May as well get going with this since with Sullivan at the helm, season ticket renewals slow, and the football vacuum to commence, this will soon be all the "news" there is.
Can Potter and MacCauley pull multiple rabbits out of the hat, or will Sullivan 'try really hard' with all of them before grabbing a few aging bargains from Big Willie Salthouse?
Window this close season comes in two parts:
Part 1: 1st June to 10th June
Part 2: 16th June to 1st September
stubbo-admin wrote: ↑30 Aug 2025, 06:31
Latest news:
Porto interested in Guilherme
Harwood-Bellis in the frame if Aguerd leaves, but we'd prefer to keep Aguerd
Timber looking unlikely with other clubs ramping up interest
Everton expected to try again for Soucek
Potter now wants a forward afterall
Magassa not signed in time for Sunday
Paqueta expected to stay at the club ("95%")
Some of the youth have got the hump at their pathways not quite being as straightforward to the team as Potter suggested
We don't fancy Boniface with his injuries
We turned down a loan of Onana
Rodriguez will go to Betis with a deal agreed
Irving has agreed terms with Wrexham and will quad his salary
Emerson looks like going to Marseille with "money offered"
Genoa want Cornet, but are only offering 1/3rd his wages (instead of 50% last time)
Pandur the GK we're now interested in
Which Onana? Utd or Villa?
Man Utd
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 30 Aug 2025, 09:48
by claypole
stubbo-admin wrote: ↑30 Aug 2025, 06:31
Latest news:
Porto interested in Guilherme
Harwood-Bellis in the frame if Aguerd leaves, but we'd prefer to keep Aguerd
Timber looking unlikely with other clubs ramping up interest
Everton expected to try again for Soucek
Potter now wants a forward afterall
Magassa not signed in time for Sunday
Paqueta expected to stay at the club ("95%")
Some of the youth have got the hump at their pathways not quite being as straightforward to the team as Potter suggested
We don't fancy Boniface with his injuries
We turned down a loan of Onana
Rodriguez will go to Betis with a deal agreed
Irving has agreed terms with Wrexham and will quad his salary
Emerson looks like going to Marseille with "money offered"
Genoa want Cornet, but are only offering 1/3rd his wages (instead of 50% last time)
Pandur the GK we're now interested in
Which Onana? Utd or Villa?
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 30 Aug 2025, 08:03
by onsideman
Charlie Cresswell should be way ahead of Harwood-Bellis as the defender we should go for if Aguerd leaves
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 30 Aug 2025, 06:31
by stubbo-admin
Latest news:
Porto interested in Guilherme
Harwood-Bellis in the frame if Aguerd leaves, but we'd prefer to keep Aguerd
Timber looking unlikely with other clubs ramping up interest
Everton expected to try again for Soucek
Potter now wants a forward afterall
Magassa not signed in time for Sunday
Paqueta expected to stay at the club ("95%")
Some of the youth have got the hump at their pathways not quite being as straightforward to the team as Potter suggested
We don't fancy Boniface with his injuries
We turned down a loan of Onana
Rodriguez will go to Betis with a deal agreed
Irving has agreed terms with Wrexham and will quad his salary
Emerson looks like going to Marseille with "money offered"
Genoa want Cornet, but are only offering 1/3rd his wages (instead of 50% last time)
Pandur the GK we're now interested in
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 23:35
by nychammer
David El" wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025, 19:43
Should we have got Will Still when we had the chance?
if you are young, talented and have a management career ahead of you, the last thing you want is someone like Sullivan shitting all over it. If we were more like Sunderland who have a progressive owner then its a step you might take at his age. I'd actively discourage him from coming here until the time is right for him and us.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 23:30
by Eerie Decent
When was the last major ricket he made?
For my money, he looked our best defender last season under Potter, and in that game against Wolves he was better than the other 3 clowns.
The bar is low, though. Very, very fucking low.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 23:25
by eusebiovic
Barty888 wrote: ↑28 Aug 2025, 22:42
We need a commanding centre back who can head the ball and a proper striker for the first eleven aswell
We need to keep Paqueta and sign a Kudus replacement
Don't forget the two loan options! Hopefully we can use them well!
Mavropanos does the heading the ball part really well and he is quite the physical presence but the problem with him is that his physician Doctor Georgios Frankensteindoupoulos stitched his legs on backwards.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 20:10
by Fauxstralian
I guess with Tottenham signing the Dutch Xavi with the tiny head that ends any interest in Paqueta
Villa may still come in by Monday
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 19:56
by Mike Oxsaw
David El" wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025, 19:43
Should we have got Will Still when we had the chance?
