Staggered it has taken so long, but at least it's happening.

Think it might even be under 23?

Can't see how we are loaning the Greek. It would be to a league below and I doubt they're scouting Bulgaria down there. They won't know who the fuck he is so they're not gonna rely on him to keep goal. Fisher loan meant to be up in the air last I heard.

Looking like a great day of business today if Elliott goes through, and a very good window, with all key areas supported that really needed it. Just the one issue... The goalkeeper hoarding is ridiculous, especially if Fisher doesn't go out on loan. He should have already been sent out as we are well covered there and he doesn't look good enough to be the backup anyway, rather have used any of the other young goalies. Now we are just going to have a pissed off bunch of youth goalies if Fisher doesn't go. It would be Fisher, the Greek, Hilton when returned, and even Eastham all fighting it out for one u23 spot! Eastham probably isnt getting near that tbh due to seniority from the others, so that makes it him, Goddard and Dowling is it, fighting for one u18 spot. Too many is better than too few if it's in budget, but goddamn that's excessive. Overall I think we have been over cautious with the youngsters going out on loan in general, and it will stall their development. Apart from that, all looking good for the first team, just hope the signings prove as good as we hope.

On the flip side, we need to also hope there isn't some late move of one of our good players. Signs so far are we should be fine though. Would like to see some of the youngsters go out on loan, mind.

Unfortunately, I'm fully expecting Butterworth to end up injured again before he can really break into the side. It just seems to have happened to him too much already in his short career.

I hadn't realised it was up to you

I can't for the life of me see any sense in us buying Pears at this stage of the game. Seems a ludicrous move. The Greek kid disappointed them already? They're loaning him out too (seems unlikely since probably nobody in England's lower leagues has heard of him)? They're selling Fisher rather than loaning him? They're loaning Eastham out too? Without one of the above, what's going on here? We don't need 3 goalies for the u23s, plus another one out on loan, and none of them are the backup. We do however, so we have been told, need money, so spending some on Pears feels reminiscent of the Smallwood and Hart extensions...

We have keepers dropping out of our arse now, especially young back-up ones. Has to be a load of bollocks. He must mean Mowbray has gone to buy some pears in Middlesbrough from his favourite market. And that he hogs the covers from Mrs M at night. Nicko must have been on the Buckfast.

Come on, you've been here long enough to know not to say things like that

No, just a sign of the defeatism that years of Venky's rule has brought about. Nothing to do with 'Championship Manager', which changed its name to Football Manager some 10 years ago ish, and I don't know why you keep referring to it so often or blaming every misconception of fans on it (often in ways which have nothing to do with it). Most people who play it can tell the difference between the game and reality.

That's not true at all. What it means is that we haven't found and persuaded a left back available at a price we were willing to pay. To say otherwise as though it's a fact is to say that our recruitment is perfect. Nobody in the world has perfect recruitment. Loved your work making the score for Dark btw.

Yeh fierce strike. A few pearlers in there though, that first one will take some beating. You can actually vote btw, in case anyone hasn't noticed the link to it in the article.

The cash shouldn't be contingent upon crap like this. I'm sure with ambitious campaigning, some solidarity can be given without selling the game's soul once and for all.

Thanks Rev, that was very informative. I think Parry should resign, aye, it's a disgusting opportunist power grab. The funding is needed and the Prem can afford it, but all these conditions attached for it are vile, every single one that I've heard.

If this ever goes ahead, there's every chance I'll be done with football.

I'd be pretty content with it yeh, as long as the signings actually pan out well of course. But it would mean we had recruited in all the areas I wanted to. I initially wanted another CB, but Williams and the kids are enough for the 3rd choice. Travis' injury makes me wish we had been able to loan a Garner or someone for a while, so not doing is a bit of a disappointment. And only getting a loan for LB means next summer we won't just need one LB (again) but probably two, as Bell's deal is up and there aren't many who would like to see us renew it at present. But given the covid circumstances, FFP looming after this season's accounts, and the Dolan bonus, I'd still give it a thumbs up overall for now.

Rather have a tilt at promotion than slightly chisel into our debt mountain and replace Arma with the next BB/Gally (or worse, nothing but the existing BB and Gally). Promotion is the dynamite that could blow nearly that whole mountain up.

No, but then again I haven't even tried, because 3 man defences are blasphemy, an abomination against football.

