egg

Agreed. Russia will not want to withdraw from what they control - they want those 5 areas. Trumps tweet re NATO and Crimea was completely unnecessary ahead of today. Interesting as well that the initial meeting doesn't involve the Europeans. I had understood it was a multi person meeting, not bilateral. Trump and Putin have all but carved this. Today feels like a take it or leave it pitch, with a "we'll only support you if you concede" message. I hope I'm wrong.

You may be right, but I think it's a given that our targets will either be gone by then, or their value will have increased. It's unlikely that his value increases in the next two weeks by more than the cumulative value of our targets.

1. His value won't go up as his contract runs down. 2. He seemingly doesn't want to be here. I base that on the report that he has told the club that he wants to leave. I want players committed to the cause - look at Robinson's effort levels compared to Dibling in the latter part of last season. 3. Still hasn't got the players to play the way he wants. It seems painfully obvious that we need to sell to buy, and that Dibling was the one to go in order to start the chain. It seems madness to me that we push the whole transfer / team policy out of the window to keep one lad who'll be going very soon, just because market forces haven't gone as we'd hoped. Fundamentally, nobody is paying £50-60m for him. He's a West Ham, Everton, Palace, Forest level player at this stage of his career and if the max one of them will pay is what Everton offered, then that's his value.

The highest bid. Who's bidding more than Everton? Not West Ham. Probably nobody else in the PL. He's not worth what you want him to be worth, he's only worth what someone will pay. He'll be worth less in the next window, and even less in the one after. That's the real world.

Dibling is more balanced, quicker, bigger. Robinson seems to have a better football brain, and shows more grit and heart. I think Dibling has more potential, but I'd hazard a guess that Robinson has more potential of achieving his potential.

I don't give a monkeys what some delusional fans hope he's worth. I prefer to look at his real world valuation. He's 19. He showed promise in the first half of last season. He went to sleep in the second. He seemingly doesn't want to be here. His contract is running down. The £50-60m that some fans think he's work is big club money. What big club do you say need him and would play him? I can't think of one. That leaves clubs outside the big clubs. Everton are one of them. He has a long career and can hopefully fulfill his promise. He has much more chance of doing that at a club who'll play him. No? Everton would be a cracking move for him. A decent manager. No real chance of relegation. Playing opportunities. More wages. 2 or 3 good seasons there, then he's a £50-60m player for a big club.

I dunno, he's right. The kid did throw the towel in, and doesn't seem to want to be here. What has he posted that's wrong?

I vote Aldwych. About as credible as any other guess.

I don't see how he would have solved the problem. To play 433 (or 4231 in MLG speak) we need a decent RB, another midfielder, and wide men who can do wide men stuff. A CF who can hold the ball up would help too. So nope, I don't think this lad would have made any difference.

Dibling was never going for anything like £50m after the second half of last season, and with a short contract. Personally, I'd have taken Everton's best offer once it was clear that they were the only serious buyers, and assuming the lad wanted out. If the choice was to keep Dibling with a contract running down, or sell him for the best price possible and get a few players that would have improved us and allowed Still to play his preferred formation, the decision should have been simple imo.

I don't do distinctions like this. One CM sitting, one slightly more advanced, and one getting up with the striker, (a 6, 8 and 10 in new money) isn't much different to 2 in the middle with one going box to box, plus one in behind a centre forward. However you cut it, both involve 3 men in midfield areas doing slightly different things, one up through the middle, and 2 out side. Both are variations of the same thing, but most importantly, both are a million miles from the back 3 he's having to play.

To put it another way, we clearly have a few short not so good players.

Yep. I've said before and say again, he doesn't want to play this system, but he hasn't got the players to play his preferred 433. We're a RB, CM, wide player, and arguably a CF short of that. The bloke is managing with one arm tied behind his back.

If we're being honest, we'd all have taken a point away to Ipswich before kick off. Loads to improve on though.

I thought the same. Pretty remarkable that he's playing at this level at 40. Fair play to him for looking after himself so well.

Yep. I doubt Still wants to be playing 343, but he ain't got the players for his preferred 433. Hopefully that changes.

Without a decent RB, and a decent 3rd CM, we can't play 433. Still is working with what he's got.

Yep. Quarshie isn't ready yet imo. Edwards or Wood need to be playing instead.

At least one winger is needed. One more would be nice...but Edozie needs to be shifted first. I'm not sure that Still dislikes BBD as much as the fans though. CM/AM urgent if/when Fernandes goes, but we won't buy until one or both of Smallbone or Aribo goes - just too many midfielders on our books. Yep, GK not a priority, but we can't carry on with Moody as 3rd pick.

Our inability to keep hold of Fernandes, isn't due to the chasms between the Prem and others. He will be going as that's our business model - buy them, develop them, make a profit. The minute we try to keep hold of players who are the subject of an offer that they are happy with, and make us a profit, is the minute that those players don't want to come here. The same applies to Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford. It's an imperfect model which largely gives the power to players and their agents (even when the player is under contract) but there's no other way in reality. I'm not sure MF will go this window, meaning that we won't recruit a decent CM/AM to replace him. If he does go late, we'll be left scratching around.

No doubt, but realistically are we adding to Smallbone, Charles, and Downes if Fernandes is still here? I don't see it. Aribo would be ok in a Still team imo, but I don't see us moving to replace him until his wages are off the books.

Absolutely. Transfermarkt has stats for goals and assists, but as you say, he (and many brilliant midfielders) were all about being busy, breaking up play, being ready to pick up the ball, using it well, probing, creating openings, etc. Anyone criticising a midfielders performance because he didn't score or assist isn't worth listening to. Re Rudoni today, the Coventry Telegraph (assuming their version of the Echo), said this about him: "Lively in and around the final third where he worked the ball well to create openings - a constant threat to the Rams". I'd be happy with a player who does that most games, and chips in with some goals.

There aren't many strategies to make unattractive players on big wages more attractive, and the players attracted to a move.

Agree, although I think big cash for Fernandes is still possible. Also I'm not sure we'll get a CM if one of Smallbone or Aribo stay.

Yep. The first team squad has over 30 players. We're not going to add to that for all manner of reasons including cash flow, wages, number of players to coach/train/keep happy. I think we were expecting to cash in big and quick on Dibling, and to offload some deadwood, then bring in more players. That hasn't happened, and I think we've been unrealistic about Dibling's value in light of his contract position.