Looks there like the sort you'd expect to find rummaging through your bins at night.

Was this the same interview? Those comments seem incompatible (not as much money as Tony thought, but we're not messing around...which we also seem to definitely be doing so far).

Surely he is allowed to bin them off when he's ready to replace them though?

What? Where did you hear that? Must be the strangest condition to impose on an incoming manager I've ever heard of. "You can have the job Tony, but only if you don't replace the goalkeeping coach who never played as a pro goalie. I know it'll be tempting so you need to promise. Hm? Yes you can sell promising young goalkeepers and buy new keepers until you get one who doesn't need coaching, sure." Sounds very dodgy if true.

So our most talked about youth player is galaxies behind the youth players of a youth team we finished above? Unless you're talking about the ones they don't use in their youth team anymore, like Foden, that doesn't seem right.

In fairness that doesn't necessarily mean we can't afford it. Could just mean we don't think he's worth what we're being charged. I certainly don't think he is worth more than about 3 million. I don't want us to pay more than that for him whether we have the money or not.

I was looking through their business the other day and thought similar. What disturbs me a tad is that Barnsley seem to have a more extensive European scouting network than we do, based on what links we've had and the manager's comments. So far we've only tried (as far as we know anyway) for Adam Maher. We probably did scout him and the Dutch league properly, but I imagine you could have got a similar list of Dutch league targets to our own by just asking someone in Dutch football, "Hey, who is the best free agent in the Dutch league who might be willing to play in the Championship?" After that didn't work out, it wasn't long before TM seemed to imply we won't be using that market much after all. I'm still struggling to understand why he went from vaunting it so much, to that stance. Maybe he thought there was great value in the European leagues but has found out clubs and players over there want a lot more than he thought too? Or maybe he's had a rethink and only wants players with Championship experience this year. It seemed an odd change of tack. I can't seem to find or remember what his comments at the time about this were, but I'm sure an LT article implied we weren't going to use the European market more than once or twice this summer. Anyone else?

Heard anything about Travis from your Johnson source?

Now we've got Johnson, maybe he can just kick Buckley around in training?

A few million would be a disgrace.

That would be utter madness. Not an acceptable move to sanction unless it's crazy crazy money. Getting worried about this window, starting to fear we will have gone backwards by the end of it. We will have to see what happens.

Just seen a very badly written article saying Newcastle and possibly ourselves want Dann. And that the asking price is 6 million. Bloke is 32, we shouldn't entertain paying even half of that. Sounds like a non-starter or just some shit Nixon made up.

Sounds ominous. I'll be very unhappy if we lose any of: Dack, Travis, Lenihan, Nyambe, Rothwell, Graham or Armstrong. From the way you've phrased it I'm thinking you mean Nyambe, but could be Arma or Rothwell. I can't see anyone else splitting opinion in the way you imply - we'd either pretty much all be furious (though I imagine we would be for Rothwell too, mostly) or mostly happy. The way Nyambe was frozen out makes me think TM doesn't really rate him. This all assuming it's none of the fringe youth players. Regardless...please fill us in on who you've heard it is.

Eh? Norwich were far, far better than us in that game. Along with the Sheff U game early in the season, probably the most outclassed we looked all season.

Mine has been faster, but I'm on Android. Imagine, Apple products having a problem when everything else runs fine...unheard of.

So I'm going to try to list all the players we have who can play in DM or CM (not sure which we will end up using in the 'new system'). I may forgot someone, as there are so fucking many. I'm not talking about whether they are good there, just whether they have a run of experience there. Downing, Johnson, Travis, Smallwood, Evans, Davenport, Bennett, Rothwell, Mulgrew. Coming through, Buckley and Lyons. Potentially Rodwell, though I reckon that ship has sailed. You can also say Dack really, though he's very unlikely to play there (Mulgrew probably is too). So even if we take those three out, we have 8 players for 2 positions, and also two youngsters coming through. Why are we even entertaining the thought of bringing Adam in (plus letting Butterfield train with maybe a deal there in mind)? Even Tony 'I collect centre mids' Mowbray must know we have far too many already and need to shed some. I'm thinking we have fielded some interest in Smallwood? Maybe even Evans. Please god not Travis. I can see how Tony might be starting to think that Adam can be part of a possession game squad, maybe as Johnson's backup. Definitely should shift people first. Even if we do the thought fills me with a degree of trepidation.

Not at Ewood...

Is that Lewis Thompson, from the u-23s?

The rumoured value Newcastle place on him is 4 million...if the deal was close, I doubt Bielsa was looking at him as second choice.

Wait til you see someone call him 'mate', 'buddy' or 'chum'. Hell hath no fury like a Jim referred to with friendly terminology.

It could be. I just get a little wary of that kind of money for players who might need impetus and reinvigorating. If we get him, hopefully it works out well for us though. General question - if we do sign a keeper like this, but sell Raya, do people think we still need another, better, backup keeper?

Sure, I know it's 2 years in the PL. I'm not questioning it by saying 'Oh he mustn't have been good enough', because I saw that was in the Prem. My point is he's not been getting regular football for 2 seasons and that can cause players to go backwards. Basically I'm just saying we don't know what his current form would be, so it seems a lot with that in mind. Those are good clean sheet stats. Most of them are from a long time ago, but they're good. Thanks for posting those.

OK my point was it doesn't sound like it though. Based on his barely having played for two seasons. Can you tell me something that might dissuade me from that opinion? Was he really so good over 2 years ago that you're certain he is still worth more than Raya? Players can stagnate incredibly when they barely play, and goalkeepers need confidence (such as being wanted enough to play week in week out). I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just he'd have to be really top notch to feel confident in what you're saying. Was he? Two years ago?

There are similarities, but Gallagher's tally from his one season with us exceeds Brereton's entire career total to date (Brereton has 10 in 83 appearances, so sayeth the mighty Wiki). So he's likely a lot more ready-made. I certainly don't want to pay any more than 3 million for him though.

Sorry if already posted but this article suggests we'd be paying £4 million for Darlow. https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/newcastle-united-transfer-and-takeover-news-live-karl-darlow-nears-ps4m-exit-417960 That seems an awful lot for a goalie who played once last season (in the cup) and 11 times the season before. I don't know the lad, can't think whether I've seen him play or not, so I'll have to bow to the judgement of others who seem excited, but based on those stats they're excited about a player from a couple of seasons ago? It just seems steep with that in mind. I'd feel more comfortable with a John Ruddy type (probably cheaper fee but bigger wages). He only played a few times last season too, but at least he had a full season the year before. We'll see what happens of course, and how they turn out. Hopefully we make the right move, as this could be the most important bit of business of the window.