Yep, to go back to the one day cricket analogy the run rate is going up and up. You would also have thought that with there being a possibility of BBD leaving, we'd have been heavily linked with several strikers as a possible back up - and not a hint of that. There's no need to panic though. Apparently all these top quality players apparently become available out of nowhere at a knockdown price as the window draws to a close.

Brighton aren't going to let JP VH go out on loan unless he signs a new contract there first. He also did very well here and apparently enjoyed it. We're also never likely to be in the position again to be in with the chance (however slight) of signing someone of that age and quality for the price. On the flip side I'm guessing there I'd no chance of ever acquiring the Liverpool guy permanently. I'd say it is perfectly logical to try and acquire JPVH permanently and get the other centre half option in on loan be it VDB or anyone else. .

But just not here.

More to the point, even if some of the BBD money was available for fees we seem to be finding it virtually impossible to bring players in. Probably due to our relatively recently imposed wage structure. That won't change if we sell BBD, it will probably just be one extra position we can't fill.

Then we have to use our wits and knowhow and scouting resources and all this supposedly fantastic new fangled scouting software at our disposal to unearth a hidden gem. We must be the only fan base in the Country who actively clamour for our best player to be sold. It's weird, it's like everyone's own personal money or something.

Would rather keep BBD and lose him for nothing than end up in League 1 again.

Have to say that I think we needed that to lift morale in the camp after two such abject League performances. You can never win too many games, or progress through too many Cup ties for me. Bollux to: "We'd be better off out of it". Well done to the second string! (and Bradley Dack) Now give the manager (and players) some help!

Whilst everyone is vastly underestimating the fee it would take to prise JPVH out of Brighton permanently I struggle to see any scenario in which any money spent on him on a permanent deal wouldn't be a Rock solid investment. I'm a bit sceptical the move is still live, I think the rumours could relate to previous unsuccessful bids we made prior to Brighton deciding to give him a new deal and loan him out again. Hopefully that isn't the case.

Don't recall that, always recall the fee as being £5m. Possibly he's been so (predictably) shite the add ons haven't been triggered but even if they haven't it would still be at least £2m too much for him imo. If you were looking at him now you'd struggle to justify a fee of £1m.

Wonder if Waggott is now expected to step away from football matters and concentrate on the business side of things but is finding it difficult to do so and can't resist still sticking his oar in to the detriment of all concerned.

Hoping this is not old news as I believe we went in with a bid then a slightly improved bid before the news about him potentially signing a new contract with Brighton and then going back out on loan to Sunderland broke. If it's a new new bid that is enough to persuade Brighton to sell him instead that would be a massive boost for everyone, plug one of the major gaps in the squad and hopefully give us the impetus to finish off the transfer window in style.

Interesting - that is not inconsistent with something else I heard.

I'm talking about Broughton not JDT. Edit: Which of course you knew, don't know why I bit. Well done!

It doesn't become any easier the nearer you get to the end of the window. What leads you to think this mythical right quality of player will be coming when they haven't so far?

He's being judged purely on results which so far he hasn't delivered.

Is this not directly contrary to what was said when JDT came in? (I.e. that he had the final say on any incomings)

I don't even know what the international man of mystery Pasha looks like. Is that him with Waggott?

At the risk of sounding like Rich Sharpe - I "understand" he isn't actively pressing for a move and is content to see his contract out. We shouldn't be actively trying to force him out of the door either imo given how desperate our other options are. If that miraculously changed and we somehow got two other decent striking options in quickly whilst he was still here then I might change my mind and be of the view we should then sell him for what we can get. That doesn't seem likely to happen though.

In the summer (probably)

Why, what's he done wrong, has kept his head down, has performed fairly well, hasn't sulked, and hasn't publicly demanded a move. What more do you want from him - other than obviously sign a contract which it is his prerogative not to.

Agree Den, even for this dysfunctional set up it would be a bit of a stretch for JDT not to have the final say on a particular transfer.

Partly my point, he isn't going to know who Szmodics was from Adam.

The reason he probably doesn't want to leave now is that if he waits until summer his new Club will be able to pay him a lot more by way of wage and/or signing on fee because they don't have to pay a fee for him.

I've wondered for a while about the Szmodics signing. Hard to believe that he would have been top of JDT's wish list when he arrived here having previously managed in foreign climes.

I thought what I was writing was fairly straightforward. To elabourate: We can't get players in seemingly. That can surely only be down to the fact that either a) The players don't fancy Waggott/ Broughton OR b) The wages on offer aren't competitive or a combination of both. That situation isnt isn't going to be altered by selling BBD - we'll just be one further player down.