Wullie

We've probably whacked something in his contract on the sly so that he's not getting paid while he's injured so he's working in recruitment to make ends meet. "'Allo 'allo, is zat Daniel Sturridge...?" Get it done lad.

Agreed, people seem to think these new players are going to be firing on all cylinders from the off. We can't afford to just chuck all of the new signings in together and hope that they can play together from day 1. We'll need as much experience as we can get at the start of the season and I'm concerned that we're trying to do too much by bringing in a lot of foreigners who have no or little experience of this league. I would think at this time we're probably looking at starting with 5 new players, I include Ban Arfa as a new player as he's played so few games. I’m not sure how we’d handle a few poor results early in the season if we have too many new players to the league. To do so would be unfair on the new lads as much as anything. Sink or swim against Arsenal and the mackems? I wouldn't like to go into it without some experience backing me up, I know that much. How much experience do you think we should have? Would you include Ba as someone with experience coming from half a season in the Premiership? I wouldn't have any problem with throwing Ba + someone new in up front as with experience or not they would have to have a shocker to do worse than Shola and Lovenkrands. From the midfield I think we could go 2 from last season and 2 new guys with Marveaux being used from the bench, a lot will depend on the formation we set out with pre season though. I think that would be fair enough although I'd play Shola against the mackems. He's well and truly got their number. Bedding in defenders is definitely the most difficult of the three so we're alright there (for now).

It's not even so much the opposition, although they're very tough games to kick off with - simple fact is that some players take longer than others to adjust to the league, some never do, and you don't really know for sure until you throw them in. Some take to it like a duck to water (Tiote, even Ben Arfa what we saw of him) but asking several to do it at once alongside each other isn't going to make it easy.

Bowyer'll do a good job for them but I hope they're not paying Woodgate too much. Makes Owen Hargreaves look like Coloccini.

Agreed, people seem to think these new players are going to be firing on all cylinders from the off. We can't afford to just chuck all of the new signings in together and hope that they can play together from day 1. We'll need as much experience as we can get at the start of the season and I'm concerned that we're trying to do too much by bringing in a lot of foreigners who have no or little experience of this league. I would think at this time we're probably looking at starting with 5 new players, I include Ban Arfa as a new player as he's played so few games. I’m not sure how we’d handle a few poor results early in the season if we have too many new players to the league. To do so would be unfair on the new lads as much as anything. Sink or swim against Arsenal and the mackems? I wouldn't like to go into it without some experience backing me up, I know that much.

Why? Don't you read your own website or twitter accounts ffs? Are you making a conscious effort to talk in riddles? Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. I know you are, but what am I?

Why? Don't you read your own website or twitter accounts ffs? Are you making a conscious effort to talk in riddles?

"Cabaye = happy days" aye he sounds gutted like.

Not great, not terrible, just incredibly dull.

Who are our 25 men? We've got a very hefty squad tbf, it's just low on quality in certain areas.

July 1st will be his contract expiry date.

One of the things I dislike most about football journalists is that they think they have a better knowledge of the game than Joe Public when in fact knowing anything about football is very little to do with how they got their jobs. I'm sure there are journalists who know their stuff but you just have to look at someone like Lee Ryder to see that it is far from a prerequisite. 'Ooh a few journalists, a few beers, and we decided...' Might as well say a load of plumbers got together to discuss the issue. Stuff like that Sunday Supplement on Sky, it's cringeworthy watching how wise they think they all are.

Human being in 'takes job that pays most' shocker!

Because he's 23 years old! Only a fortnight older than Fielding though, still eligible I expect.

Where are these holes? The only real gaping hole is up front imo. I'd rather spend that money on Sturridge than cover for three, four, five positions. While I don't think our depth is particularly great in terms of quality, I don't want to see us spend our money on buying "cover". As we've mentioned Everton, I would prefer a top quality first team ahead of massive depth in terms of numbers like we have at the moment, which is the principle they generally operate on. I think you're overplaying our financial crisis tbh. I just don't see it.

The latter. Ditto.

They only spend on transfers what they bring in through sales. Apparently we can't even do that!

