“Every time I think of you, I get shot right through with a bolt of blue”... To be honest Neal, I’m not sure but maybe it’s just that the band are popular in the north and especially popular with a certain age group, many of them football fans!

It came across as such. I’m quite excited about this signing because his only motivation can be success, since he doesn’t need money either. We will see. If he doesn’t work out, he leaves at the end of the season.

It was only when I was fast-tracked into the first team, they put me in midfield, it was a bit safer,' he says. 'I do wonder, "What if?" If I'd just said, "I'm a centre back", where would I be now? 'The game has changed a lot. Centre backs now are ball-playing and a lot of midfielders drop in there. I know the position. I'm big enough, I'm quick enough, I'm good in the air. I've got the tools.'

Maybe he sees reed as one of the wide attackers?

Doesn’t mean he’s void of offers. Yea, I’d guess this deal only happens on a short term deal with reasonable wages. If you remember, all the prem freebies we got under Kean had published wages!

And wages.

These are pointless, groundless and boring discussions. The budget (or as TM said) was agreed pre summer like last year. Any speculation otherwise based on a nonsensical “venky” story is about as useful or interesting as having cramp. Released from an unbeaten premier league team... therefore anyone else in football should just bin him off... again, pointless, confusing, nonsensical etc. I can accept that people are welcome to their own opinions, but I struggle to accept made up speculation that follows nothing but some sort of “pub” style cathartic moaning competition.

1. You speak as if the Rao family is actually managing the club day to day: No proof, all wind points in a different direction. 2. You have no idea who or what offers Rodwell, Reed or anyone else for that matter has had - so no proof to say “nobody else wants”. Makes no sense in the real world. End of

No part of that makes sense

Asking a Sunderland fan about Rodwell is probably not going to give you a fair idea, since they’ve just been relegated twice in a row, and he’s never played in a game they’ve won. That said, as 3rd CB cover with Downing/Williams and backup to let Tomlinson/Travis go out on loan for the two DMs - Decent addition for me unless the contract/wages are too long/high.

Just think what he will be like when he gets a bit of confidence and swagger about him. Not knocking him but we all know what a goal does for players in attacking positions! Such a bargain that he looks good enough to play in any other midfield berth. Nice shout Mr Mowbray and co.

I thought we hit the bar and had a couple of decent chances before they scored? I seem to remember thinking it was against the run of play anyway. The stuffing came out for a short time after the goal I thought.

?

Tonight shows that we are pretty stuffed with 4 out; Dack, KP, Armstrong and Samuel - however I can’t believe how many chances we created without the two who didn’t start, and then with Nuttall and Conway. Against (whilst no way a top 6 team) not a bad side... Anichebe might be a good shout to add to Graham, Nuttall and Armstrong. However, we saw how strong the team spirit was tonight. Can’t help but think an ex prem free transfer on big wages could disrupt that potentially.

Evans was immense. Genuinely, might lack the the final ball quality but when we went to one DM in the second half (Bennett dropping in) we didn’t look any weaker in the centre. He covered every single blade of grass, took a clever booking too.

The work rate was insane. Butcher Bennett, Evans, Nyambe! Rothwell is a real player. Two enforces changes on top of two enforced substitutions; still looked really good but lacking that final bit of quality. Nuttalls header dips beneath the bar, it’s a different story!

I think we can all accept, TM included that we haven’t managed to get everyone we wanted in, but that’s a long, long way away from some of the whacky suggestions on here - If anyone’s twisting people words, it’s a few posters who seem to think answeing questions weekly in the press about what they may “like” is a cast iron guarantee, and anything less would require an inquest! If you’re looking for “examples”, what about the criticism of the current lot “complete misjudging the market” as if the other 72 clubs in the FL nailed it, as if it was a completely run of the mill window? What about the seemingly tenuous at best, but bewildering (to me at least) link to Cheston early today? What about the idea that “the well isn’t dry” is an elaborate Rao/Mowbray/Waggott system to encourage season ticket sales? This and the transfer thread absolutely reeked of it all summer, to the point that “trust Tony’s decisions” it’s now probably a bannable offence! So I’m afraid you’ve made little dent in my opinion that a few axes are being sharpened on Thursday pressers, whilst an encouraging start in the league, encouraging signs from our earlier business, and the renewal of our best players is completely ignored. As you can see, those are my own words explaining or justifying my argument RB. Perhaps use a few more full stops next time, so we can understand exactly what point you’re trying to make.

@JHRover - at least I got my answer. Being so obsessed with the Rao’s necessity to be “liked” when the reality is they probably don’t give two shiny shits about what you or I think, astounds me. After all this time. You see Mowbrays words as a con job. I see it as an ambitious manager trying to put an exciting team together. The point you’re lacking, he’s already achieved 3 quarters of it in most people’s eyes, yet you’d seemingly mistrust and hold every wish, like and “expectation” to account.

