TheBrownBottle

Feels like we’ve needed some good news

He turned down a move to KSA just over two months ago

Yeah, this definitely. It can seem incredibly harsh given just how much effort those two lads put in, but I won't be sorry to see Almiron or Murphy go as footballers. As characters, they're beyond reproach.

Dementia is a cunt of a disease, I've had grandparents suffer it. Awful for his family. RIP Joe. On a far less important note, it still seems unbelievable that he had two spells here. Second time round was just awful, and you could see that the bloke wasn't quite all there. That talkshite interview was a shocker, and it is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) stains of Ashley's tenure that he put that man into the limelight in that condition. Kinnear did what most would do - he took the job. The blame lies with those who appointed him.

I’m sure there’s some retired footballers who’d moonlight as security guards out there …

Yeah, I think I’m in the ‘European football is very much needed’ camp as well. Fans, players, club - most tend to view European football as a good thing

I think that’s a pretty long list tbh - it’s basically all of England’s likely full back options - I even missed Joe Gomez, who made his debut at 20. So of the long list of England’s potential full back choices, 7 of the 9 had made their England debut before Livramento’s current age, and three were playing at Hall’s current age. It is the position I would say has had more young players who were starlets than any other - England has an abundance of quality young full backs.

Didn’t know there was one

It’s been several years since I was last in there, and even that was just for the Odeon. Felt like it was dying even then (mid-10s). I used to go to Go Outdoors in West Denton for walking boots - was dirt cheap.

New store in the Metro then. Feels like a lifetime ago going into the Metro Centre club shop. Wonder when the old one closed?

It is all over bar the shouting, mind. Another year in the lower leagues almost confirmed

Another LB? Don’t see it myself. We’ve got several players who can play left back, and priorities elsewhere

Nah, not the case at all. Even Tino isn’t that young in relative terms. Here’s a list when some of England’s full back options made their international debuts: TAA - 19 James - 18 Walker - 21 Rico Lewis - 19 White - 23 Chilwell - 21 Shaw - 18 Not one of them was an eyebrow-raising debutant at that level. Trippier developed later, certainly.

Yeah, I think so too. I don’t think we need to get rid of Bruno to get a decent budget. Exactly as you said, unless the lad wants to go, then he should be here next season. It is a shame we didn’t try to cash in on the likes of Almiron last summer, but nowt we can do now.

It is - I ballsed up the numbers there. It’s 90% next season squad to income ratio. So £270m for amortised fees and wages.

Ah, forgot about that. There ye gan - plenty of reason to hate the ‘Os’

With FFP, the clubs will have no choice tbh

I think we win this one. Hard to get up for it in matches against them - are Fulham London’s most (only) likeable club? (Damning with faint praise, I know. And I’m sure Leyton Orient have done nowt wrong)

Sela would be in there - an increase of about £20m. No other significant commercial income increases. CL money too, an increase of c.£35m. Each league position is worth around £3m in prize money, so there’s a drop off. The club turned over £250m in 22/23. So around £300m is about right - and given the lack of CL football next season, the adidas deal means that we’ll likely remain at roughly that figure. FFP rules next year are transfers and wages = 70% of turnover. Our book of amortised transfers will be at roughly £90m, as is our current wage bill. Which leaves roughly £30m to play with, unless we sell (Lewis Hall will get added of course). Back of fag packet stuff, but it won’t be far off. This is why Howe was talking about not expecting big deals in the summer. He wasn’t lying. But if we bring additional revenue through sales, at least that will be churned back in. edit: £30m would allow us to buy two c.£50m players including wages of £100k+ per week if amortised over five years. So we will be able to spend. But bringing in money from sales will allow us to spend a lot more.

They’re worth what they can get in the market. Joelinton is on a centre forward’s wage, remember. And as good as he’s been since changing role, I’d be amazed if he could command what Bruno is on at another club. I’d be happy to see him stay, but not at any cost.

Our revenue will have went up on last season, but how much depends on final league position. If we finish mid table, then not by much. It’s still likely to be around £300m, and with next season’s FFP changes we’d likely have around £30m or so for additional amortised fees and wages without selling. So we will likely need to sell to buy if we’re looking for any big ticket transfers.

Yeah, those fuckers too And don’t get me started on vuvuzelas …

Isak is potentially one of those 'generational' centre forwards. He's one of the very, very few I've ever seen in B&W where I could think 'he is / is going to be world class'. The lad could end up being one of the world's two or three best centre forwards in the next couple of years. Hoying him on the wing is crackers.

@Alan Pardew worked when you did this with Cisse, didn't it?

I take your points - and I know you're knowledgeable on this subject - though I will say that governing bodies involving themselves in the commercial activities of clubs since the first decade of the game's formation (Blackburn Olympic's payments to players). This doesn't at all mean that you're not correct in what you're saying - just that it is as old as the game itself