Some thoughts:
A dose of realism never hurt anyone.
Stadium will be when it will be, these things never run smoothly - at least we are saying the right things and realistic in required budget. We have done the necessary preparation in that we have a site secured, subject to planning, we have an iconic architect lined up, we have the backing of the local council and we have a man driving this project who is not unfamiliar with business mega-deals. Certainly sounds better than anything that preceded it.
Of course fans want everything today and regardless of cost or practical realities. Honestly it is just more chaff in the overall picture - fans will get what they are given, such is football life.
All the voodoo stuff sets a background of how hard it was to discuss and be sensible with Lukaku. If anyone is relying on his Mum in Africa and the say-so of a witch-doctor, it does not suggest a most rational of discussions. As regards fee, we are all able to look back post-Neymar and say it is not enough. At the time, granted we could have waited, this was a huge fee - rising to 90 million with add-ons. Post Neymar it looks like a good deal for Urinated, but at the time it was a damn good offer. And Barkley was a complete rat over his transfer and it needed saying.
The board indicated that they thought they had a deal for a striker (we think Giroud) but at the last moment it did not happen. Yes, it should have been done earlier and the set-up was to blame for that, I think they are never publicly going to apologise for it, this is as close as anyone will get. Very seldom do you get a large company apologising in a General Shareholder meeting.
Nice to hear that we will not have money concerns whilst our current major shareholder is involved - its easy to forget that we have been on the brink a few times over the last 20 years or so. Once upon a time being a millionaire was enough to run a club, now being a billionaire is the minimum standard and if you want to emulate Citeh, you need to be a freaking country.
