Lössl rejoins Huddersfield

The club seems to be unable to display due diligence when buying players. And also seems to be unable to judge their own players.

Mike Gaynes will be even more gutted over Antonee Robinson, if the Italian 㾶-11M offer materialises, and as Jonathan above said we undervalue our own players too often.

Had hoped that Antony Evans would have made it through to the first-team squad but time will tell if that decision was right or wrong.

Glad to see that Lewis Gibson has signed an extension, before going on loan to Joey Barton's Fleetwood, alongside Calum Connolly, and Morgan Feeney to Tranmere too.

I always look to see how our lads do at these Clubs, as it can often be a good barometer, to see if they will cut it in playing regularly for a League side, although there are always the odd late developers. Realistically there will always be the odd one or two (John Lundstram, Gerard Deulofeu) that slip through the net, but we can't keep them all.

Pity we can't offload Martina and Niasse, but there is still time, for two players who should never have been bought in the first place. It's through the idiocy of previous Saboteurs that see us in the dangers of breaching FFP Rules, such a waste of Club money with these sort of purchases.

Hoping for a midfielder, Wanyama at Spurs available for ٦M? Always thought he looked a good player.

Failing that, a centre-back, allowing Mason to play in midfield.

I am fine with no incomings in all other positions, but centre-back worries me. That said, our luck has held for the first half of the season (at centre-back anyway).

Iwobi back tomorrow and Gomes in a few weeks. They'll be like new signings.

We can probably recall one of our two loanee centre backs in case of injury.

Wanyama is a good player but injury-prone and we've also had/have too many of them.

I trust Carlo to sort us out and fully expect a barrage of new sponsorship deals in the summer from Usmanov-related businesses to bring in some money to support his summer's spending.

Although, this being Everton, it wouldn't surprise me to find we have run out of money, not putting any more in, and selling Richarlison to stay afloat.

One error after another in the transfer market.

However, there is no guarantee that his good form for Wigan will continue in Italy. The two leagues are polar opposites so all the wailing may be a tad premature.

We're snookered with FFP, then a player we let go for ٟ million gets sold for 㾶 million. I remember a lot of us at the time being amazed that we let our promising reserves go for ٟ million when Liverpool can fetch 㾶 to 㿀million for some of theirs.

Unfortunately, If this is Brands, then he's starting to rack up a few questionable decisions – such as Delph, Iwobi and now Robinson. (Although Iwobi has time to prove me wrong...)

i can't see him staying beyond that, to be honest.

Who mentioned Lookman? We did well getting rid for the amount we did.

Keep the powder dry and the funds in the bank for the summer.

Organise a proper preseason, get the players fit and let's get our transfer targets in early if possible, no last-minute Zaha and Zouma chases like last season, thank you.

No excuses for the 2020-21 season, we have to get it right and start the rebuild. Let's get the foundations right.

In terms of this window, I think we have seen the combination of past misjudgements and FFP come back to haunt us. We are close to our limit in terms of spending and, as we mainly faffed a load of money on overpaid older players, we are struggling to recoup anything. Let this be a warning to the many on here who say "it doesn't matter what age they are" or "it's not our money".

Perhaps if we were pushing for top 4 or relegation then they would find a way to make it work but, ensconced firmly in mid-table, it seems we may be set for another 8th to 11th finish. A shame as I think there have been some really intersting and good value moves made in this window already:

Haaland to Dortmund for 㾿m is an absolute snip. Minamino to Liverpool for ٥m will prove excellent value. Kulusevski to Juve for 㿊m is a very good player I believe. Diego Demme is a very able central midfielder who cost Napoli just 㾶m. Reinier Jesus was obviously a player we were linked with who could be a the next galactico at Madrid. Dani Olmo is an excellent playmaker that I think Leipzig have got a bargain for at 㾽m. Flamengo have also struck a bargain getting Jay Wood's favourite 'Gabigol' for only 㾺m. Bruno Guimaraes looks a very complete midfielder (the sort we badly lack) and has moved to Lyon for only 㾽m. I think Daniel Podence looks a very interesting winger and is decent value for Wolves at 㾽m and Sander Berge, who many think of being the one of the best young central midfielders around, has been something of a coup for Sheffield United at 㿂m. Maybe the deal I'm most jealous of is Bayer getting the talented young Exequiel Palacios for just 㾻m.

