Speculated where? If it was so low I suspect he would have gone for the sake of a couple of million.

Still business to be done, but how do people feel the Championship may pan out this season? Sadly hard to look past Burnley as favourites, players will go but they have so many quality options across the squad including a mixture of proven Championship quality and some players signed with Premier League wealth. Not convinced by Parker but sadly they avoided the likes of Lampard who would have been a real leveller. Leeds are so dependant on being able to keep key players and how much of the financial burden has been let go by selling Gray, they have made 3 good signings though. Luton also come down with a squad packed full of Championship quality, Sheff United are a harder one to predict. Wilder is an arrogant knobhead and has struggled for a number of years, plus they start on -2 points I think. But the signings they have made look very strong at Championship level. From those that just missed out last season. Coventry's influx of signings last season will have settled and with Robins in charge and look good, Boro will be a threat but Hull look so much weaker and might finish further down. Equally sad to say that we likely will be right in and amongst the relegation scrap, and if and when Szmodics goes, it might not be much of a scrap. Oxford and Portsmouth also look very weak, and Plymouth with Rooney in charge will also be down there. Derby I think have made some good signings and might well be ok, and both Sheffield Wednesday (armed with a new team) and QPR have talented managers who will be confident in avoiding a repeat of last season.

Not that I necessarily think we should sign him as he was quite an underwhelming loan signing but Ayari is currently with the touring Brighton squad and has scored in the second half. Moran played in the stronger first half team.

We dont have the fee. We didnt in the first place, hence why we pissed around with a loan. Lets not be naive here. Managers dont get what they want at this club, nowhere near. Still no players through the door as of yer. He may well have asked for experience and the names on any list put to him are particularly old because within our tiny budget the ones we can get are the out of contract ones let go elsewhere. Or he may specifically want these very old players. My point is, that doesnt mean he is automatically right and I have to agree with that choice. I dont think the target should be to sign the keeper "for a season or 2." Its not like we have a talented young keeper who is not quite ready to be number 1. We need a new number 1 for the forseeable, I dont want someone playing the last year or 2 of his career. Begovic has been released by QPR in favour of a more permanent number 1 as a progressive move, so you would essentially be happy with their old rubbish.

He has already played quite a lot of games this season. If he plays our full season without a break he could end up playing 80 games.

Maybe he does, although he hasnt got anything he wants so far and even if he does specifically want a 32/33 year old plus CB and a 36/37 year old plus GK, it doesnt make it correct. Im not keen on the age bracket of some of the players we have been linked with. Cooper, Batth, McFadzean, all too old IMO and showing signs that their legs are going/gone, would mean having to play really deep and/or with a more defensive formation to cover. Goalkeepers like Begovic, Krul and Ruddy, again all too old and showing too many signs of decline for me. We do need experience but that doesnt have to come in the form of players quite as old as we are being linked with. We dont have sufficient funds so it may well be that we are targeting this age group because they are out of contract having been deemed to be too old by other more ambitious clubs, ie no fee. Players younger will more likely be contracted to other clubs. Still, you don't want Batth, thats on the record and if he signs, you have already said that you dont want him. And I agree.

Fair enough. If he does sign, you have given a clear opinion so fair play for that. No I don't want him either. Mentioned earlier, but I thought it was a different proposition last summer after a great season at Sunderland. But since, he has spent a season gathering dust unable to get game time even when Norwich's centre backs were injured. With a young lad (Warner) and a midfielder (McLean) chosen ahead of him. Legs must have gone. Would in my opinion be desperate all round. Clearly not our first target, but presumably would be more willing to take a shorter and cheaper contract. Would be uninspiring in our new scouting network resorting to players we have previously targeted. And from his point of view, he has already been messed about by us. Very few players still playing aren't younger than McFadzean to be fair. The fact that he couldnt get a game at Norwich despite serious injury issues suggests his legs have gone.

Bowyer also thought that Jason Lowe was a Championship captain. Would you want Danny Batth?

