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Team and manager need to get used to more than 1 game a week and while not as prestigious or financially lucrative as the other 2 European competitions by some distance we will still get good money from our home fixtures and a good chance of another cup plus coefficient points to help boost future prize share down the road. While having a reset and going again next year without europe one season will have advantages especially over rivals to the top 6 all playing extra games being in europe one season out next cycle does eventually need to be broken.

Depends if we consider any form of shape change a proper holding DM possibly? This would allow Bruno to stay more advanced as we know he's not blessed with recovery pace. Or if willock goes a more goal scoring /attacking one. Or if we ever want Bruno to get a rest a creative one. Looking at the links so far it appears we want someone young in but not sure if that's based on willock going only or a tonali replacement.

Think people will be assuming one or both of tonali and willock go. Still as you say depends how much we sell anyone for and the other areas that need addressing. If we used all the "profit" selling tonali for instance to use to buy Anderson back is that too much of an over pay or not. Personally think we will be priced out if getting him for 80+ especially if he has a good WC.

I haven't minded Ramsey getting a run in the side but agreed he's so important as a player and a presence on the field.

He definitely wears his heart on his sleeve and leads by example. He's my favourite player as he "gets it" hurts when we hurt and you can tell it means so much to him despite not being from here. The change from the player getting carded for what seemed like every 5 mins with a nasty mean streak is now a model pro even when he's had a bad game it's never for the want of trying the arm band just tops it off. Hes been so badly missed.

Got to be player of the season contender alongside bruno despite his injury issues this season?

It does but doesn't take much more than an educated guess even if we stupid to drop 20m on ramsdale pope will have 12 months left. Even if tonali stays bruno and big joe getting no younger and willock on final year. Osula nearly peddled last summer could get us a profit and even if he stays wissa and big nick haven't worked yet. Trips away and likely krafth goes too means even if tino stays we need cover unless miley is permanent moved there.

Could quite easily be osula out of the strikers most likely to turn a profit and allow us to buy someone to compliment wissa or big nick if we cant shift either of them due to financial loss/lack of interest/age etc

Cheers for that 1881 I still dont get it and never will as I dont have a head for numbers at all. Tried googling SCR idiots guide but seems like main difference is costs on recruitment and fees and wages cant be more than 70% or 85% of your revenue and is assessed every year not an aggregate of 3 years (but assume you can still take your transfer fee spread over the max of 5 years so a 50m player is a 10m a year cost plus wages not in one go on the year they signed). You raise a good point about how they deal with that transition period from one set of rules to another over 2 accounting years hopefully if there is still some profit on the books from the lloyd kelly and isak deal it helps this summer.

This does feel like the end of an era sort of season and while I get your point every club loses players, every team usually needs to make fresh signings we have a crop of players who have been getting 1 year extensions for a few seasons now and finally we are at the point (or at least from what it seems to me) less of a strong argument to keep them and kick the can down the road further added to those now on relatively short term deals do we continue to keep them or do we look to try and move them on. I think it depends on your prospective. the players I already mentioned in my post are squad fillers (certainly the possible released in the summer list minus Schar) but we have all at times said this season our squad isnt deep enough/the quality outside of the first 11 isnt good enough meaning we need to still replace the outgoing players with someone. I agree to a point back 4 (question mark Tino) and midfield 3 (question mark Tonali) pick themselves but we do need to factor in they need competition/rotation options we have gotten lucky that BDB/Thiaw/Botman have not been out all together likewise risking trips and hall going again and again due to lack of alternatives has been good fortune/luck not good squad planning. Also once you had addressed the depth/rotation quality from the end of contract and short contract players you still need to look at this season and say honestly does the first 11 now work? If the answer is yes and the issues have come from the schedule then getting the depth and rotation options is all we need to worry about. If your answer is no we need to find solutions to RW and striker which seen as no one is likely mad enough to give us our money back on Elanga/wissa/ big Nick etc then we either keep them and try and make it work/keep them and make them the rotation option or sell or loan them at a financial loss. Also look at the number of goals we have conceded, the ability for teams to play through our middle even when our preferred players are on the pitch I am not sure its just as simple as less game time next year it will be fine. All of these "problems" and likely solutions involve player sales and player recruitment again it needs to be funded somehow hence why a big sale is likely and I for one dont think a second player sale would be out of the question.

Again I agree it 1 wouldn't be a good look and 2 mad to add more to replace on the shopping list which could already be a busy summer however from a cold business prospective of we need to be actually good at selling in order to help drive recruitment. I dont know numbers and I certainly dont understand the new SCR rules coming into affect but the size of rebuild is massive. come the summer: Lascelles end of loan released free Krafth rumour no new deal so released free Trips confirmed gone in the summer so released free Targett end of loan released free Ruddy kept on to be training keeper? Gillespie kept on again to be training keeper? Schar will he get another 12 months? its debatable how much these players would have played had they all been here and fit all season but thats still 5 squad/rotation options to replace but if they all went the only thing they bring in is the savings of their wages. Final 12 months come the summer (so last chance to sell or accept they could go for nothing) BDB Willock Pope Murphy So thats 4 players who are all considered first team regulars (maybe less so Willock) the fees your likely to get for these 4 are minor at best possibly 12/15m for Willock if he stays fit and someone is willing to give him a chance (still relatively young) Now if Tonali went for say 85m or Tino went for 70m they both need replacing as first team starters lets say you find someone out there for half that sale value? that might leave 30/40m with about 5/6 players to recruit (I am going to assume most of the Isak money went with the 200m+ spent in the summer). Obviously alot of what iffery/assumption going on here other things to factor in: will any of the two lists get extensions will someone not considered likely to go be the one to leave instead will some of the players bought for under 23's be able to fill the gap either as a sellable asset or to step up into the first team squad reducing the numbers we need to buy? if we dont sign ramsdale (please no) we need a keeper if pope is unwilling to be number 2 then we need 2 if we finally release ruddy and gillespie we may need 3 keepers.

