Tomphil2

Philips would naturally have overtaken Carter in the squad had he stayed. When you have true progression and in perfect hindsight Carter would've been sold for 2/3 mill plus add ons and Phillips steps in. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that when injuries/agents/greed and pushy parents are in the mix as well but lessons need to be learned in tying boys to some sort of deal that benefits both. The rules for this need looking at as well otherwise the academy at its top level becomes pointless and too many kids just disappear into the big club system with a few more quid in their pockets and a promising career up in smoke.

I think once they knew there was a whiff of compensation in the air they couldn't help him through the door quick enough.

Virtually guaranteed 10/11k home turnouts now for a few games at least. Seems to be what these lot want though.

They've also brought in premium pricing in the centre section of the DE i think, maybe just the upper tier. Now that's something i kind of agree with, if you can fleece a huge away support then fair enough but if you're doing it on the back of fleecing the few home fans as well then it's pathetic. Unless they come up with a ticket deal in the opposite end to cover charging big for single tickets in the DE then it'll fall flat on its face. Are they now actively trying to kill off the BBE ?

Not a fan of pre planned subs for the sake of it, the number of times that has altered a game we were doing ok in was needlless. I'm going back to GB's time now where he always seemed to make a change on 65 mins for the sake it and its crept in a lot since then. Yes i get there will be times it's necessary but beyond that subs should be organic purely made to reflect on the game as it unfolds. As for Gueye i agree, imo we've always missed a big athletic centre front man to throw on whereas a lot of other clubs see it as a must have in their squads in this league. God knows how many times we've had it done against us and lost goals because of it, horses for courses. Learn how to utilise Gueye and he's a good asset.

It's bonkers it really is. I know there are a few conspiracies, some with legs and some without but if you were deliberately trying to hold something suspended in the same loop over and over and maybe cover something up then you'd go about it the way they do. Even with other clubs with crazy ownership you can kind of see what's at play when some overspend trying a quick fix then it goes wrong and they are in the shit. Others like Watford try and play a different game and of course there are the Brums and Wrexham's driven by ego. These lot though ? Even if some don't agree it's the worst ownership it is without doubt the strangest ....and longest oddball situation in football.

Its always been short termism they wing it and cobble a squad together every summer there is no steadfast plan nor goal to build towards and never has been. I do believe that the occasional new man has come in with a plan and they to a degree have gone along implementing the foundations, in fact that's happened a number of times, only to then quickly change track and pull it all to bits again. With Venkys you are only ever a few weeks away from the next odd decision or situation no matter how stable or well things might be going on the surface. That will NEVER change.

'I back the club and manager, he didn't fit the new style this free transfer from Shamrock is more athletic, how do you know it's cost cost cutting ? It's all part of the process, Rudy said so'

Shearer would be seeing his contract out and leaving for nothing after being lowballed 18 months previous. Then he'd be branded as shite anyway, no pace, too many elbows.

Didn't the late great Howard Kendall pilfer a few from this club after he left for Everton ? It happens, if you work with good players you're going to want to take them with you but you need you're new club to back you and pay them. That's a luxury, how do we know he didn't want to sign a load of Brum players when he came here and they went down but was told no chance ?

Their target now has shifted from 10k to 9k and they'll probably come within a few hundred of that so they'll be happy again. Prices have been adjusted to cover the shortfall so happy days hey look Mr D we've hit our forecasts again, we are really good at this can we have that bonus !

Only time will tell, maybe Bell had one 'peak' season when they got promoted and is now back where he belongs whereas if Beck can maintain his potential he'll perform higher for longer. You need to park this one up i reckon.

A promotion and a Prem season would confirm that. Personally on Williams i thought for the £250k it took to buy him he was ok but that's it, always to me looked like a centre half playing at full back.

The only real answer to this daft argument is if Williams was here and Beck was his backup i think after seeing what he could do fans would be wanting him to start over Derek and any coach we've had apart from Mowbray would do so. As it is both Ribero and Pickering are capable enough defenders but don't offer what Beck did going forwards. I think i'd still pick either of those though over F Off Derek in fact i'd pick Tommy Spur over him.

Being even clearer some lads develop at different speeds and Liverpool might be well stoked through the ranks in his position whereas other positions might suddenly have a vacancy on the conveyor belt.

If he isn't going to agree to sign and earn his corn here then get rid. Giving a kid mins for the sake of it just so he can impress potential suitors to snap him up for a bargain not only might hamper the team if he doesn't hit the standard it also isn't fair on lads who are here for the long run. Can't have unproven kids with a bit of potential dictating the terms at first team level i'm sick of the entitlement of these types.

Probably because he's still just a kid. I remember seeing Conner Bradley in a pre season for Bolton at Chorley and it was obvious he had something, look at him now after earning his stripes at lower level. I expect Beck to follow a similar path.

Derek was an absolute mid table Championship plodder on his very best day whereas Beck has future Prem player stamped all over him.

He always does a bit of PR work for the club in summer don't sweat it.

Think we'll see the no over 30's rule become hard and fast now otherwise no i doubt there'll be any difference because it seems the final say still comes from the same source.

Think we all know at some point it's destined to not end well. Get well again Gazza .

How many other teams Academy players does he make regular column news out of, ones that are so called under bids....

You shot from the hip.

Who does it suit ? Have a good think about this before shooting from the hip.

Good thing about Val is for me he brings something a bit different, a bit like JDT did but a more grounded lower risk style yet brighter than the generic TM/Eustace stuff. Early days in his first full season obviously but the end of last season was encouraging.