Abacus

It did feel like the only reason for our interest to be leaked was as a bargaining chip. I blame Jack27

Yeah, I agree. That rivalry is in the blood, and you can't switch it off to be a rival of someone else or else football dies a bit.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Well, completely new frog avatared member, what do you think of all the cost cutting stuff? (I've no idea why both this and putting new skylights into the training ground offices were the main story on the Times sports pages today btw) On the one hand, I think taking out unnecessary back office waste always has to be a good thing. You can question the way he's doing it maybe, but not the general idea. But then, we had an owner like that and it turns out he ran our club like any of his other businesses, without understanding the sport at all and look where that went. Initially, I was fully supportive of him driving hard bargains and cutting out unnecessary stuff too. If he does that on the football side too though, that's a worry. But not for me obviously . Basically, are you worried he is just another Glazer? If he's prepared to leave the football side well alone to people that do know that side of it fair enough. But in which case, why attempt to penny pinch for months over Ashworth whom he surely needs? Time will tell if he can keep his hands off once they're in place, because to me there are a few things he's not showing the best judgement on in his public utterances.

No, but they finished 10th, and might think they could sneak 8th one year. It's the only reason I can think a few mid table clubs might like the idea or vote for it.

Yeah, I read earlier that Man U are confident that by Ratcliffe removing himself from the Nice board the issue gets settled. I'm not fussed either way, since as has been pointed out, it just means them and Chelsea swap competitions. Was thinking earlier about Villa's proposal to raise FFP limits for European teams, and why Palace might be for it. All I could guess is they'll be thinking that if English teams do better in Europe next season, there would be an extra European place for the PL next time, which they or another mildly ambitious team might have the chance to get. I still think it's a worse idea than just raising the FFP limit for everyone. That way also, promoted teams might have slightly more of a chance. Which itself is a worse idea than just scrapping the whole fandango and starting again.

Whenever a deal is reported as close, but then it isn't essentially done and other rumours emerge, there's a feeling you are being used as a bargaining chip. Who would have leaked it? Doubt it would be us. Can't see why Fulham would either, since he's off on a free. Could be wrong and usually am.

Under managers both teams have dumped, or are likely to, to be fair. I do get why a player waits for all offers though and joins for his own reasons, of course. If those reasons for joining us aren't good enough, then qué sera.

That's how I'm reading it based purely on that tweet, and also assuming it's right. Happy to be corrected. But in short to your question, in my personal opinion no. Edit - sorry, I should take this to the FFP thread, but agree we need a RW.

Sorry if answered elsewhere. Let's say you're at exactly your FFP limit now to the penny, so you need to sell to buy. That year runs to 30 June for all clubs. When you sell a player, all that income comes in the year, on the exact day, you sell them. So if you sell a player on 30 June, that income counts this year. But you sell on 1 July, it counts next year. Buying is different. You buy a player for £30m on a 5 year contract, and they cost you £6m per year, is how we're used to seeing it. What he's saying is, the cost is actually spread day by day depending on when you make the signing. So, on 30 June that £6m a year doesn't hit all in this year. Only one day's worth does. Leading to the ridiculous situation that you could sell one player for £30m on 30 June, and buy 365 other players at £30m each on the exact same day, and it would make no difference to this year alone from an FFP point of view. Or just buy one £10.9 billion player. You'd be stuffed next year, but there you go. If true, so many ways this could be exploited, so up to and near to 30 June becomes critical, particularly in terms of sales. Looking forward to Jim White getting his transfer clobber on to celebrate Sky Accountancy Deadline Day on 30 June.

Man U deserved it today, in fairness.

I'll start. Bloody Eddie Howe not phoning Pep yet

Rooney can't even put a tie on properly

I don't really know what the ten Hag situation is going to do for their players. You'd think it would be a mess, but on the other hand will they be playing to impress the next manager, especially the ones who don't like him?

This has to be down to Poch more than Chelsea. Was reading that he wanted more control of transfers (you can hardly blame him given their previous scattergun approach) and they said no, hence they agreed to part ways. I imagine he scarpered from the mess. You also wonder what room they'd have anyway given all the hotel / training ground stuff. But he's proved himself to be pretty decent pulling that lot round from the rabble they were early in the season, albeit with some talented players to work with. What decent manager goes there now, given it seems they need CL as the target for their finances, but then you don't get enough say in transfers to guarantee it? Watch them try to sell Connor Gallagher to themselves now.

It's £100m now and a pristine lawn

Could be. Or, that we're supporting anyone who wants to push that arbitrary boundary. Or, that we've got a transfer target in mind and want to break it. Or, that we want Villa's support in future votes. Or, that it's completely made up.

Agreed, but on this point I think it does the exact opposite. "I know, so as to maintain your dignity we'll make you run across the pitch in front of a baying crowd for it to be pointed out in front of everyone as to how you've been a knob."

I understand and have some sympathy for the perfectly reasonable objections to VAR, not just the inconsistency but most particularly the impact on fans experience. However, it's not going away for international or European football, so it's going nowhere and we might as well get used to it. So it's going to be about refining, while accepting it's never going to perfect with human beings in charge. Train them better, tweak the rules, each year and carry on. I did wonder if we'll get to the point where some sort of incorruptible AI could be fed all the rules and have access to all the camera angles, to make decisions in seconds. But then there'd be no point even having the poor ref in the first place and it's probably not as fun shouting at computers.

Interesting snippet at the end that there is apparently Saudi interest in Dubravka, so a new keeper likely on the way.

What a mess. It seems that there was a general panic after Abramovic was sanctioned, and that by Chelsea self reporting alleged prior breaches (still not dealt with), that the PL were clearly asleep at the wheel then anyway. FFP rightly allows you to spend what you like on training facilities etc for the development of the club and the sport in general. But unless you value the training facilities as development land (the opposite of what FFP was supposed to achieve for the sport), it's hard to see what other independent value it has, or how this is a good look no matter how you try and slice it. The hotel thing I could sort of understand, not that it's been approved so far anyway. But this would be nonsense. Well done on showing how you can regulate yourself PL, even just to the point that clubs are trying this sort of thing. I wonder if they ever replied to the select committee asking for more details about what Masters was specifically whingeing about when he claimed with no examples that having one could wreck the sport. I'm ambivalent to the idea personally, but they aren't half making the case for it themselves.

It would be pretty farcical if this was allowed. Well done in that case for sustainability by encouraging clubs to sell their own assets (i.e. the ones they are actually permitted to spend money on like training facilities) to another group company to make a short term profit for playing staff. And what would be the fair market value of that specialist asset?

I think we'll be really frustrated after the Brighton game, even though it was hardly a disaster, and will look to take it out on these. Two teams with patched up defences, but we'll have had that extra day of rest. Hopefully Isak is well and firing as I can see both him and Bruno having points to prove - Howe and the management as well for that matter, after Ratcliffe and the constant gardener's antics.