This Japanese link is an interesting one, he is theoretically in his peak and seems to be a late bloomer as he hadnt scored many until recently. He would be coming from a questionable standard in a different continent so it would be a big ask. Hopefully would be a creative and successful potential addition. We need to get deals done now though, we are long past the point of talking. Games tick by before the window closes ahead of a season where every point against relegation will likely matter. Mere gossip is nothing, is he actually coming and is it going to be soon? Even if he comes, we need far more than just him. Also, in what circumstances is he coming in? If as is probably most likely, he is the main replacement for Szmodics in otherwise a summer of frees and loans, then that is a concern.

True but surely especially for a deal that should be so easy to do at most clubs. He would have benefitted from doing a full pre season here and getting minutes. He may have kept himself ticking over but he will then need presumably to build up minutes in friendlies and under 21 games.

They had injuries at centre back and he still didnt get a game. When we played them they opted for a young lad at centre back over him.

Signing Batth would perfectly sum up how our club is run. It made sense last season off the back of a good season at Sunderland. Owners messed about, slashed budgets, didnt want to commit to 2 years. This summer, he is off the back of a season at Norwich where he couldnt get a kick even when they had injuries, his legs must have gone. The only reason we would want him is because our main targets have proven to be unaffordable/we didnt want to commit to 2 years. If we were reluctant to give Batth 2 years last year in case he dropped off at age, we are now just giving him that second year knowing that he seemingly has slowed down. Also, hes been a free agent all throughout pre season. Sign him now and hes already missed most of it.

What would have to happen for you to be concerned about relegation, out of interest? If selling Szmodics and still having nothing to spend wouldnt.

Obviously true but something everyone already knows. But a wannabe ITK.

Im not sure Carter will attract any big bids. He turns 25 this winter which is a good age but hes no longer a young prospect and he doesnt stand out to attract Prem interest.

Will there be any post meeting comment do you anticipate or will it all wait until the minutes?

Will there be any feedback tonight? Appreciate that minutes are made but we could do with some immediate feedback on the main issues as soon as possible rather than waiting a week.

If Szmodics goes, do you think money will be reinvested? I know it should and needs to be, do you think it will? And if it isnt, do you forsee relegation concerns?

Amazing how people who gain work through their supposed knowledge of the EFL can be so unaware.

Szmodics leaving would likely be the final nail in our chances of survival. No money would be reinvested by our terrible owners so who cares if ifs 5m, 10m or 15m. At least there was a massive buzz in the club shop because people like the kit.

That account reads like a poster on here and looking, perhaps isnt the most reliable amidst predictions that Broughton wouldnt do media interviews last March because he had already left and imminent insolvency predictions dating back over a year ago! That being said, Szmodics you imagine would go so its an easy prediction. Mind you, again this account had him sold in January.

Seems like there has been an upsurge in "negativity bashing" by those who suddenly seem keen to for some reason totally ignore the very critical fact that our terrible owners providing no budget is a huge reason as to why we have struggled and failed to bring anyone in. As for Batth, a big thumbs down but it would sum everything up. Wanted him last summer after a successful season. Venkys moved the goalposts, deal fell through, went to Norwich where he struggled for game time even when they had numerous injuries in that position, we then get loads of new off the field staff. If we ended up desperately going back to him having been unable to get more preferable targets again due to budgetary issues, it would sum things up. Baker wont happen, talk of fanciful swap deals aside. We are well beyond the point of idle gossip. Our tiny squad lacks knowhow and is totally stripped of any excitement. We badly need pace and quality through the door in attack, beside Szmodics, we have Gallagher and Dolan who will run their contracts down who to be honest both would benefit from a fresh start, Hedges battling injury issues and Sigurdsson, Markanday and Vale who are all not good enough. We only have 1 senior keeper (Calamity Pears) and are thin in most other positions.

Was just a question about whether that set of players would suffice in giving us a decent chance of survival. Eustace isnt being backed, thats the problem. Didnt require the superfan propaganda.

That will happen sometimes but it doesnt mean that every rumour is correct. Some will just be bollocks.

If we signed all them (we wont) would we stay up?