Everton hardly spend a penny and they don't keep their best players. Their squad is absolutely tiny. Hence Kenwright being a hate figure. The only thing that keeps Everton where they are is David Moyes.

This. I just can't agree with that at all. I don't see our financial situation as uncertain in the slightest relative to the rest of the league, especially given the Carroll money. At what point does believing Ashley's spin stop? Are we still going to be hearing this in five years time after another tenth place finish? Interesting that selling AC was defended on the basis of "it'll give us money to strengthen the squad in summer" and now there's a lad who might be available with similar potential for nearly half the money and suddenly "we can't afford it". I know it sounds like I'm going on about Carroll but sorry, I don't accept that we cannot afford to spend that money. A club of our turnover should be looking to spend £15m minimum in a summer window even before we receive a penny in incoming funds.

Howay man, you can't have seen Ryan Taylor play at right back to suggest he can defend as well as Simpson. I don't mind Taylor too much on the right side of midfield but defensively, he's absolutely fucking hopeless. Simpson's no world beater but it's a silly comparison.

All 14 goals? Well, yeah, he's still only 21 and hasn't even spent six months as a regular first teamer yet but can clearly cut it in the Premier League. Man Utd have recently paid the best part of £30m for Smalling and Jones who didn't even have 50 Premier League appearances between them. You're paying for the potential more than the current ability and it's a less risky strategy than paying huge money for a "proven" player from abroad who is not guaranteed to do the business in England.

In the current market, he's clearly worth the £20m and I see him as relatively low risk given his age, his Premier League record, his fitness record, his obvious potential and his nationality. He is exactly the type of ambitious signing we should be making this summer given what happened in January and our current striking options, in fact I'm not sure there's anybody who fits the bill more.

I wouldn't disagree that he's as good but I just doubt that there's a club out there that will spend £20million on Sturridge. If Henderson is worth £20m, then Sturridge isn't far off. He is class. But not every club is like Liverpool and going to throw that sort of money around. How many are even capable of it? In the Premiership? Every one that is owned by a billionaire or is reliant upon debt finance. I don't mean to be awkward, as I appreciate that English players are typically over-priced, but Sturridge looks an awesome prospect and, at the moment anyway, would look a very good investment for the future. The problem that I envisage us having is attracting superstar (and proven) strikers to the club. Personally, I do not want to get lumbered with someone like Berbatov, who is approaching the end of his career and who didn't even look interested at Manchester United (other than during the two or three games where he ran riot). I'd rather go for a younger (and hungrier) striker and the boy Sturridge would fit the bill. Not that he'd come here in a million years, like IMO there are only the top 4 clubs who are capable of paying £20million for a striker and I don't think they would buy Sturridge. After that there is Liverpool who have already blown their load, and then us or Spurs who have got the money to buy him. Can't see Ashley going for it so that leaves Spurs if they sell Modric. You're right there like, I could never see one of the top four buying Sturridge. Which of them do you think will then? I think one of them already did mate.

I wouldn't disagree that he's as good but I just doubt that there's a club out there that will spend £20million on Sturridge. If Henderson is worth £20m, then Sturridge isn't far off. He is class. But not every club is like Liverpool and going to throw that sort of money around. How many are even capable of it? In the Premiership? Every one that is owned by a billionaire or is reliant upon debt finance. I don't mean to be awkward, as I appreciate that English players are typically over-priced, but Sturridge looks an awesome prospect and, at the moment anyway, would look a very good investment for the future. The problem that I envisage us having is attracting superstar (and proven) strikers to the club. Personally, I do not want to get lumbered with someone like Berbatov, who is approaching the end of his career and who didn't even look interested at Manchester United (other than during the two or three games where he ran riot). I'd rather go for a younger (and hungrier) striker and the boy Sturridge would fit the bill. Not that he'd come here in a million years, like IMO there are only the top 4 clubs who are capable of paying £20million for a striker and I don't think they would buy Sturridge. After that there is Liverpool who have already blown their load, and then us or Spurs who have got the money to buy him. Can't see Ashley going for it so that leaves Spurs if they sell Modric. You're right there like, I could never see one of the top four buying Sturridge.

Played for Bolton didn't he?