longsiders1882

Well Shirley let me tell you. I’m not sure about optimism or expectation. Excitement sure but mixed with trepidation. Our squad is 70% new, young and somewhat unproven at this level. I can foresee a topsy turvy season where a fantastic result is followed by a shocker. As fo’t ‘el crapico’ - honestly not a clue how it will go beyond a section of both sets of fans will be bells who smash toilets and the bill will stop sensible folks like me make our own way there - meaning I’ll give the away game a miss again. One positive is the first game isn’t until November so at least our squad should have adapted to the system and each other by then. Im looking forward to all the local games though, PNE, Blackpool, Wigan as well as you lot. Whilst I obviously want us to beat you all home and away and finish highest in the league I do want all the Lancs teams to do well. There is a lot to enjoy about the Premier League but our last couple of seasons were not the most enjoyable so let’s see how we enjoy our first one for a while in the Championship. Also only just occurred to me there’s no VAR so we can enjoy a goal scored like we used to - though I’m sure after a few poor calls I’ll be wishing we had it again.

Suggestion is he’s had a medical today - happy with that signing if it happens. Those players that are going I’d like us to get done as early as possible. Collins always looked likely to happen, Cornet another (though somethings he’s said suggest he’s happy to stay 🤷‍♂️) McNeill, Roberts, Brownhill if they are happening need sorting. We still need a keeper, a striker and replacements for McNeill/Cornet/Roberts if they go. So yes we are active but we’ve got a bigger rebuild on than you so we needed to be quicker than you.

A steal for Wolves IMO I’d be disappointed but was expecting it. We will need to bring in an experienced centre half.

Not sure what to make of this. Always seemed like a loose cannon to me, great player but one or two wiring issues. That said he was with Kompany at Anderlecht so he must know him and rate him. Strong links to Josh Cullen now, suggestions it’s all but done. I’d be happy with this signing, exactly the type of player we’ve needed / but makes me think Brownhill could be on his way.

I agree on Bardsley, not so much on Stephen’s whose sole achievement whilst a Burnley player was a drink drive conviction I think. In all cases however, if your contract has all but come to an end and you or your agent are not in discussions about a new deal I’d say you should have been able to join the dots. That said I’d still prefer us to do the decent thing. I think the idea is a permanent deal but no agreement so far. On Harwood-Bellis, as Kompany had him for half a season I can only hope he can get the best out of him. I know he’s just done a season in Turkey. A few bad games 3 seasons ago, he has hopefully learned from.

Oh fantastic news. To be fair it’s on the back of a sustained spell in the top flight. Your sales when relegated far exceeded ours. It’s inevitable they will drop for us along similar lines - unless we can get promoted quickly.

The speed and proactivity if the recruitment is keeping most happy. Think we’d just like the status of McNeill, Brownhil, Collins and Cornet resolving but generally we are happy - personally feeling quite some trepidation, lots of young players from lower leagues or with minimal league experience, it’s quite a gamble. On season tickets, last update I saw was to cover the early bird sales at around 12400. That was pre relegation and the Dyche sacking. I don’t know how many we sold last season overall but I’d anticipate a drop after relegation.

I’d never heard of him until I saw the links. Is he really that poor? If so I can only pray it’s paper talk. BPF seemed to play regularly last season though so none on here did say he was poor. I guess we can only wait to see who is actually sold etc and go from there.

Stories doing the rounds are we want a keeper from City, Muric. I don’t think Hennessy has left yet though? And we still have Bailey Peacok-Farrell.

Another one in the door today, Samuel Bastien. Not been able to find out much about him so far. And just on my rants about hacks who know nothing spouting nonsense. Some Journo called Alex Crook has said ‘I heard a whisper earlier this week – I’ve not been able to completely back it up, yet – but Josh Brownhill from Burnley could also be on his way to West Ham, I think he’s available on a free transfer.” – said Crook ‘ I mean anyone with a smartphone can check Brownhills contract status however from memory he’s under contract until 2025 as I recall so I really doubt he’ll be going anywhere for free. I’m sure he’ll happily go to West Ham but I would imagine we will want around 15 million for him.

Largely correct. He’d had to get by on a shoestring since we finished 7th. I honestly think the old owners bottled it when they needed to take some calculated risks. So we end up with a squad of increasing age and diminishing quality and the need to play pragmatic attritional football to stay in the league. I think in the end there was fatigue all round. I wouldn’t have pulled the trigger personally but we are where we are. I am assuming right now he’s still on the payroll as they won’t want to pay out his full contract. I imagine they are hoping he gets a job offer and they can then negotiate a lower figure or something. Financially he’s set for life. I can see him going to a West Brom type club. It will be interesting to see if he can repeat his success. Whatever happens he will remain a legend for me. Those fans wishing to denigrate his achievements with us are just deluded fools who can’t see how on the back of Dyche’s success we have been able to drag the club forward so far forwards we are unrecognisable from where we were when he came in.

Really? 2 promotions, one as champions? 23 undefeated, finishing 7th, playing in Scotland, Turkey and Greece? Easily best seasons in my life.

