We already needed one striker before Wood left. Right now maybe Dykes or Mitrovich from Fulham ( assuming we could get them to sell and he’d come). Not sure we will bring in 4, I’m not even sure yet we will bring in one.

Then again, lose them both and they are below us and Newcastle - still tight at the bottom. We do but our run of fixtures (the rearranged Watford aside) is shocking, starting Saturday against Leicester. Those postponed games really biting us now.

And apparently he’s been after a new ‘challenge’ for a year. I now almost want them to go down as much as I want us to stay up - allowing that it won’t be long before they are back up and spending silly money.

It depends who we keep and who we lose. If we kept the defence (minus Tarkowski) and could add 2 strikers and a centre mid we’d do pretty well. If we lose McNeil and Cornet we’d need new wide midfielders, if Taylor went - and he is often underrated, he’s an excellent left back - we’d need another there. Same with Roberts on the right. We’ve a lot out of contract though so allowing that Pope, Cornet and McNeil would almost definitely be gone - and I suspect Taylor and Brownlow - with Tarky already ‘gone’ we’d probably be looking at 8 new first team players, and that isn’t easy to do and be successful straight away. And of course this ignores the financial implications now we’ve had the leveraged buyout. I appreciate you guys will feel differently however I’m hoping there is money and we can bring in a couple of signings to make the difference this window. Only positive we have is we still have the games and are not adrift.

We’ve got a few you can’t afford 😉 No, 2 tops I’d say - need more adding to sign 3 or 4. Unless loans I guess.

My question was tongue in cheek

This is the chance for the board and Dyche to show what they are made of - go out and sign the right players, or bank the cash and accept the relegation. I don’t know which way they’ll go. We looked doomed before this, oddly this could either be a chance to reenergise or the final nail in the coffin. Im hoping they have targets in mind and are already trying to recruit.

Only serious link is (I believe) Dykes - but that was pre all this. Oddly I did hear that there was substance in the Ramsay talk - we made a tentative enquiry but he knocked it back.

I've no issue with Dyche at all and wouldn't want him to go, even if we go down. He needs board backing now - only then if he fails can his position be in question for me. But even that is too little to late, he hasn't been backed properly in 3/4 years and we are reaping our "rewards" for this. Debt is only a problem if you can't afford it - and right now we can, easily. Relegated and it undountedly becomes a problem. Agree its been a mistake of the previous owners to allow the squad to age and contracts run out but Mee and Tarky aside none of them are that great - but it makes for a big rebuild regardless of relegation. Actually it might clear out a few big contracts if we do go do. Not sure if your mate goes on the games much but most people I know are behind the team, manager and new board SO FAR! Made me laugh that - everyone a "Burnley reject" (to be clear, I'm say reject for comedic impact, I rate Trippier highly and Wood still has a lot to offer) It ain't over until the fat lady sings 😁

If we weren't in a relegation battle I'd say it was excellent business. Wood has looked out of sorts this season. But we are, and Newcastle are weaking our squad as we don't have an alternative - but I'm not sure they are strenghtening theirs massively, a caveat being Wood has temded to score in streaks and if he hits one it isn't beyond him to bag 6 or 8 in their next 6 or 8. IF we use the money - maybe plus a bit extra - to bring in one or more decent strikers ( or dreamtime, 2 strikers and a creative mid ) then it could work in our favour. I'm not of the view we will do anything of the sort however, but I live in hope. How much is Diaz valued at right now? ...

You won't believe this but that it is literally exactly what I initially typed in my reply but decided not to as I thought I'd end up having to defend Bartons behavoir 😁

I agree, great player but not one to drop into a relegation dog fight.

Trippier is an excellent start if he's even 70% the player who left us, let alone the player he became at Spurs and in Spain - he was our best attacking threat and defender.

Sorry for the delay in relplying - been taking time out from t'internet over the festive period - its been magnificent for my well being as it goes. Can't argue with those saying we are done - points dropped against Newcastle, Leeds and Norwich are the warning sign. I feel a bit for the new owners as we are paying the price for the previous under investment season after season for the last 3 years. Cornet is a decent signing and we'd need something similar up front and/or in the middle to have even a vague chance of surviving. Our next league games are Leicester (H), Arsenal (A) , Man Utd (H) and Liverpool (H) then Brighton & Palace (A) Don't see point in those games. Of course they may slot in some rearranged games which look a little more likely to give us points but there is a real chance by the end of Feb we are so far adrift it makes no difference. I wouldn't bin Dyche under any circumstances but I don't call the shots. Oh and on the Ramsay thing - I can't believe that nonsense is coming from us - wouldn't happen and we wouldn't waste our time tryng (I hope!).