Lots of great deals being done and a lot of good central midfielders which is a position we surely need to strengthen in. Either Brands has set targets who are not available yet, or we are limited by FFP, or a combination of both.

More seriously I was a little surprised we let him go in the summer. Having seen him in the under 23s and in a couple of pre-season games he seemed to possess many of the qualities, such as pace and power, required of the modern fullback. There was a question mark about the quality of his crosses into the area but given his age and inexperience that was surely something which could have been worked on.

Any little bit of form and we'll be ale to get into Europe.

Yet many people seem to believe we should avoid the Europe League so we can have a proper pop at top-4 next year.
Guess what, we've been saying that year after year after year and it is not happening.

Even if we do get 4th, then what?
We stand no chance in the Champions league quality wise and have no chance as we are not used at all to play extra games. We barely play more then 42 games a season nowadays.

Spurs did well in the Europe League for a few years and when they went into the Champions League, they were better ranked because of it and were already used to playing the extra games.

I am sick and tired of ' next season we'll do this and that....'.
I want to get back on those planes and travel the continent, asap.

It's the only "success" we've had for 25 years and if that is the best we can do for now, let's try to actually do it.

Why wait until the summer to rebuild and aim to qualify for Europe next season when we can actually do it now??
Make no mistake, rebuilding will be a lot easier if we can offer European football to a few potential signings.

Anyways this kind of thing happens all the time it's not like it's exclusive to us. It's impossible to know how a player will turn out and sometimes you have to make decisions at that moment that may come back to bite you.

I've seen conflicting reports. Some say £1.3m and a % of sale, whilst others say £3m. No way have Wigan coughed up
£3m.

If we get a percentage, then the Robinson to Milan transfer is the best thing that could have happened for us, as opposed to him being crap and us never getting a penny.

A push for the Europa league is the first target, our last participation was an embarrasment. If we fluked the CL then we would be soundly thrashed every game. Imagine a mdifield of Siggi and Sideways against Barca.

Tomorrow is a big game and hopefully the break would have allowed Carlo some time to teach the players the differnce between the coccyx and the humerus.

Slag the club when they deserve it but some live to slag the club.

In that case I assume we'll ditch Sportpesa a year early, as indicated somwehat by the lady on our board. Megafon with megabucks to come in?

No.

That's why they are buying one.

Is Robinson as good as Lucas Digne?

No.

Does Lucas Digne play for Everton?

Yes.

Would Robinson have started ahead of Lucas Digne this season?

No.

> Sell

Bowen and Soucek will be a success at West Ham. Bowen has been a stand out player in a relatively poor side for a couple of years.

Signings typical of Moyes and good value. Measured investments rather than blowing millions on players who've had a crack at the elite teams and never really convinced.

No

Will we have to spend money on an average squad player?

Probably

Did we have someone who could potentially have been's understudy?

Yes

Did we get a decent amount of money for him considering his potential and international status?

No

Conclusion...

Should have sent him on loan again.

To put it short our wage turnover is at around 85%, this year saw record losses of around £100 Million, the season before I think we were £30 Million up with a turnaround over 3 years of not exceeding £109 Million debt to keep us inline with ffp.

We may get Niasse off the wage bill today, if not then in the summer along with Martina and possibly Tosun.

We will struggle to bring in any big signings, maybe a loan.

However in the summer we should have a little more breathing space.

One thing is for sure, we must get whatever we can off the wage bill, the freeloaders, anything we manage in outgoings today is a bonus,but our wages on players are killing our ffp and outgoings on fringe players is a must.

