brummie

adds *checks post* M-E-N-A-C-E to list of the doomed.

First time I've seen that. Absolutely spot on. Good old Ozzy and Geezer.

Disclaimer: I only ever buy vintage shirts, because I am a man of a certain age and, well, that's the way I choose to live my life. However, that new home shirt is properly lovely. Shade of claret (often wrong), bang on. Blue, bang on. Unfussy. You think that sounds like no big deal, you wear two colours, black and white. You can't get those wrong. Other colours, you can, and a lot of our kits have done. It is the best one we've had in years, since the Nike early days. Considering the Adidas deal was done late, too, I'm impressed. Happy the kids get what they want for their fortnight in Malia, and we've left the Lonsdale / Slazenger bargain bin days of Castore and *gags* Macron behind.

The phrase "head is turned" is so fucking patronising.

Right back plus another option up front (assuming Duran goes, which tbh, I hope he does)

Bailey having such an insanely good season at RW last year (see my previous posts on here about how Bailey was the only player Emery hadn't improved - how wrong is it possible to be) is a big part of why we are ok with Diaby leaving. It meant that Diaby had to play more centrally, and he struggled in that role. We couldn't make Bailey and Diaby in the same side work, which massively influences the decision re Diaby.

I was hugely surprised when we sold Philogene last summer, he had such a great pre-season. Good to see we're not too proud to go and buy him back again through the clause in his contract (and exploiting the 30% sell-on fee, with it being to ourselves to lower the fee). Impressed Emery has no problem admitting they were wrong.

Random observation, because it isn't a transfer, but it is 'other club', and let's revisit this post in May, but I am calling it now, Morgan Rogers is going to have a fucking insanely good season.

none at all. i think there’s zero chance we’d sell him.

He was pretty average last season. it was also hard to have him in the same side as Bailey. if he wants to go to Saudi, that says a lot about where his head is. bought for 35 plus add ons, sold a year later for 25 profit. I’d take the money. Duran is a promising kid but he’s clearly trouble off the pitch hence Emery and Monchi moving him on. That will be at least 20m profit again. We shifted two kids with a couple of hours first team experience between them for almost £30m. Kellyman we bought from Derby’s academy for 600k two years ago and sold to Chelsea for 19m Our business this summer has been spectacular. I am so impressed by the joined up thinking, we have strengthened and massively improved our PSR position. We are all over the raising funds side. More strength, more depth, PSR problems gone, money in the bank and it’s only the middle of July.

I thought the days of top flight managers leaving club jobs to take the England job were over.

They are, and I don't know about Liverpool and Arsenal, but re Guardiola, City have an enormous, slick off-pitch management organisation in place to support their manager. Even they, with literally unending money, saw the importance of building a big structure to support the team. One of the first things their new owners did was go out and take chunks of Barcelona's management structure and build around it.

Can’t see that happening. For a start, he’s got a broken foot which was bolted together again, lasted two matches and then broke again.

Thinking of keepers in long trousers has fucking triggered me.

That is him. Absolute clownshoe, looked like he sleeps in bushes, like he was wearing the stuff he wears when he's emulsioning or something. I think that Lee Clamp was even worse. Grealish rolled one in past him from 20 yards at The Sty, and it was genuinely the slowest shot I've ever seen, barely reached the goal line but Clamp - in his fucking jogging bottoms - took about 12 minutes from diving to hitting the ground, nowhere near it.

I understand why people use them, but I think the easy interest free route may lead some people, particularly the young, into dangerous levels of debt. Oh, no, hang on.

Even worse - keepers in tracksuit bottoms. We had an emergency loan about 15 years ago of one who wore them, Kiraly I think his name was. Shit. Also, another shit keeper, pretty sure I remember Lee Clamp wearing them whilst playing for our blue neighbours against us a while back. Jesus. He was mega shit.

Yeah, I know. Rodri is just a throwback. Although, being a traditionalist, we really need to see more players wearing long sleeve shirts again.

Rodri does. Why does he do that? Such a brilliant player wears his shirts like he's never worn kit before.

£4.5m tops, mate.

Ah, i see why you would assume that, lack of clarity from me. I wasn't suggesting the upfront bit was anything to do with PSR, I mentioned up front and bonuses to illustrate that the actual fee was much less than what was reported.

I heard - from my often successful ITK contact - that Baeana was the one Emery really wants. If we sell Diaby for some of the money being talked about, I am definitely up for that. If we were then to ship Duran out for that figures he is being talked about, that puts us not just safe in PSR terms, but in an absolutely excellent position.

Not sure why Saudis would owe us any favours.

Rumours we are about to get 65m for Diaby, who we paid £36m up front and £10m in future bonuses. If so, that's a decent bit of business.

Yes, minimum 8.