New 2-year deal for defender Joe Anderson

We need to keep Gordon, regardless of whether or not Lingard arrives. Lingard seems to be making demands for this and that (probably agent and media speculation).

Hopefully Thelwell we be allowed to conduct business without BK and others poking their noses in.

Anyone left yet, that's left as in departed?

Maybe when they say "Under-21s" they really mean "mostly Under-21s" – think of it like Westley being "mostly dead" in The Princess Bride…

I'm sure they had rules last time out about allowing up to 3 outfield players over the age limit. Also, the age is by a certain date, so the player can be "Under-21" on that date, even if he is no longer under 21 on the date of the game.

Come to think of it, these rules are a lot like Boris's rules – there to be broken!

I've seen him a fair few times, mostly at left-back or centre-back, and can't say he has stuck long in the memory. I remember thinking he seemed fairly dependable and a decent passer but didn't especially stand out as a great prospect.

I'm surprised that he's been offered a new contract but maybe Paul Tait rates him or thinks he could be that more experienced head alongside the younger defenders breaking through.

There's a wodge of fringe players (U23, now U21) whose contracts ran down last month. They are seemingly getting signed up in dribs and drabs. All so as Unsworth – sorry, Tait can have them play pointless games in Premier League 2.

I'd hope to see 2 or 3 of these youngsters on every 9-man subs bench in the Premier League but, if we have a squad of 25 senior players (I currently count 26, so still some deadwood to depart...), then it will only be "injuries permitting".

I suspect he'll have a decent enough career lower down the League structure, but he is not currently at all likely to force himself into the reckoning with us. I've generally liked what I have seen of him, he's comfortable in possession and is extremely capable with the ball at his feet, but it's a big jump from there to being able to deal with Erling Braut Haaland…

I'd like to see what he achieves with a 12-month loan away from the academy, but this contract offer feels a bit like the ones that we gave to Nathan Broadhead, Harry Charsley and Matthew Pennington – possibly all assessed and considered unlikely to ever become regular squad members, but that they might eventually command a low 7-figure transfer fee to a Championship or League One side.

He's got the maturity and expertise but I can only think that our brush with U23s relegation last season has meant they want to retain experienced players to help the youngsters.

1) buy us 2 years under reasonable cost to see if Joe will be good enough for the First Team (no more Deja Vu of Pennington under first team level wages till 25 years old)

2) if needed, when Joe is to be loaned out, his salary will be affordable by Football League & Scottish Clubs that we can ask those clubs to cover them all (if not the majority) during the loan (Savvy landlords around the world, who have tenants paying their mortgages, nod their heads in agreement)

3) allow us to have an easier time to sell him if needed (potential buying clubs will be better positioned to give him a raise on his next contract, instead of asking him to take a paycut or even asking us to subsidise the move)

IMHO, another below-the-radar sign of good asset management practices being put in place by Thelwell.

Now that the club's downside has been covered, let's hope we can reap the upside benefits of Joe's eventual development.