[drewks]

None of us know what's going on at the club.
We're not privy to behind the scenes action, who's doing what., what finances are available, etc, and to get hot and bothered jumping to conclusions is a waste of energy and emotion. Save that for when the games start.
In my opinion!

[Blue Baggie]

Phil Penn, what gives you the impression we are 'selling everyone and replacing them all for free' or Lai is 'asset stripping'?

I don't see any evidence to back up these statements.

Now, they might prove to be correct, but evidence so far this summer doesn't suggest that.

So far... Unless I've missed any massive sales, we have sold 3 players in Foster, McClean and Evans. We have also released 3 important players in Myhill, Yacob and McAuley. In the case of the latter, there's not a lot you can do as he is 38 and soon to turn 39.

Myhill has been replaced by Bond, like for like reserve keeper.

Foster and been replaced by Sam Johnstone, who I've been assured by Villa fans at work is a more than ample replacement. If press reports are to be believed, Foster was sold for circa £4m and Johnstone cost us £6m. Doesn't sound much like asset stripping, we could've picked up a goalkeeper on a free if this was the case.

Evans has been replaced by Kyle Bartley, who apparently cost circa £4m, which was more than Evans was sold for.

If the lad from Leciester does come in to replace McClean, this will actually be the first deal we have done so far where we've sold someone for cash and replaced them for nothing. However, quality wise, we're replacing McClean with a better player. Loans didn't seem to harm the dingles last season, or Fulham for that matter.

Lastly, I know that we also matched Cardiff's bid of £10m for Bobby Reid but the player chose to go to the Premier League. The fact we were in the mix suggests we harbour reasonable ambitions of going back up, I hope.

So while your statement might well prove correct - as there's still time for Chadli, Rondon, Rodriguez, Dawson, Hegazi etc to go and be replaced by nobody or free transfers - I simply don't see any evidence at all that suggests this. It seems you're either incredibly pessimistic or trolling. We have spent a large portion of what has come in.

Some good points slick  
Just one I disagree with is Bobby Reid If you look on Matt Wilsons timeline (Express&Star) on twitter Albion refused to go above 6 Million for Reid,
Everything else though good points  

Firstly I was not trolling, I was not expecting a reaction from anyone. What I said are just speculative thoughts. I don't see us investing to the same levels as what our direct rivals are doing. I fully recognise we have signed the like for like players kindly identified. Our goalkeeper replacements were over due and look good deals. One thing I would like to add is, Evans value was considerably higher then what we received. Its more the proven experienced players that have left I feel are not being replaced, this includes our loans. (Sturridge & Greg) Sure we can get more loans in, but I fear again a lesser quality. McClean is the first one sold and replaced by a loan. I would have no problem if we had an option to buy, any player coming in is a blessing at the moment as I think we are still 5 or 6 light. We do have several players who can play in a left attacking role, which puzzles me as to why we would sign him. Of course no other player might leave and we may sign a couple of others and bring 2 or 3 quality players in on loan. None of know what tomorrow brings, certainly not me. Everything could change, we could sign 3 twenty million pound attackers next week (doubtful).
We will all know in a few weeks time, again these are some of my thoughts - they are not directed at anyone.
Losing Reid and Flint were both body blows. If we lose any of Chadli / J Rod / Rondon / Dawson / Livermore / Phillips - I will expect a like for like player to come in and replace them = same experience and value. Anything less and I will grow more concerned.
Lastly Lai wouldn't cover the small overdraft needed earlier this year, this is leads me to my thinking process that he will not be investing funds in to our club and more likely to be seeking a ROI asap.
I have always maintained to maximise our chances of returning to the PL a minimal amount of changes to the squad was the best way,
so selling anyone IMO reduces our chances. Although some of them did deserved to go? Hence I hope we don't sell any other players.
I'm just a concerned fan, who is putting 2 and 2 together and not getting 4 at the moment.

[Salopbaggie]

None of us know what's going on at the club.
We're not privy to behind the scenes action,  who's doing what., what finances are available, etc,  and to get hot and bothered jumping to conclusions is a waste of energy and emotion. Save that for when the games start.
In my opinion!

I would totally agree with you Drewks, if it were not a case of we have all been here before. We will again have a squad (hopefully) on opening day and they will not have all played together before, we may or may not have a number 2 to DM, we are selling players before we have a replacement agreed. These are not matters of finance, they are matters of common sense, lets not forget the season starts in just 11 days. I am no so much getting hot and bothered, more extremely concerned and frustrated, though I do agree it will change absolutely nothing and what will be will be.