With a rebuild looming (debatable how much of a rebuild is needed sure) if we fail to get into europe and the loss of revenue that entails I can see a pragmatic approach/world where it allows us to "go again". Certainly wouldn't lobby all 3 to go for that approach and the narrative of a selling club/stepping stone vibe it would give off. However if the right fee comes in I think the club would listen. With managing an aging squad albeit with good servants but not bringing any fee from them it puts more pressure on selling a high value asset to plug the funding gap. Hopefully commercial deals will keep the club in the driving seat on demanding/holding out for the fees they want in those instances.

When wissa was first linked it was media suggestions of gentleman's agreements and 30/35m to let him go for all hes done etc. At that point hes more versatile than wilson, younger than Wilson and scored more than Wilson the season just gone so seemed like a no brainer. All seemed a bargin the issue is we waited and waited and waited and if it was a game of who blinks first we lost. They got a massive fee for an older player who hadn't been prolific scoring wise up till last season and got every penny they likely originally quoted us. We got a half or quarter fit player who while media duty wise seemed excited and motivated the injury killed all momentum for him. It was and has turned out to be a disaster. Suggestions of clubs willing to take him on loan is like the greek keeper overspend (for different reasons granted) on steroids. Saying all that I get Eddie thinking wilson and rat gone osula not or never will be ready we need a sure thing for one of the forward line spots.

Agreed unless he has a desire to go back to Brazil right now I have genuinely been sucked into his being proud to wear the arm band and be an honorary geordie. Now careers are short and he may want a new challenge but just don't see it. While I can definitely see Tonali away the fee we may demand and he will likely not be in the shop window via the world cup I am not 100% sure he will go. Would he if a offer came in? Probably but hope he understands if he doesn't move he maybe gets in that leadership group and puts his head down for another 12 months. Still think Tino and possibly Gordon would be just as likely to go and raise funds. If all 3 go thats a big rebuild with willock, pope, BDB all on final 12 months come the summer on top of who doesnt get renewed. Still also think one of osula, big nick or wissa also goes to try for a new striker solution.

It's cliche as fuck but every game is a Cup final now. Empty the tanks full commitment use the gap between fixtures to recharge and go again. If we are to fail this season and by fail I mean miss out on Europe it shouldn't be for the want of trying. We also need to stay calm and focused for the full 90 something which has been lacking this season.

Right now it feels like it will offset some of the loss of no European football but I am no accountant and have no clue. While I am sure it doesn't move the needle much it's all more money coming into the club and glad they have changed their mind waiting for the ideal partner and market condition to get one.

Both come with risks samu still out with an ACL and done well but in a shite league. Ramos only turns 25 in June and has done it in the champions league and French league. Depends on the fees we talking about and if they a wissa/osula/big nick swap out or hopefully upgrade.

Don't mind sticking with 4-3-3 if we had the right players for it if tonali goes and we can't shift or stick with big nick a dedicated DM and a number 10 position might work better with who we have. Does all depend who goes though as you do need to utilise what we have too.

For him to stay there has to be an acceptance things need to change. He can't go on about small pool of players can improve us. He can't just do everything the same and expect an upturn in performances. The comment about not wanting a load of alternative plans isn't great as it means your plan has failed but it hasn't been working consistently enough to be our default plan anymore. We need a plan on how to be a side who can cope being in Europe. Alot more growing pains needed I suspect and I am OK that being with Howe as long as change is happening at the same time too. A move away from 4-3-3 definitely needs to be considered depending on who we peddle. Howe right now won't flat out say it's not good enough right now as the timing isn't right with points to play for but I'm sure come the end of the season he would acknowledge it's not been consistent or good enough this season.

I dont think it will be one thing League has gotten stronger. Players who we have are getting older. Managers have seen the "Howe way" for a number of seasons and are coming up with things to unsettle us. A relentless schedule keeping players not at their peak. A unsettled midfield 3. A drop off in wing play leading to losing possession. Drop off in player performances either through too many games or getting older or something else. Teams press us more and the quality to play out the back isn't there.

Agreed the balance of holding on to players too long/past their peak adds to the shortfall in player buying power as they go for nothing or peanuts. While we know we don't want to cycle out our first 11 constantly and want to keep a core squad more player trading is needed to help with the short fall in spending power.

I could see a world where it's Gordon and tino instead depending on Gordons world cup. The price we would likely want for tonali would limit the suitors and I hope hes less of a cunt to accept if he goes it's to everyone's benefit and if he stays he gets in the leadership group and gives us another year at least.

Think Bobby's point is more of one of damned if you do damned if you dont. Even your alternative could be spun to lack of definitive support or backing for the manager.

Hes such a good representative and at times only spokesman the club had that I want to give him as much time as possible. He's a class act and is measured and thoughtful and publicly level headed you want him to do well and become a legacy at the club not a foot note in it. Better the devil you know also springs to mind with no gaurentees you get all of howes personal qualities and a better more flexible player developing coach next. Having said all that the project is at a cross roads first batch and remainder elements of the pre take over squad need replacing. We do not have the biggest wage structure or biggest budget so boxing smart/wheeling dealing is required probably for a good few more years than the club or support would like. After all that waffle above I still can't decide what to do is the metric this season europe or bust? Would clubs looking for their next manager take him in a heart beat despite this season being included in his body of work? I would say yes so maybe hold on to a"good egg" a little longer. If we do though the days of only small pool of players can ever improve us need to be forgotten about we simply don't have the luxury maybe with the exception of the no cunts rule.

Was there not something written by someone he wanted to join the leadership group or did I make that up?