I guess we are in the slightly difficult position where MP wants and has probably been promised, a good look over the squad.

It all seems a bit vague at the moment with no clear targets. JRod has gone but presumably Gabbiadini replaced him. Another top quality CB seems a must regardless of what happens.

no money no honey

It very obvious that VVD has been tapped up by Liverpool, and now media seem to be trying to push through his transfer to Liverpool. The FA should have taken a stronger stance against Liverpool, fining the Club heavily and banning them from any incoming transfers dealings in the current transfer window, instead of just a minor slap on the wrist. The FA acted very weakly in this matter!!! Agents should be regulated by FIFA and only allowed to look after their clients commercial interests.

I agree with Terrybaron regarding better regulation. As Daniel Levy has mentioned today, the current EPL system will fail sooner rather than later. It is unsustainable.

Fans are turning off in droves. The successes in other sports (most recent example being the English women's world cup triumph) are causing money to rightly question whether football offers them a better, more purist enjoyment of sport. I have to say I am rapidly turning off football now (I will always support/watch/follow Saints, but will very rarely watch any other EPL game).

Plastic fans dominate social media - most of which have never been to a game to support their club, let alone spent hard-earned money on a season ticket. In fact, most of them will happily switch clubs when it means success is round the corner. The recent example of so called liverpool fans demanding VVD go on strike/hand in a request etc. illustrates what is rotten about fandom now - with many real Liverpool supporters feeling embarrassed and ashamed at how their club has acted and how so called 'fellow fans' react to it - noting that they cannot condone such action given it could easily happen to their club too.

The media is a farce: 17 year old kids writing the same copy and paste articles on so called 'news sites' simply because the site gets copy for free and ensures us punters click on their page and drum advertising revenue. How many of those sites/articles have actually given a unique story, with a reliable source? None. It's depressing - a lot of those people think this is their route into journalism, when it is just the media's version of Zero Hours Contract/Deliveroo delivery man.

And then there is the distinctly unpalatable situation of media sites clearly drumming up interest in 'affiliated' betting markets. Sky Sports are a notable offender: just yesterday they posted 'news' that a "close source to VVD has said he will be at liverpool by end of transfer window." and have watched that get gobbled up by those 17-year old bedroom journalists - all to ensure that Sky Bet get further revenue from muppet punters.

And then there are Agents. Enough said on them. Easy money in a murky, unregulated environment where player (and manager) interests take a back seat for the simple lure of money via continuous transfers.

And all the while clubs across the country seek a path to the 'golden ticket' of the EPL - but what for? To have the utopian goal of languishing in mid table? To simply survive one season to get some money? Clearly the gap between the top 4-6 is increasing. SFC have made real in-roads but the strategy can only go so far and the relentless abuse from bigger clubs and their media affiliates etc. means it might all be worthless.

Sorry i'm on a downer at the moment, but football is not the beautiful game anymore. I only hope one day it collapses for the EPL and we can go back to how it used to be.

well said Pintsize. I'd love it if the top 6 would all disappear and join a superleague with all the other European giants. The fun has gone. The season hasn't started yet and I can pretty much tell you who will finish in the top 6, middle 6 and bottom 8.

Unfortunately Terry the FA are as merged in corruption as the betting practices pint size refers to around Sky. As I said several seasons ago the beautiful game is being ruined by systematic corruption from FIFA down.

As a kid my Subbuteo Saints team won the league year after year and I never got tired of that. Mind you my Dad did! Inexplicably all the many in-game rule changes always seem to go Saints way.

seemed

Some rant there pintsized, but beautifully put 👍, I feel the same way as you about football, total sell out and complete and utter bollocks . UTS

I couldn't agree more pintsized, though why apologise for being on a downer? You are joining thousands of us who are seriously disillusioned by the game and rapidly losing interest due to the ridiculously uneven financial playing field. I have nothing but total contempt for the pompous pseudo "journalists" posting daily garbage but they are a product of social media obsession and celebrity worship that is way beyond my comprehension. I love the game and love the club but hate what greed has turned it into.