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.

I'd say Raya's confidence looks damaged not shot. His mooted number one replacement option (according to some), Hart, now that's a lad whose confidence is shot. If we replace Raya with Hart and, as suggested in those posts, use most or all of the Raya fee as the signing on fee to make it happen, it's horrendous business.

It would be ironic if, after all the talk of sourcing players from the continent, we finished the window with one LESS player from there than before.

The lad has been privy to all the training ground work we have done on those corners, which Mulgrew admits is the only reason we score them. He and Brentford should be able to prepare perfectly for them.

That would be a complete waste of the Raya money in my view.

That's some of the weakest logic I've ever seen. Ryan Giggs never moved clubs in his career. Was he worthless then? It might be hard to pin an exact value on a player until he moves, but if Cairney was available for the paltry 4 million we sold him for, there'd be a list of clubs interested in him as long as your arm by the end of the day.

Selling Raya without a replacement already lined up would be a huge mistake. We wouldn't have a keeper left worthy of the name. If we don't know who we are getting to replace him, we risk downgrading an already vulnerable area. As well as being overcharged ('Oh Blackburn badly need a goalie and have a fresh 3 million sitting in their pockets from the last one'). I actually don't want to sell him at all, I just want serious competition for him. If we do sell him it must include a huge sell on clause and not happen before we have at least a good deal of progress on a replacement. Think we should hold out for that 4 million too, regardless whether Brentford want to pay it. Lad has at least ten years left in his career, so that's 300k a season, in a market where value inflates hugely over time, on a player who could still improve a lot and sell for far more. Uncomfortable with this.

Is that last part your opinion or something you've heard/read? Interesting if so. I've not seen this area as being as much of a priority as others have (I'd rather just stop playing two DMs and strengthen the defence and get a striker with the budget), and my opinion has been either buy someone utterly class or very cheap but definitely a step up on everyone who isn't Travis. Hopefully this counts as the latter. Probably only get one good season out of him but that gives us time to see how the kids progress and what's needed. If he's up to it. If there is a similar budget to it, we now have the vast bulk of it for a CB, striker and whatever the 'up to' 5th signing is. Heard anything on the price? My guess was in the 300-500k range?

Jesus. Shame he threw his toys out the pram, weakened our bargaining hand. Hope we still managed to get a sell-on. I feel it should always be inserted in a sale of a young player.

He virtually said as much in that interview lately (an interview which seriously dampened my expectations). He was saying defence isn't a higher priority than other areas and the reasons being our upturn in form near the end and the new system we are looking to implement meaning the defence doesn't come under as much pressure. Suicide.

What makes you think the winger we got and the central midfielder we are linked with aren't the defenders? ?

LT regurgitate Derby Telegraph linking us to Bradley Johnson And the one they sourced it from... Derby Telegraph say we are in for Bradley Johnson

Well.... https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17749866.rovers-linked-derby-midfielder-bradley-johnson/ Basically sounds like the LT are just regurgitating it for now, even quoting the Derby paper. Journo Adam Lord. Seems the denial or confirmation will have to wait as it sounds like it's new info to the LT.

We don't have one fancy dan in the engine room yet? Who are you thinking of?

I didn't doubt that the system needs some adaptation, I just said we will be fine (ie, similar position to last time) IF we are still using that system. Indications are we won't. My point is Graham himself isn't a problem, or anything like poor, currently. His hold up play is decent enough that it doesn't require us to predictably pump it aerially to him. We simply choose to. He can hold it up on the deck too and I'm sure he'd make a good foil in a two up top. Again, unless his legs go.