S-Clarke

Yep, probably. There will be some form of compromise at the 11th hour.

The thing with Sulemana is that he hasn't even proven himself to justify those personal demands. At least Gnonto had proven himself in the PL over a decent period, we've literally just got 1 game to go on with Sulemana - and prior to that, a patchy involvement at Rennes. If I was him, I'd knuckle down and make himself a key player in a side that is winning - then he can be in a position to start 'demanding' moves, but as of today he's proven nothing so I find it rather odd.

Why? What's the point? What in gods name is Chelsea's strategy here? Palmer came out bleating that he wanted to play, so the last place you go is Chelsea - surely. £££££££ speaks I guess.

I agree, we can probably lose those two without panicking too much - they're not offering anything today, so losing them for 'tomorrow' will make little difference. Like you say, the other 3 are dependant on us getting people in - first. We can't be in a situation where we sell Che on Friday lunchtime, and are then flapping around trying to complete a deal at 8pm. I like to think we're sensible now, people in charge who are a little more clued up and less prone to panic. However if there are no signs of any replacements being done by late Thursday, then we have to close the door on those 3 sales IMO.

It would be suicide to take a huge loss on a player we only bought 6 months ago and is young enough to improve and was signed with sell-on in mind, I don't think we can even contemplate a loss. A loan, with a loan fee, and an option to buy which breaks even would be passable - but anything around the £15m mark, even if that is genuinely what he's worth right now, just isn't going to float. Onuachu is another kettle of fish, he was bought with no eye on re-sale. We just panicked and Rasmus picked a player who he knew from a previous club. Totally not fit for our style last season and even less suited to it this season. I think this is one the club will have to admit defeat on and take a loss. (probably a 50% loss). Selling back to Genk makes sense because we could potentially just give him to them for free, in exchange for us not paying a future instalment.

Nothing of note happened today then with regards to outgoings. I wouldn't entertain any bids after tomorrow. The last thing we need are players leaving on deadline day. If KWP, Adams, Sulemana are here by the end of the day tomorrow then the club should say that's that.

He sounds like someone who was being touted around by both Genk (they needed money), and his agents. I don't particularly think he wants to leave Belgium, or at least join second tier football.

Yeah, I totally agree. We cannot realistically entertain any bids late Thursday into Friday. If clubs want our players, realistically they have tomorrow.

Leeds to allow Drameh departure Leeds will allow Cody Drameh to leave on loan or on a permanent deal with Spence's imminent arrival. It has been clear for some time the player would not accept a new deal and the arrival of Spence clears the path for a move away from Elland Road.

Yes, very, very good. Way too good for the NPC as said above. No chance we get him.

If he is to leave Celtic, it will be for the PL - he a quality player, similar to that of Smallbone/Downes as well. I'd have thought any additional CM we get is more of a physical presence.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not crying about all those players moving on! It's just a crazy level of change when you put it down in black and white like that. It has been needed though, I think most will agree. There has been a huge stagnation over at least 3/4 years, the whole club needed a reset and this is one hell of a reset. We've never really connected with this team since the Koeman days, players have come and gone without really contributing anything and a select few have continued to stink the place out - but finally, there seems to have been a bit of a sweep and we're getting to a point again where we could potentially have a team to connect with, not hounded by the baggage of years of losing games.

One of my main worries in the summer was appointing an 'inexperienced' manager, who isn't used to the level of change we were about to encounter. But like you said, he's took it head on and embraced it - he's helped navigate such a difficult time, we've played two promoted sides away from home and got 6 points - whilst our squad has been in total limbo. Like he said, we're building - the key is to make sure we still pick up points whilst we're building, and we've been doing that. It'll only get better so I think this start has so far put us in great stead. Next month is mega though - Sunderland, Leicester, Leeds, Boro, Ipswich. Hopefully we're not short on players, we're going to need our best quality available.

