Mashed Potatoes

Jude Bellingham made his senior debut for Birmingham in August 2019 and England debut in November 2020.

Southgate stated that White had made himself unavailable for the tournament so the manager can't pick him. The player had a row with Southgate's assistant Steve Holland in Qatar in 2022 and returned early from the World Cup.

Palace ended the season as well as any club. Southgate has been managing England for years without picking their players until now. Maguire is injured. Agree with you about Grealish - would have taken him ahead of Watkins.

I don't know the answer but if they were enhanced significantly is there not a risk that a challenge in the courts would rule that out if the compensation was at a level that effectively deterred the club that a player wished to sign for ? As I say, I don't know but I think this is not an easy area because the football authorities do have to be mindful of the law.

I think that would constitute restraint of trade.

Aren't the FA hamstrung here by the fact that under 16 year olds can't by law sign employment contracts ?

With 2 out of 3 promotion spots going every year to parachute payment clubs, what those clubs want is someone like Parker who delivers with a good budget.

Only had 2 seasons in the Championship - with Fulham and Bournemouth - and got them both promoted so would be a good appointment.

Congratulations to Southampton, and especially to Russell Martin, who has come in for a lot of criticism but has stuck to his guns and been vindicated with an immediate promotion.

McFadz and Flecky were JDT and gregg mode.

What about Motherwell fans ?

You are entitled to your opinion about the man but some of this strikes me as complete nonsense. I very much doubt he had anything to do with negotiating the fee for Wharton , and he could have done no more than he did with Phillips where the club had literally no negotiating position given that the way the rules work the player could have walked away for nothing.

I've no idea but to be fair to the club I can't recall the last time we released a player from the Under 21s or Under 18s and subsequent events showed that to be a poor decision.

Just goes to show that what really matters is not the number of your season ticket holders, but what happens on the pitch. Come the last game of the season our players stood up to be counted; Bolton's did not.

Has Barnes played since his injury ?

Spot on -and yet some actively want it.

I'd guess that the reason he hasn't yet agreed a new deal with pne is that he doesn't intend to be that "free" - but will want a significant signing on fee plus wages. That central midfield position with Tronstad, Travis, JRC , Buckley is one where we look to be reasonably well catered for so I think probably we pass on this.

Good to see some facts being quoted.

So what if Waggott and Pasha are the first casualties? Many others follow. The Ladies team, the recruitment staff, possibly the Under 21s and academy staff. 2 of the stands closed permanently with a loss of stewarding work. Ticket office staff reduced as attendances fall. Remember, administrators are offered by the creditors of the club. In our case debt is overwhelmingly owed to Venkys so every saleable asset will be sold off to repay them what is owed. The idea that supporters actively want all of this to happen is scary.

Come on, the "Ewood payroll" will include plenty of people in the upkeep of facilities and administration etc who are not earning big money. These people should not be callously disregarded by the keyboard warriors who offer nothing but theoretical claims as to how throwing those people on to the scrapheap is some kind of sacrifice worth paying, although of course they won't be making that sacrifice themselves.

Not much consolation for people who lose their home because they can't pay the mortgage.

I doubt if it will seem insignificant to those who lose their jobs - or their families either.

This is almost certainly correct and is a significant factor in the problems at the club. In the past one poster on here has stated that any item of expenditure in excess of £5000 has to be approved from India.

And what about all the blameless people who lose their jobs as a consequence ?

We replaced Mowbray with a manager who got exactly the same number of points in his first season - 69 - as Mowbray got in his last and then threw a tantrum the next season to the detriment of the club.