Thanks for your concern as to my welfare. ☺ Don't worry, you won't have to do anything at all if we make a couple of stellar permanent signings before the deadline. Until then, I can only judge the window as it is. There's only so many times you can say: "It'll be a great window if we sign players A, B, C and D".

Not having a go at you but without a name or at the very least a bit of info to give it context that quote is completely worthless. If it's complete rubbish and no-one signs, source can say "nothing must have come of it". If it's a complete stab in the dark, but by pure coincidence someone else does sign (which is a fair probability at this stage) source can say "I told you so".

I couldn't disagree more on that. I wouldn't be at all unhappy if Armstrong came in permanently preferably alongside a bit more of a target man type. On the other hand not only would I not say Gallagher is proven at Championship level, after a relegation season and a six goal season I'd say he is perilously close to being proven NOT good enough for the Championship!

He's changed his tune completely then. A week or two again he was writing online that we'd enquired about Armstrong at some point but the player would have to lower his expectations re wages before the deal would be a goer. If we had that sort of money to spend I'd have expected our targets to be here several weeks ago. It's the easiest thing in the world to claim you had money to spend then say you kept your powder dry because the right players never became available. It was John Williams favourite trick to deflect attention away from the Walker Trust.

Where has he said this?

There is that to it as well. It seems that the guys who have been claiming all window that everything was under control are now trying to make out that loans were the way to go all along as you get more bang for your buck etc etc. The fact remains though that if you'd said at the start of the window we'd spend roughly half as much as we did last year for a campaign in League one on 3 midfielders then be looking at last minute loans to fill the major gaps in the squad I'm sure everyone would have been desperately disappointed. Still time for some decent permanent business to be done of course but time is running very short now.

If you're trying to be funny I wouldn't give up the day job.

Hmmm.....Armstrong apart we Don't have a particular record of success with loan signings, Harper and Hart spring to mind and the likes of Barrow and Chapman who looked as though they should be walking into the side could hardly get a start.

Whoops. The toys have come out of the pram. Let me put them back in for you.

Make the majority of your business quality permanent acquisitions and get them signed and bedded in early so They're ready to hit the ground running on day one. Make loans the finishing touches to the squad, not the core part of your business leaving you running around at the eleventh hour wondering whether anyone is going to be generous enough to loan us one of their players.

Go and see if you can withdraw £400 with it!

This is the problem with scratching about at the last minute relying on the good graces of Premiership Clubs to let you have a player on Loan. If they change their mind you've no say in the matter, you've very little time to sort anything else out, and you're probably reduced to bringing in another player on loan to make up numbers who isn't really what you want.

Well no, hopefully we won't be re-signing Gallagher who helped take us down..........

Pretty darned depressing reading when the so called "D" targets (Armstrong and Chapman) are evidently out of our grasp and TM is trying to dress it up as though we weren't really after them in the first place. Although I could actually believe that in the case of Chapman as nothing TM has ever said would indicate he particularly rates him. The player referred to for £7m would appear to be a clear reference to Gallagher who we were only reportedly in for on loan and I don't think he's as good as Armstrong anyway

Oh do give over. Woodburn wouldn't be better than Bennett, Samuel or Palmer up front?. Rightyho....... If we unexpectedly signed him you'd change your tune instantly and hail it as the coup of the century!

I completely agree jim. I don't understand how the mood on here has completely changed on the back of signing a young lad on loan for the season. For me at the end of last season the positions we needed to address as a matter of urgency were two strikers two wingers and a big nasty centre back. To date, with 5 days to the start of the season we've signed NONE of those and have padded the squad out with three number 10's instead. I guess the operative word is "to date" as many Clubs could be fairly busy between now and the end of the window. Like you I would hope to see some quality permanent business finally being done in the positions we need rather than bringing in random bodies on loan because it's all we can afford. If no-one else came in I'd take 21st now. I think it could be a very long and arduous season. There's enormous pressure on Dack to perform as well as or even exceed what he managed last season in my view. The next best signing might be a few hundred weight of cotton wool to keep him fully fit all season.

Unlike many If we had a choice of one only between Chapman and Armstrong I'd take Chapman every day of the week. Injuries permitting will be a far brighter talent than Armstrong imo. Doubt we'll get either. The Palmer signing leaves us well stocked with number 10's but changes little. We still urgently need as an absolute minimum at least one genuine wide man and two decent strikers imo. From the way TM is talking we aren't going to get them.

It's not my money being spent so It's easy for me to say but as a fan my only concern is that we get the best quality players we can in in the positions in which we need them. I couldn't really care less if we have to pay a slight premium for the privilege, if We're bringing in the right sort of player to begin with they should appreciate in value anyway.

Which would make it an absolutely terrible window for me. It seems to me we're now scratching around desperately trying to bring in one or two youngsters in on loan simply to bring bodies in because we've been priced out of all our original targets. Regardless of whether said players are duplicating positions in which we are already reasonably well stocked. Have to agree with Neil's comment on the other thread that We're currently going into a season with one 33 year old up front which is a massive gamble on him maintaining his form and fitness. Also as I mentioned in the other thread I can't for the life of me see the sense in prioritising committing funds on a back up CH after loaning Wharton out.

I disagree completely about Wharton. How many games will Mulgrew and Lenihan miss between them? I wouldn't be surprised if It's in the order of 25. plus substitute appearances. Wharton should have been promoted ahead of Downing in the pecking order for me and retained. Is anyone actually happy with the prospect of Downing and Greer as back up?

They turned me down as well which realky naffed me off if only because I'd had it through Premium Credit various times before and never missed a payment etc. Luckily I managed to scrape the money together to pay up front but losing fans through the policies of the Finance Company is the last thing we need as absolutely no advance warning was given that the acceptance criteria would be a lot more stringent than previously etc. It's also fairly poor that We're sweating on the new season ticket cards wondering if they'll be here in time before the first home game. How difficult can it be to get them out a bit earlier?

I disagree. Whilst Palmer is a welcome addition if he's better than what we've got, arguably we now have 3 number 10's in Dack, Palmer (if he signs) and Rothwell and elsewhere our needs are still exactly the same as they were before.. I think we need the ability to get behind the opposition on either flank so at least one if not two wide man still needed for me. Plus 2 strikers still the main priority and ideally a big nasty centre back.

Whilst it might not be Derby, I agree with this, I Don't like the fact that the deal has been announced before the paperwork has been finalised. It almost sounds like an invitation from the player's representatives to other clubs to hijack the deal. I doubt we would have announced it before the ink was dry on the contract. Hopefully it will all go through ok.

Don't know anything about Palmer but a mate's son who knows a lot more about other club's players texted me to say "Great player but not in the position we need". If he can do a job In the wide positions he'll do though albeit it could be a very temporary fix.

Nail, hammer, head. That sort of amount in total on maybe 3 quality additions who would walk straight into the first team plus a couple of top quality loans was what I expected. Not two lads who will provide competition for places then waiting desperately to see if some crumbs will fall off the Premiership loan table at the last minute.