hypochondriac

Is Mara capable of 9 goals in 11 starts (15 total) like Billy Sharp? I doubt it personally.

I suppose the advantage of a loan is that if we don't go up we don't have a load of people on high wages weighing down our wage bill.

That's a good point. Looking at the stats, it's surprising how massively reliant on Lambert we were as he scored an obscene amount at this level that I doubt Adams will get close to even if he does stay. I think what Adam Blackmore said is right that we do need to replace the goals that Tella would have given us if we want promotion. Ryan fraser looked decent in his cameo on Saturday, but I feel it is risky to rely on him to chip in with too many goals. Keeping or replacing Adams and getting in a Tella replacement is imo they key to our season regardless of what we do at the back.

Nothing of note. Three days to go!

Deferring the entire payment until the following year is insanity. If they go down they will be beyond screwed. Expect they will stay up though...

Now official. Good to see its just a loan. That way when we win the league he can come raring back into the first team ready to go!

I think it's better to work on the assumption that they are all leaving before Friday and concentrate on getting the best replacements possible.

Looking back at our last championship squad you had Lambert who played the vast majority of games, but you also had backup with Billy Sharp, Tadanari Lee and David Connolly. If we somehow manage to keep Adams then we will be hoping he will play the Lambert role (play the majority of games and score a load of goals) but I am not sure we have the depth beyond that. Arguably Armstrong can get similar figures to someone like Lallana but it would be great if Mara coukd hit some sort of form, otherwise it may be tough without another reliable goalscorer.

I think we will definitely be weaker in attacking areas whatever we do but almost certainly stronger at the back and in Central midfield areas than we were a couple of weeks ago. Stress nger could also mean strength in depth. I share some of your concerns about the quality of our squad but I'm still optimistic that we replace Tella and the rest of the outgoings before Friday (even if losing Adams now is a blow that we may not be able to recover from.)

TBF he didn't say a stronger team than last season, he said stronger than it is now (now being a week or so ago.) He would probably argue that with a replacement for Tella, Wood in, the three loabs and an Adams replacement that it would be stronger or at the very least a stronger unit defensively.

So he is the backup rb then.

Isnt Holgate the backup rb?

I think it's a reasonable assumption to make that he will leave, given that almost everyone else has.

I'd be incredibly happy if he does. If you'd asked me at the start of the summer, he was one player I thought would be most likely to leave. He could easily get in the squad of a top club you would think and he'd be relatively affordable.

I don't think you quite understand. Losing Sulemana is a blow because we have already sold Tella. If Leicester had sold Pereira and were now selling Castagne, I'd expect there to be more of a negative reaction. They haven't done that though have they so it's not the same comparison. ABK is a different case as I sadi and will likely be met with a collective shrug of the shoulders like many of the other sales.

That's one off the list. Let's hope for Bournemouth to keep Solanke and Palace to go elsewhere then maybe we will be onto something.

So not the same as selling someone who has already made significant contributions to the first team this season at all then...

Yes but neither of them have been this year yet. Sulemana going will be a blow because unlike some of the others, we have sold our most promising winger who has already had an impact this year.

Not this year he wasn't.

Had Leicester just lost their first choice full back and then sold Castagne, I'd expect them to be slightly more concerned. Our defence was shite last year so us losing anyone at CB shouldn't be a cause for concern (I'd still like to keep kwp though even if it isn't likely.)

We will be losing ABK. He would be nice to have this year but he was always going. Sulemana going will be a blow but only because we've also lost Tella who has actually weakened us this year.

Yep. Doesn't weaken them this season at all. Essentially it's the same as us losing ABK.

I made the post on the assumption that that is what Stephens has done.

By all accounts he's been very accident prone and poor playing for Everton at CB since Ancelotti.

I note that Iwobi is wanted by Fulham. If he goes then you coukd see them trying again for Sulemana on loan.