Rayvin

The only conceivable answer for both is £££. if there's an answer to be had at all, that is. He certainly wouldn't move for anything else.

...So does this mean that Bannon isn't running the US after all? It's been intriguing watching the media not have a clue what to make of this.

WTF has happened to West Ham this season btw? They're in with a genuine shout of relegating themselves, have lost five on the trot, and I just checked their forum - they're in full on 'don't care if we go down, anything it takes to screw over the board' mode. To think this was supposed to be the season they stepped up

Honestly, why don't they just employ you to do this stuff.

Aye well that's true, especially that bit about how we spent £80m and all it did was get us relegated, as if not spending that would have given us a different outcome

Happy to take this bet also

Aye but what benefit is there in talking up the club's financial clout? I can't actually think of a single one. Talking us up will allow other clubs to try and rip us off, will mean fans will get ahead of themselves and leaves them in a position where they're accused of making false promises, and so on. There's not one single benefit that I can think of, for Charnley to come out and say that we're going to be fine with a significant budget for the summer. It's not like there are shareholders to consider here (beyond Ashley who presumably knows what's going on). That said, we likely aren't going to be spending very much. But then, even if we were £50m in profit, Ashley would just pocket 60% of it anyway.

Sissoko had a strong 5 minute highlight reel showing in an international tournament though. Pickford has a season worth of labouring behind an abysmal defence. I think they'll get about £20m for him, but it won't go far enough to make a big difference.

Ok, having read all of that... if relegation has fucked us as much as this seems, why in hell is Charnley still in a job? Relegation was entirely avoidable, and his dithering was what sent us down. Moderating supporter expectations is all well and good, but at the end of the day Charnley has set us back an extra £33m with Ashley, which is probably another year or two (on the probably two decades it'll take) for him to pay himself back.

Not sure they'll get all the money from player sales... their squad depth is absolutely an issue though, and their limited funds will be spread more thinly as a result. In trouble IMO.

Why? Cos, assuming Defoe is away, who is going to score goals It really depends on Short IMO. He could absolutely stiff them in the summer by withholding funds.

Then it's just Noelie who we have left to convince that we're going up If even Troops is pretty confident now

Aye but if we were there struggling with them they'd be kicking the team on like last year. Boro apparently aren't quite capable of evoking the same response

Are you feeling more confident now then?

Sunderland absolutely have suffered from not having us in the league with them, mind. We seem to be a hugely motivating force on them, and without us they're just insipid.

I guess so but bringing in a few new players can be a catalyst for mentality change. Granted, Moyes wouldn't be - but I doubt he'll last long anyway. I'd say the biggest risk for them is that short refuses to countenance any significant expenditure.

He's transmuted himself into the statue man this guy was obsessed with that anime apparently.

As it stands I don't think that squad of theirs would get promoted. But if they spend 30m or so, I don't see why they couldn't. They'd certainly be in playoff consideration with that manner of outlay.

Aye. We're definitely going to continue playing it though, so I'll guess we'll see.

Dammit I forgot Noelie. Ok, the vast majority of our fans will be happy.

This is true. 96% wasn't it? If they were contested by Germany I'd abandon the UK, but Spain is a bit of a basket case...

Aye, I think Gibraltar is pro-UK tbf. I don't think we should return it (while they want to be British) but there has to be a better way through than this.

This for me - you'll get some people saying we shoulda won it but none of our fans will be critical as long as we go up.

Irrespective of whether or not we could take Spain in a fight, these people have been our allies! What the fuck are we doing man, this is some of the worst diplomacy I've ever seen. And the fucking daily mail needs to shut this shit off, it's done enough damage already.