[Slick_Footwork]

Firstly I was not trolling, I was not expecting a reaction from anyone. What I said are just speculative thoughts. I don't see us investing to the same levels as what our direct rivals are doing. I fully recognise we have signed the like for like players kindly identified. Our goalkeeper replacements were over due and look good deals. One thing I would like to add is, Evans value was considerably higher then what we received. Its more the proven experienced players that have left I feel are not being replaced, this includes our loans. (Sturridge & Greg) Sure we can get more loans in, but I fear again a lesser quality. McClean is the first one sold and replaced by a loan. I would have no problem if we had an option to buy, any player coming in is a blessing at the moment as I think we are still 5 or 6 light. We do have several players who can play in a left attacking role, which puzzles me as to why we would sign him. Of course no other player might leave and we may sign a couple of others and bring 2 or 3 quality players in on loan. None of know what tomorrow brings, certainly not me. Everything could change, we could sign 3 twenty million pound attackers next week (doubtful).
We will all know in a few weeks time, again these are some of my thoughts - they are not directed at anyone.
Losing Reid and Flint were both body blows. If we lose any of Chadli / J Rod / Rondon / Dawson / Livermore / Phillips - I will expect a like for like player to come in and replace them = same experience and value. Anything less and I will grow more concerned.
Lastly Lai wouldn't cover the small overdraft needed earlier this year, this is leads me to my thinking process that he will not be investing funds in to our club and more likely to be seeking a ROI asap.
I have always maintained to maximise our chances of returning to the PL a minimal amount of changes to the squad was the best way,
so selling anyone IMO reduces our chances. Although some of them did deserved to go? Hence I hope we don't sell any other players.
I'm just a concerned fan, who is putting 2 and 2 together and not getting 4 at the moment.

Fair point, apologies for calling you a troll, but I will say I believe you're overly pessimistic given our spend so far. Usually I'm the king of the pessimists.

I think most teams who get relegated will lose players and not be able to replace them with like for like quality. This is because usually even sides who go down have a couple of very reasonable Premier League standard players who leave and are simply impossible to replace.

Stoke are clearly going for it, but lost Shaqiri and Sobhi and replaced them with Tom Ince and McClean - both clear downgrades IMO. In Shaqiri's case this was inevitable, as you're not going to get a player of Shaqiri's quality at this level. This is pretty much the same situation we are in with Evans.

We were not in for Flint from Bristol City, so we didn't lose out in him. I watched a lot of Bristol last season and I'm not gutted about it personally. Admittedly, he is fantastic in the air, so I can see why Pulis went in for him. BUT the cross side of that is, he's very poor on the floor. He's slow, cumbersome and gets turned by almost any striker with a turn of pace. Also he's 29, so unlikely to get any better. His centre back partner at Bristol City, Bailey Wright, is a much superior player.

I assume we went for Bartley in this position by design, not as a 2nd choice. Although, I haven't seen enough of him to know if that was a good choice.

That said, from what I can see, we are showing reasonable signs in the market so far. I'm sure a few more will go, but we just keep our fingers crossed that the club has replacements lined up - so far, they seem to have.

[Beefy 1965]

This Barnes looks exciting , he has quick feet and a wicked turn "Flip" round the defender move ........

Jason Koumas anyone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlBepvShhiI

[drewks]

This Barnes looks exciting , he has quick feet and a wicked turn "Flip" round the defender move ........

Jason Koumas anyone  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlBepvShhiI

Wowza - looks REALLY good... a real Pulis player!
In the first section, he really shows he can spot and complete a pass - some of those were awesome.
(Did you notice, NONE of those actually produced a goal? How p*ssed off must he have been?!)

Excited now.
NURSE!!

[Worldclassalbion]

I saw the YouTube vid where he created so many chances but the strikers missed every one!, Hope it’s not an omen

[Beefy 1965]

LOAN-SWAP?

Progress has been made on a loan swap deal involving West Brom's Salomon Rondon and Dwight Gayle.

#WBA are extending Rondon's contract by a year to protect their asset and a permanent option for #NUFC will be discussed.

https://t.co/vjysddSlfW https://t.co/mFVV4C3A2p

[Salopbaggie]

Personally hope not, why would we swap a £16 mil+ striker for a £10 mil striker? Maybe there is a sweetener in there as well for us. Gayle has already said he is happy at the Toon and does not want to leave. As for Rondon I know he has his critics, but I am convinced he is a far better striker than he gets the credit for and as I have said before and will no doubt say again, if the ball is in 'our' last third he can not score, if the ball is in the middle third, he can not score. If he is stood in his usually place about 20 yards inside our half his chances of scoring are pretty slim. I am sure if he got the service around the opposition box his goal return would be far better.

[Slick_Footwork]

To be honest, I'd like to see us push the boat out and keep Rondon and Chadli.

I think Rondon would score 20+ in the Championship and although he's not the most technically gifted footballer, he always comes across like a really good professional who is never injured.

Expect he will go though.