Tommok

We always seem to make such stupidly low opening offers too. And, yes, I understand the principles of negotiation but at least open with something remotely reasonable.

I always find it weird when there's loads of tweets about us "preparing a bid" I mean how long does it actually take and why bother leaking the news before you've done it?

I seemed to have gone a bit Italian there

Yes! Yeah Milner would be a good

Yeah I'm not advocating getting him back just saying he'd have had a positive influence last season

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I think he would've been a positive influence. Kept some of the egos in check, rallied the team when their heads went down and been a support to the new players that were struggling. Everyone that has played with him has said what a positive force he was and how he looked after everyone and what a difference he made. Mo heaped praise on him and said he was the nicest guy he'd met. I think there were a few players that would've benefited from that last season. I said in my previous post - I'm not sure he would necessarily have added too much with his play on the pitch. However that being said, he simply can't have been worse than Mac Allister was at times last season.

Re leadership, Hendo would've certainly pulled a few of the players into line last year. Szoboszlai would've had a flea in his ear a few times as would Mac Allister. Hendo is not really an especially decent option for us player-wise anymore tho.

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There's actually a decent argument for us to sign all three but we're unlikely to drop the £300m plus required sadly.

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Yeah this is the root of my boredom with it all. Maybe it's just his agent but the early indicators are that he fancies Real or PSG so even if we do sign him then there's always going to be that little sub-plot in the background. He looks like a decent player but he's at least 50 percent potential at the moment - so the drama and massive fee probably just aren't worth it.

I'm bored of the Diomande pursuit. Move on to someone else and spread the budget across more players.

Yeah we had a small (and in some parts weak) squad last season and knew we'd need to do loads of work on transfers. Should've been doing all the groundwork for new players during the season. Not like the World Cup was a f***ing surprise. The fact Hughes and Edwards sat on their hands in January was weird enough but this ongoing hiatus is baffling. It just looks like they were both more bothered about sorting out their own careers over the last few months and neglected their current roles - not going to be their problem that they've left us incredibly short. That they seemingly hadn't really done anything about a Salah replacement, at the very least, is unbelievable.

Think we'll all be wanting to break something if we don't buy at least one half decent player this week. Really need to give Iraola plenty of time with new players. Really can't be arsed with another Isak-style dragged out drama which then results in "he'll need some time to get up to speed" and which then eats into the start of the season.

Iraola won't get the "same hate" Slot got - simply because he seems to be a very likeable person and has already shown he understands the club and city better than Slot did. On the pitch, he's going to have his work cut out for him unless we buy some players sharpish.

True. Reckon their new manager might be decent tho.

Yeah the report says we had a bid of £69m turned down. I thought the rumours were we'd need to pony up a lot more than that, so seems a very low initial offer (which does sound like us to be fair). I don't recall us actually making a formal offer but then my memory is hopeless.

Bild saying City and Arsenal are going for Diomande according to a link on the BBC Sport Gossip page

Aurelien Tchouameni linked with a move to Utd. We should really throw our hat in the ring for him

Yeah this is where my head is at currently. Holding out for a flurry of decent signings but not hopeful.

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Would he buy us a decent right back tho?

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Quiet about Diomande too