What does that mean, transferred against payment?

I'm highly confident it's a joke, yes. The player hasn't even moved yet, why would the DoF have done an interview saying we're retiring his shirt already? I also can't find any trace of it online.

Good point, totally forgot about that! I'd still expect CSKA to refuse to free his registration up then, as a bit of a 'fuck you' to the West for taking a player off them due to the war. Doesn't hinder them to keep hold, unless they're somehow still obliged to pay him in some way meanwhile, which I can't imagine since they have no right to use him. Anyway this is getting a bit off piste now I suppose.

How do you know it's his mum? Same surname and following MLS as well as us, so probably related to him, but could be wife, sister, cousin...?

Maybe, maybe not. But it didn't benefit them to give him to us permanently now, but does benefit us, so if they were sensible they'd have insisted on a token fee. I mean surely it's worth 50k to us to free up a loan spot if we think we might want to name more than 5 loanees on a matchday. Unless there's some special exemption for precontracts to take effect immediately if the player's registration has been suspended due to the Ukraine war.

To be clear I wasn't saying he hadn't signed a contract, I was clearly acknowledging he had. But I expected it was a pre-contract as I'd seen (and still haven't seen) any mention of an agreement with CSKA Moscow and his contract with them ran til the summer despite its suspension. It looks like he is already here permanently though, but I'm not clear on how since it was announced outside of the window. Makes no difference either way except that if it's just a pre-contract he still counts as a loan slot.

Looks like you're probably right, the club site isn't explicitly clear but doesn't mention it being in the summer, just about him signing a permanent contract (which a pre contract would also be). The implication is mostly that he's permanent now. As we didn't have the right to do that without CSKA's permission, I can only assume we paid them a tiny fee, or agreed to for when the window opened since you can't sign players in December. Or CSKA weren't bothered at all and said just take him (if I were them though I'd have asked for something like 50-100k knowing it would free up a loan spot for us..if we said no they haven't lost anything).

Technically I think that's still true yes. We signed him to a pre-contract but I didn't hear anything about CSKA agreeing to him leaving now. Can't imagine they'd want more than a token fee though to transfer him now (might be something a shrewd DOF would consider if we need to free up an extra loan space in the squad).

Reports are suggesting Cardiff have won the race to loan Nat Phillips.

I don't think you'd be able to find a top level Championship midfielder who would take 15k a week to come here. Nor a £5 million player who would only want 15k a week. Even if we stump up funds, wages will prevent us getting the finished article.

I dunno, if they've got 600k to bid for someone else then I'd think the only stumbling block is the wages. We've likely put Ennis on too much for a League One side to match, especially over a four year deal.

Buckley isn't half the player Adam Wharton is. He's also coming back from a lengthy injury so he's unlikely to hit the ground running. It's not acceptable to sell Wharton for a huge amount of money and then do nothing about replacing him. It's probably what will happen, but it's not acceptable.

A bit sickening that Raya alone has recently sold for that amount. Kaminski is probably worth about triple what we sold him for 6 months ago. Phillips we'd have likely sought about four times what we got if the ball was in our court. Wharton could be worth triple what we're selling him for in a year, and Gallagher cost us more than double what we might be about to get for him. I don't see these numbers as the victory you do.

I don't think that's fair at all, it's breaking out into more of a sleep jog.

His running levels are Dickov-like. Only player I can think of who was actually fitter though would probably be C. Ronaldo.

I agree, I can't really understand Rovers fans who seem resentful of them having their moment in the sun (and they're still two leagues below us so it's even more odd).

Strange reply. Not sure why you're trying to poke fun at a fellow fan to defend the Wrexham commentators who were denigrating our home support. You Welsh or something?

Wasn't it always him not signing for us in the summer?

They probably won't...I dunno what happened but it's less likely to be about luck than competence on our end.

The second was genuinely brilliant. The best I've ever seen him make, one of the best saves from the last few seasons. But there's no doubt his handling was terrible for the first. It's a bit of a concern to me that he palmed it into a danger area, which is exactly Leo's biggest weakness. Hope that part was a one off and the second save becomes the norm. But on balance I still think we're in dire need of a better keeper.

Let's be honest, the first one of that double save wasn't superb at all. In fact it was pretty shit and the entire reason he needed to do the second save - which was genuinely a fantastic one.

Except for when he got injured again, spent over 3 months out and has only just returned. Last season that statement would have been true though. Now I'm back to having concerns he could go at any time. He's become a very good player for us so it's a worry.

Dunno if it's already been mentioned, but I believe Szmodics is now the joint-top scorer in the FA Cup, with Joao Pedro Coelho at Brighton.

Did you watch the highlights? Ipswich were unlucky tbh. They hit the woodwork I think three times, their keeper played a blinder, and Maidstone only had two shots all game, which they put away (one of them was a very good finish). Just one of those once in a half a century convergences of factors and fortune. Literally once in a half century, a team from that level hasn't progressed to the 5th round since the 70s.

Having a megastar Hollywood owner and another fairly famous Hollywood owner helps all that though. They don't have to put much in because their owners already have profile and understand showmanship. It would take much more effort here, and of course we also lack the competence. I'm really, really fucking glad there isn't a documentary following BRFC, it would be highly embarassing under this lot. It wouldn't sell tickets and shirts, probably the opposite. Although with the conceivable advantage that the humiliation might shame Venkys into selling, which would make it worthwhile.