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Haha no just the value quoted in transfermarkt rather than what they spent to assemble the squad as I don't know just heard from supporter at work it might have been 7.5/15m

Despite the narrative of one of our players being worth the same as their entire squad (transfer market has their squad value under 90m and ours around 600m). Despite that they COULD of competed for every first and second ball, tried to hurt us with pace, tried to go after BDB on the wing, try to limit our time on the ball etc etc none of that needs 40/50/60m players to do so as demonstrated this season for us many times away from home. It simply didn't happen now part of me is pleased they didn't try and just kick us off the park but it seemed so easy to nick the ball off them without them trying to draw a foul. Nievity? Arrogance? Pride? Just not in them? No clue to be honest I know nothing about their side. Not going to say I was full of confidence going into it and said that to the 2 or 3 at work who are proud enough to admit they are sunderland supporters. As Howe was trying to say post game it was more for the supporters (didn't agree with BDB saying fans would rather beat Sunderland than going through champions league). It's a big fixture on a season full of big fixtures. It may well benefit as a spring board but shouldn't define us as a side. If we get hammered in the next 2 fixtures it won't be in my mind at least we beat Sunderland.

Hope it's a knock he can shake off. Stop start season for him with these niggly injuries but when your not playing with a DM having a big physical battering ram who still has a lovely touch is much needed. Longstaff just falls down and Miley still feels very light weight at times so not surprised we struggled for that period as he came off and we adjusted.

Nice to see him smiling while playing appreciate its not a laughing matter when we getting beat but did seem like he was playing with less weight on his shoulders. I hope they all do from a "stop the rot"/ back to winning ways prospective. As Howe said last season winning breeds confidence. Still prefer him as our captain and he was a level head today.

With Phillips if the press are to be believed 5/7m loan and 40m obligation to buy is just a non starter for me. 28 barely played in 2 years no garentee right now we have Europe next season so may not have as heavy a fixture next season. Easier said than done but saving it for two raw 20m sort if raw/rough diamond types would be just as risky but potentially more lucrative. The desire to bring the age of the squad down and while we shouldn't care at the money budgets need to be managed thanks to FFP. Appreciate the want for it now to plug an obvious weakness. Maybe the club hope 1. The player pushes for it or 2. Lack of alternative exit for him gets us a more favourable deal late in the window.

Not read every page sorry but the camera going to Pickford was a small highlight after how he went on in the Everton fixture. Did anyone get a screen grab?

When his passing is off and he can't hit the ball cleanly when in front of goal I do honestly just think passenger, love local lads to inspire our academy that there is a chance you aren't here just to be farmed for ffp he is definitely a position to be improved upon.

Quite sad as I appreciate the goals but liked him coming over to "defend" Gordan shows a bit of metal and fight which while I don't want to see at all times is nice to show its in there.

Whats our results without Bruno playing? while 100m could be spun into 300m+ worth of spending it would leave a gaping hole in how we play. The only good news is while he may well be a casualty of the next step in the squad at least we know its all getting reinvested.

Possibly they have alot of first teamers probably still surplus just from the current regime the issue for Chelsea now is the players they brought in they spent big on so not as many bargains anymore. Assume Gallagher is youth set up pure profit so sell for 40 amortised gives them 200m to spend again. Spent wisely it can be transformative but as we know it's Chelsea we talking about and will most likely get pissed up the wall on the latest shiny new thing unless it gets them a top striker with it.

Or saves us a few quid does minteh have the potential to save us spending 40m+ on someone or a bumper profit on a 6/8m outlay. Obviously need those consistently to help with the books.

Nail on head really some haven't been here long enough to be worth much more or would cost more to replace than what we had in the original player. Miggy 20m player probably worth next to nowt on our books even if we got 20 or 25m for him it's a 40/50/60m spend to replace and upgrade him. Longstaff is all pure profit but then you lose a home grown player. Effectively its going to have to be botman or bruno who are most likely to attract big fees for who can then go towards replacing them and one or 2 more players in the squad.

Unfortunately even if the club planned ahead by leaving some of the summer spending just gone in the tank for January it wouldn't be a mini rebuild levels by any stretch. Least come summer we will have the champions league money, adidas money and any other stuff that have yet to be announced. Assume we also get a % of the fan zone next year too. Issue is longer term say worst case we don't qualify for Europe this season and spend big in the summer using up all this extra income stream money and don't get into Europe again we back to being ffp tied and effectively skint.

