The Kraken

Spotters badge for you, looks like it.

The last one looks like Josh Sims….

Bycroft, I’d have thought.

I wonder who played. I’m assuming it wasn’t anywhere near a starting up for us, as three of our team were playing golf in the group behind me yesterday afternoon.

Possibly then 🤞 Seems strange he’s being touted throughout the press for a season loan when that would just expire his contract. Who knows.

I’d be utterly amazed if Harwood Bellis was available for £15m. City get top dollar for their kids, not just from us. We paid a reported £10m + £5m for Shea Charles, who has barely played any senior league football. £12M for Bazunu who had played League 1. Lavia £10.5M +. £3.5M, again no senior league football experience. James Trafford was playing for Bolton in League 1, plus of course an England U21 success, he’s just gone to Burnley for £15M + £4M. THB has a Championship promotion under his belt; given the prices seen I think you’re looking at a package of £25M+ to get him. If he was actually available for £15M then I think he’d be getting much more attention than he seems to be; and if he is available for that it’s a no brainer to go for him.

Yeah I was just driving and listening to the radio and they were in about Archer to Sheff United. It was Alex Crook saying it mind……but it sounded pretty solid. Villa retaining a buyback option.

He should be a bit pissed off. He was signed for £12M to play for the Premier a club that he supported as a boy. Last season he featured in a total of 35 games for them across all competitions, starting in 15 of those. Consensus from West Ham fans seems to be that they’re surprised he didn’t get even more chances and are sorry to see him go. So, yes, I’d be a bit disheartened to drop down a division after that. Can only hope that really works in our favour as we get a class player who has got something to prove.

Interesting, just read that Nathan Wood is the son of former Boro and Palace player Dean Gordon.

I don’t think they have released him. Their statement said they will let him go and will help him find a side. I read it as that he’s still on the books, just that they’ve green carded a move.

I get the feeling Martin might have a bit of patience with Mara. After the Gillingham game Martin was scathing about some of the players, saying that they may have to move on, but he singled out Mara slightly differently in his criticism and said that he’s young but he needs to learn the new system. I reckon Martin thinks he’s got something he can work with, and it’s not as if we’ve got a litany of other decent striking options.

West Ham have got him at 173cm, so 5 foot 8. https://www.whufc.com/player/207

His wiki page says he’s 5 foot 8.

I posted it on here, I previously asked my West Ham supporting mate about him. He said it was surprising that Downes didn’t get in the side last year, Moyes just seemed to prefer Soucek. Thought Downes was a decent player and it’s a really good deal for us.

An interesting take on it being a bad idea from a former Old Bailey judge.

If just going by the statement made by United, I’m not sure if they’ve yet terminated his contract. It’s all a bit woolly but the club are saying “ It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.” So sounds like they’re just going to try and sort out a transfer rather than jettisoning him. Certainly don’t think there’s any club in the UK that would take him, only need to see the David Goodwillie saga to identify how fans groups would react. Saudi, maybe, although it’s a headache they don’t need and Greenwood is hardly a big name outside of this scandal.

Adams has previously confirmed it’s nothing to do with the club, Everton is his dad’s name.

Interesting, hadn’t noticed that.

Don’t know the financial ins and outs but the club spent utterly huge amounts last summer and January, the squad was big so the wage bill was likely huge too. I see what we’ve done so far as offsetting that somewhat, though I don’t think it covers all like you say Martin has said himself that the squad size has come down a little, but it hasn’t been reduced massively (we sold Orsic, Diallo, Salisu, Livramento, JWP, Lavia, loaned out DCC, released Elmo, Walcott and Willy; that’s 10 out offset by buying Manning, Charles and Lumley, Downes looks on the way, and we’ve brought back Stephens, Tella and Smallbone). So, really, the squad size has only come down by 3, and it looks like Sam A-A, Doyle, Ballard and Doyle are going to get more opportunities with the first team.

I’m reasonably confident we’ll bring in a replacement for Adams and any others that leave. Just think we need to confirm the outgoing before we bring in the incoming.

Yeah I’m sure that’s a factor. As is getting £15m now rather than nothing next season. Also we don’t know if Adams has been agitating for a move or what, we do know he was left out of the first couple of starting lineups due to a possible impending move. I know I’d prefer for him to stay but it’s looked likely that he’ll be off for a while so just got to hope that the replacement (whether it’s Piroe or whoever) gets done very quickly. Said it before and will again, it’s really shit that the season kicks off with nearly 4 weeks of the window remaining.

I really haven’t seen any of Piroe to comment, but his goal scoring record for Swansea is decent. Also at 6 foot 1 he would give us a much needed bit of height up top.

Hope so. This report seems to suggest the rumours of him agreeing a new contract are premature, the manager says he doesn’t know if they’ll be able to keep him. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/michael-duff-pleads-ignorance-over-27555227

“Then there’s two in Scotland; Aberdeen striker Duk and Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara. Darren Witcoop recently revealed that Southampton and Leeds United were among those who had representatives watching Duk in action against Celtic earlier this month.” I definitely think we should go for him, he’d be a quacking signing.