S-Clarke

We'd need to lose both ABK and Lyanco to consider a new CB imo. That's probably way down our list. Need to lose one of Armstrong and Adams before we bring in a ST too. CM is the only area I can see immediate incomings, as we've lost two.

Sort of player we needed today, someone steady and able to tackle. We seemed allergic to tackling in the midfield today.

Well that was pretty chaotic to say the least. The main problem I saw today was a total lack of control in the middle of the park, they were able to get in behind on the turnover and bypass our midfield so quickly - and continuously. Some of the goals were absolute shit house, like Manning falling over himself and everyone leaving Rowe to head it in. Their second goal was a screamer though. Attacking wise we played okay, but the problem will continue to be the turnover if don't have control of the midfield. I thought Charles came on and provided a little more of an anchor in there and we actually had more control with him on the pitch, so it just goes to show how important that style of player is. In effect we started Central Midfield with just attacking midfielders, and because of that we were totally overrun on the counters. It was great entertainment though, we didn't go into our shells to be fair and we kept coming back which was good to see. Lots of work to be done though, didn't think our football was as sharp as it was at Wednesday, but Norwich were much quicker to us and didn't give us the time. We'll have too much for a lot of teams in an attacking sense, but you do feel that we can be got at (certainly if we play a midfield full of attackers)

Maybe - but Gnonto at Leeds is also acting up, after Leeds have rejected the overtures of Everton and are refusing to deal with them. It's probably a scouse thing!

Nah, I think it's just the way football is. First and foremost it's pretty much general rule to sound out a players interest before putting any money on the table. So before a fee or an enquiry is even put onto the table of the players parent club, the player via his agent will know of the interest and will be willing to talk - so the club know it's not a waste of time attempting to agree a fee. Then clubs will open talks and start negotiating, but behind the scenes the agents and the players will be thrashing out his terms. The agreement of the fee between the clubs is now almost always the final thing to happen.

They've got JWP now anyway, so it's a mute point really. I don't think they'd go to the £45-50m Utd wanted for McTominay.

Last year (although that may change this year), they had a category for Championship games - they showed all 3pm ones, via that Ifollow thingy. Not the greatest of quality, but it was something. Be interesting to see if that is still available this year as I've not had any response to my renewal yet.

I'm so shocked that during the summer managerial merry-go-round, that no club has yet picked up the 'greatest manager of all time'. They must all be blind.

That game was our last league win of that season I think, we only picked up 4 or so points after that and we never really recovered ever again - as it followed through to the next season and our ultimate demise.

Oh for sure, I know I was only talking up the headline figures - but still, for a Championship club this is huge, huge money - unprecedented for this level. The problem we have is that there are only a couple of weeks to go, and selling clubs know we have stacks of cash burning a hole in the back of our sofa.

You've got to imagine that this is going to be such a head fuck for Lavia. He's only a kid, he's being pulled all over the place. The way Chelsea do business is horrible, they've always done it - buy players to stop the oppo getting them, then let them rot away out on loan for years to come.

But when the oppo have Halland there is simply no contest.

Absolutely, the scouting has to be totally on point. We can't waste this opportunity like we pissed the VVD fortune up the wall.

Gnonto's head has gone. "Following those conversations, Gnonto felt he was unable to play in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie with Shrewsbury Town. "Despite training for the last two days, Willy has informed Daniel Farke that he still does not feel able to play this weekend and has not travelled to Birmingham for the game tomorrow. "This is now an internal disciplinary matter and the club will make no further comment, other than to reiterate that Willy is not for sale."

£55m feels like we've held out well on this one, he is one of the best young DM's in the world. Given that there is a £40m re-sale which kicks in next summer, this makes sense. Hopefully a fair chunk up front. £30m for JWP, £32m for Tino and £50m for Lavia - over £100m on just those 3. We've also sold Salisu for £15m Orsic, DCC, Diallo, Ely, Theo off the wage bill. I'd argue that there has never, ever been a more cash rich team in the Championship. We simply have to make this work, we have no excuses.

That didn't take long. How many for Halland this season then?

I haven't seen anything at all from Mara to suggest he will get lots of goals at this level, he doesn't seem suited for English football 'yet' - a loan move may benefit all. Armstrong may have scored goals a few years ago, but he has been shit for a while now - he's not going to rediscover it overnight, my feeling is that we need to cut losses on him and accept whatever Ipswich are paying - let him rebuild his career elsewhere, I can't see it working for him here.

He was terrific for us, but I wouldn't have ever classed him as an elite level player - he benefited from an environment at Southampton (and a system) which he fitted into like a glove, he actually grew with it which makes a lot of difference. Moving him out of that into Utd was never going to be the same, they put him in a different role to start with anyway and they didn't have the same players around him who complimented his style (his tandem with Wanyama was great). He wasn't a good enough player to stamp his own image on a team in my opinion, he needed a lot to slot in around him (which we had the benefit of)

Exactly, I'd have said we need a new striker even IF Adams and Armstrong stay - as I can't really count on them to get the goals, in fact you might as well discount AA! So if Adams goes, we'd need two additions up top in my opinion - or an absolute leading front man, and a source of goals from wide. When we last came up we had Lambo regularly scoring, but he was supported in attack by Lallana chipping in - and then we had Billy Sharp coming in during January who added about 8 or 9 goals to us. Jos was a regular scorer from corners as well I think, usually on a Wednesday night against West Ham if my memory serves!

Let's hope he doesn't buy a page in the echo to publish a goodbye letter. That went well last time.

When you get to this stage of the window, twitter is even more of a cesspit for wannabe ITKs making up shit for a laugh. Then you have SSN's chuckle brothers, and Fabrizio sensationalising things for no reason. Fans lap it up though, the state of the replies to some of the tweets make me feel worried for humanity.

Contract talks will dictate that one, by all accounts there has been no progress on a new deal (we offered him one). For what it's worth I don't see him going, any footballer going to Sheffield United this summer will need their head looking at.

If Smallbone is going then Downes makes sense!

Armstrong, Alcaraz, Charles and Smallbone are our options for CM on Saturday, there is no chance Lavia plays. The deal is too close for him to be risked. That midfield does feel incredibly lightweight, but we'll see what happens.

It feels to me that £30-35m was always our going-rate for JWP, not entirely sure why as it does seem a little on the cheap side, given that Tino went for £40 and hasn't played for 18 months - maybe there is some sort of release clause for JWP we're not privy to? I think the bartering with West Ham has been to get most, if not all, as a guaranteed immediate fee - which they weren't offering at the start.