Ghandis Flip-Flop

Again as everyone pointed out when the media claimed Dan Ashworth was responsible for Brighton's recruitment after the Man Utd rumours started. A director of football doesn’t necessarily have any input into player identification. They’re likely involved in negotiation, but they’re not scouts ffs

Because at this stage in the project we can’t afford it 🤷🏻‍♂️ We need to be targeting the best untapped potential, rather than buying already proven talent.

Less years left on their contract and a player who wanted to move too tbf. Ithought Arsenal were up against the limits of ffp too?

Surely he’d be behind Ferguson there too, no?

It was those 6 extra games, squeezed into an already busy schedule that started the snowball rolling with regards to our injury issues.

Brilliant but it’s several years until the 70% threshold is a thing, so it’s pointless getting your knickers in a twist until it is

Theres also rumours that you're having issues with Southampton over Ripley. You claiming there's a clause in the contract that Southampton are denying exists. So unless PIF have their oar in there, it suggests that the playing things out in public is from your side

Only because there weren’t any financial rules for them to break. Honestly if you had been a kid growing up in the 80’s you’d have despised them. Never mind working with a large number of the, over the years who really had drank the Kool Aid about their "special status" despite the fact I’d attended Anfield more times than the vast majority of them.

Yes but all they’ve really done is the modern equivalent of what Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool did to cement their place at the top table too. Liverpool were the Man City of the late 70’s and 80’s, they bought their dominance as much as anyone else. If you’re an age that doesn’t remember that, it doesn’t make the opinions of those who were less valid.

By way of counter argument 1. Klopp 2. Liverpool "It means more" fans

Was this planned for? Or the result of the other freak injuries biting 5hough? Would Willock have been rushed back if Tonali wasn’t banned and Joelinton and Anderson didn’t have their own issues. Is it too difficult to realise that there's nuance and that factors outside of the managers control effect things within his sphere of influence? Basically you can tell an awful lot of folks never have to make decisions or deal with ambiguity in their own work lives or there'd be a hell of a lot more empathy for Howe this year.

Only one team trying to actually play football here, hashtag are all just physically strong but not much in the way of skill

There’s an awful lot of presumption that all the new attendees would be plastics, rather than the next generations of kids who are currently locked out of watching at St James'. There are lots of people of my generation who were effectively locked out of the stadium bar the odd cup or European game under Keegan. I’d really rather that the same situation didn’t occur again as young fans are the lifeblood of the club and often of developing atmosphere

I'm pretty sure most of last year and most of the summer there was constant gripes (Including from yourself) about how we needed better numbers from out wide players as Miggy purple patch aside, non of our wide players consitently scored or assisted enough. Particularly true of those who played on the left last season. 2 goals all comps from ASM and only 1 from Gordon. In that context Barnes made perfect sense. Yes we needed more goals from the right too, but that didn't also mean that the left didn't also need strengthening. We now know it was a flash in the plan but Miggy and Murphy had 15 goals between them last season from the right in contrast to the 3 from those previosuly mentioned. Even if you add in Willock and Joelinton it only rises to 12. Also given where the majority of our chance creation occurs (Trippier) it made sense to have a finisher on the opposite flank. Theres some amazing captain hindsight revisionism occuring all over the place at times

Because the clubs retail operation was subcontracted out by...... you guessed it Mike Ashley. Under really oppressive terms which meant the contract couldn't be ended early (Something I believe they investigated very soon post-takeover). I suspect the kind of issues of which you mention are how the club did manage to extracate themselves from the Castore deal without significant financial penalty.