As far as FFP rules are concerned, the rules are fairly basic if you make losses of £105 million over a 3 year period you will fall foul of FFP rules. So it doesnt take an accountant to work out that unless we get some of our most expensive players out the door or either get ways to increase our income via sponsorship we will have very little money to spend now or in the summer.
This must be really concerning for Ancelotti, as he will know more than anyone this squad as it stands isn't good enough to challenge the top 4/6.

Although the club are saying that they are nowhere near breaching FFP rules, it seems the figures doesn't back up that statement. My worry is that if we do break the FFP rules as City have done in the past with only having to pay a fine. I could well see the Premier league using a different punishment if it was Everton who transgressed the FFP rules. I worry they would adopt a similar punishment to what the RFU handed to Saracens, which was originally a 35 point deduction, and because they were found to be in breach of rules again they have been relegated.

Now I am sure that the powers that be at Everton are well aware of the sanctions that could be imposed if they break the FFP rules. So I think the summer will be a very interesting period.

Robinson is being bought in, at best, as his understudy. Perhaps he could have been Digne's understudy as Baines is almost done. Imagine we may have to buy another LB this summer as don't see any of the youngsters making a strong claim currently.

Never anything but frustrating being a Blue is it?

A brilliant attacking full back, yes. But they are seeking to play him in a more advanced position given his defensive limitations. The same limitations that prevented any progress at Madrid.

Better than Digne?

No.

@52 Kevin. You can't just keep loaning people out in the hope that they'll come good. Petrified that they will come good elsewhere.

He wasn't going to play for us this season. End of. £2m was the going rate at that time for him, obviously. Otherwise Milan would've paid £3m then and saved themselves £7m

We did that with another left back. Keeping him on our books for huge money too, Luke Garbutt.

I am pretty sure though some will still be glued to sky transfer Day and expecting huge incomings which is not going to happen.

The best we can hope for is a loan signing and some outgoings, Niasse to Burnley will be the best bit of business for us, if it goes through.

If Evertonians are up in arms over this how must Chelsea fans have felt when we sold Lukaku for 㿸m (plus addons) after only paying 㿈m for him?

It's seems that rules are there to be broken by the so called big clubs. PSG, Madrid,Barca, Chelsea, City and the shite seem to do ok by challenging or testing the system.

I just wonder what the punishments are.

He has played exclusively as full back/wing back so far so I see no indication that Robinson will be starting for Milan anytime soon. Guess he'd rather warm the bench in Italy than Liverpool, can't blame him!

It's seems that rules are there to be broken by the so called big clubs. PSG, Madrid,Barca, Chelsea, City and the shite seem to do ok by challenging or testing the system.

I just wonder what the punishments are.

Link

Regarding the punishments that the Premier league could impose for transgressing FFP rules are either a fine or a points deduction.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/28/milan-banned-from-europa-league-for-one-year-after-ffp-breach

No need to rush him back

I wasn't saying we should get Zaha and Zouma or that they're worth it. I was making the point that it sounded like the money was there to get them. Now, we're not expecting anything. We must have known the financial situation in August.

His recovery has amazed the medics. He twice repeated there is 'a plan' to have him on the pitch against Arsenal. It has been discussed in depth with the player himself and the medical staff and 'the plan' agreed upon.

There appears to be agreement from all this is feasible. A truly astonishing recovery if it proves to be the case.

Some will hate to hear this, but Carlo used the much-scorned phrase: 'Having Andre back will be like having a new player in the transfer window. There is no need to buy someone for his position now.'

Carlo was in good form. Laughing off many questions. A man very sure of what he wants to do.

No bids for Oumar or Martina. Nothing likely to be incoming, although he joked, when a journo asked will it be worth his time to hang around Finch Farm until midnight: 'The Newcastle game taught us anything can happen in football right up until the last minute.'

With Feeney and Gibson going out on loan, he was asked about cover at centre back for the first team but he is comfortable to go with what he has.

On the question of having 10 days between games to prepare, he said we have prepared well both tactically and physically, but honestly 'I prefer to play games every 3 days. It is what I am used to.'