"only going off what he has said in relation to what has happened" - hence blurring the lines between "want" and "would like". The word "expect" was used for the new contracts at the same time as the "business done early" stuff - which to me simply points to you picking and choosing what to "expect", and which of the managers words you wish to base your expectations on - did you expect us to keep all our best players this summer and add more than 3/4 potential quality additions? I didn't expect anything past that personally, regardless of the noise from the club. As I said - Want/Would like - very different sentiments. He said he didn't want to listen to agents or words to that effect, so how do you come to the conclusion that we will get stung if it gets any later? I thought the problem would be not bringing in the "4 or 5" you've constantly reminded us of since Armstrong signed? Not having to be desperate come August 30th... Which goalposts are we sticking to? For example - only this morning: 'I'd also be quite alarmed if after all this summer and all the talk about budgets, new recruitment, waiting for our targets etc. that we ended up doing the Chapman one. Mowbray has suggested we're looking at a higher calibre more experienced group of people so if after all this time we bring back on loan a lad who was here last season who Mowbray didn't fancy to start back then it won't tally." Didn't fancy? You mean utilised as part of a squad and saw potential for a long term potential target? Lad got injured twice last season, and certain players have an impact off the bench. You KNOW that but you seemingly avoid the reality that Chapman might be the best we could do for the wing when other targets are costing wages out of our reach. He also said Chapman/Armstrong could be 4th/5th target then went and signed AA a few days later - Mind games perhaps? Maybe better to try reading between the lines with some of his comments too? As for the DOF comment, surely you don't need me to point out to you one transfer window, one specific DOF = the outcome proves they are useless? I had a car once, it broke down - all cars are pointless. Finally - I agree they said they saved some budget, hence why we added more signings in January after Mowbrays "the well is not dry" comment last summer. When you say "tell everyone we had cash to spend but couldn't manage it" - are you suggesting this is merely a front? a cock up? a conspiracy? Thats exactly the tone that I cannot understand from you. If its me reading it wrongly, I apologise.

See this is an example where I struggle to take your posts seriously on Tony. Maybe it’s a bit of me, in a similar way finding something to be “antagonised” by, echoing another poster who struggles with “trust tony”... maybe it’s the meds from breaking my arm yesterday or...; Maybe it’s this incessant need to find some sort of scandal, cock up, conspiracy, change of tact, poor decision, mistake etc? That’s not suggesting you can’t be negative either, which seems the standard reply to anyone pointing out these strange assumptions/opinions. Examples; It’s the assumption that we have some decent fees because of our “supposed kind owners”, facetiously put across somehow adding gravitas to “the s*n” Nixon “Chicken money” story, which we both know is likely BS jazzed up for a dig. Its the blurring the lines between the meaning of the words “must get”, “would like” - putting your expectations on Tony’s comments about his wishes but ignoring the other comments from him and others that the fact the markets completely evolving, difficult and an absolute agent minefield. Not so long ago, you would’ve championed GB or someone else for being so pragmatic and sensible, not bowing to agents, and not putting a huge chunk of our money (be it transfer fee or wage) into a rushed transfer or a player with a “Leon best” attitude. Especially after the Kean/Anderson/Coyle debacles. Tony said himself he hopes we don’t have to go through to Christmas, with just this depth, most likely because of an injury as you allude to but let’s not simply assume or say that’s because we chose “not to spend” or have wage concerns - especially when we are seeing (and have recently felt the drawbacks from) first hand what agents do to clubs trying to bring new players in. If I had a suggestion or a criticism to make after this window, perhaps what Gary Neville said on Monday about Mourinho is true - maybe we need a DOF, a sporting director or simply some extra structure within the club to help these scenarios.

Actions always speak louder than words, but when he’s already delivered probably the most important promotion of the previous 40 years, and signed one of the most exciting players we’ve seen for some time for peanuts, directly following probably our worst prolonged period in the same amount time - it’s hard not to get excited when he is saying exactly the right things. I accept that others above can feel that the owners can/will change direction at any point, however I think currently; the club is operating more sensibly in terms of outgoings/ingoings. When we sold some of the exciting players Bowyer and co recruited, or the youth products like Hanley - it was in the midst, or directly following the paying off of multiple managers, players and in a time when we had players earning twice what they are now!

Google “Proxy”

I’ve just exploded through a lack of resilience to irony. We can accept that you didn’t like Best, or anything Man United for that matter, but at no point should you be questioning the point of other posters content, especially when you are the king of the “Quaalude” tangent.

Comparing Shearer is nuts. It’s the equivalent of us breaking a transfer record now..; 100m+?

Maybe it’s more of a trust in the structure, a boost in income because of the league and huge drop in costs in the last 12 months because of the player exodus? If the Rao’s are keeping up the club running in a similar fashion to 2017/18 - there will be a 4/5million pound increase in turnover. When we sold those players - didn’t we have a 150+ percent wage to turnover ratio? Im not an expert but my overall take on this is that the Rao’s aren’t changing tact at all, they’ve simply allowed some actual expertise to run the club and after 12 months, they are seeing a reduction in the cost of covering the debt! (something they’ve done to the tune of 100+m) Hence a surplus to put in.