WilliamPS

People are getting confused between cashflow and income/expenditure When you buy a pair of trainers on klarna or PayPal instalments the money leaves your account in 3 monthly instalments but it doesn’t change what you pay overall or how much the shoes cost, it only changes when the money leaves your account. Same with transfer fees - the exception being any performance related payments. For FFP afaik the payments schedule has zero impact, so the outstanding balance on any transfers probably won’t impact the transfer budget at all

It’s never better to go down, it would mean administration and points deduction for them at a minimum Some of our fans thought it would be better to go down under Ashley/Bruce and that was bonkers too. In the championship you have all the same problems and no money

The Times claiming Barca will come in for Bruno. £87m/€100m Be a big headache if true, Barca, Real and City are the only clubs I’d be concerned about an approach from

Agree, and any funds raised would go straight out the door on a replacement, with a big risk the replacement isn’t a success

Can see it, the players have done their jobs and might be on Holiday - however on the Chelsea side they’ll have a load of players just desperate for the season to end, some of them will be planning to leave in the summer too - Chelsea might also fall to bits

It won’t be 5-6. FFP won’t allow that level of spend on the first team at CL quality and it would totally disrupt the group. 3 plus a couple into the development squad who can cover off the bench is pretty realistic. That would be easier for Howe to integrate into the group and probably cost £150m. Likely CM, RF + 1, with RCB being a development squad purchase.

That just leaves Spurs and Villa fighting over the EC slot as the last remaining bit of interest in the top half I’d like Spurs to nick it as they look screwed either way. Villa missing out on the EC would slow their progress down

Not sure I see why Man City would want Rice? Rice is a top player but Man City have they covered For Man City their big signings will be replacements for Gundogan or Bernardo Silva if they leave and Rice isn’t going to replace either.

Few players carrying knocks should be sent of on holiday regardless, including Joelinton, Bruno and perhaps Longstaff Play 5 at the back if there aren’t enough midfielders for the 3. No need to risk longer term harm to players when the job is done.

I think there’ll be a priority order for the signings, probably CM first, and budget might run out before it gets to 5 or even 6 players Even a £150m budget ain’t what it used to be - that might cover only 3 players of the right quality Some parts of the squad will have to wait another year

Squires has been relentless on City, on Abramovich, on the super league etc etc If anything it would be hypocritical of him not to have a dig at PIF/Saudi

Squires has been relentless on City, on Abramovich, on the super league etc etc If anything it would be hypocritical of him not to have a dig at PIF/Saudi

So this transfer i’d like a couple of players in early and quick, followed by a two month long saga transfer with a non update every day in the Ronny Gill and Athletic, plus a random surprise at the end

Now the Europa League list goes in the bin and the club can start to make bids off the CL list

Souness was a *terrible* manager but seems a really decent bloke. Might be old age He’s even a vegan on animal welfare grounds!

Saudis are trying to get the World Cup in 2030 by doing financial deals with other federations they are up against Spain/Portugal/Morocco and Argentina/Uruguay (+ one other) so with a level playing field Saudi has no chance. After Qatar I’d prefer if it didn’t go to Saudi

Midfielders depends on where Joelinton ends up, this season he’s been counted twice - LW and in midfield If the plan is for him to mainly play at LW it’s 3 CMs needed, one probably for development, as there’s only 3 at the club If he’s viewed as a CM then it depends on Howes view of Gordon and ASM as options for LW whether a LW is needed. Really don’t want to see Isak shunted out wide next season

Hadnt realised how ridiculous the cash split was It will take years to build up the revenue streams at the club but the important thing is it’s started - and going straight into the CL is the fastest way to grow

He is such a fanny, whoever he is

Both teams have roughly the same number of points this season, they are roughly equal

This buy to sell model has worked for short periods for various clubs - problem is it gets harder every year. the clubs they sign from demand bigger fees, your scouts get poached, and if you make a few cock ups youre lumbered with players you can’t shift and you miss out on the massive transfer fees that fund the club. It’s very very difficult to find a Mac Allister every year; Leicester never found another Kante, Southampton never found another VDV Brightons challenge is to do what Leicester and Southampton failed to do and transition to a EL team that can keep good players permanently and just occasionally lose a star.

With ASM unfit, the two Joes needed in midfield and Gordon not firing he didn’t have much choice. I don’t think it was an experiment as much as working with the squad available. Today it was really a choice of Isak or Gordon starting left. Hopefully by Thursday the options look different

Almiron and Wilson were probably just knackered. Almiron is still on his way back from injury

A whole generation have missed out on what’s it’s like to be in the CL and watch your team take on the best teams in Europe. I was lucky enough to go to a fair few of the games in both the previous stints and it’s pretty amazing to watch Newcastle play the very best teams from Europe. The PL wasn’t as dominant in those days so I guess the balance of quality is a bit different but still - it would be class.

I think it was Danny Finkelstein who did an analysis of this and the ‘on the beach’ effect and got the same results- teams tend to lose against the teams above them as they just aren’t as good, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s the first, tenth or last game of the season