The stats work differently on the main game (there are more of them) but your Buckley looks similar to, or maybe better than, mine. Mine only has passing 12, decisions 10 and dribbling 11 for instance. And mine has become an important regular in my side (probably ditch him when I go up though). You might want to give him a couple of games and see if he surprises you. Jaume Jardi, just one of a bunch of kids I've pillaged from Barca. I dont have the pull to get the likes of Ansu Fati, their top prospects, but their also-rans have plenty of 4-5 star potential at my level. Jardi was the only one who could fit into my first team squad immediatelt though. I've also raided Vigo, probably even more heavily, and snatched from various other clubs in Spain and Germany (two of my active leagues). Just starting to look into the Italian market. If I ran the maths, just selling Brereton is probably paying for all this business, wages included for a while, and I must have brought in at least 20 kids. I run the Chelsea model, and have since long before Chelsea were doing it. Probably for cheaper too. Easier on a game where potential is shown as a stat though (but they do a good job of keeping it partly randomised and your scouts not really knowing). And whilst it's a great tactic on a game, I think it's abhorrent that it's being done for real. Just checked, I seem to have brought in 38 players in total (some for the first team of course) and sold or loaned a bunch of others. Spent 15.5m and brought in 18.75m, though those figures include business Rovers had already done IRL (Gally, Raya)

Sam Hart is going nowhere on mine! Probably be selling him for a few hundred k when the season ends. Left him on loan, and he has Championship potential at best it seems. Buckley surprised me on several cameos as his performances outstripped his stats, so I kept giving him chances and now he has displaced Holtby in the first 11. Theoretically he shouldn't, I dunno what it is, much like with Gally. But when players are in form you have to run with it. Holtby has been disappointing, he should be top notch in this league. Maybe he is just worse in that particular role, but he wasn't much use in CAM either. But Buckley and Travis is my number one CM pairing now. JRC was starting to be used as a sub for the flank attacking positions, and getting the occasional start with injuries and fatigue as he set off ok. Form started being quite average so I loaned him out when I signed a new guy from Barcelona youth, Jardi. I got New York Red Bulls to loan him, for 120k a month...til the end of their next season. 2.8 million total! Just for a loan. So yeh done alright off him. Hopefully he comes back better and I can sell him for a ton, his potential isn't too high though.

Aren't most proven Premiership strikers on that these days?

Ffs why does everybody keep losing interest in King? He isn't that expensive for a proven, pacey Premier League striker in today's market, especially to Prem clubs. Even at 28 and with covid going on. If he doesn't sell in this window, we are getting buttons at best, as the only remaining chance will be in Jan with 6 months left on his deal. At which point he will probably just sign a pre-contract with a foreign club.

Yep, he preferred the footymad site though, that's where I got to know him. We met for drinks a few times before and after games. I remember Brandon as a little shit, probably about 6 years old or so haha

Nah no bollock dropped with Brereton. I considered it very carefully and I was reluctant to do it but it was the right call. It allowed me to do a lot of business, including buying freshly turned 18 year old Fran Lopez for 1.3 million. His CA is slightly better than Brereton's according to my staff, and his PA is similar. I also signed Rouwen Hennings who was top scorer in the Bundesliga, for 300k (!!), who should add more to my promotion push than BB was. It let me tie up a few other important bargain deals too. Unlike with the Raya scenario I more than adequately replaced him! The players I snapped up with the dosh will go on to be worth far in excess of that 24 million. There was enough left over to get the board to upgrade the training facilities at senior and youth level. Plus I put a 25 percent of next sale clause in. Like I said though there could also be some stat differences between the mobile version. And every game you start randomly changes PA a bit for all players. Ben was showing as a high potential player though, 4 to 5 star (my scouts are saying only 4 now though). And I dont like selling players before they're at or near their PA. So it was a carefully considered decision I was loathe to make, and someone else told me on their game BB never really hit his potential anyway. On Olsson/Bell, I use both. Bell has surprised me with his performances, as he is basically just tons of pace and below average actual ability, but it works for him. He is second choice this season though, he normally rotates in for midweek games or when Olsson is injured. Made 12 apps by Feb, averaged 7.08, got himself a new deal. Naff all like the real Bell except for his stats are weighted about right (no clue why they think he is as fast as Arma though).