I thought I'd do a quick summary of where we're at, as expected this has been a major summer of change - the squad turnover has been unprecedented really. We have lost: JWP - £30m Lavia - £58m Salisu - £15m Tino - £34m Lyanco - Loan Perraud - Loan DCC - Loan Tella - £18m Orsic - £2m Elyounoussi - Free Diallo – Free? Theo - Free Willy Cabalerro - Free We have added: Flynn Downes – Loan Shea Charles - £12m Ryan Manning – Free Transfer Joe Lumley – Free Transfer Mason Holgate – Loan Ryan Fraser - Loan Futures undecided: Moussa Djenepo Kamaldeen Sulemana Joe Aribo Che Adams Kyle Walker-Peters Armel Bella-Kotchap Paul Onuachu Alex McCarthy There’s a hell of a lot that could happen between now and Friday, and a hell of a lot has already happened to this squad. I think we will add to the wide areas, CB and CM before we lose anyone. I don’t believe we’d replace Moussa or Aribo if they leave, but we’d almost certainly replace KWP and Che if they left. The only close season which has similarities with this one was Koemans first (in terms of key players we lost, and total managerial/coaching overhauls), but we replaced astutely and got stronger from it. Let’s hope we can do the same here - but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, as a lot has to happen in a very, very short space of time.

Ah, silly season well and truly on. Translated - UPDATE Paintsil: Winger has announced that he @KRCGenkofficial don't want to leave this summer. Not for Leeds and not for any other club.

I don't think we'll be signing a fullback unless KWP goes - we do have Manning, KWP, Bree, Larios, Meghoma and Holgate who can play there atm. So whoever is our full back signing will be our first choice right back - I think we see Cody as that guy.

One name linked with us - This could equal a domino though, as we are keen on Leeds right back Cody Drameh.

On one had you have a group of fans saying we need to spend all £100m+ now, we need to invest tomorrow etc. and on the other hand you have a group of fans saying that we're skint, we can't spend any money etc etc. Neither are true, the truth is likely to be somewhere firmly in the middle. We can spend money and we will do on the right players (PL loans aren't free by the way, so loans shouldn't be seen as a cheap option), but equally we're not going to be spending £30-40m on players in the Championship. We are also not skint. The ownership have been fairly clear that financially they will continue to support us, you have all seen the numerous raises of shares to pump more cash into the club - so we're not skint by any means. We're never going to be a club that flashes cash like Newcastle, West Ham etc. We sit firmly in the Brighton and Brentford bracket and you get much more satisfaction over those sorts of signings imo. All our big money signings have been total fails, bar Ings.

He was one of the ones I expected to leave pretty sharpish, surprised it's taken this long. (I guess his injury didn't help). There are only a handful of players I'd be happy for us to keep from our worst ever PL team, and he isn't one of them. Worked hard and was committed - so you have to appreciate that, but he was extremely limited and such a downgrade on Bertrand.

Not sure Everton are in the mix for him at all now, that door is shut. It's Palace and Bournemouth we need to keep an eye on.

Surprised it's taken so long, he was always going to go. It's a loan with an option by the sounds of it.

Something weird went on there last January. I think he was promised reinforcements, they were lacking numbers after letting a couple go. Come to the end of the window they hadn't signed anyone, made a last panicked bid for Karlam Grant which then fell through so they were left with zilch. I think he believes if he'd had that bit of help they'd have got Top 6, but there was some criticism from the board (apparently) at the end of the season as he fell short of the Top 6. A very acrimonious end - but Swansea's owners do not cover themselves in glory, they never have since they sold up to the Yanks.

I think it was his first cross, right into that 'corridor of uncertainty' as commentators like to call it. A natural striker would have been sniffing in that area, but we didn't have any natural strikers out there who anticipate those sort of things. Hopefully we see that in the door in the next few days.

I always felt that was his best role, even more of an 8 - licence to attack, not worrying about the pivot and all that stuff. In one of the only things Nathan Jones did correctly, it was using JWP in that 8 (that goal he scored in Open Play against Everton was an example of what he can do in that position). Our lack of numbers and quality in CM meant we had to shoehorn him elsewhere under the more cautious managers (Selles). He'll do well surrounded by Soucek and Alvarez.

Stop playing Football Manager