Why would that be the reason? Adam Wharton wasnt underrated. Travis isnt underrated.

There is a reason why, considering it was almost exclusively one or the other, we won far more games with Ohashi up front than the very few with Gueye.

Did I say that? He can still be part of the first team squad without having an unhealthy reliance on him. Theres still scope for him to break through if hes ready. You want another right back and keep justifying the Forshaw deal. So with 2 senior right backs and 4 central midfielders, we may aswell sell Montgomery, right?

Slowly they have taken better decisions? In recent years, two successive managers have decided they had no choice but to leave such is the running of the club. 3 potential signings fell through due to "admin issues." A one off talent through the academy was pushed out the door for a knock down price and the money wasnt reinvested. The womens team has had the rug pulled from under it. The stadium has not been maintained. The club has been submerged under the shadow of a court case due to the owners dodgy doings. Has the academy been invested in or has it just been kept going, and are they getting praise because its an area of the club they havent closed? Attendances are really low due to disengagement and also high prices. The owners havent attended in about 10 years. Im not sure the public liason woman who was binned off after 30 years agrees with the family feel. We tried to keep Weimann and Batth so it wasnt a strategic choice for resale purposes. Forshaw still signed so how does that fit in. Wage to income % will never be healthy as a Championship club.

That last bit is the key. We need another first team attacking midfielder.

Quite interesting to hear that he said publically that Wharton isnt fit to play how he wants. Obviously hes been out for ages so its not quite like calling out any random player but still. Presumably he will want another centre back after McLoughlin. Did he say which position he sees Montgomery playing in? Also, we know that he isnt interested in loans so if any come they arent necessarily to his approval. Its a market we have relied too much on but its probably not one to totally dismiss, if you use it purely to bring one or two bits of quality we couldnt ordinarily afford. Did he say anything else about how many he wants to sign or anything else interesting?

A healthy direction! Wow. Under Venkys, with Suhail, Gestede etc making decisions? Im not sure many if any will agree. (Also, Tavares came through at Leicester)

Ipswich have a lot of players that are stand out Championship players that are unlikely to get Premier League moves. Greaves, Philogene, Clarke, Szmodics, Davis, Broadhead, Chaplin, O'Shea etc. Can see why they would be favourites. Even though they were so bad last year, it says a lot about the gap between the leagues that Southampton also have lots of really good Championship players. Leicester are the ones of the 3 who maybe look the least likely even before a points deduction.

Stubbornness that leads to losing them for free.

£5m? Can rule that one out.

It does feel like a number of our main targets arent getting over the line. And before the usual suspects come out, I am not blaming people, especially for the injuries.

If there is any truth in it, at least we might actually replace Brittain. Rather than not bother and then claim that "maybe Ismael is happy with Alebiosu and Montgomery."

Why would Legia reject 7 figure bids only to loan us a player in the last year of his deal?

The green one is quite nice, this one is a bit grim.

We could do with an end to this avoidable and frustrating Brittain situation. He is clearly going to go, we need to then get in a replacement before the start of the season. Makes no sense to him tomorrow, just as I hold no grudge against him for not playing a friendly last week. Competitive game, can understand more, but doesnt benefit either us or him to play him if hes not staying. Give Alebiosu some minutes instead. Brittain will be a huge loss and depressingly to a team that we are supposedly fighting with, and another who finished below us.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25321923.blackburn-rovers-reignite-transfer-interest-fill-hole/ Rovers are on the lookout for a left-sided centre-back all summer. They were unable to land Steve Kapuadi from Legia Warsaw and have now turned their attentions to McLoughlin.

Well we know little for sure. Its surely a safe assumption based on widely reporting bids in particular for Kapuadi.

Pathways and projects. They can still be part of the squad without us just assuming that they are all ready. Some might go out on loan at various points too. All I am saying is we shouldnt just assume that they are ready. So for example, we need a right back if Brittain goes. We needed Tavares and will need to replace Travis/Tronstad if they go. Montgomery shouldnt be seen as a replacement in any of those positions. If hes ready, theres no reason that he cant also play minutes as well. But if hes not, then we dont have to still repeatedly flog him. Equally, we need cover for Cantwell. We shouldnt just assume that Tyjon is ready now. Its unfair to do so.

Adam Wharton does not make Spurs title challengers.

We are nowhere near FFP limits. And pretty easy to say that we would be better off without Venkys.

Seeing as you posted before this, and avoided my question, why did you say this was a terrible signing?

Again, your first paragraph suggests that the reason you keep posting stuff like this is because you have an issue with my posts and a preconceived idea as to what I think of everything. Ive tried to point out positives and negatives of the deal and consider both sides. Overall I think its a decent enough signing.

Indeed. We cant just build a smaller squad and assume numerous graduates can have a breakthrough season similtaneously. It puts far too much pressure on them when we have no idea if they are currently ready, and its very unlikely that they all will be.

It isnt bullshit at all. We have been bidding for Kapuadi for ages, before considering the likes of Sagnan and Nade. Doesnt mean that they dont rate McLoughlin or that he wont be a good signing. Never said he isnt well regarded by our scouts. We clearly had a top target whose price was too much for us. If you cant get your main targets you work down your list.