Bethnal

Thought Gally grafted very well today. The cynic in me suspected that he was showcasing how well he can play as a foil for a goalscorer, should any teams with a recently-acquired ones, in a promotion push be watching. But if none are forthcoming, I think the combination with Szmodics was good tonight. Its poor form not to have triggered the extension yet, if we intend to keep him.

No idea what he has to do to get a game. Much rather see what he can do than let Moran iron out his kinks to our detriment

Andy Moran is a shadow of how he started the season.

I wonder how many of their Very Committed, Passionate, Not At All Fairweather Fans™ are still there?

Let’s do 6 or 7 here. Fucking batter them.

Great celebration

This route one gear is pretty useful…

Probably our most naturally gifted footballer after Adam Wharton.

Dolan steaming forward pointing where he wants the ball and Andy Moran is head down, fiddlefucking around. Where’s his stalker? Andy Moran’s shit, mate, find a new player to stalk.

‘kinell, we moan about our keeper but what the was that from theirs?!

Was running through treacle there.

A piss weak goal. Piss weak.

Referee Andy Madley… *sigh*

I would tend to agree, except his development may eventually net us more cash in sell-ins/improve the chance of a higher sell-on. Plus the obvious sentimental reasons.

Have spent some time watching bits of the Maguire lad from Orlando and while that league’s defences can look comical, he does appear to have a bit of nous about him. No idea what kinds of bids we’re lodging, but Gallagher fee + bonuses and add-ons would be a good deal, I think.

Nat Phillips - has to have taken a lot onboard at Liverpool, but there’s clearly something fundamental that’s stopped him being able to break into the first team or secure a deal elsewhere. What is it? Wages? Potential fee? Mentality? Ability? Physical? Technical? I don’t know, honestly. We need a centre back to cover one of our senior players and - on paper - we’re taking a Premier League player on loan. Can’t knock that. Even still, I wonder if the situation we find ourselves in in the league is the optimum for a player like this to come in. Sincerely hope he hits the ground running.

Exactly this. The first thing that came to mind. If Wharton’s sale covers the costs, then this statement is intentionally misleading. I actually think the earlier suggestion that this is for creditors rather than fans rings true, on second reading. The statement is categorical that the funding comes through, couched with “in due course.” “Due course” here is the finding of a judge in India in March. There’s every chance it doesn’t come. I think if it doesn’t come, there’ll be winding up orders from any majorly-out-of-pocket suppliers, surely? Surely the club will have lied, at that point?

That statement is worded to make it seem like we have no problems with finance. Specifically that we have enough cash to see us through to the end of the season. If that’s the case and the court date was adjourned, then I am flummoxed. Everything you could read about it was that we were only being enough cash to get to the next court hearing. Can we anymore hazard a guess at the financial position at all? Either we’re all utterly stupid (we’re not) or there’s a lie/deception in that statement. EDIT: Felt the need to add that I am actively discounting the possibility that the commercial department have ramped up the revenue in recent weeks, for obvious reasons.

As mentioned in the HMRC thread, I’m keen to explore the Indian press as a means of protest. Their most prized asset is their (thoroughly undeserved) sense of personal pride. Hazy memory that some forum members have contacts within Indian press, at the very least we could make initial enquiries there to understand scope and start to plot it out. Fully support those planning to protest within the ground, but I don’t think this hinders or distracts that and two-fronts is something that can be effective. Visibility in each country would only help.

Seem to remember wording that the funds had to be sent in line with “contractual obligations” meaning parent company to BRFC & Athletic as an entity. So the court delay puts them in breach, I understand, although would stand to be corrected entirely. Like to think I have a good nose for when I’m about to get fucked and believe me, my nose is twitching. Only thing that springs to mind is an extremely factual, full-page ad in the most-read newspaper(s) in India, in English and regional dialects, outlining the situation, signed on behalf of concerned fans. That paid media coverage should lead to a lot of earned media coverage and - so long as it remains factual - avoid whatever the libel laws are over there. There are enough of us here to work towards crowdfunding it and to put together the message itself. Protests don’t echo in India. We need to fight this on their own patch.

Link? Just gone through the 75 people he follows (follows Nixon, weirdly enough) and can’t find her.

Really difficult to argue with this, sad as it would be to lose him at this time. Think with Rak-Sakyi; try for permanent coming the other way, with a relatively cheap buy-back or something. But if you could invest all £18m across 3-4 positions, it could be huge for us. Incidentally don’t think Palace is the worst move for him at 20. If he backs himself to perform at the level, he’ll be being showcased on MOTD each week and if he impresses, he’ll get picked up. True, he could go to a top 6 side and quickly be on close-to six figures a week, but you’re competing with other, perennial academy prospects and owners/managers constantly splurging on quick fixes for positions. He does need a club that provides him a real pathway. Newcastle the only ones of the financial big hitters that probably, just about still have that, but once they crack their FFP conundrum, they’ll be dropping big fees on international players. Your Dan Burns and Shaun Longstaffs will be cycled out soon enough. Bellingham comparisons are inappropriate but a move abroad like his to Dortmund could really polish him up.

Wharton being pushed out the door this window is madness on any number of levels. It’s a relative gamble to keep any player and develop them, as an innocuous challenge could hugely impact their career and value, as we saw with Dack. But we have to gamble on that with Wharton, who is a starter and is performing well, contributing a lot and maturing with each performance. I can only see the value going up. I think Premiership clubs keeping tabs on high-potential players is common and if Palace have made a move, there would usually be some encouragement on the player/agent front, so let’s see. If anyone in the club hierarchy is actively touting our prized asset, that individual should be hounded out of the club, unless it’s to set the market value, in some convoluted way. The prospect of actually selling him seems especially nonsensical with the Indian courts mess still active and hopelessly unresolved. We can all see it a mile off: “you’ve sold an asset to the tune of your annual losses, why do you need to send money overseas for the sake of expenses?”

O’Riordan movement (if happening) has clearly been provoked by Carter’s injury. They’ve found money in the budget for it, so expect a cut somewhere else or for the Raya money to be partially advanced by Brentford or a third party (seem to recall financing options against future transfer fees available for clubs from lenders). Fine by me, I - as many of us on here - do not have the time to comprehensively scout players and the recruitment team do, so I’m happy to see how he gets on, if it happens. All the more an indictment of the idea we’re being left to make do with what we have out of spite/stubbornness, though, it feels. Manoeuvres and chicanery only possible in a pinch. We should be trying every possible avenue at all times to progress. If I ever do meet Waggott, he’ll be left in no doubt as to what I make of his efforts.

Interesting to hear Neil Warnock say on Sky tonight that he tried to sign Sam Gallagher “a couple of seasons ago… but we couldn’t afford him.” Was praiseworthy of Gallagher and said it made sense for Ipswich to pursue. Who can even say the person negotiating with Warnock at the time, but I would love to know what the asking price was.