egg

Surprised by the fee. He's a superb player. Not sure where he'll fit at Arsenal, but he gives them some depth.

The point was about Mane and Salah. They were at Liverpool. Firminho played (mostly) as a striker alongside them.

Multitude of issues Whelk. It's the amount of cash filtering down, then what's done with it. Housing benefit, social services (child side) is a huge burden, and social care seems to come low down in the priority stakes. Definitely getting worse sadly.

Personally, I think it needs to have zero political allegiance and sit independently from both government and the public sector, something like how the BOE operates. Let them sort it out properly, and fund it accordingly.

Absolutely. It's a an absolute mess. Nobody on either side are willing, yet, to point to the brexit/lack of staff issue.

Shit, that is sad. No age. RIP.

Understandable

They had Firminho hitting the net if they didn't. It's a bizarre notion that we can carry on with a shit striker if the wide players are decent. It seems obvious that we need all of them to be decent and capable of scoring.

Jones plays with a centre forward/striker. We need someone to play that role, bring others into the game, and not waste the chances created for them. Having the ability to create something for themselves and others would be nice too. That's the proper striker that we need. Sure, you need the wide players to do their bit and score goals, but we can't carry on with Che missing chances that a proper striker would bury, and with no credible alternative or replacement.

I've never suggested it doesn't need reform Duck. It does. It's fucked. It also needs more cash, and tax revenue is needed to provide that cash.

Trying to cut tax and solve the NHS crisis is like trying to reduce your calorie intake but bulk up. Ridiculous notion and anyone calling for it needs to give their heads a wobble.

Absolutely. Tax cuts is the last thing the country needs. It's a mess out there. The fairies don't pay for services, and borrowing has to reduce rather than increase.

I get all that. However, Jackson doesn't seem to be the goal scorer we desperately need. He also doesn't look the centre forward type that seems integral to Jones style. He looks like a winger who sometimes plays through the middle. I'm the first to have a pop at people feeling entitled and having unrealistic expectations, but we've been desperate for a proper striker for ages and expecting one is entirely reasonable.

Indeed!!

I'm an unashamed liberal democrat. Quite happy to pay a bit more for a fairer society with better public services. I have no time for self serving Tories wanting to pay a bit less with a "fuck the rest of them" mentality.

Google (using!)

I'd have preferred Ings to a project, but I can see why the club may have been hesitant.

We don't decide the clauses...why would he agree one with us if, for example, west ham are offering him full whacl for say 2 1/2 years? Real world ain't what blokes on a forum would like to happen.

Very relevant if we go down and are stuck with him. I repeat my point from yesterday that there's too much of a fantasy football rather than real world mentality on here. Signing him wouldn't have guaranteed safety.

Price is only half of the story. The wages, length of the deal, and what happens if we go down are the other half of it. If West Ham were willing to give him the wages he's getting, and perhaps throw him a longer deal than we would, he was never going to come here.

Exactly. We're seen as a stepping stone by these lads, and if we had the option to extend the contract when they wanted to move, we wouldn't get these players. A 4 year contract works for the club and the player.

If the player agrees to them... There's supply and demand, our need, and player greed all at play here - we ain't in the driving seat. Ings will undoubtedly want a bigger and longer contract than we'd want to give. He may well keep us up, but he'd be a huge problem for us if we go down.

Batman

It's a real shame that Elm Park has been and gone. Would have been a great place for all these players.

Trevor Cherry (from beyond the grave). JJ OAKocha too.