ohmelads

BBC say £6M. That's an OK price, nothing special in my view. If we lose Solano as well we'll need strengthening on that right hand side.

Tbh I saw most of your game against West Ham (the pub couldn't find the Toon match and all the other local pubs had massive queues outside) and Man City didn't put in a great performance. Still, 3 goals without reply is an impressive start on paper. They were as good as we were in the second half. I left during the second half so I'll take your word for it.

Tbh I saw most of your game against West Ham (the pub couldn't find the Toon match and all the other local pubs had massive queues outside) and Man City didn't put in a great performance. Still, 3 goals without reply is an impressive start on paper.

I think to compare the Championship to the MLS is doing the Championship a disservice. You only have to look at the quality of players regularly coming out of the Championship to see that it's on a different level altogether. MLS teams would kill for the likes of Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe, Theo Walcott, or Dean Ashton. There's quality coming out of that league all the time.

Villa at home will give us a good idea of where we are. I prefer us to take one game at a time at the moment, it's too difficult to say what shape we are in after one game. But I agree that on paper the next few weeks gives us an opportunity.

Birmingham 2 - 1 Sunderland

Made Scholes my captain in the fantasy footy this week, Tevez is in the team too Had Arteta's points yesterday as well. Looking good!

I think we can survive without Nobby because we seem to be trying to assemble a fairly big squad, but he gives us a lot off the field as well as on it, and used sparingly I think he could have been very effective for us this season. Let's not forget that he was brilliant for a good portion of last season, but he was overused because of a tiny squad and an escalating injury crisis. He was exhausted come the season's end and I think a lot of people are judging him on those performances. As part of a bigger squad, rested far more frequently, I think we'd see more of those performances like the one at home to Tottenham, where he simply ran the show. Perhaps a bit of sentiment comes into it, but we're losing a seasoned professional, an example to the younger players and someone who would ease the transition of the club from the old era to the new. I think there'll be times this season where it'll feel like we've tried to change too much too fast and we'll want someone like Nobby around. Ultimately he would probably have left in a year anyway, and he wants out, so the decision has been made easy for us, but I think he would have been an excellent squad player to have around this season. I think these conspiracy theories are a bit silly, Nobby has spent the majority of his career here, become a legend with the fans, turned down Liverpool to return - is it so difficult to believe that he has family issues, given he and his wife recently separated?

If he's class we'll build a defence around him. I don't see the problem there. All the top teams have competition for places. The main problem will be keeping him injury-free if his past record is anything to go by. If we can do that he should be a top signing given his pedigree.

Will be gutted to see Solano leave, but I'd be happier if him and Dyer aren't both going to West Ham as I think that would strengthen them quite a bit.

Mundo Deportivo are one of the Barcelona based rags in Spain and they're saying Sam may fly over there in person this week to try and convince the player, which suggests they haven't just 'borrowed' the story from the Mail. Could all be bollocks, and Belletti doesn't seem like an Allardyce full back, but as someone mentioned already he can also cover the right wing which would mean we could potentially sell Solano and Dyer without bringing in a winger. With Faye and Belletti I dare say our squad would be complete.

Excellent player going forward, was Barcelona's first choice right back until Zambrotta arrived. Like most Brazilian full backs, he's a lot better going forward than he is defending and he could have problems settling into English football at a late stage in his career, but perhaps he and Cacapa could help each other along. He'd walk into the team, no doubt about it, but how long before his legs go? He'd be a good signing, but a bit short-term and to pay a few million plus massive wages might be a gamble. If we're hard pushed to find a proven right back though then we should go for it. Could all be bollocks mind, although it's rumoured the player will be leaving Barca.

The fact Allardyce already knows all about the player (and vice versa) means he'll know best how to use him and he'll settle into Allardyce's methods quickly. A cheap low risk squad signing perhaps. The Bolton fans don't seem happy either, which suggests he's at least decent. Seems like he'd have to be happy with a rotation role at best though, as we have loads of midfielders and 3 centre backs already expected to challenge for a first team place. I hope we're still looking for a right back, it feels like the last piece of the jigsaw is missing.

Should have stuck a few quid on that

Well they're already out of the Carling Cup.

Derby at home. Just about the one game they would have asked for in their current situation. But they've got a trip to Old Trafford after that.

Everton's one downfall might be their depth if they get an injury crisis. But the team is greater than the sum of its parts, they don't have any prima-donnas, just good organisation and work ethic and a few very good players like Yobo, Lescott and Arteta to make the difference in tight games. I still think Spurs have the better squad and that's why I wanted Everton to take the points today, I see Spurs as a bigger threat. But time will tell I guess.

To be fair the visiting Spurs fans have provoked a lot of the ridicule that has/will come their way, this began as a sensible thread discussing two potential rivals of ours. I think their pre-match comments have made a lot of people go for Everton, espescially when contrasted with the pre-match comments of our resident Everton poster who was a lot more modest and didn't enter the thread with a defensive attitude.

Looks like Spurs are gonna have to unleash all these worldbeating kids we keep hearing about.

3-1 Everton

And again. Can look slick and dreadful in the same minute. We put in a shocking performance down there and still scored 3 goals.

2-1 Everton

1-1 Gardner

1-0, Lescott.

Teams: Tottenham * 01 Robinson * 02 Chimbonda * 05 Kaboul * 30 Gardner * 07 Stalteri * 04 Zokora * 08 Jenas * 15 Malbranque * 10 Keane * 09 Berbatov * 23 Bent Substitutes * 12 Cerny, * 18 Defoe, * 21 Routledge, * 22 Huddlestone, * 33 Rocha Everton * 24 Howard * 02 Hibbert * 04 Yobo * 15 Stubbs * 05 Lescott * 21 Osman * 18 Neville * 26 Carsley * 06 Arteta * 08 Johnson * 28 Anichebe Substitutes * 30 Ruddy, * 11 McFadden, * 16 Jagielka, * 19 Nuno Valente, * 20 Pienaar