Rival watch

So Xhaka is toilet on the pitch and now seemingly has a potty mouth... Who'd have thought it?

 

His bullshit to other side's ballboys is out of order, especially when you know he'll be doing the same thing himself.
Getting the academy players involved makes sense, though. It's good for them and the team.
Having that close up experience of the first team and how everything works should only help them.

 

Given his track record with youngsters, it's the closest they'll ever get to being on the pitch.

 

Hull have accepted a £10m bid for Robert Snodgrass from that lot in claret and blue.
By that I obviously mean Burnely, as West Ham were too cheap!
Why are they selling their best players now, though? Bit odd.

 

Just posted about this on our transfer thread (Hull, Sunderland and West Brom count as derivatives of Spurs). What's weird is that I popped over to the Hull board and they all seem quite calm about the whole thing. Casting my mind back to that awful season under Christian Gross where relegation loomed as a real possibility for months on end, if we'd turned round and sold Ginola and Campbellend to Everton and Sheffield Wednesday halfway through the season, fans would've set fire to the stadium! Maybe they're just resigned to yet another relegation?

 

Hull know they are down so they are cashing in ready for the lower division.

 

They've been at war with their owners for ages, so I guess it's just another disappointment to add to the list.
Must be hard to stay constantly pissed off about it, so they've just accepted that they're run by a clown, I guess.

There are two ways of looking at it, as a neutral. The first is as Smithy says. They're preparing for life in the Championship.
Seems premature and rather defeatist, as it's not like they're cut adrift.
The second is that they've got a new manager in who wants different players, as his current ones aren't working.
They've loaned in Markovic and Elabdellaoui, so they might have others in the pipeline.
Time will tell which is true, but I know which I think's more likely.

 

Crystal Palace have agreed a £9m fee for Robbie Brady with Norwich. It also has possible add-ons.
Good player. Versatile, hard-working and delivers a very good ball from a set-piece.
Could be quite an astute signing by Allardyce.

 

Watford apparently close to signing Mbaye Niang on loan from Milan with a permanent option involved. Very decent signing for them if they pull it off.

Marseille have said they'll go no further than £25m for Payet. West Ham supposedly want £30m.

Islam Slimani, Leicester's record signing who only joined in the summer, is being chased by Chinese side Tianjin "who are prepared to pay big money for him".

 

Anyone been taking notice of Pritch at Norwich?

Was someone I thought would have a career here, not heard his name much since he left.

 

Coincidentally, I saw him linked with a move to Burnley only a few days ago. If there was anything in it he must be doing ok.

I think a lot of Hull players have been running their contracts down and are/were due to be free agents this/next summer and so the owners are taking the money whilst it's there. It's still bonkers.

 

Burnley would be ideal for him, think Dyche is a really good manager and would make good use of Pritchard.

 

Of course, if they are the only bidder and the player wants to leave, they have control so why should they pay any more*. It's only ManC that when faced with the same situation over Sure-footed-Sterling actually upped their bid when there was surely no need to - and perhaps even a case for reducing it!

* Makes you wonder what Wet Spam are doing with the money they do have. Not spending it on the squad it seems. And since they don't pay anything for the stadium either (don't let the "rent" amount fool you), they must surely be raking it in compared to their pre-publicly funded stadium.

 

Another round of "how many chances can Southampton miss" so far. Liverpool look a long way off their early season form. Possibly a sign of the level they're really at when they have to play 2 games a week.

Sturridge looks like he needs a fresh start. Wouldn't mind having him in our squad.

 

No. Not that ****ing dance thing he does. NEVER. The only 2 players I'd want less at Spurs are Ashley Young and Wilshire.

 

Haha, fair enough.

 

I always think that he needs to play alongside another striker, to be honest.
Could work in a partnership with Kane, but can't see Pochettino using that as Plan A.
He'll probably get a transfer somewhere in the summer, though. Fitness is a real issue for him.

 

It really is. Relegation is something of a lottery for all but the most goal-shy team, which Hull aren't. Why anyone would push a pile of cash that size away is inexplicable.

 

Are Southampton going to see this through ?