Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread

[Holy Trinity]

If Smith not being a draw is the problem then he should be replaced! Simple as that.
Obviously its not going to happen but a bad start and we will have a new manager by December with someone else's team trying to rebuild in January the most expensive time to buy players

[aj2k77]

I think it's pretty clear that we aren't attracting plan A and possibly plan B targets. Maybe wages are an issue? If it's true that our wage bill was slashed down to £65m last season then new recruits last year must have been on a lot less than the previous incumbents (Whelan, Jedinak, Kodjia etc). Maybe we are driving a very hard bargain and in our position, unfortunately, the only draw we have is huge wages and if we aren't paying then we aren't getting.

I don't know. I'm just not comfortable with raiding the lower reaches of the Championship to improve a poor team.

[RamboandBruno]

A month after we stayed up, before a balls been kicked in the new season and already Smiths got till Xmas?? Because of the lack of signings so far, wouldn’t that delve into the ‘any excuse to have a dig at smith’ territory?
I’m really not sure the lack of signings so far is anything to do with the smith name. How many Huge managerial names are there in the premier league, Ancelotti, Guardiola, Mournihio, Klopp, would that be it?
We have a sporting director responsible for signings and selling the club to prospective new players presumably.

[algy]

I do wonder if playing for Smith is much of a draw.

Whilst I'm sure the manager, club, etc are a factor - a Premier League club offering £££ is probably the overriding reason for joining.

As with last season, there seemed to be very little speculation about people we actually signed, most were just out-of-the-blue "oh, we've just signed this player".  Usually with "from Club Brugge" added at the end   No leaks, no idle speculation - just a professional, no nonsense approach.  I get the impression from what the Exeter chairman had said that very little has changed - we're just quietly going about our business.  It's why I'm far from convinced that someone like Rashica is going to come ... it's been in the papers too long, and to me it seems entirely down to either Werder or him trying to push up the price/wages for his actual move by throwing our name around.

It's also worth bearing in mind that if we start throwing money around like Chelsea/Manchester City do, we're going to get hit for the same kind of prices that they do, and with it the wages that they pay.  I'm sure half the reason our wages were so high in the Championship was because we were acting like we'd got money to burn.

Not concerned yet.  I imagine Brentford will want to get a replacement lined up if they're planning on selling Watkins and/or Benrahma, much like we'd want to if we were selling Jack (which I don't think we are).  The same will be true of any other targets we have.

[tomd2103]

 

Leicester want Matt Targett to replace Ben Chilwell.  If you believe The Daily Star.

Vardy plus £20m and they can have him. But seriously if we can get back what we paid and get him off the wage bill we should do it.

If it were true they wanted him firstly I wouldn’t particularly want to sell, as I think he’s a useful player. Also if we were prepared to sell I’d bloody hope our staring position was better than, “give us what we paid for him”.

If a better replacement could be lined up then I would sell.  Targett is decent going forward and linked up well with Grealish last season, but he is very suspect defensively and worryingly seemed to bottle it on a few occasions.

Think we will need better at left back moving forwards.

[VinnieChase84]

None of our targets have moved to anyone else. Until that happens then we are still on for plan A's. How long we are willing to wait out on it is another matter

[PaulWinch again]

None of our targets have moved to anyone else. Until that happens then we are still on for plan A's. How long we are willing to wait out on it is another matter

Any insight as to how things are progressing?

[Taylor]

If Smith not being a draw is the problem then he should be replaced! Simple as that.
Obviously its not going to happen but a bad start and we will have a new manager by December with someone else's team trying to rebuild in January the most expensive time to buy players

You couldn’t make it up could you?

[VinnieChase84]

None of our targets have moved to anyone else. Until that happens then we are still on for plan A's. How long we are willing to wait out on it is another matter

Any insight as to how things are progressing?

I have been getting very limited information than usual. A LOT has changed behind the scenes. Extremely hush hush. Internal teams have all had to sign new NDA's on policy recently.

From the limited i have had, its very much bhain reaction stuff. Clubs want to get replacements in before they sell so they are not held to ransom but selling clubs knowing they have extra cash etc

[PaulWinch again]

Cheers.

[VinnieChase84]

Cheers.

My own opinion -  i expect watkins to progress now Toney is going Brentford

[Clampy]

QPR's Eze now signed for Palace.

[Gareth]

Other than Pep or Klopp there isn’t a manager in the league that would be a ‘draw’ so as a stick to hit Dean with I can’t see it - £’s & location yes, wanting to know that the best player isn’t gonna be sold before you join yes, mgr profile no

We see a lot about supposed targets but we along with the journalists no diddly squat as fact

[N'ZMAV]

QPR's Eze now signed for Palace.

Replacement for Zaha perhaps?

[VinnieChase84]

Cheers.

My own opinion -  i expect watkins to progress now Toney is going Brentford

Good stuff VC a man we can trust !
And thanks for the above.

Don't suppose the club gave any information on allowing extra people back into club ground in October? And trials for home fans.
It's from another club - Fulham- but they are pretty sure in 6 -8 weeks they will have fans in the stadium!
As well as the basic corporate package for a bit of revenue.
All the London clubs are keen so the rumour goes and the 3 promoted clubs super keen from a season ticket point of view Fulham especially. as such from the Clubs Prem league meeting yesterday.

Stay safe.

Re: Fans - club sent out an opinion poll to fans on next steps etc. Think all clubs are gearing up to early October (unless Gov change) Approx 30% max capacity.

How it will work, your guess is as good as mine. If i was betting, then id say they will ballot to ST holders and give equal opportunity to attend home games across a spread selection.

I know a lot of fellow ST holders who have said they have no intention of returning until the following season.