Bethnal

I suspect we are offering £10k plus performance bonuses already, is the thing.

We knew it was coming and I’m sure he’ll enjoy being nearer family and whatever pay bump he receives. Best wishes in the circumstances, but didn’t enjoy the Stroppy Sammy display on Tuesday. Not so sure he’s going to enjoy watching from the bench as Liverpool and City put 8-10 past Ipswich over the next two weekends between them or as their only genuinely top-flight asset (McKenna) leaves them for better prospects towards Christmas. There was a much better move for him if he held off a little bit and there was definitely a much better move for Rovers if we’d done the same. Usually, we’d expect no reinvestment, though the recent recruitment has been better and more than we’d probably expected. Having said that, I imagine the “you scored four on the first game of the season, you’re fine” conversation has been had. Worth pointing out that we really weren’t in it until Szmodics had warmed his calves up against Derby. I’ll be at Carrow Road this weekend. Had been feeling confident, currently a little unsure but intrigued to see what we look like post-Szmodics.

Yeah, he’s not projecting a happy demeanour, is he? Funny one with that celebration, but also his goal on Friday. Started off like he was doing the “I’m not going to celebrate at my former club’s ground,” this before realising he still played for us.

Anything telling in what he said?

Doing a good Sam Gallagher impression on a fraction of the wage

Honestly think we’re doing the right thing. A penny under £10m is daylight robbery and they’ve already pissed a lot of money up the wall on worse players. Make them pay up.

Appeared to be in a bit of a strop all evening. Possibly understandable in the circumstances but if he’s still here (touch wood) I expect to see him starting on the weekend.

THIS is the whole thing. If he wants the move that much, he can forego his loyalty bonus and put the transfer request in. It will sour the whole thing but it’ll get done and if everyone really wants that to happen, it’s what probably has to happen.

£15m for Szmodics. There’s no way he doesn’t replicate his form to some extent, after Friday. Half-fit and off the bench, he gets a goal and an assist (albeit against a chaotic defence). I’d be telling him to bide his time til January where bigger clubs will be getting twitchy. Bournemouth have lost Solanke, Brentford could still lose Toney. Everton are somehow considering signing Calvert-Lewin to a ridiculous deal. Any of those three or some clubs higher up start misfiring, he’ll be laughing and more likely to get a bigger deal with a team actually capable of staying up. In the meantime, he’ll probably win us enough points to be comfortably away from relegation that we could “afford” to lose him.

Chaddy vindicated with Josh Maja - credit where it’s due, he looked lethal y’day.

Agreed. Most were busting a gut tonight and I’ve never really seen Buckley get above a canter. I liked Siggy after his start, but I’ve only seen him go hell for leather once or twice in his time here. Both probably squad options while we have the need for it, but Eustace said in his post-match interview that he was looking for “good characters, good lads” and I think maximum effort is a part of that.

QPR for £2.5m or so

Gonna go out on a limb and say Big Mak is gonna be a cult hero. Impressive first 20 of his career. Opening night fluffing your lines is forgiven when you’re otherwise as dynamic as he is.

A little distracted by the game later today, so my productivity is somewhat down. That distraction is demonstrative of the kind of pull this club always has and probably always will have over me. The earlier despair of the summer has been slightly buffed to just a general - albeit serious - worry about the forthcoming season. Even still, that is enough for me to feel optimistic about the evening, if not exactly confident. Either way, Proper Football is back. We have a bad keeper, but I think Derby's is worse. Derby have done alright in recruiting at least a couple and were a side deserving of their promotion before the summer, but will need to do a lot more to stand a chance of staying up. I think Paul Warne seems like he has something about him as a manager, even if he comes across as a bit of a "modern middle manager." With that in mind and trying to put a positive spin on things, I think there'll be something of a "first day of school" zip about Rovers tonight. If Sammie's not playing, the players will already know and some may be looking to seize the mantle of "that guy" for the season. Who it will be is anyone's guess, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's Dolan, Sigurdsson or JRC. Derby to set up 3-4-3 with wingbacks in midfield and Rovers more of a 4-3-3, I think. Should make for an interesting spectacle, but I think it'll be Rovers by a nose. 3-2 (Sigurdsson, Dolan, Mak).

