Chez

If only you could combine the two you'd have a proper player.

Alderweireld will want to play for a club going forward. If Morgan and Clyne are sold before he signs he, like some of the players last summer, might take another look at his own situation. Not the only factor of course, but he will want to sign for a club attempting to get in in the CL. Lose Morgan and are we really that club?

wow, is that a true story?

anyone know if we have been receiving a loan fee in addition to the clubs paying their wages, or have the deals been weighted in their favour with no loan fee and us having to pay a percentage of their wages? My guess is the latter.

how do you replace, like for like, the best (or second best if Matic is more to your liking) holding/defensive/central midfielder in the Prem? Very hard. We have had a full season to find the right one though.

I know youtube is an armchair scouts dream, but that video doesn't half show up what we are going to miss.

I agree with you, I can't begrudge him a move, but not because he stayed. He only stayed because he was under contract and we said he couldn't go. He had no choice. He wanted out and he moaned when we prevented him leaving. But I am glad he knuckled down and played well, but that's what we paid him to do. Or was that what you meant: he said he would knuckle down?

almost everybody put in Morgan's shoes would make that move, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. It will be tough filling his shoes. I think United are getting him at very good price. How much did they spend of Fellaini? With the huge rise in prices for players last summer, this feels a fraction low to me for what I would suggest is now a completely proven and outstanding premiership midfielder. Maybe I have rose tinted specs on, but he is will allow the flair players at united or wherever to shine. With the number of times he intercepts balls, they will see more ball than they did last year that's for sure. Schweinsteiger is winding down. Morgan is at his peak. Much better choice for united.

totally one footed.

that money is going to help a great deal in getting hot water to those that need it most.

Agreed. Losing Toby, Clyne, Forster and Morgan will impact our solidity at the back, which has been the foundation of our recent success.

good point. Morgan's own electric page that enabled him to track breaking wingers was also a huge factor in us conceding so few goals. It's easy for fans to see what players can do with the ball, but off the ball work and positioning, that often goes unnoticed, makes the difference defensively. Going back to Clyne, it wasn't just his pace that made him so effective, it was his positioning, judging of distances (that are important when deciding when to leap into a tackle and when to drop off) and his decision making. When to go, when not. Soares looks good on the ball. I hope he has these off the ball elements too.

Not sure I'm `happy enough', but agree there ws very little the club could do. Clyne held (holds) all the cards.

hate seeing our better players leave, makes me think of what might have been in terms of keeping them all and having a wonder side. But having signed him when out of contract it's not really surprising that he would not sign a new deal with us, so getting £10.5m and £2m on the never never is perhaps not a terrible price (it pains me to say that). The value does depends on how well his replacement does next season. I do worry a little. Clyne's pace got us out of jail a lot and prevented pacey widemen from taking the ****. Hope Soares has real pace? Having two fullbacks with realpace is a huge reason why ur defence has been so good the last coupe of season.

if that's the case there's not much time for people to apply, tickets to be allocated and flights get booked.

A whole £500,000. That should make all the difference...

that would be a "not again, you bastard" type surprise. My "you always find street food at its best at the football" line never fails to annoy, not does the trailing around town centres in the midday heat trying to find a ticket for the nights game.

no reason for him to do so. As he has done before he can see the contract to its end and then reap the benefits - so long as he doesn't suffer a bad injury. Players get rich by moving on frees

I'm in Jerusalem in August. When are the 3rd round games scheduled again chaps? My Mrs will get the surprise of her life if an evening out turns out to be a Saints Europa league game.

The only thing he lacks really is pace. He is very slow. That causes a problem because it prevents him from getting close enough to put opponents under pressure, make interception or get tackles in. He works hard, gets behind the ball, but that is it. You have to force errors from opponents by applying pressure when they have the ball. He doesn't do that, making it far too easy for them. Wanyama, Morgan and Cork have all been amazing at doing this. We lose a little defensively when JWP plays, but if he can make up for it by doing more WITH the ball then perhaps it will be a price worth paying.

agreed, but Long was bought to provide back up down the middle to go with his ability to play the wider role, so the manager/club will perhaps increase the number of games he plays

There are a lot,of games potentially next season. We are going to need both players won't we?

Went to see RIDE at the roundhouse a couple of weeks back. Sensational return and one of the best gigs I have ever been to. Just got tickets to see them again in Bristol for more shoegazing.

bloody hard line that. Imagine the stink Clyne and his agent would create if we did that. He would be a nightmare around the club.

interesting point. However, are the other two clubs actually interested? Also, Liverpool seem to have been the kings at securing out of contract players this summer. So perhaps having spunked god knows how much on transfer fees last summer and not done terribly well out of it, they might be using funds differently from now on - i.e. spending their money on huge wages - which enables them to compete with the big four for players like Clyne.