Acknowledged Watford's improvement and how we have to be wary of their counter-attacking capabilities, but that we are capable of the same ourselves.

Only Gbamin remains unavailable for selection from those previously listed as injured.

I honestly don't see why we have Ancelotti in charge if we can't or won't go out and buy players. He is used to dealing with top players, not used to trying to get a tune out of average mercenaries.

Wait till the summer bullshit?! IF he knows the sort of players needed then go get them, fuck FFP bullshit, it didn't bother RS,chavs,Citeh,PSG,etc so go ahead and stop fucking around, you know,(or should do) the shite that needs offing, and the needed players. a few months won't make the prices drop only inflate, I don't buy into Brands whatsoever. BS.

Add to this what it has cost to fire Silva and hire Ancellotti.

It's a case of go with what you've got for the remainder of the season and then when you've sorted out what you don't want then look to buy in the Summer.

Results have somewhat gone better under the new man if we forget about last week which felt like a defeat so we may as well sit tight for a couple of months longer.

Originally the FFP was introduced by UEFA but then the Premier league introduced their own FFP. So if we transgress the FFP rules then the Premier league will fine us or deduct points. And it being Everton you would bet money they would use us as an example to every other club.

Injury that just seems to require endless time to heal then there's the dreaded setbacks which are common with such a injury.

It always seems to be players we sign doesn't it?

I understand the kids thing because i'd love if we bled in certain lads more considering the shite we've all seen. Ellis Simms, Gordon etc should of been brought in sooner/now.

Buy now and feck the January window, there's soo many shit players needing offing which I understand, but CA knows the type he wants and apparently has financial backing so? Get the fuck on with it.

The irony is now Ancelotti has come in and implemented a system that is crying out for Gana.

How can you be so sure that if we “went for broke” and spent £200m this month and got 5th that it would just be us banned from EL for a year and that's that? Maybe the PL might want to make an example of us and relegate us. They have a habit of making examples of us (Niasse etc).

Also, if we went for broke and got 4th or 5th and we're banned from Europe then what was the point of going for broke?

Why not be clever and sign the right players in the summer? There's a better selection then and FFP will ease off a little to allow us more to spend and give Brands time to offload more players like Bolasie that you've forgotten all about.

My theory about him being the midfield shield as it were is also down to Silva bigging him up as possible cover at CB.

I guess if you play one up top which I hate, you assume your midfield will score/contribute, alas Gana's job tbf wasn't that. I like the lad and wonder WTF some of the soft lads that played and trained with him do/think? because him on a shite day he was harder and gave his all to protect the back line and actually give two fucks and get stuck in.

Tiny Tim I think.

Total losses over 3 years must not exceed 𧴡 mil

The actual figure from our accounts looks like it is currently 䀊 mil less - and we are allowed to deduct any money we have spent on youth development and infrastructure payments.

These include stadia (㿀 mil over only the last 2 years alone) and the rest seem to be hidden in the 'Other Operating costs' section of the accounts which (again only over the last 2 years) are circa 㿼 mil. Let us suppose only half of that figure is offset against FFP then we are still looking at 20 + 40 = approx 㿊 mill a year.

If my (admittedly pretty ignorant) figures make any sense then we are certainly nowhere near losing 𧴡mil over the last 3 years - more like 㾻mil?

Terrible luck for him and us. Don't know why Brands has not seen fit to buy or loan some athletic central midfield cover. Delph, Siggy, Davies, Gomes and Schneiderlin must be one of the slowest midfield quintets in the league. I miss Gana Gueye.

* how David Unsworth has improved him and taught him things he wouldn't have learnt at other clubs
* his reassuring chats with Marcel Brands in recent months and the career path mapped out for him
* plus 'exciting' plans for the club, all of which he agrees with, thus signing his contract extension.

Link

Just tying a couple of things together, in today's presser Carlo was asked if he was concerned at centre back cover with both Gibson and Feeney going out on loan. He said he is happy with what he has.

