Mattoon

Conjecture is opinion in the absence of fact, the fact is the official bid is the same as the verbal bid released by Romano yesterday, Howe spoke about a player that doesn't belong to him, Romano has 100% record for these things. It's an intelligent judgement, only you don't need that much intelligence to put this 4 piece puzzle together, I'm not sure what you're struggling with.

Romano has a 100% record, he deserves to be believed until he can't be. Romano clearly has the inside scope that the £30m including add-ons was verbally agreed and today we've put that in writing to get the ball rolling. Howe has to be diplomatic about it, he wouldn't say anything until it was signed, sealed and delivered. As for Edwards, he was wrong, he didn't know about the verbal agreement and gets to hide behind the fact it wasn't official. But it's a done deal and it was a done deal yesterday.

Was thinking this after the match myself, I wonder if we've turned a few heads of players we've been interested in.

His decision making set him apart today, always been under question but got pretty much every decision to pass or dribble spot on and some great vision also. I hope this is it now and not just a good game in a forest of poor ones.

We took City to the wire and were the best team for a good 45 minutes, feels mental to be disappointed to not have won though. St James' is a fortress once more.

Glorious first half after their goal we completely bossed it. Other than the powder puff shot by Almiron at 1-0 down no one has really put a foot wrong. More of the same please!

We can't really compare ourselves with other clubs until the foundation of other club is present in ours. We're getting there, but first and foremost we have to bridge the gap between an Ashley club and a normal club.

Where are all these doom and gloom, negative NO regens coming from?

I'd love CHO, he's fast, direct and really strong on the ball, has some good levels of passing to him also, still quite a raw talent but think Howe could really develop him here. Wouldn't want to loan without an option to buy though. He's played both wings for Chelsea so an option for left also when ASM takes his winter break.

Perennial bottlers

Nick Pope our motm that says it all, one to forget

All the names banded about last Christmas, big names too and Howe was sat in the small print, nobody can say he was their first choice, for me it was an underwhelming appointment. Hindsight is 20/20 and I wouldn't take a single name on that list ahead of him, not just for the fact of what he has already done and continues to do but that he just gets it, he's our glass slipper. He still has much to prove in the long term, but he keeps coming out on top, he has struck the balance perfectly so far, the fitness, the tactics, the defence, he's not let us down once. He thoroughly deserves this and I hope he gets the benefit of the doubt if the going gets tough at any time for us.

Liverpool could afford to overpay for the right players they had just sold Coutinho for £121.5m different financial clout all together. I'm sure if we had money to burn we would push the boat out a bit further but we're working under difficult constraints. Eddie will get what he needs, it might not be first choice but I don't think we'll "settle" either.

Doesn't even have to be that convoluted, our press only know how to play snap

FFP now /= FFP next year or the year following, there are bound to be numerous sponsorship/partnership deals in the pipeline, commercial revenue has not been explored for over 14 years, we can bring in a decent sum in the next 24 months to offset any additional expenditure surely?

How tf he score from that angle running away from goal?

You beautiful bastard!

So glad I put Mitro in my fantasy football team

Top 10 finish Decent cup run or two A couple of Sky Sports 6 scalps along the way.

There's no denying we have a decent midfield when fit but Maddison sat in front of our 2 Brazilians will take us to the next level, no one in the side is capable of producing that many goal contributions and we're not replacing Wilson, we need a deputy to step in if (when) he's injured. There's no denying it's imperative we get a bench striker or someone on the right that can play forward but Maddison is a no brainer if we can strike a deal. I still think this deal has legs.

The journos have probably been briefed something about £40m but is that the actual pot or is that to temper expectations both of supporters and selling clubs? There could be a number of reasons they've been briefed that or it could be black and white and any additional players will have to be loans, there's only a hand full of people that truly know and we won't know until (a) we spend more than that or (b) the window shuts in September us having spent a maximum of £40m. Let's see how the season starts and where that leaves the owners resolve, also who becomes available as the window gets closer to shutting and clubs settle on their teams and who is surplus to requirements.

How to confuse and rile up the new posters in one post

Not to mention Rogers is a 3 season wonder and always fizzles out quickly after his initial impact, he won't be there next season.