I hope it’s the latter but Waggott has tried the “medical shows you’re too risky, we’ll have to change the contract” before, I believe. I think there was a footballer said as much on a podcast and it might even have been deadline day.

People are pretty certain in their opinions, is the thing, but I think criticism should always be direct, for balance. We’ve entered the “off-topic” realm now, so before we get pulled for it, I suggest we cut it short. Even still, I appreciate the clarity.

So for clarity; we should only express opinions on players we may be looking to sign if we’re proven scouts? Noted, thanks for the clarification.

Sorry for posting an opinion, I guess?

Interesting. Seems to play a little simpler than Dolan and carries the ball well, but agreed, he’s not lightning and does cut infield a bit too often. I do think he looks quicker than Dolan at top speed in this video, though.

Quite the weekend for the nerves. Deadline day with Waggott at the wheel ‘til 11pm tonight. Dingledome Derby 13 hours later. *GULP*

Someone mentioned that Las Palmas had put an offer to Cantwell yesterday.

Las Palmas currently 1-0 up at home to Madrid. Let’s hope we’ve got this deal done, what a gazumping we’d be onto

Update: optimism reactivated https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/todd-cantwell-blackburn-rangers-transfer-33563900

I’ve booked the last two transfer deadline days off because I knew we’d be doing business very late. I’ve booked tomorrow off over a month ago because I knew we’d be doing the same. Late heartbreak incoming, I fear, but hoping for the best

I’m beginning to get a really bad feeling about our business over the next 30 hours or so.

Not getting too excited by Cantwell, because anything can and usually does happen with us and transfers. But I think this is as good of a gamble as you can place on a player, especially in our position. Mentality/personality are why he’s going for so little. Ability is massively ahead of where we are, he is head and shoulders better than the rest of our players, on an ability level. Cantwell doesn’t have a lot of pace but he’s the relatively rare breed of player who can beat most people with his feet and brain. You don’t need that much pace when you’re one of those. FWIW, I don’t actually rate the very little I’ve seen of Ben Doak. Much more qualified people than me would disagree wholeheartedly and I’m very likely wrong, but I don’t fancy it. Seems a bit too lightweight currently and I’m not convinced he’s fully put together enough for the championship. Maybe at a side that expects teams to sit off them a lot where he has more time to think, but I think he’s still yet to get to the level. For comparison, he’s not at Carvalho’s level last season and probably not at Harvey Elliott’s level from his spell with us.

In which case he hasn’t done that yet, I assume? Didn’t he only officially sign in January?

I seem to remember something about “duration of contract” being a determining factor. The ESC slot is tied to the contract, you can apply for the work permit with a new deal and if it’s not approved, you can then use the same slot. So we’d have to have offered and had accepted a new deal, which we clearly haven’t managed yet.

Crack on! Some excellent minds for this tried in February and nowt was doing. Last group chat went quiet in June after the tennis ball effort at the Newcastle game.

People have tried, some have succeeded in organising and maintaining, but the last protest-related group chat was a wet fart of shit ideas and arguing.

Respectfully disagree. Five subs at the same time and a shape change is asking for trouble, there’s a reason you don’t see it that often. Proper amateur-hour nonsense from the manager, with an opportunity to continue the momentum, get minutes into legs and go onward to Saturday. Two things - he’ll blame the subs on needing to change shape because Pickering was injured, which is bollocks because the only likely replacement for him back left was Hedges, who played wide right. Second - if that was a warmup or audition for a change of shape on Saturday, we could see a worse do than the last time we were at Turf Moor.

Actually quite angry at how big of a fuck-up Eustace has made here.

Not the end of the world to go out in the cup, but a horrendous tactical error by Eustace just now to switch to three at the back and use all his subs with half an hour left. Just madness. Pickering being injured maybe influences it, but he’s stuck Sigurdsson at LWB and Hedges wide right. Moronic decision which may cause first loss of the season against League One opposition just before the Dingles on the weekend.

Great example.

Buckley’s early through ball to Gueye was horrendous. Played it 3-4 seconds too late and the exact opposite side to where Gueye was gesturing and where it should have gone. Has missed three or four tackles and still just maddeningly ponderous. I think his range of passing is really limited at times, he’s a League One player, he’s suited to tonight, but he’s not excelling.

Ref mindful to keep the game a spectacle. In total contravention of the laws, but thinking about the good of the game.

For those who have missed it so far Buckley seriously off it, needs to improve. Vale showing an uncharacteristically high level of application. Duru looking bright, has handled everything and looks up for it. Very few others look up for it. Batth slow playing such a high line. Rare occasion that a commentator is well-researched covering us.

We’ve needed serious left back cover for ages so let’s hope this lad gets up to speed and challenges Pickering soon. Cantwell - I actually see a good strategy here: point to Szmodics and Wharton and say to him, “come do your stuff here, keep your head down, stay away from Manchester and you could be looking at a big move in a year or two.” If Cantwell wasn’t such a dickhead (and it’s well documented exactly how big of a dickhead he can be) he’d be playing at an extremely high level. Bundles of natural talent, which should have been developed and nurtured to a very high standard, maybe world class, maybe in the England conversation. Thinking you’re God’s gift to Norfolk and better than you actually are will stymie even the greatest talent. But he’s still the kind of player that can do the very special things, bums-off-seats kind of things. I’d go for it.

Appreciate the insight. Absolutely nothing is clear with this ownership and yet it still continues. The more perspectives/interpretations we have, the closer we come to understanding (though we will probably never fully understand).