To be fair a fair amount has been spent on Gawthorpe this last decade so it’s pretty state of the art. The two old stands are what they are but I believe money been spent on the changing rooms etc as well. So not Everton or Newcastle but not non league either. Standard Liege’s average attendance is on about 23k so only a bit more than ours at 20k really.

I don’t hugely follow the academy stuff however I believe there maybe 2 prospects. Historically Dyche wasn’t keen to blood them it seemed but maybe Kompany will 🤷‍♂️ You do know they won’t live on the stoops estate right - or probably not even in Lancashire, unless it’s ribble valley. Yeah at least by November we should have gelled and established our style.

We need more than you though because we will lose a few more yet. Know very little about either Muleka or Bastien other than what I can read but Kompany must now them. No idea what our starting 11 is going to look like but it should be a damn sight younger than the one we had last season 😂

How much for Brereton?

Be sad to lose Collins but intrigued to see how he does. He looked destined for the very top to me. That said I thought Leeds might come in with a big bid now they’ve got cash from Philips and Raphina to splurge and I suspect he’s too inexperienced for the very top teams to take a punt.

I know the ideal profile they want is young, talented with a potential for a resale profit. Hearing Egan-Riley and Harwood-Bellis are close as well - which definitely suggests Collins is going to me. I’m all for signing young talent and maybe the feeling is with our existing experienced players we can bring in younger players. Ben Wiles is another one we are being strongly linked with. That said even if all those come we still need another 3 or 4 - and more if we lose additional players - so maybe we will see a couple of more experienced players, maybe even from Europe.

Aye the old ‘not playing football the right way’ nonsense. For the record most fans have spent the last 6 years or so singing ‘anti, anti football’ as we beat teams like Bournemouth who ‘played the right way’. I wouldn’t have sacked him personally but we did and it is exciting to look forward to new faces, a new style etc. I doubt we will go straight back up personally, unless maybe we sneak into the playoffs and get lucky. Just too much to bed in IMO. On that note apparently we have signed McNally - so another player we need to make the step up. Good stays in League 1 though but if Collins doesn’t go that’s a young pairing.

I hadn’t factored in Popes contract situation and got it wrong there. You like to quote press links that ‘prove’ we are going to lose all our players for peanuts. Well according to the same press we have slapped a 40 million price tag on Collins. I don’t accept relegation automatically drops the value of a player. Exactly this - and rightly so. As a ball playing defender he’s as good as I’ve seen at 22. I’ve no doubt we won’t get 40 for him but not a chance in hell he’ll go for 15.

McNeill will play championship football unless someone comes in to buy him. He managed 1 assist last year and zero goals. 2 years on his deal with an option for the club on another year. I realise you think we should give all our players away but we would want a decent fee for him. As for 15 for Collins - I’ll assume that’s a joke. We paid 12.5 for him and he’s got 3 years left on his deal. I’ll be very disappointed if we sell for 15. 20 with some serious add ons. Roberts, well we paid 2.5 for him and he was ‘only’ a Championship player. He’s also got 3 years left on his deal. Again I’d be disappointed if we settled for anything less than 8 milion. McNeill and Collins both only 22 as well so will require a premium to get us to sell I hope.

As I’ve said many times, people may well leave but media talk linking players to Wolves does not an actual transfer make. Every ‘hole’ created gives us money to fill the hole and other holes. I did say Cornet will go. Will McNeill? Not certain, he didn’t set the world on fire last season so whether a club takes a punt is uncertain. If they want Collins and Roberts then they need to come up with the money. So far it’s just made up stories by hacks who know very little. I’m not saying it is easy but it’s also far less desperate than you believe.

You keep saying this. Let’s deal in facts, as they stand today. We have 2 keepers (Hennessy, BPF), both internationals. 2 right backs (Roberts and Lowton), 2 centre halves (Collins and Long) , one left back (Taylor), 4 centre mids (Cork, Brownhill, Westwood and now Twine), 3 wingers (though one seems full time crocked, Gudmundson, McNeill, Cornet), 2 strikers and a deal on the table for another (Barnes, Rodrigues plus Vydra). The best 11 out of that would do well in this division. Will they all stay? Of course not but this idea we don’t have a team is bonkers. That would make a squad of 34, seems excessive to me: Lots of assumptions going on about whose going or isn’t. Yes we have a few who will no doubt appeal to other clubs but will they actually come in, who knows. Right now beyond Cornet and Weghorst going on loan nothing assured about any others going but we’ve already spent 4 million on Twine with 2 being offered for a centre half or 2 without those outgoings so if others go we will replace them.

I was basing it on my memories. Also you were a team that was at one point right at the top end of the league. Not sure we are ahead of you, if only because of the numbers we need.

No, I understand it to a degree. From our side I think the main thing is to try and do business early and quickly. I only know what I’ve read. Potentially a great signing - or at least an exciting one. Always a question on whether a player can step up a level but general views seems to be he should do well. It’s a good start (if it actually gets over the line) but still plenty more needed. Seeing different claims around Ballard - from couldn’t pass a medical (seems unlikely) to couldn’t agree terms (much more likely). A shame as he looked like a very good defender.