Crusoe

That website just reposts stories from the official site, unless I'm missing something?

This exactly. He's a perfectly decent, good even, League Two player. Can tackle, pass, shoot reasonably well, puts effort in, not injury prone. Why would we spend money trying to replace him when we need other positions upgraded far more?

I'm bored. I know it's only the end of May but I'd really like some news on players joining or leaving. I'll even settle for news on what happened to last year's youth players (the disappearing Uche story aside).

Don't think the Trust has any power to compel AL to prove his funds, nor his intentions. All they can do, like the rest of us, is ask and decide whether they believe him or not. Any "assurances" are worth exactly zero.

Sure, of course, I know it's not a guarantee. But equally the fact that that hasn't happened before (or at least in recent years) could also indicate it isn't that easy and clubs may need to adjust to League Two - it's not like every club has an equal chance of promotion so pure randomness dictates who gets promoted. Just trying to add a note of caution to some of the extreme optimism.

They've lost that Klavan feeling.

Agreed. Here's a fact (maybe even a FACT*, I've not tried one of those before). In the last eight seasons (2009/10 to 2016/17): 32 clubs have been relegated from League One (a few more than once). In only 6 out of 32 cases did any of those clubs get promoted the next season (19% chance). Normally only one relegated club makes it back up the next season. For those clubs that eventually made it back up, they spent on average 2-3 seasons in League Two. In 13 out of 32 cases those clubs have never returned to League One (14 if Coventry don't make it through the playoffs). Sure, various factors will apply in each season (how good each club was, the strength of the division overall, etc). But given most other clubs' experiences, and our inability to win games at the end of last season, I'm not assuming we're definitely going to buck that trend and be nailed on. * Actual factworthiness of it depends on me having counted correctly.

And technically we already have enough of a squad signed up to put out a team. Needs improvement, but it's not like the year we had nobody for weeks.

Haha. I'd blame autocorrect but, you know, I'll just own it.

Austin's made of balsa and his injury record is if anything worse than Welbeck's. I'm no particular fan of the latter but 15 goals in 37 games internationally must make him the better choice out of those two. (Me, as I said above, I'd hoped someone like Solanke or Abraham would've shown more this season, but damn Liverpool for sticking with this no-mark "Firmino" chap. Won't amount to anything.)

Rashford can be good. Continental class, sure. International class, maybe (and he can certainly develop). But I think England lack a decent pool of strikers. Who's the next tier after that squad? Crouch? Welbeck? Carroll? Ugh. I was hoping Solanke or maybe Abraham would come good this season but one hasn't played enough and the other has looked good enough.

Here's a question. How many of that squad does everyone think are genuinely, indisputably, world class? Not international class, i.e. good enough to represent their country. World class, as in better than most other players in that position at an international level. I struggle with that one. Kane probably the only one for me. That lack of world class players is what makes me think our prospects are limited.

Given how poorly our "stronger" squads have performed I'm not too bothered. I've no problem with Alexander-Arnold. Haven't seen enough of Young, Lallana, Welbeck or Delph to qualify. None particularly excite me. Young is a useful squad player at least. Welbeck can score despite his limitations and injury record, but his inclusion probably says more about the lack of decent alternatives.

Yes I think it was either that or a straight bank transfer.

Is there a non-Paypal alternative? I don't have an account with them after a little, uh, disagreement over their shitty customer service.

I think that's why it cost so much. Blackmail is such an ugly word.

Strange that nothing has been said since that article was removed from the official site. Wonder if it was wrong, or whether they're waiting to make a bigger announcement about the second-year youths and who's being signed up and released?

Huh. Very odd. Basically announced he'd signed a one year deal with an option.

Added Uche. Oddly the story is on the official site but doesn't seem to have made the main page or Twitter feed. https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2018/may/12052018-chinedu-uche-announced/

THIS! None of them were world-beaters, but they were good enough back then.

Yeah, reckon so. But I think he might be on a decent wedge so would we want to offer those wages hoping he stays fit enough to attract another club? And if it went to tribunal we'd get peanuts. Edit: also a reply to Jorvik!

Bosman created problems for sure but was the right thing to do.

Yeah. What, one or two divisions below us in 1991? Plus if we're going with where clubs were 26 years ago it's not much of an argument.

Agreed. The youth players actually have to be good enough. Although I always thought Scott McNiven got a bit of a raw deal, he was solid and unspectacular but better than other full backs with bigger reputations (hello, Michael Clegg!). Played a hell of a lot of games but suffered from lack of competition.

Reckon he's been offered reduced terms or a rolling deal, just in case he can stay fit and recover some of that early promise. I doubt he'll sign though. Edit: on the subject of McLaughlin.