thenige

Shows what strides we've made when I'm struggling to believe that any of those strikers would move to us by choice. Maybe Rhodes, but the rest are either at a club near enough on par with us, or the players have far better options.

The club maybe but here's hoping a few of the players show a bit of ambition to improve. Those like Aarons who could go on to have top careers if they're not 'Pardewed' by a shoddy coach/manager.

Hope he can play CB.

Actually sounds half decent from that BBC article.

Could ask if they've ever thought about refunding money to fans after shocking away performances? The game at Southampton last season and the two away cup defeats at Brighton spring to mind.

We offered him a new contract so if anyone else wants him we'd be owed a fee. Can't imagine they'd be silly enough to offer him anything more than the relatively low wages he's on now. All you have to do is match current wages (or exceed of course) to be owed money via a tribunal.

There's talk Freddie Woodman may be joining Leyton Orient on a season loan. Would make sort of sense if his Dad is moving down to Palace as well, them both being based in London.

Ah yes - Keegan's second spell. Terry Mac is probably rummaging through bins somewhere. Now working at Liverpool as part of the hospitality team. Good article about him here mind - http://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/05/25/terry-mcdermott/

On Football Manager it's always really easy to get amazing staff who are unattached, so balls to paying compensation for anyone.

I can't believe so many people are kicking off about a player we're probably not going to sign, as our record for signing people for actual fees when they don't have release clauses is horrendous.

The Evening Standard is absolute toilet. It's practically a sister paper to the Daily Mail. Avoid avoid avoid.

We'll probably end up spending £25m. And end up getting about £30m back for Cisse, Krul and Sissoko when they're sold just before the season starts. Guess who wins again?

Would be amazed if he joined us or Palace to be honest. Can see him joining a mid-sized Champions League side where he'd start in midfield, perhaps someone like Galatasaray.

Dunk is a good player. Went a bit off the rails after being charged with sexual assault (was cleared) and came back into things much better this year. Was one of the stand out players in what was a pretty poor season for Brighton. Is a big guy who is very strong in the air. Would be a hell of an improvement on the 'big lump' style defender ala Williamson.

Well the fee will be decided by tribunal unless they come to terms beforehand - I'd be amazed if it's anything less than £5m.

Yeah God forbid we go out and sign a young hungry player looking to improve himself. Let's sign Ashley Cole from Roma instead and pay him £120k a week.

Just wish we'd sign some defenders as our defence is just so bad in terms of first choice players (Janmatt excepted). Haidara needs a lot of convincing before he's first choice and Dummett would be better employed as a backup CB if we bin off Willo, Saylor and potentially Colocinni. Still have no RB backup as Saylor is turboshit there. Lascelles battling with Dummett for third choice and two more CBs. We actually have a base to build from of players who are capable of passing the ball and starting from the back, things would look a lot brighter and be far easier for those further forward.

Can't be bothered to be miserable for the entire pre-season, may as well wait until the season starts proper so voted wait and see despite not exactly being enthused by McClaren's appointment.

One of those articles claims £40m on six new players. That's a massive £6.7m per player. The quality of players that money tends to buy will definitely move you from 15th to 8th Don't forget to take away money for the wages. And agents fees. If we're planning on spending £40m on half a dozen players it'll be more bargain basement rubbish. £6m only buys you a Rivière these days Graham Carr. It would have also bought you Aaron Cresswell or Ayoze Perez with change to spare. There's players out there available for cheap enough if you look in the right places. Would be delighted if we went out and spent around £6m on someone like Tyrone Mings.

Richards coming from Man City would probably still want silly money and a huge signing on fee. And as others have said, I'm just not sure he has the brain to be a consistent top level footballer. Thankfully we're not really a consistent top level side and he can't be much worse than Willo. Would have preferred we didn't bin off two decent defenders to Serie A last year tbh.

Not a bloody clue how this is going to work on Football Manager.

Imagine it's something to do with the permanent registration not going through until the transfer window re-opens.

Seems like a lot of people posting here are willing to give the club a fresh chance, simply by a well-known liar saying on TV saying he'd spend some money and the club appointing a sacked Championship manager. Seems bloody strange to me.

Just reading our list of managers in our lifetime is such a depressing read. Just some absolutely horrid appointments in there, Keegan and Sir Bob aside. Dalglish was a good manager at the wrong time and the rest were generally shit, even if some of them were fairly likeable (Hughton). Why on Earth we'd expect them to break with convention now is beyond me. I can't remember the last time we found someone who was doing a very good job as manager somewhere then gave them the job. Is that so difficult? I honestly can't remember us doing that ever. How depressing is that?

Horrific luck with injuries but really didn't think he was good enough when he first signed. Seems a canny enough lad mind, and reckon he'll find a lower league club and have a few seasons yet.