CB Fry

Show me where Blackmore has said JWP is "definitely" staying? I would think Blackmore would agree with the analysis of the situation you've just laid out (he has said as much on twitter and broadcast) - so why are you allowed to say it but if Blackmore says the same thing he's a "stooge" or a "mouthpiece". Are you a club mouthpiece now?

In summary you believe the source that backs up your already existing "we're going to sell everything because we're useless and shit with no ambition" position. If Blackmore was a "club stooge" then he'd be tasked with "softening up" the fanbase in preparation for this inevitable sale. So I don't think you understand what a "stooge" is, you just don't want to believe he's not being sold.

Memorial in Woolwich, put up 6 years ago. Why the ....dots...?

Recycled from The Athletic earlier.

Isn't that what the recruitment department are doing for 10 months of the year ahead of each summer transfer window? We're now making out someone walked into their office on Thursday morning, announced to them that we've sold Ings and they all spat their tea out in shock?

It feels like Armstrong prefers to go to Palace so whatever our "take it or leave it" offer is just the usual performative "we tried our best" routine.

A vague article setting up some ifs, buts and maybes hardly justifies "boom". On the two main strikers we've been talking about it doesn't feel were anywhere near signing either. Let's wait until we actually sign someone.

Send one thousand pounds to my lawyer in escrow immediately.

I'll give you another "Premier League quality squad" including Antti Niemi, Jason Dodd, James Beattie, Peter Crouch, Claus Lundekvam, Rory Delap, Matt Oakley, Kevin Phillips, Anders Svensson, Fabrice Fernandes, Graeme Le Saux. If you've decided Tella and Perraud are already Premier League quality then we can be as optimistic about Prutton and Higginbottom as well. Plus Quashie, Bernard, Redknapp and Camera. Plus we've spent big on Van Damme and Jacobsson. All way too good for the Championship, that's for sure.

Errrr, right you are. We've finished 17th, 16th, 15th in the lat four seasons, with really just the one "good" season (11th) amongst that. We have a handful of genuine Premier League quality players, were we're not some super squad. You'll have to remind me how "Premier League quality" we were in the half season since January. At that's without us getting all nervous/jittery/etc in front of full stadiums again. Remember that? Unless we sign a couple of miracle signings who genuinely take the roof off we are in the relegation mix for certain and then just a case of whether we can scrape up. I accept we might do that, its not impossible. By all means be all jolly and confident but please don't try and intellectualise your own optimism. Fundamentally, we're shit mate.

No one has agreed that. Its obvious we will and I see absolutely no one at all saying we won't sign anyone. It's pretty easy to envisage that we will sign some players but still be in the relegation mix and perfectly possible to be relegated. Sheffield United signed a twenty plus million pound striker and went down abjectly last season.

100%, not joking this time. Of course we could never ever have their manager at our club because he said dat fing about us once.

I wish we were Leicester.

Either 17th or 20th. Right now feels like 20th.

How do you know if he is good at finishing or not if he is never in the right position to score?

It wasn't that long ago that you were dismissing The Athletic reports of Ings not signing his extension as just one story and probably not true because journalists, like, make it all up. So maybe let's not trust your analysis too much. Egg and the others are right, from the situation we're in, we've got the second best outcome which is an inflated fee (and some time to spend it). Ings has definitely not got his first choice outcome, because he's gone to Aston Villa. We've got the opportunity to replace with some cash, Ings has got the opportunity to chug about at Villa who will likely doddle about mid-table, with a huge amount of pressure on the manager to make this team work. But Ings' Bank manager is happy.

Speaking personally, I was incredibly disappointed that when Perraud signed and he did his quotes for the Saints website he didn't spend most of the time talking about how brilliant the fans at Brest were and what a great club he had just left and expressing gratitude for the time he spent there. Hopefully this will be rectified for future signings.

Probably for the best. I think it had run its course. Now, on to business. Can everyone email their sort code and A/C numbers to cedric-barabas.fry@wannadoo.net I'll sort you out for a grand each. First ten responses, mind. I'm not mental.

Exactly - would be so horrendously over priced for what he is. And to be honest i think he'd also then struggle with going into a club as a £40m man or whatever. I cannot think he would go anywhere this window - worth far too much to us compared to what any sensible club would pay.

Not sure signing a 26 year old from the Bundesliga, with some experience in the Premier League is really "scouting" to be honest. But I agree it doesn't feel like a particularly adequate replacement. Palace fans will probably have a good old laugh if we signed this guy and they get Armstrong.

Exactly, not sure if was worth posting up.

I'm really nervous about dying here. I'm so scared. Why can't you see it in your heart to help us?

Where is this? Not seen it.

100% agree and this is where Villa have done great - they've put themselves on the front foot by getting some big signings in before the ink was dry on Grealish. It would be nice if we could do that kind of thing once in a while.

I think exactly this - Villa need the PR win post-Grealish, we've got more money than expected. I think the club telling Ings "we've sold you, my son" has changed the dynamic somewhat. That's where the bad feeling has come from. We've bundled him off. I think Ings and his people probably thought they were in control. Maybe not. On the balance of things, our club have got more of what they wanted than Danny Ings has got what he wanted. The issue we have now is replacement. Us doing well this season will be pretty much decided by getting that bit right. Not entirely convinced we will but let's see.