Keegans Export

What's the source? I don't doubt that's what will end up happening if he does stay, there isn’t really an alternative and everything the club & Howe have said publicly has made it clear the door is not closed.

The rest of the week? If you're right on that you can be smug for the rest of your life

He's so good. The way he answers questions (not specifically this one, just generally), I couldn't come up with anything better if you'd given me a month to prepare and could just write it in an email - he's largely doing it on the fly in front of a room of vultures waiting to pounce on any minute slip-up or inconsistency.

We'll see how we do but the fact that we could have got Kalimuendo and Guessand for the prices we're being quoted for Larsen, Jackson, Wissa etc is frustrating. We could have got both and said "Right, one of you is the Isak replacement, the other is the Wilson replacement, go and show us which one you are..."

Suds, Jack Ross and the new set piece geezer reppin' on the big stage

Not a big player... Is Ryan Fraser still on the books?

I've thought for a while that Liverpool were lead to believe that their original offer was pretty close to what we'd accept and were assuming that bid would lead to a negotiation rather than what seems to have been "No, fuck off". Now it's clear they won't meet our price, Isak/the agent are windmilling to try and force our asking price down. Perhaps I'm wrong in giving LFC the benefit of the doubt but it's just a feeling I've had as this has developed.

I feel a statement from the club might feel quite cathartic for the fanbase but probably isn’t the right thing to do. It seems every time Isak's side escalate things the consensus turns more and more against them.

That statement has removed any remaining lingering thoughts about potentially selling him for however much or if we sign X or Y player. He can end this transfer window at any club in the world, except Liverpool.

Absolutely. Let's be honest, if the move to Liverpool was progressing behind the scenes there would be no need to say anything. They don't want to pay our asking price and he's running out of ways to get us to reduce it.

Surprised to see how much controversy there is around that penalty. Yes his arm is by his side, but he moves his entire body towards the ball. As soon as it misses his body and hits his arm, that makes it a penalty. If he'd stayed in an upright position he'd have been fine.

I'm not sure that's true is it? The fee is amortised across the length of the contract so if Tonali was £50m for five years, that £10m/year (plus wages, bonus) is still going to be on the accounts each year until he either leaves or signs a new contract.

Some really good points raised here. Whatever the details, it's blatantly obvious that this has all been a ploy to force our hand and get us to budge from our valuation. Liverpool don't, in my opinion, have any intention of paying £150m for him* Maybe it's them who are orchestrating it. Perhaps Liverpool’s interest is more "Great player, but we'd need a good deal" and the agent has told them "Don't worry, leave it to me". Could be Isak himself of course, desperate to leave for as little as possible so there's more money for his signing fee, salary, bonus... Either way, to me this is all about getting his price down and that's why it leaves such a bitter taste in the mouth. Liverpool could stick £150m+ on the table (they can afford that, both literally and PSR wise) and really give us something to think about. All we've got so far is a derisory bid everyone knew would be rejected and a lot of noise. *this could easily be proven wrong of course

Any idea when the group stage draw is? I know it's a week on Thursday but can't see a time anywhere.

It's an Albany expression.

It's why the Wissa move is so important. If we have a viable, proven, PL-quality striker in the squad, we don't have to play Isak. If he isn’t applying himself in training then he can come off the bench if Wissa needs a rest and nothing more.

Had this penned as a defeat so will take a point. Obviously disappointing not to finish them off but they're still a good side and they were never going to just capitulate. Add Ramsey, Wissa and either Isak or his replacement and we have the makings of a good squad.

Probably just the negative vibes from a frustrating summer coming through but feels like their bench looks considerably better than ours. Add Ramsey, Wissa and Isak (or alternative) and we'd look much more flexible.

On the first point, the main relationship is between Howe and Isak. Whatever is happening at board/Director level pales into insignificance when it comes to brining a player back in from the cold. There may not have been an official statement from Kane (although there hasn't been one from Isak either...) but he didn't need to - he literally didn't play. He wasn't in the squad for their first game, came off the bench in the second then started the third.

Luis Suarez had one of his best seasons after a summer spent pining for Arsenal. He scored 30-odd goals. 2021/22 at Spurs was almost a mirror of our current situation - big bid turned down, talk of a "gentleman's agreement", player refusing to train or play. Kane scored 27 goals for Spurs that season, then 32 the one after that.

The nose I can let slide*, not much he can do about that. The all-white, cap on INDOORS, polo shirt with the collar up - he must be 40 years old ffs... *I could use it as a slide tbf

There's definitely been room left for backpedalling. Injured for Celtic, advised against travelling to Singapore, struggled to cope with constant rumours/reports so didn't feel comfortable training with the main group, head wasn't in the game, now ready to work hard & get back into the side, score goals etc. It's not an impossible task. Anything short of an official transfer request or something directly from Isak himself leaves the door open, even if only slightly. We'll find out soon enough whether he really wants to go nuclear and attempt to shut that door completely.

If we end the window with Ramsey, Wissa and either Isak or an adequate alternative then I think it's a 7/10. Hard to give it any more than that without adding a top level player but I think addressing all areas of need with (at a bare minimum) solid, proven players isn't bad work at all. The Isak situation, as it stands I think we're handling it as well as we possibly can but we'll have to see what happens.

The upgrades from Dubravka, Lascelles, Longstaff, Murphy & Wilson to Ramsdale, Thiaw, Ramsey, Elanga and Wissa is quite considerable imo. Obviously there are unknowns there - Thiaw in particular, but also how Ramsey might fit in - but it's largely what I assumed we would do. New starter at RW, possibly CB and GK, then other options in midfield and attack.

Isak ONLY wants Swedish nightclub slags!