egg

Yep, his treatment was odd and I'm in the he didn't get a fair crack camp. That said, you've got to pick your team based on your next opponent, not your last game. Plus, the managers and coaches see him and others in training day in day out and are better placed to assess who is most likely to do the best job.

Agreed and ridiculous to effectively say that he was bought by a mate as a favour. He was/is a proper player and was undoubtedly bought believing he could be a decent PL player. Had Koeman stayed I suspect he'd be playing more and personally I think with a run of games he'd be a better CM option than most of our squad. However, It seems that Puel didn't fancy him and neither does MP so off he goes.

Didn't see Tom28 post. I'd let VVD go anyway, and have always that he would with Liverpool the destination. I expected an attacker or a 10 to come in as the sweetener. If Theo was coming and we got someone to play a bit deeper I'd be delighted. However, arsenal losing theo and the ox in the same window seems odd.

Seems that way, but we'll be taking someone's money for him and if they're offering more than anyone else I've got no doubt that we'll take it, and agree not to pursue a tapping up case.

It was believable until the Walcott and Vietto bit.

Because we have a 25 man squad limit. If we want to bring players in, and register them to play, we need to either move people on or have people being paid but who can't play.

So what's this rule about a 6 year contract meaning 2? So is a 4 year really 1? What about 5?

None of us know what's in that contract re moving on and/or any side agreement. There may be nothing but who knows.

I think people are placing too much on the world cup year point. There's a reasonable chance Holland won't qualify, but regardless of that there's apparently another £5m a year on offer at Liverpool and I'm sensing money will talk. In terms of us, I agree with your point re what's the worst that could happen if he stays. Add to that we'll be spending circa £2 million in wages between now and January, and a squad place taken by someone who may not play.

I got bored at line 3 but until that point broadly you're correct, although Bednarek is for the future, ie someone's replacement in due course.

I have to say he worries me cos of his lack of pace. Stephens and Yoshida are a decent pairing but neither attack the ball enough. The issue for me is whether swapping one of those with a slower player who is better in the air improves us or makes us more vulnerable. The 3 at the back against wolves was a car crash but if we work at it who knows.

Hoedt is his replacement. I'm staggered that people still think that another cb will come in. That ain't happening. He'll go and at the most an attacking player or a proper 10 will come in to sweeten the pill.

Yep.

Yep. They'll dress it up as something like 'nobody is bigger than the club' and 'Harmony amongst the players is crucial' etc. Hopefully they'll sweeten the pill with a decent forward or proper number 10.

Serious question, what would it really achieve? Any player wanting to go will do a virgil regardless of whether we dig our heels in this time. Any vultures will prey regardless. The clubs posturing has helped drive up drive up the price, at the expense of p:ssing the fans off and giving them false hope.

Any idea who they have, forward or midfield wise, who could be available?

Is it so hard to understand that the club is a business and that it buys low and sells high where possible. Forget the rhetoric you've heard from the club. VVD has always been going, was always going to Liverpool and will go there for a huge fee. He's already been replaced by Hoedt.

Do people really think that we will sign another cb when VVD goes? We won't we've signed Hoedt to replace VVD. Stephens is the great academy hope and will play. Yoshida just signed a 3 year deal. We bought Bednarek. We have Gardos (unfortunately). We have a 25 man squad limit. VVD will go and has already been replaced.

What difference does the timing make? We've signed his replacement. Any club who we've dealt with already will have thought it likely that he would be going and will have pulled our pants down as much as possible on fees. It's obvious he was going and he will.

Would be a very good addition but struggling to see Liverpool doing us any favours at the moment.

I hope that's the case. If he was dignified and went with the clubs blessing to Barc, Real Madrid or PSG for a fat fee most of us wouldn't mind. This whole saga has been soured by the apparent illegal approach, but the club haven't helped by the posturing of "he's not for sale" which understandably some take at face value. Assuming Tom28 is correct though, Liverpool are the only bidder and unless that changes I think he'll go there. If I didn't think it's damage morale and/pr his value I'd prefer that we kept him, didn't allocate him a number, made him train with the kids and move him on Jan when they'll doubtless be clubs desperately needing cb's.

I agree to an extent, but my point is that the club see him as Fonte's replacement. Hoedt is vVd's and Bednarek long term/cover. it's unrealistic to expect the club to sign yet another cb when vvd goes next week, we'll make do with what we have. People seem to think that we can just stockpile pro's cos they think that someone is sh:t - that's not how it works.

Feck me, so if he goes you want another (6th) cb? That's not gonna happen. Stephens has stepped into Fonte's boots, and we've also signed Bednarek. We can't just keep signing cb's because previous signings (under contract) haven't made the grade.

He seems Kosher to me, just something about his tone and content. Personally I don't think anyone but Liverpool would bid. Chelsea have plenty of defensive options and would have bid if they wanted him. City ditto and are about to sign Evans. Plus, if he's (for reasons I cannot fathom) got his heart set on Liverpool why would others bid if his agent has made it clear he's not interested in joining them. Like it or not, he'll go to Liverpool.

Why, Hoedt is his replacement. The fact that Bednarek isn't good enough to be 4th pick doesn't mean that the club will bring in another CB. We have Stephens, Yoshida, Hoedt, Bednarek, Gardos (yeah I know) possibly all taking 5 of our 25 squad places and won't add to that. If we play a back 3 then Bertrand can play left side. In the very unlikely event VVD stays the question is whether he gets a squad place in place of say Gardos or whether he's left to nurse some vague injury without a squad number til jan.