if we sign some wingers). We need CBs, wingers and strikers before we even start looking at CM/AM. Aye, Sissoko leaving is the only logical explanation, but I can't see us get much more for Sissoko than what Wijnaldum would cost us, so that would make it a sideways move in every way imaginable. How would you rate Wijnaldum compared to Sissoko? Hmm, I would say about equal, but Wijnaldum is probably a bit more consistent. That said, he has not really been tested in a stronger competition than our Eredivisie and contrary to a lot of people I don't think he had a great World Cup, just a decent one.

If it wasn't so unlike us to replace a player before selling, I'd be 100% convinced that this means Sissoko is off. As it is, I'm only about 95% certain of it. CM/AM really isn't where we should be looking at players tbh, we've already got De Jong, Marveaux and Cabella fighting for a spot there (Cabella only if we sign some wingers). We need CBs, wingers and strikers before we even start looking at CM/AM. Aye, Sissoko leaving is the only logical explanation, but I can't see us get much more for Sissoko than what Wijnaldum would cost us, so that would make it a sideways move in every way imaginable.

On the one hand I am convinced Wijnaldum will have better options than us, and on the other hand I think we can do better deals than him even in Holland. He's a good player but I'm not sure he is what we really need. We already have a number of attacking midfield players, whereas we are really light in the winger department. I can't see him being happy playing right wing for us long term. If memory serves this was exactly the reason he left Feyenoord for PSV a few seasons ago. Edit: what TRC said basically

Aye, seems pretty made up Florian Thauvin ‏@FlorianThauvin 1h1 hour ago C'est officiel maintenant ce sera avec le numéro 10 que je porterai fièrement nos couleurs la saison prochaine ???? @OM_Officiel

I just can't get my head around this deal at all. We better have a properly good winger lined up FFS

Well, half of it won't happen.

deal makes no sense whatsoever whether you liked Sammy as a player or not.

Transfer window open/financial period closed for a full week today. Another two straws clutched in vain.

He wasn't even a regular for Vitesse. Quite a spectacular fall from grace from those early Chelsea cup displays.

Wasn't sadly A propos of Dutch NUFC fans, a couple of Dutch blokes run a Dutch fansite on nufc.nl. It's the most cringeworthy thing ever.

We're not getting Wijnaldum FFS

Dear God no, not good Dutch players

It's amazing how much this gets said. It just isn't true. We didn't control games that season at all. We just scored goals at the right time, sat deep and kept it tight at the back. The Tiote-Cabaye partnership played a key part in keeping it tight at the back though. They were fantastic together, often against a midfield 3 too. Since when does "controlling the midfield" only refer to the offensive side of the game?

With respect I'd disagree. They're two different players. If argue that Cabaye was a hell of lot more capable of providing a killer ball or a goal than Carrick. Carrick is consistent in breaking up play and putting the ball to a more creative player but Cabaye is definitely more of an attacking force. I'd argue with anyone who thinks Carrick "controlled" a game. He may have disrupted another teams attack but he's never pulled the strings like Cabaye.