Looking at the photo of Gibson alongside Brands they are of a similar height. I recall when we signed Jarrad Branthwaite from Carlisle earlier this month how the 17-year-old - two years younger than Gibson - towered over Brands.

Now I'm not implying that Brands and Ancelotti see the teenager as 4th choice centre back from those still at Finch Farm, but it's telling that he has jumped right into the U-23 set up as described in this piece from the Echo.

Link

This also makes interesting reading - both articles all the more so given the diverse views expressed on Brands, Unsworth and the academy in Martin O'Connor's post 'Blocked Pathways for U23s'.

I will get to the point along with others on the stance with Everton daring to break the ffp.

If any player is found of conning the ref we will bring into force a Niasse rule banning any player from outside of the top six with a 2 game ban.

If you field an eligible player in a cup competition the team shall be removed from the Competition, except for any side in the top 6, this also applies for playing a weakened side in the cup again unless you are a top 6 club.

Finally you can name your stadium, have your club shirts with same sponsors and spend as much as you like and be handed a small fine.

However if you are outside the top 6 and spend over the ffp, then expect a huge points deduction, possible relegation and banned from signing players for the next two windows.

Do you really think it is worth taking the chance Rob with it being Everton.

Let's not forget we spoiled the transfer window, when we signed Richarlison.

Am I bitter, too right I am, because I know they would hang Everton out to dry.

I would expect plenty of business in the next window.

My only hope is that Niasse is never picked for us again, not even as an unused sub. Nothing against the guy, just that unfortunately he's one of the most useless footballers I've ever seen in the blue shirt.

We need the stadium to go to the next level and we can divert a chunk of the losses into that and have breathing room on FFP. Everything should be much, much better for us in the summer.

There's less that 15 games left. Why sign a player for 15 games unless he's on loan?

Darren, we won't be in the bottom three and we don't need any extra players just to stay up. We'll finish 8th or 9th without much more effort.

Get paid.

Mourinho can advertise a certain betting firm but, if your name is Mina, you will feel the full wrath.

I've been wondering about that one myself.

How CAN Mourinho do that without punishment?

Probably Everton/Marcel Brands fault according to people on here

Laughable the stick he gets.

So it's been a bit dull but I don't think any immediate rivals have stolen much of a march on us. Quite like the fact that Carlo hasn't panicked – it's almost as though there is now a proper plan. But I still wouldn't mind a late twist.

I really don't care what people say about the mentalities of Niasse and Martina "always giving their all on the pitch" etc; to me they are a disgrace, to turn their noses up at regular football (presumably at no cost to themselves financially as Everton would at least pay part of the wages) in order to sit around Finch Farm stinking the place out, it's a disgrace.

Niasse has played this club for the fools they are! I really feel very cross about that. In regards to earlier talk of the new lad Braithwaite, my father-in-law is a diehard Carlisle fan, he told me that the coach stated he would play for England one day. He also felt from what he has seen that the boy is class.

I've seen him play a lot and he will be a great addition to the Premier League!

A truly woeful window in my opinion we should have added at least one. Those who think we will suddenly come to life in summer, based on what? More likely we will still have the likes of Walcott and schneiderlin stinking the place out next season.

Massive clear out needed in the Summer - Ancelotti can then hopefully have his targets lined up. Good day all around.

Schneiderlin and Walcott were good for half-a-season upon arrival, then their impact quickly waned. I guess you could say Lookman was a good signing, since we ended up doubling our investment.

Otherwise it's been a lot of turkeys like Niasse and McGeady, and guys like Mangala and Traore who immediately got hurt and were never seen again.

But centre midfield we are worse now than the start of the season, we only have Delph (injury liability), Davies (who isn't good enough) and Schneiderlin (no comment!) as fit options. I don't include Siggy as he's not a CM and has never been. Gbamin we will be lucky to see him play this season and if anyone thinks that Gomes is going to back at the end of Feb at the same level before his injury then think again.

