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Richard Keys is a spanner. He should know better than spreading rumours like that. As for our business this window, we're the pigeons waiting for the scraps from a bag of chips until after the seagulls have their fill. There may be some tasty bits left, but just as much chance there won't. That's our transfer strategy in a nutshell.

The problem is that we or the media started throwing figures about. 70 million, 100 million etc.. Rafa never said he had this much, the club certainly didn't either. We're not broke, but not spending what we don't have yet. Rafa will get the club to spend big when there's no risk of a bidding war happening. When all the other clubs have spunked their budget on ponies we should be able to find some value.

Wonder how much of that is motivation. Let's face it, he's slumming it at Palace. Getting paid yes. But not where someone of his level should be just on the other side of his peak. We were very lucky to have him and I don't blame him for wanting out at the time when he did.

I'd have Cabaye back in a shot but not to play along side Shelvey. They offer similar passing attributes but Cabaye is by far the better all rounder. We do need a striker but even more so of a problem is DM, the difference a Samaris or a Carvalho would make to the team would be massive. If we're holding our own in the middle, means our defence isn't under as much pressure which means we're less likely to give away needless goals. Shelvey is a wonderful passer of the ball, but he can't defend for shit.. never mind Diame or Colback. Hayden is better but still not really that sort of player. Plus at his age it's a massive ask to perform consistently at a role he's not ideal for. I would be very surprised if Rafa doesn't have this as a priority too.

The size of Hanley there! Even compared to LeJeune.. He'd nearly be worth keeping just for the Stoke game. Hes on his tip toes if you look at his feet. Dont know why? Good spot that! ? So he's about the same size as Florian.. who seems to be solid by all accounts. Wonder if we'll play 3 CB's and 2 wing backs during this season.

The size of Hanley there! Even compared to LeJeune.. He'd nearly be worth keeping just for the Stoke game.

Everton fans were probably saying something similar when we took Gosling off them. The world keeps turning. It didn't work out too badly in the end for them.

Maybe Rafa has run the rule over him and decided he's not as good as others are saying? Or it's simply a case of penny pinching and using the funds that will ensure we stay up. PL survival OR Uncertain survival and keeping a player who might become decent in a few years from now? Rafa has shown he can be a cold and calculating when it comes to the best scenario. If an extra 6 million that might pay a portion of a player who will keep us up, he'll do that. If we have a few years of solid finishes in the league we'll be in a different position then to what we are now.

Nah McCarthy is actually a very good midfielder defensively. He tends to hide when his team is in possession though, never seems to want a pass, even though he is decent technically so perhaps that could be worked on. Clucas from what I saw wasn't great defensively but was always making himself an option for a pass off the ball Eamonn Dunphy in the Irish media called him a waste of space and all but suggested he'd conspired to get his manager (Martinez) sacked. Even if there's a snippet of truth in that I'd stay well clear

Thought he asked some decent questions. Very direct in some of them, had done his homework on Mike Ashley obviously

So the same people on the transfer speculation page that are crying about us being relegated with our shitty squad are saying we'll finish somewhere between 6th and 8th ? If we finish in the top 12 we'll have had a decent season. Rafa will want more though so if the squad are capable of finishing higher that's what we'll do.

He's no more than a back up with low risk fee. Can't see how this is a bad move.

Lazaar will be next out. I can't recall ever seeing him play but obviously didn't take to the game here as Rafa had hoped. Unless he was a Carr signing, then it makes more sense.

Latest bollocks is that Rafa wants Theo Walcott..

It's hard to know what's going on but Rafa will be playing the long game here. If staying up means we have a proper war chest next year then maybe the objective is to spend the minimum amount to guarantee survival. The truth is none of know apart from those at the club. All the figures of 70-100m that were talked about as last season finished were hopeful speculation, but it's the yardstick in which we are judging our transfer window by. What's becoming obvious now is that we had nothing near that amount to begin with. So if Rafa knows this and is happy with the situation, why can't we trust him on this? Fuck Ashley and the board, but Rafa I trust.

Can't see us being in for 2, especially with Atsu already in. Murphy would be a replacement for Gouffran. Him or Yoko Ono? I'd take the one that actually supports us any day of the week. Liverpool didn't want to sell him so why change their mind now?

Striker, winger and DM are the only glaring positions we need reinforcements. Rafa wants an experienced goalkeeper then so be it but Elliott and Darlow could manage.

Maybe about 10% of those named? Abraham and Cairney seem as close to confirmed interest as we're likely to get without signing. 90% of the 10% I'd take with a pinch of salt. The Cairney thing, we probably made an offer of 8m and they said 20 and then we said good luck. The managers comments were about flushing out a big cash offer. Abraham I think we enquired about as a back up/squad player. Chelsea want assurances about amount of games being played. We wouldn't give that. So we move on. Of course Rafa would be frustrated. Semedo I think was a stroke pulled by his agent to speed up the move to La Liga. The only ones I truly think we've been in for and prepared to negotiate for are LeJeune, Murphy and Samaris, the latter of which we will at least equal our transfer record for. The rest of our business will be squad players to replace the ones who have left.

The agents do like name dropping us when it comes to their clients potential moves. How many players have we actually enquired about though?

I wouldn't be displeased if we got him. Probably not as prolific as Gayle but enough about him to add something different. Decent pace and good skill on the ball.

Yep. A summer of scrounging. Quite embarrassing really but no doubt Charnley will wear it as a badge of honour that he saved Mike about a tenner by dragging on the transfers all summer.

Siem last man standing! Christ I've missed a notable event. Hope the club historian was there. His heart will go on.

[emoji38] I've got an i7 and it kills that easily. I try no to go on it if I can help it "but , but you work in IT put add blockers on your browser" :lol: Pfft The Chronicle website is Chernobyl for your PC Tbf, I'm against ad blockers as content does need paying for, but that website is utterly ridiculous. Running a website is cheap as chips. There's absolutely no reason to have that level of infestation forced on viewers

Hart move back on now. Us and West Han want a loan. City want to sell or at least have a club pay the bulk of his wages.