egg

I'd be staggered if Chelsea sold him, he's a huge talent.

The fact is he can "steal a living". If he doesn't have to turn up to train, he's doing even less for his wages. You're all over the place mate.

He doesn't have to play for another team or take a negotiated (reduced) pay off. He's under contract and can see it out at full pay. What's in it for him to take less?

You're assuming he's highly driven and wishes to revive career. That's a possibility, as is the possibility that he's happy to have an easy life and see out his contract. The truth is that neither of us no the truth but if I was a betting man I wouldn't back your assumption.

Spot on Del. Somebody will pipe up and say "but we can subsidise" his wages but even if we did that, a club still has to want him, and he still has to want the move. Players have the power to decide if they're moving, not the club and I'm struggling to see why he'd uproot his life and move to another club to sit on a different bench, or drop a league, or move abroad to live in a hotel somewhere for a season. It's easy to see the attraction of rocking up to training, being available if needed/wanted, and taking the cash.

Your scenario still involves another club wanting Forster as their keeper (who?) and Foster willing to go somewhere. I don't see either as likely so we're stuck with him, hence I think it likely that we'll cash in on Mccarthy who clubs will want.

Because somebody has to want him and he has to be willing to go. People talk about loaning out or selling players as if its just the clubs choice. Forster is on a King's ransom and we have to accept that if he wants to sit back and earn his wage he can do that.

That team would get destroyed. JWP and Hoj would leave those CB's totally exposed.

Agreed. Under the watchful eye of Terry at Villa, and a dominant CB alongside him he actually could do well there. If Targett is an £11m + player, Stephens is worth at least that. If we could get decent cash for him it'd be a good move all round.

To answer your question, no I don't think we'll keep adding players in any position before we shift players. I share your concern about our CB's, although I'm more positive about Bednarek but not as positive about Vestergaard who's far too slow imo. It's unrealistic to think that we'll keep the CB's you mention, plus Stephens, Hoedt, plus the likes of Cedric and add yet more players/wages to the wage bill. Sure, getting a CB in may be a priority (we need to upgrade, that's obvious), but I don't think we'll get someone decent in addition to the players that we have.

Another keeper, we have 8! Nobody will take on Forster wages so we're stuck with him as no 2 and take money for Mccarthy I'd guess. Not sure we'll get a CB for similar reasons, but if we can shift more dead wood, ie Hoedt, Cedric, Gallagher, and free up some wages capacity I could see it. We need some pace and height at CB alongside Bednarek.

Give credit where its due. He ran into form. Sure, he ain't ever going to be Harry Kane and I'm not suggesting he should be first pick, but under RH he offers us something and is an asset. I'd much rather have a year of him as an understudy / option than Austin.

Just a tad dramatic.

I like him but not physical or pacy enough in a 4222. Can't see it personally.

Yep, strange as. I checked in to read some sensible comment and opinion on our next PM, and found comments about man rape. Odd is an understatement.

Yep, that's my interpretation, so I don't understand the comments from people that we won't / can't pay £14m.

They're an asset when someone wants to pay proper money and give them what they want in wages, but they're a liability when nobody wants to pay what we want and/or match their wages. Fraser, for example, will literally cost us money to get rid of him.

To an extent I agree but nobody will buy Fraser who, as the echo article confirms, is our highest paid player. As Fraser appears to be staying he has to have a function which makes Mccarthy the fall guy. If prefer Mccarthy as number 2 all day long but we can't justify him, Fraser, Gunn and about 5 other pro keepers.

I don't seriously think that any fan could argue that our transfers over recent years have been more successful than not overall, and our signings have mostly been from outside the Premier league. My comments, however, relate to Adams and Adams only. He's unproven outside the Premier league and I repeat and clarify my point - I agree with the clubs reported stance that spending a max of 14m seems sensible for a division 2 player. Others may feel differently, but seeking to justify the case to give Brum whatever they want cos Mane exceeded expectations (whilst ignoring, for example, Moi) is ridiculous.

WTF has any of that got to do with Adams, and my view that having a top price in mind and sticking to it?! You think he's worth paying whatever Brum want, I don't. I appreciate your opinion, but I don't agree with you. I have no interest in expressing my opinion on a random bunch of signings.

You're missing my point which is I disagree with the various people saying chuck Brum more cash to get him over the line. I'm saying is thats crazy for a lower league player. Sure, take a chance on him but the clubs rumoured 14mil maximum seems sensible to me. So is your point that we just pay 20 million?

Have you joined the MLG pedant police or something? Either way it's division 2/championship and Adams is a player unproven above that level.

You don't need to be a scout to understand that 14 million quid is a lot of money to spend taking a punt on a division 1 footballer!

FFS, I thought you'd pipe up! OK, so Jay Rod and Adams both scored 22, with Jay Rod. However you put it, he had a better return. The point is that a good season in div 1 (or championship for the pedantic) does not suggest a player is Premier league standard. If we sign him, I hope he is, but I've never seen such drama about signing a lower league player.

No idea, I'm not a scout. Re the 14 mil, I have no issue with the club paying that. My issue is paying more than that which many people are advocating.