egg

Crap pun and I don't agree with you. Whatever you category you seek to put players in, the facts are that the playing squad (above what is plainly youth and u23 regular level,) has circa 40 players. We will not supplement that lot with any major addition. We need to move players out before others come in. Have a read of the comments elsewhere from the club at the meet and greet. Based on that, and applying common sense, I'd be staggered if we splash out before moving players out.

Can't argue with any of that.

You do not address that our 1st team squad has almost 40 players. We took 26 or so to Austria, left 12 behind, plus McQueen recovering still. Your post suggests that all we need to do is move Austin on and we can top up the squad - that's unrealistic and not going to happen. Our squad is massively inflated with mediocre players on lucrative contracts. Shedding Austin from the squad is a drop in the ocean, we have masses of deadwood to move on before we can spend big again. Moving them on won't be easy though and many fans fail to overlook that a player under contract has to agree to leave, and that another club has to want them. The harsh reality is that it will cost the club to get players out of the door, whether that be by subsidising wages, paying up (in part or full) contracts, paying agents to help us get rid, etc. Our squad is in a mess. There's no "deception" in that. Rather it's a reality that many fans choose to ignore the facts and keep spouting that we need another CB, yet another keeper, one more midfielder, etc. It's going to take take years to sort out the mess that the squad is in and our fans need to be patient and realistic with their expectations.

A bird in the hand etc. Your post assumes that another club will give him something close to what he wants, and that they'll give him more than a year. None of us know that's an option for him. The reality is that he has his contract and will earn £3m + for seeing it out. He'll then get something else, perhaps nothing massive, but something.

Are you suggesting that cash from the VVD remains available for this record breaking CB signing? Do you not think that we need to shed players before we can recruit?

Exactly. All this nonsense that clubs have more power than players is nonsense. If he goes its on his terms. If not he stays and walks as a free agent.

Yes but he has to agree to any compromise / any move. He may not want that, and whilst you'd like to think he'd want to move to play, none of us know what he wants to do.

But he doesn't have to leave. He can stay and still earn the same money.

I'll answer your last question first. All of your 'points' are difficult to comprehend. Why does forster have to want to play beyond this £4m a year 5 year contract matter to you or the club? It's irrelevant - he is contracted to the club and could, if he chooses, choose to then retire a wealthy man. Ditto Austin beyond his lucrative contract. The club have given them that opportunity, and their ages put them in a very different position to Lemina and Gallagher who clearly have to think about their future careers. Austin and Forster are fulfilling their contractual obligations - they stay in good enough shape, train and are available if/when called on to play. They aren't 'parasites' as you label them, rather players who aren't good enough to play for us but are too well paid to get a move that is worth them moving on. Contrary to your apparent belief, their contracts mean that they choose if they move, not the club. The fact that they have those contracts is the clubs fault, not the players. Your anger is aimed in the wrong direction - the fact that we're stuck with overpaid players is not down to 'parasite' players. Is that so difficult to comprehend???

Do you not understand that Forster and Austin are under contract? Why do you call them parasites when all they are doing is taking the wage that we agreed to pay them?! You seem to be under the impression that if a player isn't getting a game for us that we should be entitled to kick him out and/or that he has an obligation to move on. Bizarre.

You've all but answered your question. One of the 5 strikers you list wa always going to be sold, and has been. He's been replaced. Tell me which of those 5 CB's will be bought?

No chance we'll sign another before we shift at least one that we have already.

You're talking too much sense recently, but I was a supporter of Les and can now see he has left us in an almighty mess.

Surely you can see that having at least 12 unwanted players on our books earnings circa £32m a year is a bad thing and a bar to us bringing in other players and growing as a club? Frankly how that compares to other clubs is irrelevant, it's a fact that hampers out club and that's all that matters.

The difference sue is that Chelsea have players that other clubs want on loan. Our fringe players are sh1te. The reality is that those surplus to requirements will train, be available if needed and take the wages. Its a horrendous situation and I can't think of another club who have wasted such a huge amount on transfer fees and wages.

Eh? Why does it matter that only 4 out of the 12 players listed earn over the PL average wage? Surely the relevant fact is that we're spending £32m a year on players that have no future at the club?!

One thing NC did not do was control spending.

He still gets paid!

You base that opinion on what? The lad spent a fortnight before pre season working his nuts off at golden ring to get ready for pre season. That's a great attitude imo.

I read his post and thought it was unusually balanced and sensible. It's correct that Djenepo "Draws a lot of fouls and wins free kicks as his pace looks frightening". His comment "on the ball looks a little confused, if not direct. A few poor passes in there too" is an accurate assessment of the player, as is "Definite potential but looks v.raw".

Mate, you're dominating a footy thread with all sorts of nonsense. Putting aside a ridiculous French / English work attitude debate and people's knowledge or lack thereof re mental health, no reasonable human being thinks its OK to hound another human being out of a job for which he has a contract. His obligation/job is to turn up to training, stay fit and be available to play if selected and he's seemingly doing it.

Interesting if it is - he's been putting a lot of work in with a boxing trainer and my understanding is that he was going back super fit.

Klarer is very different to Jones. He's more a head to ball type, whereas Jones more of a sweeper type from what I've seen. That squad has 4 x CM's, one of which is Smallbone, and I think 6 x CB's. I wander if the intention is to take a look at Stephens as 1 of the 2 in front of the back 4. Re Hoedt, I think it's a bit like Forster - nobody else will have them so why not see if we can use them.

Surprised by the omission of Slattery but inclusion on Smallbone. I'm guessing that points to a loan for Slattery, unless he has a knock. I'm not surprised that Ralph is looking at the players we have...nobody else will and it's pretty obvious that we can't keep adding players to a huge squad - there's 26 travelling and 11 staying behind and on any analysis a 1st team squad of 37 is as bloated as Charlie Austin.