trousers

Phew... I didn't get quoted. Maybe I'm not as clichéd as I thought I was....

Add me to the old softie welling up slightly club. Adiós y gracias Oriol. Que tu aerodeslizador esté siempre lleno de anguilas.

Surprised there seemingly isn't some kind of FIFA law that's designed to prevent such interference. That said, if it's just seen as 'friendly advice' then not a lot anyone can do to stop it I guess.

Trawling through Twitterland (yes, I know....) it looks like Van Gaal might have been the decisive factor... i.e. telling Gakpo that moving away from PSV now might jeopardise his chances of playing for the national side....

But until we know the reasons why Broja hasn't been replaced (if that's how it pans out) then how do we know whether to label Semmens and Co as 'incompetent buffoons' or not? Surely our judgement of them depends on the reasons why something "failed" rather than just taking said failure at face value?

I would imagine it's never as "simple" as the wise sages of internet football forum land make it out to be...

But you're always going to reach a point in any procurement process where you run out of time to pursue other options. That's just basic logic.

Let's say the club identified 10 "suitable players". How far down the procurement process for each of those 10 players do you think the Saints heirachy should/could go. Surely you can't expect all 10 to get to the point in the procurement process where they are all ready to sign on the dotted line the moment the first choice drops out? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the level of readiness you're expecting the club to be in with other options with only a few hours to go? There comes a point in any procurement process where you have to put your eggs in one basket when there's a deadline involved.

Seems like a reasonable hypothesis to me.

Well, if they have snuck him out the back door (via Amsterdam rather than direct from Eindhoven) then the plane is on its way....

People just echoing what the 'official' PSV journo chap is saying.

My hunch-ometer is telling me the same. My gut feel is that there is still another twist to come. Mind you, my hunches have been wrong once or twice before....

Yes, I know, hence caveating my late night musings / ramblings with a 'clutching at straws' tag...

Private jet scheduled into Southampton from Amsterdam at 09:27. Maybe sneaking Gakpo into the country via a different departure airport than Eindhoven to put the media and/or fans off the scent? #bonkerstheorybutitsgettinglateandclutchingatstraws

I've tried listening to the commentary on 5 Live but the squawking and squealing noise coming out of my headphones is doing my head in. (Maybe I am a closet misogynist after all?!)

Could this reduce / remove the need for PSV to sell Gakpo in order to raise funds...?

The current football club fielding a team at Fratton Park has only been in existence since 2012, so not much opportunity to build up any rivalry yet...