sadoldgit

Balancing the books is never as exciting as a big signing but there is something satisfying about doing well on a budget. Swansea looked quality the other day and Palace look a really good side this season. I think the club had its fingers burnt over Osvaldo, Ramirez and Mayuka and perhaps are playing it a bit safe right now and I cant really blame them for that. Still, if Vic can sort his head out and we get more consistency out of the Pelles, Tadics and JWPs we could be up for another decent season. Just a shame that the European expedition was such a damp squib!

7th highest spenders. Spent some £40m on improving the training facilities. Not too shabby for a club that isn't owned as a billionaires plaything.

It is only just September. Perhaps we should wait for 10 games before we start judging?

He is no Frank Lampard but then there aren't many who score as prolifically from midfield. In our purple patch last season goals were coming from all over the pitch. We need to get back to that. If you rely on one or two to score your goals unless one of them is Suarez you are stuffed.

If you pay top wages and you cant afford it, you could end up out of business.

lurker

He was injured for a chunk of last season and probably not played in his best position. There is no reason why he cant score more goals this season.

How do you mean? Buy more players or spend more on players/wages?

I am not long out of bed and still rubbing the sleep from my eyes which is probably why I cant see the logic in perfectly happy players only wanting to leave when they have dealings with Reed and Rodgers. a) I assume they have dealings with Reed before they sign. If he was that bad why would they sign in the first place? b) So it has nothing to do with playing CL football for a top 4 club? c) So it has nothing to do with a vastly inflated pay packet? d) So it has nothing to do with a greater chance of winning the league/cups? e) So "perfectly happy players" never dream of playing on a bigger stage and are perfectly happy to stay where they are until they have a meeting with one of two club officials and then their whole attitude changes? I might be wrong, but I think that statement is utter rubbish St George.

The figures of expenditure are quite scary and the gap is huge between the top clubs and the rest. Even though Spuds aren't top 4 I think they still pay higher wages than the likes of us.

Can you please provide your evidence for saying that these players are happy and settled before they have dealings with Reed and Rodgers? Who else is on this list of yours? I imagine that Koeman has a lot to do with Reed and Rodgers. Does he want out of "Dodge" too? You seem to have a lot of inside information. Please share.

danger

Adrian Durham said there is a rumour that Rodgers has three games to save his career!

Yep, no irony in my name at all!

No, they were your words, not mine Alps.

Nailed on! The ex players curse! Actually I would be happy for him to score as long it is a consolation goal for them!

I am not sure about the heading bit as I have seen him heading two goals from crosses. Even in Scottish football I think it is a prerequisite that a CH can head a ball. Perhaps Mers had been on the source again?

Sport is very emotive. I remember the mood in our house when we lost 3-2 to W Germany in the 1970 WC. My brother was in tears and my Dad and I could barely speak we were so chocked. I remember feeling like screaming YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS when Bobby Stokes scored the winning goal at Wembley but had to contain myself because I was sat in the Man Utd end! I remember listening to the Everton cup game on the radio when they turned us over and feeling physically sick. Relegation and administration sucked. But we need to find some perspective. Afterall it is just a game. My eldest daughter is moving out of her home today and moving into a flat in Brighton as she is about to start Uni. On Monday I spent 4.5 hours in the car in a journey to IKEA in Croydon that would usually take 1.5 hours but being a wet BH everybody took to the roads. I helped my daughter and her boyfriend load up my car with their stuff, drove them back to Burgess Hill and then drove another 1.5 hours home. I was completely knackered by the time I got back but do you know what, I had completely forgotten about the European exit and hadn't worried about whether we had signed VVD or not. When it gets to the point where football rules your life and becomes the most important thing, there is a problem. When I am on my deathbed I really don't think that I am going to wish that I had spent more of my life on an internet forum. If some people get off on slagging other people off that they don't know to other people they have never met, that has got to be weird, right? And I really need to find something else to do with my time too

So we now have two people who think that KL is skimming money out of the club?

Nice bit of sarcasm. Where does all the money go then? Is Les off buying luxury yachts? Smoke and mirrors? Perhaps SFC are propping up the Leibherr's business?

Isnt casting judgements on other people what you do all of the time though Alpine? And often without just cause?

I love the deflection here. The problem isn't with the poster who makes others angry? Dear God. That explains so much. I will try and explain. Of course not everyone sees things the same. However, a rational person, I would argue, would wait until the transfer window had closed and business concluded before they went into one about how badly we had done. To kick off weeks ago was a completely pointless thing to do because you had no complete information about the players leaving or staying. In fact you specifically said that one player would be coming in and one player would leave. Neither of these things happened and there was a good chance that neither of these things would happen. When you constantly add 2 and 2 and make 367987 and then start mud slinging based on your miscalculations you male yourself look silly. If you truly are this wonderful cuddly loveable family man then why on earth don't you understand why people get fed up with you? I understand that some have the need to vent their lives anger and frustartions on an internet forum, but to do so before you have a very good reason is just plain weird. If van Dijk had not signed and if Wanyama had left, fair enough. Knock yourself out. But the club made it clear they were signing a replacement for Toby (and van Dijk had been the name mentioned for weeks). The club also said that Wanyama and Mane would not be sold. But you chose not to believe that because you think that the people who run the club are incompetent. Despite the fact that they proved that they are doing their best to run this club within its means, you still find fault at every turn. Fine, That is your right. It is also the right of others to call you on it. You can side step the reasons why people get fed up with you all you like but the simple fact is, if you change your posting style and language you would not get as much grief on here.

It is hard to ignore something that is everywhere. The points are being countered.

There are a lot more expenses to running a football club than transfer fees and wages.

I think most people do know that Mane and Wanyama will leave eventually. It is not likely that we will sign like for like as the players moving on are to top 4 clubs. We need to find decent players who the top 4 clubs haven't sussed yet. The term cheap alternative actually makes perfect sense. Why buy a more expensive alternative if you can replace more cheaply (ie Bertrand)? I am sure Juanmi will get his chance. If you only put out a side who scored goals you wouldn't have many players on the pitch. JWP and Davis are both Premiership quality footballers. Agree with the long ball. As for strikers - Pelle, JRod, Long, there are three for a start. Do you need any more if you only play one up top? I think we do have creativity. What was lacking was confidence but we showed against a poor Norwich what we can do, just need more self belief and Clasie and Bertrand fit.