Slightly underwhelming window but overall fairly content. Hyam and Brittain on permanents is particularly decent business. Don’t think we’re much stronger (if at all) from last season on paper but obviously the young lads stepping up does make a difference. Intrigued to see how Hirst gets on.

Thanks for the info. But do you know what you have just done.

https://avftt.co.uk/index.php?threads/adam-wharton.35283/ Even the opposition fans rated him. Remarkable debut. It’s easy to take our academy for granted at times but last night is a reminder as to how advantageous it is for us. Breeding 17/18 year old championship ready performers. Think we have to go easy on the expectations for Wharton. Saw talk about England caps last night. Let’s not set him up to fail!

Surely him doing well and us then signing him is a good thing??!

I cannot believe that some posters genuinely think we have a shot at Barkley. Even by this forum’s standards, it’s ridiculous.

Caulker isn’t inspiring but we need bodies in so not going to complain. I hope 3 players in is a conservative estimate. Possibly tolerable if BBD stays.

Comments like these are why I sometimes sympathise with the club. Trashing a potential new player before he’s even through the door.

Ben Davies got a move to Liverpool but never played a PL game so let’s not overdo it. Sounds like Hyam is highly regarded so no complaints from me.

I meant never in the context of this summer, which is what your original post referred to. I’m sure he would have signed prior to the summer of 2021 but to be fair I don’t think anyone expected the journey BBD has been on since. Doesn’t absolve the club from blame but it’s important not to lose context. As for the ambition of the club - the signing of JDT would signal that ambition is there but it’s clearly been a disappointing window so far. Ultimately there’s still time left in the window so I’m reserving judgement but there needs to be a lot of movement in the next week to turn it around.

Your argument was that our winning start to this season was the best opportunity to get him to sign, which is what I contest. He wasn’t signing a new deal this summer regardless.

There was never an opportunity to get BBD to sign. Regardless of our start or signings, he had no incentive to sign given the clubs interested in him, but don’t let that hold you back.

This must be the first southern based cup tie we’ve had for several years.

Let’s be fair here. JDT is using the academy lads because he has no choice. Unless we want to go full strength and risk injuries to big players. You get beneath the first XI and this is what you’re left with.

I’m not getting carried away with the JPvH talk. Did well last season but was part of the same clown show that became the second half of our season. Think it said a lot about BBD’s loss of form that JPvH won POY. Would be a good addition but won’t lose sleep if it doesn’t happen, esp if we’re talking big money.

You’ll be first in line slamming the owners if he leaves for nothing next year. If we want to be less reliant on Venky’s, this is the model we have to live with. Dont want him to go but it seems inevitable, as it was with Armstrong. If it gets north of £15-17m then we can’t turn that down.

You think he’s that desperate to join Nice? We rejected a similar bid in Jan and he’s played a few games since then.

Aaron Ramsey has gone there too. Can’t let this drag on for too long. Hopefully will tempt others to get involved. Big loss but can’t let him go for nothing.

Can potentially sell for millions. Potentially. All based on an hour against West Brom.

Be interested to see the crowd for this. As positive a feeling around the club as there has been in years, top of the league, not on TV, school holidays, not unreasonably high ticket prices.

Got no time for Butterworth. Didn’t lift a finger in any of his cameos last season. I think it was the Boro game at home when he jogged around the centre circle for 15 mins whilst the team desperately held out for the win. Pathetic display, don’t want to see him in the first team for some time.

You break it for him, you break it for everyone. Besides which, he still wouldn’t sign, why would he if he’s confident of getting top flight interest in England or abroad. All he’s doing is limiting his options in the long term.

He signed a contract last year (didn’t he?) so can’t see him going anywhere. BBD is slightly different.

Who’s paying £15m for him at the moment? No one has been seriously linked. We sold Armstrong last season under very similar (almost identical) circumstances so I’m sure he’ll be gone if a serious offer is submitted.

Huge blow? He’s not played a competitive game for us. Shame for him but doesn’t massively change anything.

Or the money might be better spent elsewhere..?