As for CB, as much as Holgate has done well this year, if you go back to last season where we had Zouma and Keane playing together then you can see we don't have a top quality partnership in defence. Again, a dereliction of duties to not at least try in this window. We don't inspire confidence in defence at all.

I just can't believe we've not got any loans in (which is all I was expecting/hoping for) to bolster the squad and get some freshness & competition going.

This is one of the worst premiership seasons in terms of quality outside of Liverpool and City, and we could easily have finished a lot higher if we had done something in CM and CB. Big chance missed for me.

It only takes a couple of losses and suddenly we'll be sucked back into relegation issues again. I do fear for the rest of the season now as our defence and MF is frankly shit.

Would love it if I am proved wrong and that we now go on a run and smash it.

Sky and TalkShite are completely gutted. Not much to report and the stupid anchormen have been at a loss all day, as transfer news defects them from talking about anything else in depth.

Summer clear out is easier said than done. Aside from Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson etc, we have Sandro, Besic, Bolasie, Hornby, Dowell, Connolly, Bowler, Lössl and Pennington coming back with another year left on their deals.

Kean may become our Kane
Davies could become our Winks
Sigurdsson our Erikson

Who am I kidding.

The worst midfield we have had for years apparently doesn't need new additions. Bowen and Wanjama would have improved us. In fact, the shop front dummy from John Lewis would improve it.

Lössl leaving kind of sums up our transfer activity. Brought in as a 2nd goalie, deemed not good enough to replace the 37-year-old Stekelenburg and back to Huddersfield in which we have probably doubled his wages and are paying for him to play for the club who he left for us!

I think this confirms my fear that Ancelotti has come here for the doh and not for the challenge of improving a team with a rich owner.

A top manager wouldn't arrive at our place without assurances about budget and players. If he is happy playing Tom Davies and Delph or Schneiderlin as centre mids, we may as well have Sean Dyche in charge.

If I remember correctly, one of Nigel Martyn's reasons for both efforts to join Everton was because his wife had family in the area.

Hopefully the summer will see four or five of these bludgers shifted out.

Whatever his limitations, Mo played with heart and desire which is greatly lacking in the current Everton side. Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson are not the answer going forward, I wish we had not spent the 㿱M we did on these two players. And Brands says we cannot afford 㿨M players!! Horseshit. We could if we hadn't wasted money on all the players that we have.

How is Besic a charlatan? He was offered a great contract and signed it. He's always given his all and has been unlucky with injuries. Blame the club if you must but I think it's unfair to have a pop at the player.

I do not agree with you calling Besic a charlatan. Bang out of order in my opinion. As Phil Sammon rightly said, he was offered a contract and signed it, a contract much less lucrative than the one given to Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson and Delph who broadly speaking all play in the same position as Mo.

He has been out to Middlesbrough for a successful loan spell there and they obviously picked up the majority if not all of his wag tab.

Besic was taken down and held back by a very serious injury at Everton just prior to the season starting a few years back but I credit the lad for his subsequent hard work at Boro to make a success of that loan and also for his determination and attitude to force his way into a Sheffield United side that beat us at Goodison and remain above us in the table.

Sorry Chris, but whatever Besic is and whatever his attributes and limitations, he is not a charlatan. I wish all the current Everton lads had his spirit, determination and desire.

In terms of accounts, next year is this year. We are running at 㿏M loss on player trading but have a 㿊M deal coming in. The removal of a 㿋M profit in 2017-18 puts us at 㿙M loss overall assuming we make no further changes until end of June, but we probably will. After that, three well-paid players see their contracts expire saving 㾶M, if Baines goes another ٣M.

We improved our shirt deal, but we sacked a manager. There is room for deals.

Of course I am guessing but, in principle, you can see why the club are saying we are nowhere near an FFP breach.

I am gutted for numerous reasons that Sheffield Utd brought Sander Berge. He's going to be a real player and very likely to displace Besic; this will take him out of the shop window.

I agree with a comment earlier on here about the 㿨M outlay for Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson, it has crippled us, both in terms of what we can do as a team and financially. I am still annoyed at that transfer splurge by that muppet Walsh and the mercenary golfer.

