sushimonster85

As a player I think Tino would be ready to step up. It's more the leadership we'd lose if Trippier left. I know he has had a dodgy couple months, but he is still one of the most important players on the pitch for us even when he himself isn't playing well. 

16 minutes ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

 

This time last season Miley wasn't on anyone's radar as a first team option.

 

We have 18 months to sort it out

I guarantee you Longstaff will be here for at least another 2 seasons. There's no quick fix to sort out more young players coming through. Either the talent pool is there or it's not. We have bought in a few since the new ownership, and there's loads more investment going into the youth setup, but I honestly think we're still 4/5 seasons away from consistently producing first team level talent. 

1 minute ago, Groundhog63 said:

Tbf I don't think it'll be an issue next season

 

#facupwinners

Season after that? After Miley does it feel like any of the other kids will be ready to.be included in UEFA squads?

Just now, Colos Short and Curlies said:

 

We've essentially replaced him with Miley.

 

It won't be an issue next year, even if we make EC or EL I'd be happy to pad the bench with kids, you're then hoping that 1 or 2 step up enough to sit on the bench in the CL for 2025/2026.

 

Its more important to get a good core of 20, regardless of home grown than to limit that number for sake of one homegrown player

It was an issue this year. We couldn't name a full CL squad because we were short of HG players. If Longstaff went and was only replaced with Miley and Ederson, as it currently stands we wouldn't be able to register Ederson for UEFA competitions.

But introduces the problem of who we play on the right? At least till Jacob Murphy is fit.

Oscar is a massive waste of talent, but seems to genuinely like it in China. Every other star player from the boom period left when the bottom fell out, but he's still out there. 

4 minutes ago, nufc123 said:

Gordon is way above Joelinton right now

To be honest Gordon is getting close to knocking on the door of that elite tier we have of Bruno, Botman, & Isak. If he can end the season with 10-12 goals I'd put him easily at the same value as Botman. 

1 minute ago, oldtype said:

I continue to be puzzled by this narrative. Why do we have to sell one of our best players to “advance to the next stage of the project?” If we sell Bruno for 50m and buy his replacement for 50m how is that helping anything with regards to FFP? Why not just keep the good players we have and spend what we can instead?

It would be a lot more than 50m, but say it is. You sell Bruno for 50, then subtract whatever amount of his original fee was still left to amortised, to keep it simple let's say that's 10m. So you have 40m plus on the book. Anyone you buy you amortise their fee over the length of their 5 year contracts. You could in theory buy 4 50m players, and the cost on the books for that year would only be 40m. 10m for each player, with the rest being amortised over the course of their 5 year contracts (10m per year per player). 

If there are still people ignoring the fact that the ownership have been signalling all season that we're going to need to sell one of the big boys, likely Bruno, to help advance to the next stage of the project then I worry for them come the Summer. Someone is going to go, it's that or the Summer window won't be as big as people are expecting/hoping. 

Aye, Dan Ashworth isn't a scout. There's a few interviews with him where he describes his job as sitting in the middle of the wheel, each department (scouting, data, first team, womens team etc) being spokes that all report to him.

Doesn't that Falk guy have a track record of being a bullshit merchant?

21 minutes ago, Vedder said:

Asics shirts were class designs, better than the NTL era IMO. 

Yep, the first PL shirts with Asics (both home and away) are only beaten by 95/96 Adidas for me. Would love to see a reimagined version of the paint brush blue Asics strip.

I personally feel like clubs should be allowed to go over the allowed loss limit, with the proviso that however far past it they go, they have to put that same amount of money aside. The club only getting access to it either when the club changes ownership, or after a set period of time. 

Essentially you can go say 20m over the limit, but you have to then put a further 20m aside. If FFP were really about ensuring clubs can't spend beyond their means or get left high and dry then that covers it. Obviously we all know what FFP is actually about.

I do think Sky will start to get restless if there are further Jan windows like this. Viewing figures/general engagement will be way down. 

Between commercial partners, and FFP starting to bite even for top 6 sides (Man U and Chelsea both apparently limited this window) I can see a re-jig of the rules in the next couple years. I mean, even just adjusting the losses allowed to account for inflation would be a start. It hasn't changed since it was implemented.

If players keep wanting out 6 months after arriving I'm not sure the Saudis will press ahead with their plans to hoover up all the unwanted big name players. 

People are going to lose their shit when we don't sign anyone in Jan, despite the club continuing to say that we can't. Summer is when it's all going to happen lads, internally this season has been written off. 

1 minute ago, Mountain said:

Phillips is toxic, good to avoid.

 

 

 

 

 

How, exactly?

8 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Maybe a case of short term pain for long term gain regarding this window ?

I imagine this it the thinking. Anything that would have been spent in Jan goes to Summer window, where we already have more leeway, along with the funds from any player sales. Think this Summer could end up being a big one. 

27 minutes ago, gbandit said:

What was brutal about Carroll was the timing at the end of the window, on deadline day and how it went back and forth a few times. Went on my work break and he was “almost definitely staying” came back and he was in a helicopter 

Final kick in the teeth of that day was the club trying to prove they were going to reinvest the money by sending Wigan a last minute big for N'zogbia. 

Aye, you're definitely serious.. despite the fact you have just sent a lowball offer to the one chairman who absolutely hates us (Dave Whelan hated Mike Ashley) for a player who would likely turn down the move anyway because of how he was treated here the first time. Honestly, Whelan should have accepted just to fuck with Ashley.

Emotions/personal feelings don't come into it. If we do sell Bruno it will be to whichever bid we feel benefits us the most. 

4 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Chelsea haven’t breached the rules as yet though.

 

Their problems are coming further down the line - shitloads on amortised contracts for players who aren’t worth close to what they paid for them.  Their wriggle-room will end quickly; they also can’t be finishing mid table forever or else those lucrative commercials start to become less lucrative 

I'm pretty sure Chelsea are severely fucked from next season onwards if they don't get CL.

1 minute ago, TRC said:

Barnes was due back in December we can't rely on any timeline.

Wasn't there a known setback Howe mentioned in a press conference at the time. Unless we get more news like that then I'd still say Feb is a solid bet. 

12 minutes ago, toon25 said:

Let's hope both of those clubs have the fucking book thrown at them (it won't be).

They kind of have to. If it's just a fine then it sets a precedent for clubs like us who would happily break the rules if it was just a fine we had to pay.

13 minutes ago, TRC said:

At the point where I would take Lingard just for an option off the bench

If Murphy and Barnes weren't due back in Feb I'd maybe be there with you. So long as those two see some game time in Feb I don't think we need 'J-Lingz'.