😂😂😂 we aren’t dead - yet - boys. Us surviving by the skin of our teeth whilst you miss out in play offs - well let’s just say, Carslberg don’t do football seasons but if they did 😬

Feels like this is disproportionately impacting us but no amount a whining is going to change it - we will just have to hope our squad holds up. Does feel like an already uphill struggle is being made much harder and the league are stacking the deck against us. Let’s hope Dyche has a few quid tk spend AND he can spend it well and turn the postponements to our advantage.

The whole nations approach baffles me - people preferring to believe in Matt Le Tissiers take on science rather than some of the worlds leading virologists. I guess Brexit set the bar with Goves ‘we’ve all had enough of experts’ - but it still baffles me.

Looking at the rules mentioned yesterday I’m struggling to understand how we had games against Watford and Villa called off. Whilst I’m an advocate for the vaccine I definitely believe in a free choice - however free choice comes with consequences. I bet these players have had vaccinations to travel etc but let’s be honest, they are not noted for their intellect and radicalisation via the web and social media is potent and quick. I now understand how people do become radicalised, it’s actually quite frightening how easy it can be. Prior to this and Brexit I was always skeptical about people claiming they’d been radicalised, not anymore.

Indeed - merry Christmas and happy new year to you and yours. Cheers Chaddy - I’ll have a listen today.

I don’t know enough about them to express a view to be honest. I hardly watch any football at the moment, I’m not loving the game quite as I once did. No what I said was it is rubbish that it is luck, that over a season you end up where you deserve to be - and I stand by that. Regardless of what other teams are doing if we don’t get results we go down - and that isn’t bad luck but what we’ve earned. Likewise if we get the results to pull ourselves out of the bottom three come the end of the season then we’ve earned it, not been lucky. Have Leeds been unlucky? Have Watford? Have Norwich? No, luck plays a part in individual games but not over the course of a 38 (or 46 game) season. That was my point and my objection was to the suggestion teams were ‘lucky’ or ‘unlucky’ to be relegated or indeed be champions.

I’ve no doubt Newcastle will sign players - whether they can get the quality AND blend them quickly enough I’m not so sure. Money talks but it might also just get you mercenaries with no real stomach for the fight. I’ve never been that convinced by big January splurges. I have no stats to back it up but it feels to me like it rarely has the impact you hope. One or 2 astute signings better than 4 or 5 (basically half a team). At the moment I don’t see us pulling away from the bottom so we will be around the bottom 3 until the end of the season - the only question is whether we are in the bottom three at the end 🤷‍♂️

We are already well and truly in a relegation scrap - only by the good grace of Norwich and Newcastle being so consistent in their sh*tness with Watford and Leeds seemingly determined to keep us in touch with the rest of the table we’d be in much worse trouble. We need goals but where would we find a striker in our price range in January? I’m hoping we could bring some midfield creativity in and Chris Wood finds his shooting boots. Be annoying to go down the year you go up - though it could extend the unbeaten streak 😬

Haven’t heard it so can’t comment sorry. Will we add? Just not sure, I doubt it but that won’t stop me hoping. Well in fairness a lot has gone on wages and fees - we don’t have huge commercial revenues outside the TV money. A lot spent on Gawthorpe and ground improvements, stuff for the TV, new media centre, new disabled stands both built in the corners. Covid cost a bit and then a big chunk (figures are sketchy but at least 50 and up to 80 million) was used to ‘buy’ the club. The sale was a cute way for the owners to take out a massive amount of cash without taking it out - clever sleight of hand avoided the fans getting on their backs. I’m still not sure most of the fans have even joined the dots on that one.

My worry now is we are missing playing teams ‘around us’ who could well strengthen in January - and we don’t have the money. We could even be weakened by approaches from money bags Newcastle. Not sure we will play now until Leeds on the 3rd of Jan.

Called off late, Watford in the ground apparently and in the hotel last night. And this after the PL said they wouldn’t call anymore games off and denied Leicester a postponement. Just annoyed because I fancied us tonight for some bizarre reason. All that said maybe this is the wake up call needed about just how transmissible this new variant is? I can see a two week break being called.