Mashed Potatoes

Do you have a link with the detail of the new rules as I have some questions, specifically : 1. Does "wages" include employer national insurance contributions and any pension contributions ? 2. Whose wages ? Is it all employees or just players ? 3. Are there any exceptions like, say, home grown players under the age of 21?

And all that time you spent researching him so that you could tell us he was no good has gone to waste as well.

Which rather proves my point. 3 goals in 22 games at Stoke means that there would be significant doubts about him.

The only loan movement of a forward player to the Championship who would appear at this stage to obviously look more promising that I can see is Cameron Archer to Middlesbrough. Other than that I am struggling to see anybody who is likely to be better than Ugbo.

Yes, of course you are entitled to your opinion - it was more the certainty with which it was expressed - "truly desperate stuff" - that jars. Surely you could tone it down a bit until the poor guy plays. I think the reality is that the club's budget together with the cost of proven goalscorers means that whoever is signed in this position is going to come with some doubts attached.

He hasn't kicked a ball for us yet - and already you've decided he's no good. Nothing like having an open mind, is there ?

No - we did it away to Bradford

You have to wonder if JRC's long term future might be in central midfield rather than back up right back as he seems to have many of the qualities that we need in there.

Rubbish. The owners had to put the squeeze on.

The ban on increased expenditure came from the owners - so how is that a reason for firing Steve Waggott ?

What difference would it make if he did ? He'd simply be replaced by somebody who would put up with it.

Who are these players specifically ?

That is simply not true. They have been champions 9 times and FA Cup winners 5 times.

Everton now turning to Allardyce according to reports. But if your "strategy" is Frank or Bielsa or Allardyce then what it really says is that you don't have a strategy at all.

You don't turn up uninvited in Pune and barge your way in to see Mrs Desai. You have to wait until they ask .

If he hadn't got Buckley and Travis under new contracts you would be criticising him for that.

Maybe he is being outbid by clubs with deeper pockets.

Owners maybe. But management can only move in the transfer market with the resources that are available to them so who knows what their ambition is ?

That is almost certainly right - but it begs the obvious question of why anybody believes that getting rid of Waggott changes things since his successor is working to the same bunch of clowns.

Now that it is safe to reply, if what you say is correct why do the owners continue to employ the man if they find his actions objectionable ?

Given his length of service don't you think it might be possible that he's simply doing the job that the people who employ him, and hired him, want him to do ?

Your judgement is so consistently poor I would not want any of your contacts anywhere near the club.

If the reports are true any item of expenditure of £5000 or more has to be signed off in India. What sort of "CEO" is going to take a job where their actual level of responsibility is no more than what might be expected from middle management ? John Williams left within a few months of working for these owners and since then they have had a variety of individuals who would be flattered by being described as mediocre. The job is rubbish for any talented CEO because of the way the owners want it run.

One of life's optimists I see. After all this time do you really see them attracting someone of the calibre of John Williams ?

I think that argument -or something along those lines - has been used about 6 or 7 times in the last 7 or 8 years. There has to be a point where you give the man you have a chance - if your strategy changes every year it means you don't have a stategy at all.