Doubt he has the experience to even work out how much shit we're in, let alone guide us out of it.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 19:43
by David El
Should we have got Will Still when we had the chance?
Barty888 wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025, 18:13
Appoint Mourinho ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The matches would be shit, but the press conferences would be compulsory viewing.
If you're going to play more conservative, doing it by the best at it winning a load of shit is the way to go. You can hold your nose when it's someone of that calibre. Not that I think Mourinhos Football is anywhere near as boring as say a Potter/Moyes in any case. I called for Mourinho in the past as an alternative, so it would be a yes from me. Why is Potter still manager..
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 19:15
by Barty888
the matches would be better than what BFS and Moyes served up and we would have a decent win percentage. IT'S A NO BRAINER!
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 19:13
by stubbo-admin
Barty888 wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025, 18:13
Appoint Mourinho ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The matches would be shit, but the press conferences would be compulsory viewing.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 18:13
by Barty888
Appoint Mourinho ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 18:07
by southbankbornnbred
But, I should add, there's never a reason to appoint somebody like Steve Bruce etc.
There are managers who are problem solvers and can impose a structure on a team quickly and firefight - like Mourinho and, possibly, Carrick (who took over Boro when they were really struggling). And then there's a fat bloke who doesn't know what he's doing!
So I'm not calling for Dyche, Fat Sam etc or those managers who the press think are "firefighters". Just somebody who knows their way around players and teams without the need for a four-year "you can't judge me yet" run-up.
Agreed generally, although I’d push more resources at starters right now - not projects. And there’s no way I’d sign Boniface. Recipe for disaster. The guy has two knee-knacks. We’ll get almost nothing out of him. He’ll get another big pay day.
Yup. The time for projects was two years ago for them to be coming to fruition now. Sullivan just can’t work in those timeframes. It seems. Unable to think past the next six months or spend money he won’t see some sort of return on in that space.
There have been countless opportunities to invest in young talent. Moyes was hugely at fault for this, never thinking past the immediate.
The big thing I was hoping for from Potter and the reason I assume he and Macaulay were hired was for us to be shopping in the ‘potential’ pool. They haven’t had a chance yet seen as it’s been panic stations before and the entire time they’ve been here. If we pick up with what we are getting at the last minute now there is still hope that this could come to fruition.
I DESPISE the notion that Sullivan is taking that he’s digging us out of this mess though. He could have gone and got Fernandes for this money a month ago but was pissing about lowballing them to the detriment of his team and manager. All he’s doing is correcting his own mistakes and cheapness at the last possible minute.
But this is our whole problem isn't it, it is never the right time to start a proper visionary project that will look way into the future and establish how we want to play and where we want to go. It is always fire fighting or handing over to some manger we get on the cheap who promised to get us playing great entertaining football, but whom always seem to fuck up and get us close to relegation. When does it stop? How about now? Get a serious management team together and get to work.
Politely, Mex, I disagree completely.
There have been periods when we were well set and SHOULD have started a longer-term plan, with a progressive young manager etc. After Bilic went, for example (before Pellegrini). After Moyes left the second time, for example (before Loppy). After Pards was sacked, even. On each occasion, we had a decent enough core of players - or the money, or both - to be less worried about relegation threats etc.
So, you're right in that sense. That's when you build your club and show some patience. Because you can afford to.
But there have also been occasions when, because the squad has been so poor, or we've been skint, what we've needed was a problem solver. Somebody to make order from chaos, and who can grind out results against better opponents on a tighter budget. And I'd say we're in that place right now.
If we lose to Forest on Sunday (hopefully we won't), I genuinely think Potter should go. Personally, I don't think he's any good - and he's certainly struggling to make order from chaos. But if we sacked him while bottom of the league and shipping almost four goals a game, that is NOT the time to appoint another "project" manager who will need time, money, a clean slate and a long run-up at the job. That is exactly when you appoint a firefighter. Because you're in a relegation fight at that stage, and five-year plans go out of the window unless you build in the possibility that you might spend some of it in the Championship.
We're a really poor side right now. Hopefully, the new lads will improve us.
Agreed generally, although I’d push more resources at starters right now - not projects. And there’s no way I’d sign Boniface. Recipe for disaster. The guy has two knee-knacks. We’ll get almost nothing out of him. He’ll get another big pay day.
