Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man

Gabriel did something very similar against Bayern in the Champions League quarter final last season.

That loophole was closed very quickly. Clubs can offer contracts for whatever length they wish, but the maximum for amortising the fee is five years.

I don't think it's that abnormal to be fair; no professional full back played there during their youth days.

It's a regionalised semi-pro league with four divisions, so probably similar to our National League. As for Carroll, it's good to see him try something out of the ordinary and I'm sure something like this will be an enjoyable experience that will teach him far more than knocking around in League One and Two would.

Nonsense; I distinctly remember Doncaster being at least four times the size of Wynn-Jones.

Yup, I said as soon as the window closed in 2021 that the signings looked good in isolation but not the window as a whole. With the exception of Angus Gunn, who was brought in as a backup goalkeeper and not expected to improve the starting XI, all of our new players were either under 21, had never played in the Premier League, or both. We needed more experience.

I mean, you can look at it both ways. Our best prospect at the moment, maybe prospects, were Webber signings, but the best prospects in his early years (Godfrey, Aarons, Lewis, Cantwell) were all inherited from the previous regime. He left us with saleable assets such as Sara, Rowe, Idah but also inherited players like Maddison and the Murphy twins who were sold for a combined £45m within the first 12 months of his tenure. On the field, he left us in the same situation as he found us in. He joined us after we failed to reach the playoffs in our first season back in the Championship after relegation, with an ageing squad in need of a wage trim and a rebuild. He left us after we failed to reach the playoffs in our first season back in the Championship after relegation, with an ageing squad in need of a wage trim and a rebuild. He clearly left us in a better state off the field. There was a lot of money invested into the facilities and the academy, and we should hopefully see the benefit of that for years to come. There's also the intangible factor of memories of two Championship title wins. On the whole, Webber's tenure was a success, and he'll probably be viewed more favourably than he is now in time. However, his personality rubbed up the fanbase the wrong way and that's the reason why he's disliked to the extent that he is.

Yup, I also thought he had a very good game. But then again, it's only the winning team who ever say that...

That was my initial understanding when I was reading about the verdict the other day; it seemed like the main issue was not giving international clearance to a player who had more-or-less been sacked. International clearance does seem a little bit outdated in the modern era anyway.

Good that you posted this when you did, because it might turn out to be a small window of opportunity...

Exactly, it's not a straightforward, black and white situation. That's why it's a bit harsh to be so over-the-top with the chants and the boos.

I think this is probably the reason why he pushed for a move, in his defence. He was 21, so no longer a kid, and had just had a good season at Portsmouth. Rumours were abound that Thorup didn't really fancy him, so I don't blame him for wanting to go somewhere he'd get more minutes. Handing in a formal transfer request wasn't a good look though. I'm not sure who advised him to do so or who made it public, but I think that had it not played out in public, there wouldn't have been an issue between Kamara and the fans.

I'm guessing it's that with Marseille not playing in Europe this season, they have little need to rotate, and De Zerbi clearly sees Greenwood and Luiz Henrique as his starters. Plus, Rowe's playing style and apparent known stamina issues (unless he's improved in that regard) mean that he's well suited to being an impact sub.

Meslier is a good shot stopper, but he doesn't half make some howlers.

Came on as a sub at half time tonight and scored the opening goal in the 51st minute.