S-Clarke

More great news, shifting of these sorts is exactly what we need to do. Doesn't matter about fee, just get the wages off.

They have been really, really bad. I thought they'd offer a bit more if I'm honest. Certainly at least knockouts. But they look done and dusted. Italy look on it again tonight, pretty comfortable against a decent Swiss outfit.

It's what we need to do really, be harsh with the players who are clearly not going to make it. Whatever little money we can get will help. Same with the Goalkeepers, shipping Angus for whatever fee is a positive. Not really looking at the fees we get, it's more the reduction in the wage bill and the space it opens up for either free transfers/loans etc. I think we need to clear the decks as much as we can - the big ones for me are Lemina, Hoedt maybe Forster....those going would make a huge difference to what we could do. We need to stop holding out for stupid fees with these guys, just get what we get and shift them on.

I don't think the fixture list is massively different from last season to be honest, I wouldn't say we have 'hellish' runs with top 6 teams one after the other, it's kind of spread out in that sense. The start is made more difficult by the away games against the teams we 'should' beat, if they were at home it would look better in my opinion. But that may be counteracted by the home games against Leeds, West Ham, Wolves etc - which are dooable. I think we're looking at this fixture list in a totally different light compared to last year - after we finished the previous season so well. At the end of the day you play everyone twice and that's what it is. If we're not good enough to compete then we go down, simples. Doesn't matter when you play them.

Good point. Not sure he's good enough either tbh.

I don't disagree with you in that sense, I don't think he's good enough either - we just don't have a great deal up top, he was our only option bar Adams and Ings as it was. I don't count Redmond or Tella as viable centre forward options. Hopefully this means we are looking for another out and out number 9 - or nightmare scenario, Long is back...!!

Exactly, a lot goes on in the background before it's even known. Villa for e.g potentially throwing all this dollar around, I'm fairly sure that will be on the expectation that Grealish goes for mega-bucks. Of which there have probably been conversations already, so Villa are looking for similar players (of which Emile-Smith Rowe is one) Same with Bissouma and White for Brighton, big bucks to be made there. Unfortunately we don't have anyone - bar our captain - who can generate seriously big bucks for us to then go and invest heavily.

Strange if perm, quite quick to give up on him. Although I guess we need to generate cash from any possible angle this summer.

I actually thought that was a decent showing to be honest. The call for Trippier was clearly due to experience in international tournaments. Mings and Shaw in the back 4 would have been a bit of a gamble in my eyes, especially against a proven top tournament team in Croatia. Credit to Phillips, he did alright and buzzed around all game. Got in Modric and Kovacic's faces which meant Croatia couldn't ever really get a grip. That's something we didn't do right in the World Cup in 18, but we snuffed them out very well. It did get bitty towards the end but that was probably the game plan if we're honest. Next Friday should be a good watch, but based on todays showing we will have way too much for both Scotland and the Czechs.

Sadly it happens daily, in all walks of life. I knew of someone years and years ago, fit, healthy, just dropped to the floor outside a shop. That was it. I don't know what you're calling for? change? What could be changed? When your lucks out your lucks out, all this does is highlight how much of a thin rope we all tread on a daily basis really. No one knows what can happen tomorrow.

Yep, agreed. Although I'd probably start back in 2016, that was equally terrible. It's impossible to get every transfer right, even in the window where we got Mane/Tadic/Pelle etc we still signed Gardos. But the problem in those windows is that the big signings we made were disasters, there wasn't a good one. They've even been let go on free or loaned out since. We paid them a fortune so no one else wants them and we then couldn't improve the squad further because of that. Sorry cycle really, kind of ties in with Ross Wilson taking over the show. Things seem to be getting a bit better now. Still a bit early to say, but positive signs in the last two windows.

As someone else mentioned, best place to have that sort of medical episode is on a football pitch surrounded by medical staff, defibs and all the required treatment. It looked bleak but they've all saved his life. I'm amazed the game went on, Denmark were never in the right frame and the game was at such a slow pace. Doesn't feel like the result really mattered in the end though.

Amar Jemal? That was a funny one.

I would agree, I didn't see anything particularly standout. Rough around the edges, quite rash, poor decision making. It was his partner who we should be after, if we had the money (Anderson).

So, in a very funny twist for our Spurs friends. They didn't get Conte. But instead they are going to appoint Paulo Fonesca, the very same guy who was sacked by Roma and replaced by Mourinho at Roma. Who Spurs sacked themselves. #managermerrygoround

I know there wasn't ever any evidence to link LD Sports with Gao, but it doesn't take a genius. I don't know what happened as Martin is a pretty switched on guy, could have been an attempt to create a cash vehicle to get money across...but it didn't work? No idea, but it will always be a very dirty bit of business we were involved in there. I refuse to believe that Gao had nothing to do with it.

This is the default go-to rumour every window these days! I wonder if we'll ever get him!

I agree, it doesn't mean anything. It didn't stop Lambert, Shaw and Lallana leaving. If his head his turned it doesn't matter what his international status is. Plus, I don't see him as the sort who is going to chase this move.

Not sure why everyone is so bothered, it's great news for us. We have 4 players at the Euro's - Adams, Armstrong. Let's be honest, they'll be lucky to still be in it after the first 2 weeks. Vestergaard - isn't a starter for Denmark Bednarek - starter for Poland. So, most of our squad is going to get the chance to build their fitness again for next season. That's all I care about really, selfish....maybe, but I don't really care about England in the same way as I do about Southampton.

I'm of your feeling as well - from a selfish pov I hope he gets the break over the summer to recharge. Although he is a bit cyborg with his fitness.

It's not like Gao is going to see that money though. If we sold JWP we'd have every penny of that to reinvest, as has been the case with all transfers. And in this day and age £40m doesn't get you anything really, we certainly wouldn't be able to replace JWP with £40m and then have enough money to improve defense/goalkeeper/number 10 etc. Would be a pointless sale really. As an owner you'd probably look at selling your captain/best player as a devaluing exercise for your asset anyway.

Nah, not for the PR chaos that would cause. And 40-45m wouldn't provide us anything really. It would need to be something close to our record received fee for him to go anywhere in my opinion. Contract length, captain, PR stuff etc. Unless there is some sort of instruction put in my Gao to let him go cheap, then only City and co would be able to afford him.

£50-60m I'd have thought

10 minutes.

Villa would only have a chance of signing JWP had we been relegated. He wouldn't leave us for a club at the level we are trying to chase. If he does leave it'll be a Liverpool, Spurs, Utd sort of move. In our benefit he's not quite at the level for those clubs. Unless we get relegated, he's probably going to be a Mark Noble type for us.