S-Clarke

Manning has played as Left sided CB in his past at Swansea. There's something to send shivers down your spine!

If we do manage to catch them then this team will trump the Adkins lot and then some. We'd probably end up as the best Championship team ever if we finish above them. I think we will hit an inventible dip, I don't know if it's just the saints fan in me or not, but just rules of averages suggest you cannot churn out win after win after win endlessly - there will be dips. We just have to hope those dips happen at times when the likes of Ipswich and Leeds also have a little wobble. As Leicester have been so fricking consistent, we simply have zero margin for error for the remainder of the season. That's a bloody tall order. I'm just focusing on Leeds and Ipswich if I'm honest.

It's a shame, I like Charly. Hasn't massively flourished this season for sure, but a great option to have around the place. but...for him, a move to Juve is just massive. What an opportunity for the lad. For us, we get a pretty chunky loan fee - and even more if he doesn't get the games - and if he tears it up, we get £45m and double our money and then some. Personally I can't see Juve buying him as Italian clubs don't have any money, but it will certainly put him in a higher profile shop window - we've secured ourselves as he has a long contract, so his value isn't dropping. In terms of the squad, if you look at where he plays, Stu, Aribo and Rothwell are also competing for that role. Brooks is also very, very adept in the number 10 role - so we kinda do have a bit of an embarrassment of options there. It won't hurt us as much as losing KWP would have, or Che. We have plenty of alternatives to fill Charlys void for now.

That's a blow, I really like Charly and think he can offer a lot. He hasn't been the regular we all expected him to be though. You could argue it's player led as he wants to play, but he's not going to play regular at Juve. I imagine we'll get a decent fee, plus wages covered. If they stump up £35m in the summer we've made more than double our money if we're looking at it pure profit wise. I'm disappointed though.

They were 2 down inside 2 mins, incredible performance by Brighton. Sleepwalked through that first half.

I think as many loans as we want, but only 5 can be named in the match day squad.

They're giving Swansea a bit of a sniff here I think, but I don't think Swansea have anywhere near the level of quality required to do anything of note. Leicester will win it, but I agree they've not been amazing.

I've always been a fan of Brooks, a silky player with the ball at his feet. Could have gone to Spurs a few years back, they were interested. I thought it was an interesting shout back at the start of January, but then I watched him single handily tear apart Swansea as Bournemouth captain, I assumed that ship had sailed - so I was surprised when it was a goer!

#FreeBenson

Really pleased with this one, I reckon he'll have a similar impact to that of THB. He oozes class.

Agreed 100%. Anyone who says otherwise must have been very fortunate to have never had it cross their lives.

Yeah, you're a wum. Back to whatever Portsmouth forum they have these days for you.

Footballer interviews are always full of cliches, and PR driven responses - but what a difference that was, it was just like listening to an everyday guy telling us the horror he'd had to go through. Came across so down to earth, very humble and a proper genuine person. Very relatable and refreshing to hear the good news story at the end. Don't wish what he went through on anyone, to get back to where he is today would have taken some serious graft. Defo. an amazing character with the right mentality.

Didn't realise there were games tonight, but given that we've pulled them back in to our sight, the Leicester v Swansea fixture is something to keep an eye on. Although given how horrific Swansea are I'm not expecting much, but stranger things have happened.

I'd leave Holgate out every day, even if he was fit. We've got Stephens as the backup CB on the bench.

Worst post of the year award has been won, and we're only in January.

Being too clever? I'd say this is the most no-brainer signing we could have made if he was available. You got the injury the wrong way round - he got a Hamstring injury after he'd returned from his cancer layoff, well long-term as in the same length as Stephens recent one. No surprise really, in fact it would have been a miracle had he not picked up some form of muscle injury given what his body had been through over the previous 2 years. He's been injury free for around a year now, just trying to fight his way back into the side.

They're an odd bunch. Madness. Strategically it’s in our interest to be the dominant club in the geography. Fair enough let Brooks out if it’s the best for him and us but not to Southampton. What a terrible decision.

Nice link up with Fraser on quite a few occasions there, they were quite the double act for Bournemouth a few years ago.

Not yet - they're in the playoffs, so they could be. He was quoted as saying he wants to play so he's in contention to be part of it whatever happens.

Bournemouth aren't happy. Bless them still trying their god damn hardest to make a rivalry with us though

Looks like Brooks has been told he won't be week in week out first team at Bournemouth, so he's told them he wants to move. I think we were the only option if that happened and it looks like it has! Absolute baller of a player, so technical and nice to watch - glides across the pitch, absolutely perfect for how we play. Not a typical hugging the touchline winger, more than happy to come inside, play as a 10 and break the lines. At Championship level he should boss it, he single handily ripped Swansea to pieces - admittedly not hard, but lots of teams are of Swansea standard in this league.

Yes, correct - primarily a right winger, cuts inside a lot. Him and Tella pretty much interchanged roles last season.

You've hit the nail there - we need players making themselves available, not glamorous roles in any way, but that creates space, creates passes angles and keeps the possession. Charles and Rothwell did neither, they weren't really sure of their roles so nothing ever got going. Really boring and unsung role as such, but being 'available' in the right places, with the right body angle to receive the ball and move it on again is pretty much the pivotal aspect to how we play.

Yeah I think that's fair, I remember SAA's first start against QPR at home and he really struggled I thought. As a sub he is more of a threat, maybe Dibling can be more of a threat as a sub as well?