a1ex2001

He'll come back to Saints, I'm not sure on the eligibility rules for reserve/youth games but wouldn't be surprised if he can play in them given you can field trialists etc

I think that's a bit harsh on the lad, he was a good servant of the club who had outgrown the team and wanted to test himself at a higher level his departure didn't feel hugely money motivated unlike say Lovren, when he left us he was a French International and most of us thought United had got themselves one of the best DM's in the league. Sadly for what ever reason it hasn't worked out for him, Man Utd was always going to be a big ask and it seems his confidence has taken a battering. I'd have him back at Saints in a heart beat.

He turned out to be alright after that though so hardly in the same lesgue as a Patric Colletter!

Nigel Clough is an amazing manager at Burton Albion, he should just enjoy the rest of his career him and the club seem made for each other, that and he seems to have a knack in cup football!

I'm still not convinced by this must buy clause, it seems odd and very unusual but then nothing would surprise me with Saints! I guess the risk was if he cam here and had a good season he's suddenly a 40-50m player with todays prices so maybe liverpool wanted that factored in if it was an option to buy. Lets be honest 20m is nothing in the premier league these days!

and ourr recruitment since we returned to the premier league has never suited it we have seemingly always recruited players to fit a 4-2-3-1 like we played under poch and Koeman even this summers signings suit that formula so I've no idea what we are doing playing a 442!

Worked brilliantly under portaloo last time we went down, oh no now I remember we were awful!

Worrying trend of only turning up for the second half and manger who doesn't seem to know his formation and line up. Oh for the days of knowing we would play 4-2-3-1 with decent players in every position. Don't think we will go down but suspect it will be close!!

Such a frustrating player when on form and confident he looks almost unstoppable but too often he runs up blind alleys and looses the ball or lazes it into the crowd, if Hughes can get him playing anything like consistently well then we will have a very good player on our hands.

I will be amazed if there isn't why would we sign that deal unless the final transfer fee is significantly lower than previously mentioned to offset our risk!

Decent signing for me I assume if he is crocked all season and doesn't play then we won't be signing him permanently despite the odd wording in the press and I very much doubt we will be paying 20m in one lump some for him. Before his injuries he looked quality and he has been fit to play for sometime now which bodes well. Thee a a few if's and but's as always but it looks to be a pretty decent window for us only one significant player out and a few good additions, I'm still hopeful Forster will go out on loan before the rest of Europe closes the window it seems madness for us to be paying all his wages even a loan to a championship club with us picking up 80% would make sense to me!

have they got a 2-4-1 deal available for a midfielder as we definitely look light in that area as well?

seems incredibly cheap for a highly rated English player on a long contract in the current market, I'd be very disappointed if he was allowed to leave for such a small amount.

all down to the wages and transfer fee for me but could potentially be a decent signing for us his goal scoring record when fit is pretty good and his speed would be a real asset to us.

One of the few I would take back!

20m for a guy who has been injured for two seasons and is still unproven at the highest level would be bonkers even in the current climate! 8-10m is his absolute max even in the current dilly season of prices!

Always has been if you avoid acting like an idiot and either refusing to play for the club or playing like a conference reject then I think the fans have been pretty generous with players. It's just the best brat brigade who threatened strikes or who's heads were in other cities while they were captaining our team that annoy people!

A massive loss whonfor my money we will struggle to replace, yes he was inconsistent and a step down from the very best we've had in recent years but he has been an essential part of the team. I will reserve judgement until the window closes but there are not many players out there who will deliver for us like he has.

I think he is a decent player just massively let down by his lack of fitness in this day and age it is pretty unforgivable for a pro footballer to not look after themselves and be in pretty much peak condition!

CCTV and banning orders prevent any risk of a widespread return of hopligans to football grounds in the UK, it's just a handful of hobby teenagers and idiots that haven't grown up giving it large these days. Outside the grounds it's pretty much the same act like a moron at or near a football match and you will get caught and banned these days not like the 70's and 80's. Safe standing is exactly that, safe. It's just not happening in England as the Lessons have never really been learned following Hillsborough sll seater stadium see the sledge hammer to crack the nut!

Gald he's staying, he's a sloid player who always gives 100% clearly he's not a top 4 player or we would have sold him on long ago but we need player like him who are that next step down and hang around giving us continuity like Tadic, Davis and Austin.

Safe standing is never going to happen the government are not interested in the debate and the clubs won't push it was it won't increase capacity so revenue won't go up. There is this weird idea that Hillsborough was caused by the fact fans standing and not by the 12ft high fences between the fans and the pitch, modern safe standing bares no resemblance to the old terraces every fan would still have a ticket spot so over crowding couldn't happen and no ground in the country has had fences in 20 years.

Small depends on your point of comparison, we may be the 9th richest club in the league but the gulf between us and the 5th is massive an almost certainly impossible to bridge so ergo in comparison to Northampton town we are massive but in comparison to Man city were are a tadpole small is all about perspective a minky whale is huge but in an ocean full of whales it is small fry. The premier league money is consumed in mostly by wages and contract renewals (which are mega expensive) everytime the TV deal goes up all that really happens is wages adjust to compensate and agents take a bigger chunk of everything! I'm sure some of that money will find it's way into the transfer kity but we are always going to be reliant on sales to balance the books as is every club in our position.

Whats the alternative? Find a sugar daddy who will bend the rules ala Man City's dubious sponsorship deals and hope they don't a get bored and leave us in the lurch or b) turn out to be chancers? We have always and will always be a small club in premiership terms which makes us one of the richest clubs in Europe so I would expect us to continue much as we have done and we will have good periods like the one thats just finished and bad periods like the one that has just started some transfers will work others won't, sometimes we will sneak into the top 6(ish) and sometimes we will flirt with relegation that is the way it is for every club in the country except the chosen few at the top. We as fans just need to accept this and try and enjoy the experience Les and Ralph are doing the best they can, neither will be here forever and both are a step up on Lowe! If Gao keeps his mouth shut and his hand out of the till then for me he is doing a decent job as owner the club should be self sufficient and if premier league football is not achievable on that basis then so be it. The only thing I'd really like is to win a cup it's such a shame that one of the most successful periods in the clubs history has come to an end without us gaining any silverware to put in the trophy cabinet and FA cup would have been just reward for the clubs performance in recent seasons.

Don't we have the Portuguese first choice right back who won the European championship and has been persistently linked with Barcelona on the books?