S-Clarke

This is obviously true, but we can make a better squad of it, hopefully. Something we have really lacked in the last year or 2. I still look at teams such as Everton and co who lost their Rodwells, Fellani's, Rooneys etc and continued to kick on with shrewd signings such as Mirralias, Oveido, Mccarthy. It's possible to build a better team on the back of the ''stars'' going, but it's one hell of a first test for Koeman.

Please can you provide an in-depth analysis of Lex Immars please.

I'd go out and get Rodriguez from Wolfsburg if I'm honest. No one we buy will be anywhere near as good as Shaw, but Rodriguez is a damn good player and would be a very capable replacement. I don't think he'd cost £30m either!!! so we can use the rest on other area's. But please, no Lex Immars types...

Have a feeling we may start to see things pepping up now, what with the return of most of our lads from the WC. I think the club will be fair to their word in that nothing will happen until 1) after the world cup (for the respective countries) and 2) once a manager is in place. I still believe we'll lose who we've been rumoured to lose, it's about who we replace them with.

And that!! Was a proper snow day for me.....no work at all, was great!

That's the reality unfortunately, as much as it kills me to say it. I have ambition and I want us to do better, but until we have a russian zillionaire bankrolling us, we will not be able to retain players of Luke's calibre (it does make the whole academy thing seem pretty hollow, though) - as we won't be able to reach the levels they aspire to. The harsh reality of the modern day football set-up, oh - and most importantly...the $$ on offer.

I honestly thought this would be an international only ban, but fair play - they've hit him with a fairly big rod there.

Bailey is not often wrong, read what he says with interest. Don't write it off because it's not what you want to hear, as that is all that seems to be going on here. I think, personally, it's been clear Shaw has been going since the end of the season. He's reached a point now whereby he's probably a bit too good for us, as sad as that is to say. But apparently we can replace him with a £5m player, or something.

£8m for Snodgrass, what the actual ****. Worth £1-2m max.

How many errors did he make last season actually? If we're losing the likes of Lovren, Lallana, Shaaw, Lambert - then it's imperative we keep Fonte and Cork - solid, dependable and reliable players.

Good troll attempt.

We seem to have an issue with silky, technical players. The obsession over work horses who run and run into blind alleys is in full swing, it seems.

They'll be bringing out the t-shirts shortly.

The use of Lallana and Lambert in this tournament has been nothing but wasteful tbh. So much to offer, yet so poorly used.

I think anyone would be mad to spend 50m+ on him tbh, clearly a talented player, but he's got psychiatric issues - of that I'm sure. If he wasn't a footballer, he'd be sectioned by now. If a standard bloke bit three people in the street, the men with white coats would be driving up.

Why would it effect club football? It will be an international football ban, nothing more - even if it's that. He will start against us and cause us all sorts of problems. Maybe someone needs to make sure he's had a meal before the match?

I've asked this before, but no one wants to give an answer. Name me a better LB, we can get, for say 8-10m? As some people seem to think we can replace him for £10m, or that losing him isn't a big deal as he's not that good etc. He is that good, and why people don't recognise that and want to swing it around to say he's not that good is bizarre. The left back has to be an international, has attacking input and 2 years pretty faultless PL experience. I think you'd struggle.

Good logic. Ignore his last 2 seasons in the league in which we are playing, and make the full decision on his suitability based on 2 matches at international level. He would be an epic signing, but he's out of our reach.

Reminds me of how a lot of fans saw a certain Morgan's influence/ability at the start of his saints career.

People keep saying this, but fail to mention names. Who would they be? Given that they'd need to have played PL football, are attacking in nature and have played internationally. People said exactly the same after we let Bale go, and Oxo. The simple fact is that we will not be able to replace him with anyone near his level.

Bit worried about these links to CM's. I hope RK doesn't ignore the quality we have in that position, it's one of the positions we don't need to fix.

Owen at his peak, 98-2002 was one of the best strikers in Europe. He'd have got into a lot of international sides during that time IMO. Was always a big fan of Owen, but injuries just ruined him

We're ****, don't kid yourself.

We need a Simon Cowell of a pundit. Just to say how it is.

I'm still going to be enjoying this world cup, it's been great so far. Not letting England ruin anything. In fact, it'll be better without them in it.