BlueStar

Blimey. Can't believe they're the same age as well, Ireland looks older than me!

Was it a deal worth £20m including Ireland or £20m+Ireland? Because I was a fan of Milner while he was here and I was really sorry to lose him (Ignoring the pretty healthy fee that wasn't really going to help us on the field anyway). But Ireland had a cracking few seasons for City before he was edged out after the takeover and if he gets a bit of match practise I don't think there's going to be that much between them

hughton will still be playing it down after tiotes played 15 games. OK, that got a laugh

What players could we sell and get 3.5 million out of? We've not proven ourselves to be particularly skilled in the selling side of the transfer market either, think we're the only team Man City have got a bargain out of.

So this 'no capital outlay on players' was another fat Ashley lie then?

Lazy twat! Not the kind of player we need, bad attitude.

Which Hughton won't play away from home, he'll play 4-5-1 with a strong tackling midfield. I'm not saying he's right I'm saying that's what'll happen he's more or less said it already and did it last year. We're going to be relying on our home games for the points to keep us up anyway! So would it not be helpful if we had a defence who could then stop teams scoring ? They might have more of a chance of that if the ball wasn't in our final third for about 75% of the game thanks to not having an outlet from our immobile midfield.

Yeah, because they know how everyone over reacts and gets antsy. Well, his current technique has certainly solved that problem, hasn't it

Which Hughton won't play away from home, he'll play 4-5-1 with a strong tackling midfield. I'm not saying he's right I'm saying that's what'll happen he's more or less said it already and did it last year. We're going to be relying on our home games for the points to keep us up anyway!

Yes, it's exactly what the club needs right now. A player who can get the ball from midfield to Carroll so he can actually put it in the net isn't a luxury, it's absolutely crucial. We need points to stay in this division and for that we need goals.

It's true though there has been 257 pages of arguing about a player probably 80% of the people on this thread have never seen play even once. It's crazy lol He's a young player rated at a price we could ordinarily never dream of paying that plays in a position we seriously need to fill, and through good fortune he's unsettled, cheaper, available on some sort of loan on the right terms and seems keen to come and play for us. Considering that on past form the alternative will be a final day signing of an underwhelming and over-priced player from the lower leagues who favours a position we've already got covered, I don't think it's surprising that people think we should grab the opportunity instead of fucking around.

Not very flattering to Ben Arfa that we wont commit to keep him even if we stay up really, isn't it. Sounds like a pretty reasonable clause to clinch the deal to me.

He's got the one by Marvin Gaye which is pretty good, dunno of any others.

Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Newcastle are monitoring Rosenborg midfielder Per Ciljan Skjelbred after admitting defeat in their bid to land Hatem Ben Arfa. http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/2010-08-19/toon-turn-rosenborg-ace-after-ben-arfa-snub A few weeks ago his agent reckoned he was probably going to Schalke mind.

At the moment I'd consider signing Bullard to be a pleasant surprise, can't see us getting anyone.

Stump up Ashley Ashley stump up

BAHAHAHA :lol:

Arfa's probably at the Werder game, not as a guest or anything, he'll have just turned up an bought a ticket at the gate. He'll probably turn up at the villa match as well in a full toon kit he's bought at Eldon Sports Direct and a Villa top in a bag just in case.

Ashley was given a fair chance and he fucking wrecked the club beyond all recognition, the only person to blame for the way he is currently view by the fans is himself. He's been praised when he's done all right, but the reason people imagine that the current situation, where we seem headed into a new season with a woefully underequipped squad, is not going to be remedied is due to his past form of absolute stupidity. When he shows some common sense, people will stop thinking the worst. It's a perfectly reasonable position to hold. It's the same fucking stupid argument we got about Shola at the start of the season "I BET THE SAME PEOPLE CHEERING SHOLA WHEN HE'S DOING WELL WERE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CRITICISED HIM WHEN HE WAS TOTAL SHIT, MAKE YOUR MINDS UP IDIOTS!!"

So you start off by saying that if Ashley does something good people will think he's a legend, then finish up by saying even if he does something good people will still hate him? Seem to recall people chanting Ashley's name until he fucked up and got the club relegated, and the heat coming off him when he put a bit of cash in and got us promoted. Seems pretty reasonable, fuck up you get grief, do well you get praise.

I don't know what the fuck the Ashley model is, I don't think he does. I can't work out what he's trying to even do to the club, not even bad long term plans fit. He's not trying to build the club up to a higher level to sell it on, he's not concentrating on buying or developing young talent for profit and becoming a selling club, he's not stripping the assets and selling off our players to the highest bidder, he's not investing in the club to turn it into a high profile profit and advertising machine, where the fuck is he going with this acquisition of his? Is he just going to sit on it as it bobbles between the prem and the championship, slowly drip-dripping away at his personal time and money forever?

Position is pants-on-head retarded, no capital investment means no Premiership TV money for 2011/12.

Would be lovely if there was another talented young player who was unsettled, wanted to come here, was even a possibility to get on loan with a view to buy, but it's unlikely. We can't even wrap up a transfer when the player buys the plane tickets and flies here himself, Ashley could fall into a barrel of tits and come out sucking his thumb.