According to the club they brought forward summer plans to bring in Gordon so while I love shiny new players in the summer it maybe the compromise instead of panic buys and stop gaps we bring in a player in a position we were going to in the summer anyway.

I know its just that there are billionaire owners in the league and the reason we hear ffp this ffp that is because we haven't used player sales to balance any books. Sure I read somewhere that 10 players were out of contract in the summer we can't let them all go for nowt as we don't have the funds to replace them. We are in a rubbish sort of impass where who would sell for good money would make the first team suffer but player trading is going to have to come. I would love to see what an unfinancially hampered transfer window would look like but there are pros to taking your time and building.

Agreed but not alot of clubs spend 300+ million in a few windows with around 40m in sales it is unsustainable however the club know this hence the sponsorships so far which have to increase ffp limits and offset lack of sellable surplus to requirement players.

It's been more of a comment/point made in a few pressers. Howe has indicated that due to the fixture schedule they haven't spent time working on things on the training ground with the focus has been on recovery ready to go again. Think the lack of a full squad has meant a team vs a team in training is impossible, Howe also said a few times last year they train like they play which I would imagine is impossible when handling knocks and fatigue.

If Barnes was to allow competition for places at 2 in every position then leaving Murphy and miggy to the other side as they had been "standout" good in one single season is now looking loyal and foolish. Yes we also have to react to the market and yes them getting relegated maybe made the decision easier but we hardly stole him price wise was Barnes 38m? Only the prices chelsea were splashing on premier league players making that seem cheap. At this stage we arent going to have 2 elites in every position and there will be a drop off but leaving that side with no new signing has now appeared to have been a mistake.

Was asked about it a few pressers ago can't remember which one but said he was going back to see the specialist as his recovery had "slowed" not seen anything since.

makes sense we are in less competitions and Tonali and Pope are only ones guaranteed to extend beyond end of Jan get any more long term ones changes things unless its loans with no obligations to buy it comes out of the summer budget and Jan isn't good value so can see why the club may not want to rush in. its the tight rope every club has to walk do we have enough for the season and will our rivals do more than us to get an edge of the second half of the season. I think if we were injury free I could see us skipping this window altogether. I did find it funny in the presser one idiot asked with people coming back now do you think you will be letting fringe players go, even Howe laughed and said no departures considered.

Nowt much, asked about ramsdale and phillips by name directly said wont talk about individuals and said dont expect movement early on. To me sounds like either misdirection or the club expecting to try and get players towards the end of the window depending on our own injuries rather than a quick reaction day 1.

Not giving him any excuses but part of it is down to the want and desire to play it out of the back from teams in general now gone are the days where many defenders want to just knock it into row Z which we have benefited from mistakes like this greatly this season and last. Headers I feel are hard to predict with great accuracy where they are going to go due to the risk of not interpreting the speed and power of the incoming ball and the fact your head isn't a perfect shape it can graze or come off anywhere, I know heading is an art form but can at least see how was trying to get it back to the keeper. Hindsight he stabs it over the line for a corner and we try and defend that instead., I hope its just bad luck and not something we need to worry about longer term he has been mr reliable for so long.

I love him and what he has achieved so far with us but we simply wont be able to "blow" teams away as often this season multiple factors obviously not going to be able to prove this but my penneth worth injuries - this is and will be the continued issue until at least Feb and to be honest even Howe has finally acknowledged we are asking these players to go again and again this runs the risk of them breaking down. more games (for this stage of the season anyway). being found out slightly by opponents potentially mentally more pressure possibly through self set expectations - last season it was 1 game at a time now its well you did that last year how can you push on this one it will add a "weight" to the team. issues still breaking through a stubborn defence individual player dips in form as they haven't been able to maintain what they did last season (individuals over performing not just the team collectively doing so) due to going so much I wish there was a plan B a "different way" to win all for having an identity and a playing style but right now its risky even trying to carry on implementing it defending for our lives with out own low block hasn't worked this season as some form of alternative. I hope we do spend in Jan while I see the argument for keeping the money for the summer not sure we want to risk not getting a place in europe next season as it may well hamper who we can attract next season.

Nah pads holding up OK thanks 😊

Howe said in the press conference that an "illness" is doing the rounds both debravka and him have had it so hopefully just that