Yup. The time for projects was two years ago for them to be coming to fruition now. Sullivan just can’t work in those timeframes. It seems. Unable to think past the next six months or spend money he won’t see some sort of return on in that space.
There have been countless opportunities to invest in young talent. Moyes was hugely at fault for this, never thinking past the immediate.
The big thing I was hoping for from Potter and the reason I assume he and Macaulay were hired was for us to be shopping in the ‘potential’ pool. They haven’t had a chance yet seen as it’s been panic stations before and the entire time they’ve been here. If we pick up with what we are getting at the last minute now there is still hope that this could come to fruition.
I DESPISE the notion that Sullivan is taking that he’s digging us out of this mess though. He could have gone and got Fernandes for this money a month ago but was pissing about lowballing them to the detriment of his team and manager. All he’s doing is correcting his own mistakes and cheapness at the last possible minute.
But this is our whole problem isn't it, it is never the right time to start a proper visionary project that will look way into the future and establish how we want to play and where we want to go. It is always fire fighting or handing over to some manger we get on the cheap who promised to get us playing great entertaining football, but whom always seem to fuck up and get us close to relegation. When does it stop? How about now? Get a serious management team together and get to work.
Sullivan tends to give two year contracts. And also let's managers choose their players/targets.
Manager's thus have no job security. So are focussed on oven ready performers.
Sullivan is risk averse generally. Expensive future maybes are not what he's interested in. We wants value and surety (whether that's what he really gets or not).
Without a trusted DoF with a remote that spans the next 5-10 years, and who does ALL the football hiring and firing...we'll never have a forward view of more than 18 months max. We're just not setup for it.
The only guy Sullivan should own the recruitment of is Director of Football.
violator wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025, 13:38
I remember we went to Chelsea and ground out a 0-0 under fat Sam...Mourinho was having a tantrum calling it 17th Century football, and then made a living out of making his teams play the same way
His sides were negative waaaay before that.
Yep, Mourinho is Rolls Royce BFS, plays defensively and wins stuff.
Frankly we need both. We have a 32 year old first choice striker. We really need a 26/27 year old striker, and a 22/23 year old striker in the stable....one that pushes Fullkrug to the bench and one to be the different option.
It's what makes the signing of Callum Wilson so bad, beyond just it being Callum Wilson. We have that 'back end of career' player in the squad already.
A better stable would have been Fullkrug, Boniface (who's is young but with a body that is old), and George.
So I think we're both right....we need a player like George. We also need a player that is 27 and goes straight into the team.
Maybe you could argue if Potter stays, and Paqueta stays....Paqueta plays at 9 (and he's 28). So he's your oven ready first choice. Füllkrug at sub. And then you have a space for a young talent.
But there is no world where Callum Wilson AND Fullkrug is what we need in the squad. Should be one or the other.
Agreed generally, although I’d push more resources at starters right now - not projects. And there’s no way I’d sign Boniface. Recipe for disaster. The guy has two knee-knacks. We’ll get almost nothing out of him. He’ll get another big pay day.
Yup. The time for projects was two years ago for them to be coming to fruition now. Sullivan just can’t work in those timeframes. It seems. Unable to think past the next six months or spend money he won’t see some sort of return on in that space.
There have been countless opportunities to invest in young talent. Moyes was hugely at fault for this, never thinking past the immediate.
The big thing I was hoping for from Potter and the reason I assume he and Macaulay were hired was for us to be shopping in the ‘potential’ pool. They haven’t had a chance yet seen as it’s been panic stations before and the entire time they’ve been here. If we pick up with what we are getting at the last minute now there is still hope that this could come to fruition.
I DESPISE the notion that Sullivan is taking that he’s digging us out of this mess though. He could have gone and got Fernandes for this money a month ago but was pissing about lowballing them to the detriment of his team and manager. All he’s doing is correcting his own mistakes and cheapness at the last possible minute.
But this is our whole problem isn't it, it is never the right time to start a proper visionary project that will look way into the future and establish how we want to play and where we want to go. It is always fire fighting or handing over to some manger we get on the cheap who promised to get us playing great entertaining football, but whom always seem to fuck up and get us close to relegation. When does it stop? How about now? Get a serious management team together and get to work.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 29 Aug 2025, 13:58
by Mad Ferret
violator wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025, 13:38
I remember we went to Chelsea and ground out a 0-0 under fat Sam...Mourinho was having a tantrum calling it 17th Century football, and then made a living out of making his teams play the same way
