S-Clarke

That's not going to effect the game though?

If you play one up top, I'd think a target man is exactly what you want? He's probably not an out and out target man per-say, but I will bet you his ability in the air will bring the other attacking players into the game more (and thus open more space). Look at Crouch, Benteke, Okaka, Vokes, Barnes - not great players at all, but they still effect a game because of their presence.

Just having some threat in the air will help I think, given our lack of any physical presence up top we'll probably be pleasantly surprised by even average hold-up ability!

I don't see anyone really getting excited over it, I see a lot of people with an open mind and maybe a tinge of relief that we're signing a player with attributes we lack. You tell us we can't be excited (which we're not) and that is one extreme, yet it's OK for you to flip it the other way and rant against him, having not actually ever seen him play. The fact you're comparing him to Shane Long kind of suggests you have no idea the sort of player he is, a quick google will show you that he is a player in the mould of a target man. Not always the prettiest of players, but often the most effective in bringing others into the game. So, I think most are open minded, not excited. Yet you seen to having a meltdown of your own over someone you've never seen. Go figure.

So no then, fair enough. You had such a strong opinion on him I assumed you'd certainly seen him live.

Given how opinionated you are agaisnt him, I assume you've seen him play a few times live? (in person or on TV) over the course of his career?

Good point. Bit like Arsenals failed attempt to meet Suarez's release fee.

Deal closer....19m agreed.

He's going to Inter.

Premier League clubs aren't allowed 'fancy' patterns anymore, some pointless new regulation. Straight lines only.

If we did that, we'd be losing out financially on the deal. We wanted those mega bucks I think.

How many of these ''there will be an announcement at x*pm'' ''the press have been called'' snippets have actually ever been true? It's not really how football works. We had so many in our takeover days as well.

I'm sure they'd love to have it filled up with home goals from the last two seasons, but.......

All we needed was it to be a friday, and we would be all set.

I still find it very frustrating that fans believe that hearing no news means that we're not actually doing anything.

I wondered if this was imminent as he wasn't on the bench yesterday. Good move for him, it will be good to see him get some game time at a good club who are really good to watch. If he can get a good relationship going with Sessengon, we can have both of them next year.

And Torres, Can (imminent) and Alonso Every club is a selling club to a point tbh. They should just rename the chant to ''He left cos of money''.

As I have always said, his best position is on the right side of an attacking 3. Not in every game, but he can do a really good job in that position in an attacking sense and also covering at full back.

Wasn't a bad game at all to watch, conditions were rank though. Pitch doesn't seem to be able to handle the rain much anymore, it was awful against Palace and was equally as awful today. Hopefully they can sort the drainage out. Anyway...onto the game. Overall a really positive performance I felt, pressed them well, won the ball high up by anticipating their errors and created some good openings. From the outside as a natural you’d say that was two good teams on show today, it kind of underlines that we really are in a false position with the players we have. I like the midfield of Lemina, Hoj and Romeu - but for me....I'd swap Lemina and Hoj. Keep Hoj in midfield and push Lemina into the more attacking role, I think he has more pace and strength to cause a problem. We do lack that big arse powerful CB who will leave centre forwards on the floor. Stephens is alright, but (I think it was Stephens) was literally brushed out of the way by Kane, he just moved him aside which underlines his lack of strength. Bertrand had a good game, proper attacking outlet on the left. Cedric also had a good game doing similar down the right, but our left side is easily our strongest area. What you would say though is that this team is crying out for pace, there were opportunities in that game where JWP and even Hoj had space in front of them, but they didn't have the pace to get away. Pace in the attacking third would make a real difference to this side, I still think we have some really good players in this team. Our next run of games is where I expect us to start pulling ourselves around. We've shown in this game, at Utd and even v Arsenal that we are better than where we are. Maybe it will now finally dawn on everyone that we are actually in real danger.

It strikes me that there are always fans at this club ripe for a protest, they're always waiting for an oppertunity to wave their banners and wiggle their fingers at the dugout. Just like our old friend, Kirk.

There's no chance of us signing Lucas Moura. There's more chance of me coming on as a 2nd half sub today.

I'd be very surprised if this news hasn't got tounges wagging at the club.... Let's see how MP does today. I think I'm being stupidly optimistic about the game again. I'll never learn.

More to this than results, apparently relations with the club have been very fraught since the failed Everton approach. Silva making it clear he wanted out (which was pretty bad form on his part, seeing as he'd just gone there), but Watford not agreeing the compo. Writing was on the wall after that, the squad and his eyes were taken off the ball. Little convo with the club after this, some of the transfer moves they are making weren't discussed with him. Pretty sure this is a mutual departure though.

Technically we went for Boufal as our Mane replacement.