2Morrow

West Ham have to make money before they can think of spending, their wage bill is significantly more than ours was when we first went down - plus they owe millions in transfer fees. Reportedly needed 150m to stay afloat, with no money for outgoings (which they roughly have done admittedly). Look at fernandes, 85m looks a lot for us, but half of that they had already paid us! That brings it down to 40m or so which we got for dibling. Similar for sommersville who they paid 30m for - £65m becomes £35m profit or fernanded territory. Amazing business, but it had to be by necessity of the fees they spunk on players (Fullkrug 30m, todibo 30m, Pablo 20m, tasty 20m, kilman 40m, JWP 30m.. plus all are on over 100k weekly, of which JWP was the only near for us)

Inclusive of playing first team football since he was 17. Last year he underperformed his XG by about 6, suggesting the chances he got were good enough to match a goal every other game. Over that small a sample size, it could be luck, and there arent many players who underperform to that extent across large samples. I presume we are betting he regresses to the mean next year and scores at the rate larin and stewart did with us.

For Azon you can't conflate appearances with starts and minutes on the pitch, and probably should include assists. Given his age, the stats look a lot better when you adjust for that - better than 1 in 3 g/a per match

JWP is adequate cover for Azaz and Downes & Jander/Charles. Good role model for Bragg breaking in. Can also do a job at RB, though a bit small more robust than Jelert was and it would give Bree a break. He broke through at RW/RM so in a long season could pop up there. I wouldn't want him to be the Jander & Charles replacement of both went, but sub CM is cool. For free or a subsidised loan for 1 season (ideal as could then be a free if it works out) its not exactly high risk. Leaves moolah for first choice CB if THB goes, a Stewart replacement, a winger or CAM cover to replace edozie and blank. Depending on who leaves, the main gaps are ST, CAM cover, LW cover, CB partner for THB, RB cover.

Hackney had a single year on his contract which greatly deflates the fee. Boro had to accept, or gamble on getting promoted with him. Now they can use thay money to have a player for 4 years, who they can sell again to keep 20m in the club. Keeping hackney meant they HAD to get promoted or lost 20m. Charles has 2 years including option, so we could wait another year and still get circa 15m for him I imagine. We are choosing to sell this year to get funds to keep others and go again this year, and as its our choice I imagine we will get 23m plus achievable add ons plus a sell on to negate the city 15% sell on.

Hackney is also 1 year left, whereas we have an option for another year on Charles so effectively 2 years.

They mean Jordan James

Think its being missed it was pretty widely reported we were trying to negotiate reduced terms on a longer extension and Stewart didn't want that. So no loyalty, hes left for the money. Fair play to him as ultimately its a career, but I can't criticise the club for not wanting to give him the same terms or a pay rise given his injury history. I am sure we would be critical of Spors if we gave him a 2/3 year deal on the same money and he got injured in September

JWP as CAM cover and CM? Azaz / JWP Downes/Bragg (Charles/Jander)/JWP If the moneys right we could do worse, he was still starting in the prem for Burnley back half of the season

There is no way a SPL side are paying more than we would, even on reduced terms. Been reported we have been negotiating reduced terms with him for a 2 year deal (i imagine with an option) since Jan. I imagine its either brinkmanship from him thinking we will blink given spygate, or he has an offer from someone he hopes we match.

If we are aiming for 60m then: Jander 25m plus (signed for over 10 plus length of contract) Scienza 25m plus (ditto) THB 25m ( we would want a profit) Charles 20m plus (2 years left) Ramsdale 15m -20m ( covers his amortisation, at the high end funds peretz) Sugawara 5m BBD 4m Fernandes 5m sell on Total sellable is around 120m, so if Dragan want to go for broke its probably 2 of Jander / Charles / THB / Scienza Plus the rest of that list to hit 70 -80m and have some to replace whoever leaves from the big 4. A third of the big 4 goes and we will probably use that to get a couple of big replacements. Might be naive, but given the noise I can't see all 4 being allowed to go this year, and if I was to guess I would say Jander and Charles go given the interest and numbers we would see for them.

Changed my mind. Keep the prick, hes our prick. First unbeaten season in the champ.

Challinor.

The charge is the EFL vs Southampton. Its a shame for Middlesbrough, but punishments punish the offending party, not reward the transgressed. Retrospectively flynn downes red against Swansea for example did nothing for them, but punished us in subsequent fixtures.

Caught them!

4 Points off sixth 45 points to play for (15 Games left) Plausible again? Or ready for another crumble? I fall on the side that a club with the resources we have at our disposable should really be able to do it.

Just hire a normal manager, with a normal system. A manager that has won games somewhere before over multiple seasons, without an obsession over passing

Can bring his keeper with him https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/my-play-speaks-for-itself-dayne-st-clair-on-minnesota-united-s-playoff-run-canada-s-world-cup-hopes/blt6f941621b6121e11

Got Ankerson all over it https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/09/minnesota-united-set-pieces-throw-ins-free-kicks-tactics

There are literally hundreds of managers that dont have a Pompey connection. If he was an extraordinary candidate perhaps, but why risk it as hes clearly not. The options are not limited to a few, we debate the names in the public domain on bookies odds, but a professional doing the hire will (or should) have a much wider knowledge. For what it's worth, I would favour someone that hasn't repeatedly failed, someone with a track record of managing teams that are big fish in the division they are in and someone that doesnt have a religious attachment to a certain style (keep ball or lump it). On that basis, with liklihood of attracting them to one side, : Rogers, Rose,Hutter, Solskjaer -perhaps Bo Svensson,Robins, Carrick,Warner, Corberan, Carsley, Southgate. All better than a skate, for practical reasons you need the fans behind you so the players enjoy playing at home.

It will come good

I believe that is the well known Transfer Journalist Fabrizio Stinko

Yeah let's not be duped by Fabrizio Stinko accounts! Lots of 'funny' people with too much time on their hands on that cesspit

A GK Mads (Bree) THB (Edwards) Stephens (Quashie, Wood) Manning (Taylor, Weligton) Charles (Downes) Jander (Sesay) Azaz Fellows (Wee man, AA) Scienza (Jay Rob) Archer (Stewart, Downs, AA) Fire BBD into the Sun. Based on the most credible links, that's a much better squad than last weekend on paper.

Brownhill would want to be top paid player leaving Burnley on a free. If prem clubs are turning their nose up at his demands, we should be too. He will end up at West ham, Everton post deadline as a panic free