I think if he’s not quite there, half a season in League One doesn’t do him any harm at all. We have four back there currently (albeit two older ones) and if we want him to be part of the side going forward, he’ll need to bridge the gap that exists, which won’t happen in the U21s and a couple of Carabao Cup games. At least in League One, he’ll be regularly testing himself against a high standard than he’s regularly played against. Hope he makes it with us, I suspect he has something about him.

Remember, guys… they never refuse to sign a check.

Late to the uproar, but I don’t think we should be letting Szmodics away on the cheap. Ipswich have wasted £15m + £5m in add-ons bringing in Liam Delap. I think the reasonable point would be, “if that’s what you’re spending on 12 goals in two seasons in the Championship, you can get to £10m + £2m for 27 goals last season/top goalscorer.” That’s a fair price. Before the “he’s only 21, we was at City” shouts: it’s a market. An asset is worth what it’s worth and proven goalscorers at any level, as Sammie was last year, are valuable. If Ipswich don’t want to pay that, I’d be telling him that they’re cheaping out on him and he’s worth too much to us to let that happen. Truth is, I reckon he’s the kind to use that as fuel, bang a few in then go for considerably more around Christmas to whichever of the usual Premier League suspects and new arrivals are misfiring. FWIW - I reckon he will go up there and score goals. I think if Calvert-Lewin is still hardballing a new deal, Everton would be tempted. If Brentford lose Toney, he’d do well there. Would like it to be West Ham for his sake, although don’t see Lopetegui wanting him.

Yeah, I think he’s not cut out for Championship football, which there’s no shame in. Has the ability, but neither the intelligence nor the consistency for it. Agreed. He did well playing that role and moving into midfield occasionally as part of it but I don’t think he has the command of that position to make it his own. If Duru impresses, I’d look to move on Brittain, put JRC there and have Duru as understudy. If not, keep Brittain as the relief pitcher to try to maintain fitness for JRC through recovery.

We could of course be especially critical of this position, given how poor our options were last season. He did seem to get lucky a few times and if that can be described as a trait, I’d take a lucky keeper over any other type.

Hmmm… seems to spill a lot of shots directly in front of him in this highlight reel. Almost a shame that there’s no such thing as a “lowlight reel” to understand if that’s a common problem.

Newcastle currently have five first team squad GKs, three of whom are English. Ruddy could well be fifth-choice there. If - speculation ahead - Eustace wants an experienced head in the building on loan, while that experienced head helps out with coaching and maybe is even working towards their badges, then I don’t think Ruddy on loan is a bad move. I’d rather have a new first-choice, Pears second-choice and then Ruddy, ahead of Hilton or Eastham (neither of whom have shown enough in training, U21s or the limited first team appearances of Hilton to dislodge either Pears or Leo) than just a new guy, then Pears, then Hilton and Eastham.

Real lack of imagination in that move, anyway. I think Fraser Read has done well on the kits and I suspect this is the first year where stock management won’t be an issue, likely because demand not quite as high as last season (pitch performances tail end of last year, combined with sustained impact of inflation). Clearly our consumer offering is still not of a high enough standard. I find it odd that the consumer offering is generally so poor and yet so much effort goes into the hospitality tickets and lounges. Am I wrong in thinking that should be the other way round? Is the hospitality offer really such a money spinner?

Yeah, where’s Neil?

Don’t threaten me with a good time.

Clearly the recruitment department has been putting the graft in and some financial circumstance has changed but it’s something to see us getting worked up over Andi Weimann on a free from Bristol City. All the new lads get a fair shake until they don’t deserve it anymore, but I’m not particularly enthused by anything I’m seeing. Waggott clearly in his element pulling a fast one on players. I hope an horrendous fate befalls him and not before too long, ideally.