Some things surprise me and some don't. It's seven days into the transfer window and we're in desperate need of new players yet we haven't signed anyone and our manager is now talking about how difficult it is to get new players. Is he really surprised?
We've also got pundits calling our CEO a muppet and we just seem to accept it and do nothing. And today I'm reading that Gabby might be off and that clubs are interested in Grealish. To top it all off, Traoré is out for two to three months.
Traoré will be a loss and we can't let Gabby go just yet. If we do go down, Gabby could be a star in the Championship. As for Grealish, he can't go. We need to build a team around his ability and despite what many of you think after recent performances, he does have a huge amount of ability and he will be a star.
But, I refuse to believe we're relegated until it really does look impossible and the way I see it right now, it's possible for us to stay up. But I'm reading stories today from other supporters about how they are looking forward to the Championship because it could galvanise us as a club.
So I want to address to points today. And it surprises me that I'm writing them, but I think I need to.
How to sign a player
What this comes down to is this; does Randy Lerner believe it's possible to stay in the league and does he want to stay in the league. If the answer is yes to both then he's got to get his cheque book out and he's got to offer more money than he's every offered for a player. He's also got to accept that these players are only going to be with us until the end of the season.
We're after players with experience and ability and we have to pay them whatever they want until the end of the season and give them a huge bonus is we do actually stay up. Of course it's going to be tough trying to sign players when we're bottom of the table. Offer someone a huge salary and an even bigger bonus if we stay up though and it's going to be a little easier.
And I know it's really easy to write but we're not going to stay up by bringing in prospects. And this is very much last resort stuff, but this is where we are and it's why it comes down if Lerner really does believe we can stay up. I still think it's possible, but nobody really knows what he is thinking.
But we're seven days in and we play in two days. January wasn't a surprise.
Why the Championship will be fun
I'm not sure where I read the post about galvanising the club but I've seen a few versions of it, but that isn't why I'm not that fussed about playing in the Championship. I'll be okay with it because there is a chance we might win something. Okay, I'm never going to refer to winning the Championship if we do go down and if we do win it, but football is about winning and it will make a change to be in with a shot.
And if we do go, you've got to fancy we have a chance. If for no other reason than we will have more resources to throw at it. We will go into the season as the favourites to come up. But there will be a lot of work to do and football work, which is why Tom Fox has to go. But that's becoming repetitive and I do believe it's inevitable.
But let me end it on this; I don't want us to be relegated even though we might have a chance of winning something. There is a shame attached to relegation that I don't want connected to Aston Villa or Randy Lerner. And I do believe that with the right people involved, we can move up the Premier League table. It's just that for a long time now, we've not had the right people involved and that was confirmed by Tom Fox in his radio interview.
But I'm an optimist but then again, look at Leicester this season.