S-Clarke

The Aribo situation is odd, I can only imagine his wage demands are putting everyone off. I'm sure he was on 50k last time out in the Champ, then probably got a boost after promotion. He's a 20-25k p/w player tops, who ever negotiated that contract needs to do one. That's why we struggle to get rid. It'll be a loan at the 11th hour with us covering a high % of the wages I'm sure.

He's speaking personally I assume, incredible for him as he got to play in the PL - and thus secure a move which keeps him there. I had hoped we'd keep him to be honest, a bit like KWP, but it's best to not keep players around who clearly want out - it upsets the whole group when you have one bad egg. Sometimes after relegation it's best to have a clean slate, no matter how good the players are. I remember some PL clubs who came down and kept some high level players, but in many ways they weighed them down Stoke scream out to me - Kevin Wimmer (who was shit tbf, but on big money), Shawcross, Butland, Allen, Martins Indi, Imbula etc. They kept a lot of their high PL earners in an attempt to go straight back, but they were awful for them and that was that. After a season we've just had a clean slate is undeniably the best option.

My feel on Downes is that his rep has been tainted by his actions in January. So, everyone is on heightened expectations with him - i.e. he's going to need to be amazing to appease us. I remember in our last Champ season he often did similar, gave away the ball, or left large gaps in CM - but he was still good. Because of how he acted in January it's altered our opinion of him IMO. I wouldn't be sorry to see him go, as I think a fresh start would be good for both.

He does sound great to be fair, one of those out of the blue signings - a bit like Fernandes was for us last season. Sounds like he had options to go to the Bundesliga too, so this could be considered a coup. I did feel we needed another CM of his style though.

Maybe that's how we got Fellows for such a low fee, we've absolutely rinsed WBA if that happens.

I saw that PSV news, that was a left field one. I doubt we'll let him go on loan, I think he can get goals for us this year, probably our best finisher. Glad we rebuffed the Edwards attempts, I think we should keep him.

I think Fernandes is more box to box than Jander from what I've read/seen. Jander looks like your typical pivot '6' player, deep sitting play maker style. Definitely seems to have pedigree though. Ikone seems to be clickbait now I'm going back through other bits, probably just one of those random links. BBD has gone? I did miss that. Where to?

It's a bit of a low fee in the sense that we've got to pay a % to Sporting, and he still had 4 years left - and proved himself in the PL. I guess the only conclusion I can come to is that he kicked off, his Agent started forcing it and we had to bite the bullet. We haven't sat on the money at least, but he's the last bit of PL quality we had gone. KWP, Dibling, Fernandes, Ramsdale - a big cohort of proven quality to lose, which leaves us more to do when we go up to the prem next (if we do). But we can now build a Championship mega team with the funds.

This is a ridiculous signing for the fee. He's a top Champ performer, I've always liked Fellows. Very direct, quick - not rapid, but strong enough to hold his own too. Can play left or right, a very versatile winger that adds quality into our side from day one. Probably the best winger at this level we could sign.

We may be building up to the most 'insane' saints deadline day in history.

Haven't heard of him much, apart from my FM travels. He always ends up in top clubs on there. His reviews sound top, looks like a player who will go on to hit top levels. A '6' is how I'd describe him, a deep sitting playmaker - absolutely exactly what we need.

This fella seems to be a bit of a late bloomer in terms of his career, not much going on in his younger years. He's blossomed in recent years though, looks like a proven Bundlesliga performer to me. Absolutely no brainer if the fee is right, will be well known to our scout and DOF.

WTF? I had a day today which ended up being totally offline. Absolutely typical. I think i've caught up with everything. Fernandes off - surprised and a bit disappointed, I thought we'd reached the point of no sale on that one. Did he force it? The offer seems to be Dibling-esque and not what we were after. In - Fellows - Been calling this one, like a lot of others, all window. He's bang on the type of winger we need. Top of the tree Championship player, along with Azaz. This is an exciting addition and adds immediate starting quality. £10m though is just nonsense, how has that happened? Jander - I know of him from my FM travels, and he often ends up at top level clubs - so that's all I've got to go on. We did need another CM of that style though, no question. I was worried we may not get one, so this is a positive. Leo - Another winger? Not sure if this is as close as the others, but he seems to be a bit of a late bloomer and is a pretty proven Bundlesliga player you'd have to say. Ikone - ? was that nonsense? I saw this one linked as well. He was a baller for Lille a few years ago. Can't see how that's a goer, unless he simply isn't wanted at Fiorentina. Have I missed anyone? What a crazy day of somewhat mixed emotions going by this thread. If we didn't have wingers, we'll have sorted it if all these happen.

The new draw has been created to protect the bestest and ensure they go as far as possible.

Pretty boring, nothing to be excited about there. These cup runs are about playing different teams at their place, not the same dullness.

I noticed he's blaming everything that went before, poor players, players want out, scar tissue, all that nonsense. He's creating his own scar tissue as he did with us. He makes it sound like it was a mess and they finished nowhere in the SPL, but they came second on 75-80 points and qualified for the Champions league. It can't have been 'that' bad. I saw him bring up their relegation years as well, when they dropped down to the 2nd division - why is that relevant? They've bossed the league under Gerrard since then. All he does is deflect, deflect, deflect. It's infuriating. The bloke is a charlatan and in many ways it's good for the national media to now see it in black and white, we weren't as 'interesting', but Rangers are a bigger deal. He won't get another job after this in management.

Fully deserved, it's a shame they didn't hang on in real time. But they deserved to go through. Utd in disarray.

Jesus, that will go down like a lead balloon.

You guys got so flaming lucky by the way. Talk about dodging a bullet.

I mean, they were playing Russell Martin's Rangers, so their place in the Champions League was never in doubt. Not sure why they needed to wait.

Jesus, Rangers don't deserve this. They're too big a club to be lumbered with this clown.

Utd are ''calm and relaxed'' around the GK situation. They apparently had a chance to sign Donnoruma, although I find that hard to believe.

I reckon they'll win that, just cause it's how football goes!

They just spent almost 5 mins passing from the CB's back to the GK, and twice almost mis played the pass into the goal. His style sucks arse.

If that was the case I'd be losing Wood, and maybe I wouldn't have signed Stephens on a new contract. Edwards is the sort you plan around, not ditch. He's never been given a chance here so it was an odd signing if we're willing to dump straight away.