The Fish

I reckon we could get closer to £25m for Anderson, more if he goes on to have an impact towards the end of this season. For all his value may go up with more minutes, I don't think he'll get a load of minutes at Newcastle. As I said he's behind at least 4 of our midfielders, and his best position/role isn't one that Howe utilises. He wants to play as a 10, or a narrow left sided attacker. But Gordon, Barnes have the left flank sewn up, and we don't play a 10.

I meant Anderson. Longstaff, yeah I think because his PL experience you could demand closer to £30m. Transfermarkt says €25m for Longstaff, €13m for Anderson, for whatever that's worth.

If you were in charge, what would be the lowest bid you'd let him go for?

The other thing to consider is that we've put hype onto Anderson. He's not really shown enough to make me think selling him is a bad idea. Under Ashley he looked like a huge prospect but that's because we were grading him against who we had in the first team; Hayden, Shelvey, Hendrick, Longstaff. Now he's fighting for a place against the likes of Bruno, Joelinton, Tonali, Willock, Longstaff, and Miley. I'm not writing him off, he's only played 826 minutes in the top flight, Miley has more than that this season alone.

Thing is, I think we have Longstaff's natural replacement at the club already. Miley is already showing that he's at least as good as Longstaff and really it's only the physicality where he falls short and that will come with age. If you overlay Longstaff and Bruno, then Miley and Bruno you see that Miley is the better partner. But Joelinton is the best

Some are also operating under the delusion that it's 'small time' of us to demand a fee and keep him to his contractually obligated gardening leave. Tell me, what's more small time; Treating this as any business in the world would and seeking compensation and keeping an employee to the terms of his contract ro, Rolling over because a big boy wants your stuff?

I did not know that, and my life is better for finding it out.

All that it needs to be surely? As long as he comes off as remotely competent, he's got a headstart on these absolute grifters

Sure, but not as much as the cost of the fee, right?

Long story short, you pay for a transfer fee in instalments across the length of their contract. Extend the length of contract, you reduce the amount you account for each time.

Team buys player X for £80m and gives them a 4 year contract. So that initial fee is spread over the length of the 4yr contract, at £20m a year. That £20m comes off each years accounts and as such is marked against their FFP allowance to fall within £105m over 3yrs. Say, for this example it takes them to their limit. 1 year in, the remaining amount of that initial fee to be amortised is £60m (£20m a year), but then that contract is extended by 3 years. So the remaining amount to be spread over 6yrs is £60m, or £10m a year and halving the FFP burden of that transfer. Leaving £10m free in their FFP accounts Which would allow the club to buy a £40m player on a 4yr deal and stay within FFP boundaries.

Not his wage, his fee. £40m in 2019, £6.5m a year, add another 3 years brings it down to £4.4m a year, right? Couldn't remember how long his deal was so googled

What an absolute legend

The good news on that front is that Joelinton is underrated outside of Newcastle. We know he's now worth more than the £40m we paid for him, but others haven't caught up to that fact yet. If we can get him to agree this contract extension we've got a dominant central midfielder, who is loved by the fans, valued by the manager and deified by a man and his son in Cheshire. If he signs the deal can we amortise his cost over the length of the contract? Does it give us a little more wriggle room? @ewerk

Hoping he gets to strut his stuff in the CL with us again before he goes. He's the closest we've had to a World Class Talent™ we've had for fucking ages.

"Jawdee guys take the peees" Love that lad

It is today, yes.

Bruce went to Bramall Lane to face a side without a win in the Premier League after 20 games, he played 5 at the back, with Hendrick, Hayden and Longstaff in midfield. Allardyce went to Pride Park to face the team with the lowest pts total in the PL era, he played 4 at the back, with Geremi, Butt and Smith in midfield. Howe went to Bramall Lane to face on of the presumptive favourites for relegation, he played 3 at the back (essentially), with Anderson, Bruno and Longstaff in midfield. There are levels to this game.

and what a sweet sweet finish from the man.

Pearce I liked, Barnes I could put up with, but Rush... did he even score?

Sheffield have greater resources than Luton and Luton have taken a lot of 'big teams' to the wire. Yes there are vast gaps between Arsenal and Sheffield in terms of talent that can take the field, but Sheffield should still be able to make a game of it. That was limp, disorganised and toothless. Yes, Carragher might be going over the top with his criticism, but honestly last night's game was just as much about how bad Sheffield were as it was the chasm in resources. Mate said last night "Derby might have got the lowest points tally in the Premier League, but are this Sheffield the worst team there's ever been in the top flight"?