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I don’t know if it’s the same for international loans (I can’t find anything either way in FIFA regs) but for domestic ones this is certainly the case.

It's a good job you have now been made aware.

Maybe switch Dlamini/Doherty/Tyjon (only bothering mentioning Tyjon as he was in the squad at the weekend) for Higgins, and keep the 3-4-2-1 from the weekend? Higgins then could be an actual striker to use from the bench 16 year old Theo Pitt at right wing back anyone?

They're not doing a very good job of it then because they continue to say £20 million+ a year is needed even after all the steps they have taken over the last 4 years and massive cost cuts. Maybe time the owners entrusted their cost cutting to people who actually know what they are doing?

Unless Pratt is knackered of course, we are back to 1 game a week now, and he only played 45 minutes at the weekend. If we are going to persist with a back 3, I would prefer someone with a future at the club over a left back playing out of position

Could put Pickering or Riberio in at left centre back to give Pratt a breather maybe.

I would travel the 4 starters previously mentioned, but not start them. In the event we have a lead, or a draw, bring in the 1st teamers, & hopefully win a Cup match.

I can't recall seeing any of that but ,whilst I appreciate you touch on this on your original post, more to the point do you think that the manager has done anything wrong so far in his team selections by apparently favouring academy products over others ? Most of the views expressed on here are to the contrary.

Fair point on the tickets being valid for the abandoned game, but that could have been said about any game you targeted though regarding discounted ticket prices. Also the Watford game was included in the recent 4 game bundle they did, not that we probably sold many of them but if we did those people would already have tickets for that one too. The only Saturday 3pm in the bundle. The details and date set for the rearranged game were actually released before the open letter was released to the public too. Like I said, I'm behind it and truly hope it works, I personally just think the game targeted is a bit of an own goal. Let's see.

He is certainly not affected by his pathetic results to date, so that makes sense and is in way way, much of a surprise to me.

I have seen arrangements where the club have decided against triggering the buy option I have seen arrangements where players have asked the club not to trigger the option. This has typically been when the player was only on loan because he had fallen out with his manager at his parent club and either than manager had been sacked (or if one or the other club have been promoted/relegated) meaning a change in circumstance I have seen arrangements such as I have described where another club offering more becomes involved, and they player has been "flipped". I cannot recall any instances where because of this, the player did not move to the initial loan club on a permanent deal first, before then being sold on Look at the Harvey Elliott situation at Villa, because of the contractual situation, Villa cannot play him, otherwise the purchase becomes automatic, which includes the wage. It has to, otherwise Villa would not worry about triggering it, as Elliott would tell them he doesn't want to move, and everyone (apart from Liverpool) would be happy That seems garbled on my part, hope it makes sense

It’s been mentioned several times publicly. Waggott did so soon after Ismael’s appointment. The rest of the brain trust did so at subsequent fans forum meetings. The first one attended by Adam Owen particularly had a lot of discussion around it. Pretty sure it was touched on in one of the ill advised sit down propaganda pieces/“fan engagement videos” too

There seems to be a phantom £20m required in excess of the funds we receive from the gate receipts, TV money and corporate funds generated. When I met up with Waggott back in November 2023 he stated it was £40m needed and the spit was £20m generated and £20m from the owners. So far as I know, this figure is still ball park, but reduced by the amount generated from sales and the name of the game for Pasha and his mates, seems to be to bring this down to as close to 0 as possible.

Rudy and his 2000 minutes target?

I'm not sure these deals are always done with the player's contract already settled and obliged to kick in at the buying club's will. I'm sure I've heard about players in these sorts of arrangements deciding not to go.

How do you know the details of his employment contract and remuneration ?

I see your point and believe that many fans also would see it the same way. However, if we had targeted that game, not only would tickets from the abandoned game be valid, they would no doubt heavily discount prices out of spite. We needed time and no date was set for this game at time of open letter.

Normally I would agree but our squad is in absolute pieces. I'd play the few first team players who have not had much game time - Toth, Montgomery, TGH, Pickering, Riberio, De Neve. What's amusing is half of them are left backs, which is also Powell's role.... so we can probably only play one out of Powell, Pickering, Riberio, De Neve? I guess we could line up something like : Toth O'Riordan Atcheson Pratt ????? TGH Montgomery Powell Henrickson Joseph Higgins Could implode, might surprise us. I suspect though Ismael won't go for this sort of thing, and will keep flogging Ohashi, Cantwell, McLoughlin which tbh is a perfectly reasonable thing to do as it's madness to send out the kids. But then again it's madness to take risks on more injuries to our few remaining experienced players.

This detail in today’s David Squires cartoon is delicious. Agent Wilcox still hard at work settling scores for King Kenny…😁 https://www.theguardian.com/football/picture/2026/jan/06/david-squires-ruben-amorim-enzo-maresca-thrown-overboard-manchester-united-chelsea-power-struggles

Completely agree, if anyone else is interested we have no chance. If somehow we stumbled on a decent top half league one player that nobody else wanted though, if we offered him more cash than he was currently being paid, I believe they would be here like a shot. Guaranteed half a season playing at a higher level on more money, then if you do well you can be sold again in the summer, or you stay playing at the level you were playing at anyway on a better wage.

As per every year....where has all the money gone?!

There were some 'ideas' put in circulation that Gestede was the good guy and Eustace the bad and ungrateful one, and I seem to remember that the triumvirate behind them was Nixon, Unleaded, and the mysterious X account of BrfcPrivy (and to be precise, the latter only indicating that Gestede is a good guy). And just to be clear, I do not mean to indicate that they represent any Holy Trinity-constellation.

Or it will be implemented towards the end of the season once they are mathematically safe therefore with no risk attached to anyone.

Let's see. 👀