Exiled_Rover

You've just listed three players that aren't good enough for this team. Dolan is the closest, but at best he's energy to bring off the bench for 10 minutes. Gallagher was out on his feet against WBA and Hedges looked jaded too - Dolan and Vale might as well not have played tonight. That's why the midfield looked poor - nothing stuck up front, no runs were made and the ball just kept coming back at us.

Rubbish. He had to drop into our half to even sniff the ball today - that's not what we signed him for. He's a very tidy player.

He has no-one to pass to.

He's a warm body at the moment. Will be loaned out if our summer business ever happens.

He doesn't have any other options, that's the problem - one he keeps highlighting.

This shows the weakness of the squad - two games a week is brutal on us. Gallagher was out on his feet at the weekend and Hedges tired badly too. We need another quality attacking player at a minimum.

This transfer is unbelievably messy. Leeds, Wolves, Bournemouth, Everton, Brighton, Nice and Sevilla have all been linked. Just bloody buy the lad at the price we want or bugger off.

You should be, our Academy is our biggest advantage in this league. The only Cat 1 Academy outside the PL I believe - currently have 9 (I think?) Academy graduates in the first team squad and obviously just saw 2 Academy graduates leave after putting in hundreds of appearances for us. Its our life blood.

He's not staying in his current position though, is he. They're trying to get him tied down to a professional contract which would be significantly more than his current scholarship contract. Clearly you subscribe to the "look after #1 and f' everyone else" mindset though.

Like for like, yes. Replacing him with two players who are better than Dolan / Hedges / Markanday et al, not so much. It's a squad game, if the money is reinvested properly we'd be better for it.

Its only devastating if we lose Brereton on or near deadline day and don't have time to bring in multiple replacements with the money. Don't get me wrong, he's a very good player, but he's not irreplaceable - it would require Broughton and co to earn their coin though!

Found and developed himself, did he? This attitude that you just look out for #1 is why society is in the state it is. I'm not asking him to sign a 10 year deal with a Championship club if he's clearly destined for the top - I'm just asking that he doesn't slink off to some poxy London club for a sliver of his real value because of a technicality. Bellingham handled it correctly.

Trapped?! He's a professional footballer (eventually) not a live-in maid. The club that found you and nurtured you from what, 8 years old, deserves more respect than that.

You're not holding him back at 17. He's a baby, he'd be better served playing men's football once a week at a place he's familiar with than being buried in their U21s for a year before being loaned out to Exeter et al until he's 21. Hopefully he's being well advised - he's thinking short term if he goes for the money now.

I'd be disappointed with that - he's earned his chance after impressing on his loan last year.

It looks like Nice are throwing money around to try and become relevant. Could be an interesting 'project' to be part of.

And are about to sell their best striker too.

They're both bad suggestions - Armstrong is an incredibly selfish player.

We need 1 CB - that leaves us with Wharton, Ayala (who will get injured at some point), Carter (we have to give him 6 months to prove himself at this level), Phillips and A.N. Other. That's plenty.

Baseball is a closed system though (a pitcher and a hitter), it's much easier to apply statistical models to.

It doesn't factor in whether Harry Kane or Chris Brown is taking the shot. Kane would outperform his expected xG considerably.

I was always taught "don't be afraid to ask a stupid question". Shame on you if you repeatedly ask it though.

What if he's sold and replaced with Styles and two of Evjen / Bowler / Birmančević? That'd be good business. We have to hope Broughton and JDT have a contingency plan in place.

I'd bet against that.

I'm ok with taking that gamble. £10k a week isn't going to break the wage structure or the bank. The eventual transfer fee (assuming he doesn't help us power to promotion) might.