Shadow Puppets

It’s “market rate” in a market that is completely fucked and skewed in the direction of the clubs that PSR doesn’t affect. There are literally 7-8 teams in world football that can pay those types of wages.

But if we literally can’t afford to? Then what? I’m sure if there was no issues with PSR etc, we’d already be offering those kind of wages.

From the clubs perspective, they may feel that he will leave next summer anyway, so why pay him another £100k a week when he’s already paid well and will want his “elite club move” soon. But if there is any real belief that Alex would like to stay long term, then of course he deserves his pay rise. £300k is fucking stupid though. But it’s Alex Crook, so file it under completely made up nonsense.

One of Eddie’s most interesting quotes yesterday was that it’s important to get the squad in a good shape (squad size / transfer wise) in the week leading up to the start of the season. So it sounds like every effort will be made to get a couple of signings minimum in in the next 3 weeks.

Have you watched Howe say these quotes, because the video seems pretty innocent to me? 🤷‍♂️

Yes

Why cherry pick half a quote? The first half should read “Yeah, absolutely”. That sounds pretty good to me 🤷‍♂️ The second half sounds like a usual caveat you’d get in any situation like this 🤷‍♂️ Really think this forum and the internet in general are glass half empty at all times like.

Exactly. And exactly. Struggling mentally to deal with the speculation, and having your head turned are two entirely different things. Personally, I don’t believe he wants to leave (but he or his agents may want a big new contract).

He said sent home. From Glasgow or from Austria on the way back?

Was he “sent home” from Glasgow? Or did he just not travel to Glasgow from the training camp. Waugh doesn’t seem to think he travelled at all. None of it is ideal, but it’s not overly worrying to me. What can I tell you… I try to look for the positive rather than jumping to the worst possible scenario.

Who said it’s normal? It’s clearly not normal. Also, it’s not necessarily particularly worrying either.

The context doesn’t really make much difference to my opinion because to me the context isn’t particularly clear. He was sent home because he wasn’t going to be playing anyway, and Eddie didn’t want the speculation around him to be a distraction? He was sent home because this week has been fucked up and has probably had a mental affect on him… doesn’t mean his “head has been turned” but maybe he would just benefit from being at home. I’m not seeing any definitive explanation to suggests his head has been turned. It’s a possibility sure, but so are numerous others. I’m not seeing any definitive explanation that suggests he wants away. I’m in the camp of appreciating the honesty from Eddie and still feeling optimistic that he stays (I know first hand how much he loves it here). My only qualm isn’t with Alex, but I have heard a few rumblings over the last few days about his agent kicking up all of this fuss for a bigger pay day (for them). I think and hope it will lead to a new contract offer from us. (That’s how I read the “careers are short quote”)

Ok. I’m clearly in the minority, but watching Eddie’s presser it seems pretty honest to me. Obviously not an ideal situation but nothing he said or implied particularly makes me worry about him leaving. I mean, he clearly says he will travel to Singapore and he’s confident he’ll be here at the end of the window. My guess, though, is that we may need to put our money where our mouth is, not necessarily on Alex’s demands, but his agents.

Whats wrong with that quote like? As always, I’d expect that watching Eddie say it will be absolutely fine… but just reading it makes it seem more negative than it actually is.

Real insight into posters’ mentalities this. To me, that all reads perfectly fine. He wasn’t going to be playing, there’s been speculation, so just leave him at home out of the way of prying eyes. Eddie couldn’t really say anything more confident of him staying, could he?

Why?

Plenty of clubs are taking an age over transfers this summer, to be fair. From the news breaking to Liverpool actually signing Wirtz was 3 weeks. Man Utd have just finally landed Mbeumo. Arsenal have taken weeks and weeks over Gyokeres.

In Luke Edward’s defence, if Trafford has been telling every man and his dog that he’s joining us, that’s very similar to the situation last year with Guehi. Obviously neither of which have come off as yet, but you can see why a journalist would run with the story.

Isak 100% does not want out. His agent, on the other hand, may be trying his luck for a bigger pay day, but Alex loves it here.

I’m not sure what’s happening with this one or how accurate the reporting is, but reading between the lines it sounds like we thought it was basically done a couple of weeks ago, until Burnley have got wind that City would be willing to pay the £40m buy back and moved the goalposts.

Nepo baby? Someone who’s worked with Eddie for years very successfully?

Is the CL font different from the Club font? They’re only selling the Club Font with Champions League patch in the online store.

🤣 I mean, we absolutely don’t have a “major issue”. Nonsense.

Have they? We know that for sure? Even if they have, it will have been for one reason (maybe two)… Because the clubs were battling with have more spending power and can offer astronomical wages in comparison.

Have you watched him say those things? He looks, at the very worst, mildly frustrated.