egg

Art?

Very good!!

Eh?! Not me mate.

I can't see him going this window, it would leave us with Romeu and JWP (who's needed at RB) plus Slattery who's been miles from the team this season, and Smallbone. That said, if there was a deal involving Schneiderlin, or better still Tom Davies, then who knows.

Suspect

I wander how many of the names listed are still around under a different name? Quite a few I'd guess.

Blimey!!! I'll pay for the petrol.

I've seen a figure of £22.5m (pounds not euros) mentioned somewhere.

I take the point but imo he's not good enough and I'd cash in when we can. If that means getting by with what's left until the season end, then so be it. We can then recruit someone more suitable.

Daft if true. There's 15 million reasons why I'd accept that offer. We need to cut our losses on the poor signings and re build imo.

Yep, orange text for some reason.

Loads of blasts from the past mentioned. Bearsy is one who added lots to the forum, completely nuts, but a brilliant poster.

Mate, you're selective in what you read. Very. It's bizarre that you think that my opinion about the press/leaks is any way connected to my lack of opinion re the change of position re signing full backs. Jesus wept. Ralph has expressed a different opinion re full back signings. There are many possibilities for that, many of them credible. I've said that neither I nor anyone else know why. I hope that's simple enough for you. Re press, read what I actually said. I've said that I have no doubt that the club use the media as part of its pr machine. What I have said is that I struggle to accept that rumours in the telegraph re transfers, etc, are all a plant from the club. Others seem to think that they're all club plants and dismiss the idea that journalists get things wrong. I disagree.

***sigh*** 4 day reality checks about the available options and their expectations happen too. As I say, your guess as to what happened is no more correct than mine, and none of us know what happened.

Hypo, there's a variety of reasons why Ralph has expressed a changed stance. Your guess is no more correct than mine.

Starship

My comment was in response to someone saying that we should sign "cheap gems". They're a rare beast, especially in January. I'm saying we need better players than we have, both at the club and those out on loan. I'm doubtful we'll get better for low cost personally but if you have a different opinion, throw out some names.

Your last point rather conflicts with your use of the term "drama queen"! There is a call from many to sign players. We're stuck with loads of poor players on expensive contracts. We need to add better. "Bargain gems" = cheap, and that means players no better than we have, possibly worse. Personally I don't see the point in that.

Tell

The voice of reason. Agreed.

Behave. I've not read one comment which addresses why Gao, based on our recent transfers, would feel encouraged to throw tens of millions on signings.

Answer the question...

We could spend more, but I've asked this before and "the just spend money ffs, cos that guarantees success brigade", ie people like you, ignore the question. If you were Gao or his advisors, in the light of our recent transfer disasters, would you really permit the club to spend monies to sign the next Hoedt, Carrillo, Elyounisi, Vestergaard, Adams, Gunn, etc? Really? Everyone single one of those will lose the club millions.

And that makes a point. Bournemouth have spent a fortune and look where they are. Everton have spent a fortune and look where they are, and the debt they're in. We've spent a fortune and look where those players are - on loan or out of the squad mostly. Spending has not been our issue as such, it's recruitment. I get we all want success, but pointing to the likes of Bournemouth as evidence that chucking cash around leads to success is laughable.

FFS. You're becoming more obtuse by the day. People are calling for lots of spending. Everton have spend lots and are in debt. They also have a **** team. Lots of spending doesn't equal success, and can equal lots of debt.