shurlock

Agree.

Les on getting business done early and the type of squad to play at the top of the PL. #happiertimes

Frankly the situations are very different - and why couldn't it be another Schneiderlin situation where a long-term employee knuckles down?

Perhaps he didnt have a clear view of it or benefited from seeing a replay or the incident from a different angle.

Can see why it was given.

Kat told us otherwise, that the deal was necessary to help the club move forward and fulfill its ambitions, so time will tell.

We needed wide/AM players, even before factoring in replacements Charlie. That's why we heavily linked with Walcott and Promes in the January window.

Is he getting on a bit? He's never relied on pace. I think he's easily got another 2-3 years in him at the highest level.

More important is that the replacement is a success. Our recruitment has been shocking over the past two seasons and AM is a notoriously difficult position to fill. If Tadic leaves -and he's been our most creative player bar his many frustrations, it just leaves Redmond and Boufal who've both disappointed, unless you're expecting Sims to step up which is a big assumption. AM is already an Achilles Heel and is an area we need to be strengthening, not simply finding replacements who may or may not be good enough.

Interesting - thanks. Is it true that there's a release clause? Anyway, doesn't surprise me - its been a frustrating couple of seasons for him, never mind the sense of drift at the club atm.

Don't think the feeling here was to dole out new contracts left, right and centre - only to tie down our very best players, as Clyne and Wanyama were. Les and co. seem to have an inflated sense of the quality in the squad. Nobody here welcomed Forster's contract extensions and many raised an eyebrow over Stephens contract to name a few examples. If there is a driver of wage inflation, its the constant churn in the squad: having to replace players on an annual basis means having to pay the going, inflationary rate for players in a way that clubs with less turnover are less exposed to. Either way, our wage-to-revenue ratio is pretty much par for the course, so unlikely to be decisive on its own.

Textbook

The problem pal is that you care too much.

The old alf-inge haaland smile.

Roy Keane - cheer up you paddy p***k.

Too busy grooming Stephens for his 50k pw starters role. The Cornish Beckenbauer.

When has patred ever been ITK?

Disgusting team. Portugal not far behind.

Ridiculously different situations. One case involves protecting the welfare of children because the parents are not fit to take care of them; the other doesn't.

i guess Hughes telling Maddison he could be the next Charlie Adam or Stephen Ireland didn't quite have the desired effect.

Cheer up ffs. Ruben Semedo is seemingly on his way.

Morocco looking half decent.

Not anymore pal.

Keown - what an absolute helmet. "Look at the spring" as Ronaldo barely has to jump to score Portugal's opener.