The 2nd best player we had at the time was Barkley, we fucked that and then brought in 3 No 10s which was the position of Barkley! 1 past it, 1 utter shite (who we sold for half the dosh a year later) and Sigurdsson... who, despite a few moments of brilliance, has hamstrung our formation and selection options ever since.

I think I'm a little traumatised to be honest, everytime I see us hiding on the pitch and having one of our days where we can't string two passes together – I flashback to that picture of Walsh arriving in Milan, looking like the cat got the cream with his little suitcase... sigh.

Jeez, I bet Moshiri deeply regrets those early decisions he made, I sometimes feel sorry for him.

I have read where you claim several of our youngsters are only Championship level at best, well isn't Bowen from the Championship?

In time, you may well be proved right and both Bowen and Soucek may prove themselves to be top players. They could both also be flops! Let's see them perform in the Premier League before claiming how well Moyes has purchased

Niasse and Martina will see out their contracts, Stekelenburg, Tarashaj and presumably Baines will also depart this summer. That still leaves the likes of Sandro, Bolasie, Tosun and Besic. Hopefully some of the latter might earn permanent moves but the wages they are on will be hard to match. Whoever negotiated our wages over the last 3 years was in a generous mood!

Getting rid of either Schneiderlin or Sigurdsson, both who are on huge contracts, will only get harder over time and surely January where less good players are available would have been a good time? I would have been doing my utmost to find a French club for Schneiderlin and a loan/cheap player to replace him.

Amazing how much damage was done under Walsh, Koeman and Allardyce! And Brands has also handed out some big contracts to the likes of Bernard, Mina and Gomes; I believe them to be a higher calibre of player but not by that much. Got to get recruitment right over next year or two if we are to push forward.

Kin'ell, Sam. whilst you're right to moan about recruitment issues in the past, you need to keep things in perspective.

Bernard's wages reflect that there was no transfer fee and therefore you cannot moan at that. Mina is on the same as Keane isn't he? If we want Barca players then we have to accept that they're already on Barca wages and won't accept being on less than the dross we already have in their position.

Glad to see Lössl gone. It was a strange one for me. When Stekelenburg leaves in the summer, then having Lössl back makes sense. It never made sense having 4 keepers and it was disastrous loaning Virginia out. I'm glad Carlo can work with him. He's seen some of the best keepers in his time at Bayern, Real, Chelsea, and Milan. I hope he can carefully assess Pickford and Virginia and whether the latter is capable of supplanting the former.

I wouldn't write Pickford off, but he's cost us a lot of points this season by conceding poor goals at the wrong time and creating negative effect on our momentum in games or in a series of games. I wonder if he's really any better than a mid-table Premier League player?

Thomas, the 㿊M deal is for the stadium side of things and does not help with FFP.

An experienced manager who had won things in Pelligrini couldn't get a song out of them, and Moyes is going to struggle to save their bacon.

I would argue a top manager doesn't need to spend zillions – they turn average players into good players and good players into great ones. About time they started earning their cash and actually coached the players, improving them in the process.

Or am I mad?

Surely somebody must have said pay him the same, not insubstantial money?

Mina is on considerably higher wages (120k) than Keane. I like him as a player but he needs to do more to deserve that salary in my mind.

Bernard was a free so that mitigates those wages to a degree.

I like all these players but I do feel some are earning more with us than they'd get at most other clubs and I'm concerned at how easy they would be to sell should the need arise. Not sure we have our recruitment model right yet and maybe going for Barca rejects on high wedge is part of the issue. Digne is on 90k which seems a more sensible amount.

Exactly pal. ٠m was the going rate for him at that time. And therefore good business.

We're going to end up mid-table, so I think it's best for Carlo to assess what he has and trade in the summer.

Digne certainly hasn't been as good as last year but he still has the most assists in the team and makes amongst the most tackles and interceptions. Stats suggest he's in the 3 or 4 most creative full backs in the league.

Which 5 players would you have instead of him?