Yorkie

Fair enough. Lack of additional excitement should hopefully not = actively being twats to the people who've represented the club brilliantly.

Not sure what scope we have if we can't peddle Dubravka, with the situation made more awkward by being cornered into signing Vlachodimos to avoid PSR penalties. Not saying it isn't a problem, I just think we can afford them some grace.

KI you know I respect you mate but I honestly dunno what you're on about here. Any spectator giving the people in front of them anything other than a usual/greater level of support on Sunday - by virtue of the transfer window - is a fucking wanker. A lot will depend on the game itself, obviously, but if we go behind, anyone that gets OTT angsty/protesty, or turns their back on the side, wants shooting into the sun. The team and coach deserves far better than that. Hopefully we'll play really well and it'll be a moot point.

Any supporter taking any of this out on the team wants chucking in the sea, tbh. Frankly I don't think there's any need at all for any public angst in any case; we've bought shitloads of great players since the takeover, and we're generally just lightyears away from the disdainful shitshow of a club of three years ago. There's also the important point that we've actually started the season well and can give ourselves a canny foundation going into the international break with another win. Hopefully there's some acceptance that things just aren't going to go as planned all of the time and we can all just move on like adults.

Very relieved it's over, very disappointed with the outcome. I maintain the view that, although it's been far from ideal and I do feel quite worried about the immediate future - I wouldn't call it a shambles or an embarrassment or any other negative hyperbole. That would've been selling Bruno (for e.g.) and still not recruiting. I don't believe in the view that it would've been better to sell one of our best players to fund others who may not be as good, and I feel happy to support the club's general objective of only trying to recruit the very, very best they they realistically can. It's important that we get out of the cycle of desperately trying to shift unwanted players on loan/on the cheap. However, the approach has ultimately failed and an inquest is probably needed, but I'm not suddenly going to be forgiving of the utter bullshit rules. Fair enough if we need to improve our negotiation skills or scouting or whatever it may be, but we're not having these conversations if it wasn't for PSR. I don't want us to be able to spend like Abramovich and Mansour but there has to be something better than this. The good thing is that we've got an extremely talented squad already with an extremely talented coach. The uncertainty now is in the players' mindset and their willingness to put everything into another season when doubts have been raised about the club's direction. We need to play ourselves into form ASAP, or I do fear that we're in for a season of treading water. Clearly we've made our jobs harder but it really shouldn't be the end of the world. A good win on Sunday and I do think we're already moving past this whole debacle.

I'd prefer to make conclusions through the lens of tabloid hacks' interpretation of it, thank you very much.

Fuming if this goes through. I've got a 6-page Elanga thread sat on page 5.

"I've actually got another question..." She's lucky the first one wasn't her last ever in that press room tbh. I've never been one for going in on her (Sunderland connection etc) but she's off her fucking rocker with the Tonali stuff. Wants a proper dressing down off whoever runs those things.

What's your point?

The Ashley era taught us that everything hinges on results. If we beat Spurs things will already be looking up.

This is such a crucial point which hasn't been raised enough in the whole debate. We absolutely have to press on with the academy development. There's clearly some green shoots but even our last DoF said fucking ages ago that we couldn't just keep having spenny transfer window after spenny transfer window.

Where's the contradiction? It's not that there's no money, it's that we've tried to use our money on a few targets we believe in, but couldn't secure them. In that context, you then either spend the money on targets you don't believe in or you take (what they consider to be) the most risk-averse approach and do nothing.

Caught up on the presser, quite a lot to digest but the critical thing at the centre of everything is: this is PSR's fault. You can choose not to buy that, and instead question the competency and the decision-making of the staff involved (and/or deduce that there's disharmony behind the scenes). Or you can take him at face value. We wanted to recruit but we couldn't and - scared by rules which are set out to keep the likes of us at arms length - took a decision in the best interests of the club. I appreciated his honesty about the unsettledness of the players, which is really sad to hear but unsurprising. If that can't be repaired then we really are onto a season of treading water but there's plenty of evidence to suggest it can be. Not least the win the other night.

According to the manager he wasn't the only target.

I'm just theorising, but it seems pretty plausible don't you think?

Obviously we deserve to be communicated with, but I don't for a second believe we need some sort of "we fucked up, please forgive us," message, which was three insinuation the post I initially quoted.

Because we were getting encouragement from the player's side, if nothing else.

I don't think that's an unreasonable concern. It's not unusual for a change in management to follow corporate/strategic shifts. That said, the Chairman still calls the shots as far as we know, and he's always liked Howe, from the word go. Meanwhile the presser soundbites indicate an acceptance from the manager on how things have panned out.

If you believe Howe's presser, we did have flexibility. We were just equally as hopeless at negotiating a deal as we were with Parish. We're not gutless, we're incompetent... that right, General? Sergeant Fry, The Rock, 1996

But in 2021 this summer's frugality wouldn't have been preceded by us spending through the nose transforming the squad and delivering two of the three best seasons in the last 20 years. Frustrating as it is to not improve, we're not actually desperate for signings in order to be competitive. BTW I'm not saying the summer has been good, I just don't think it's been utterly horrendous/a disgrace/a shambles/a shitshow. Notwithstanding the collar on the third shirt. Which is all of those things and more.

I for one am shocked that we identified more than one possible target. We only knew about Guehi cos of the Palace side throwing stuff at Ornstein etc. It raises another doubt about our negotiating skills, mind you... Tosin is the really annoying one. Fucking Chelsea, man.

Meanwhile the rest of the squad have been shown absolute faith by their manager and, you'd hope, are as keen as ever to repay it. There's competition for places in every position too (except probably goalkeeper). Signings are usually a good thing but the squad is in pretty good shape.

I think very highly of him, definitely. I don't think I'm blinkered though; you'll note I've felt pretty relaxed the whole time so I'm always likely to be receptive to entirely fair comments. I haven't spotted the contradictions though?

Definitely; as usual I think he's note perfect. Hasn't patronised the fans whilst also demonstrating support in his own players. Hopefully they continue running through brick walls for him. Personally I'd go to war for those guns of his.

What's the logic to it, do you think? I can't get my head around it at all that, on the face of it, the only position worth pursuing is CB and the only CB worth pursuing in that position is £70m Marc Guehi. I'd just be repeating what I already said in the post you quoted.