And I've watched him ghost past Championship players in the cup games. I can see why JDT is reluctant to play him - he's tiny and doesn't track back - but he has something going forward. Ah well, let's hope it's a good loan deal for him and re-assess in the summer.

I mean has Markanday played any league minutes this year? Thomas doesn't replace him in that sense - maybe just on the wage bill.

Don't you get £170m in broadcast revenue from the PL? They're gambling their future, much like Leeds did.

I was out playing football, but I hear there was another assist for the much maligned Szmodics?

We already play 4-2-3-1 and have done for a good portion of the season. It's JDTs preferred formation.

Adopt?

Probably the better Aaron Ramsey at this point in their careers tbh - 3 goals and 3 assists in 20 games for Norwich this season, apparently. He's very highly thought of in the game - and no he won't be cheap.

They sold two players for a combined £26m in the summer (they brought in £11m during that time too). Even with the big wages they're paying out to all these loans and free agents I'm sure they're fine for a year or two financially.

Is Benson in net by any chance?

Sheffield Utd have basically rolled the dice on promotion this year - they'll pay the fine (which will be paltry compared to their PL earnings) next season. Realistically they should be punished with a significant points deduction. As you say the EFL make it up as they go along, unfortunately - as we saw with the Buckley suspension.

If only the EFL punished them with a 15 point fine, eh?

Didn't they just receive £10m for that Semanyo lad?

They'd better loan out Ash Phillips if that's the case. His camp will be furious if we've got him to commit his future to us as part of a long-term project then signed a 30+ year old CB in January when he's not looked out of place in his limited appearances.

Tells you how this window has gone - tried to ship him out, but couldn't get a replacement in.

It makes no sense from a development sense unless we're sending Morton back. Two of our most advanced Academy graduates play CM (the third plays CB obviously) - so what's the plan, quickly loan out Garrett / Wharton and bring in O'Brien? Where does Buckley play if you've brought in two loanee CMs? Does that still leave us with Vale / Gallagher starting at #9? Seems pointless.

Parachute payments strike again.

You always want better than what you have, but to me it's time to give Garrett, Wharton and Buckley a good long run out in the second half of the season (rotate Morton and Travis in). We won't find much better in our price range. The problem we have is that players are missing gilt edged chances. Brereton, for example, has missed AT LEAST 3 during this current goal drought (he's up to 10 games now), and that's without me actually counting. Gallagher doesn't really get into position to miss them, but he's lashed plenty wide from promising positions too. You can see the system coming together, but we're not punishing teams.

That's the most depressing thing - I think we had 9 Academy players in the squad on Saturday and that's with letting another 2 walk in the summer. We're set up to be a very, very strong team in this division if we could just supplement the Academy with good transfers.

He's played centrally for a lot of the season and has only scored 4 goals.

Check out Malmo pre and post JDT...

Smart man - if we can't even get a CF in on loan when we're sitting 4th then I shudder to think what the summer is going to look like.

Too late.

This is my last go-around to be honest. If they mess up this partnership by not supporting JDT (after years of supporting Mowbray and his wasteful signings) then I'll be done. It's a soulless club now anyway - the town is detached from the club now, you can feel it.

I mean a parachute club has won the league every year since 2016 - Burnley have spent £40m on transfers this season alone when the rest of the league doesn't have a pot to piss in. It's beyond a parody at this point.

Football will be dead in England by 2030 - the fans of those lower down the pyramid won't put up with it. EVERY new rule is designed to keep the status quo.