UV

If you want an exact breakdown, try e-mailing the club. I emailed Keegan, but just got an out of office reply You're a believer in the new setup, perhaps you could enlighten me. Sorry, but that link doesn't really say anything at all except that Llambias is the boss of Williamson and Wise.

I guess I just missed the memo along the way, but can someone who is happy with "the setup" please tell me exactly what "the setup" is, ie precisely what everyone's role is, and who has responsibility for what? It might clear up some of the confusion as to what's gone on recently. If you can't be bothered to type it all out, just link me to the source of your info ta.

Yeah Ashley gets through 2 managers a year, he's much better than that lot of slackers.

I'd stick to the comedy routine about the club being 5 minutes from receivership before Ashley saved us and how well it's being run now if I were you. That's far more funny, and far less racist.

The club can't lose. The likes of Dave and Baggio will lick their arse for every single thing they do, it's as simple as that. I'd like you to point out where I've criticised the club other than disagreeing with selling Milner now, over their slipshod communication with supporters, their sluggishness to address the squad depth before the season started (which we've got away with up to now), and their lack of investment (with club generated money) in the squad should the situation not significantly change from what it is now. I hardly see that as criticising everything they do. I certainly haven't criticised their signings (although personally I wouldn't have spent £10m on a defender from another league, I think that's a big risk), but I'm also not going to proclaim them as some of the best signings the club has ever made based on a couple of games as it seems a lot of others have.

Oh please. Find me a manager who doesn't say that. The first player we signed cancelled his contract with his previous club so he could get a premier league salary FFS. Are you deluded enough to think he joined specifically because he wanted to play for US, and that he wouldn't have gone somewhere else if they'd offered him a better deal? Thats not quite what im getting at, but i do see your point. Who are you to say that that isnt the case? Alledgedly there was a top 4 club involved as well....im certainly not saying it IS the case but who knows for sure.?? All im saying is that if Keegan has to actively offer the player too much as opposed to a marked improvement on his previous contract then wouldnt it contradict his criteria, theres a definite difference there in my eyes. Owen and Luque would fit into the first criteria (of being offered too much to come here), Jonas, Colocinni and Guthrie fit into the second criterai (Of having an marked improvemnt on there previous contract). I see the difference there, do you? and do you think its the right way to go, or do you beleive that if a player doesnt want to come here we should offer him monetary compensation in order to get him commited to the team? In an ideal world id rather have player happy to be here - seems to be the crux of what Keegan wants as well. Tell me what Jonas and Colocinni are on and we might be able to debate what "too much" is. I don't see how your argument even gets off the ground without knowing that. Quotes like this: “At the end of a player’s career, the only thing that counts is their checking account, they don’t feed themselves with cups neither with medals, and I fear he could miss the contract of his life. “The pay rise is very important for Fabricio,” he added. “Here (in Spain) you have a better life, but a player’s career is very short" don't exactly scream to me that Colocinni's motive for joining were football based. FWIW for the vast majority of players I don't think what they're paid makes the slightest difference as to their "commitment" or how they perform on the pitch, it only affects which club they play for each season.

Oh please. Find me a manager who doesn't say that. The first player we signed cancelled his contract with his previous club so he could get a premier league salary FFS. Are you deluded enough to think he joined specifically because he wanted to play for US, and that he wouldn't have gone somewhere else if they'd offered him a better deal?

Good price, but I don't think we should have sold him at this time. Even if we do get a player in to replace him, there's no guarantee they'll be good for us or settle in straight away. It could have been put off until January when we'll have a better of where we are squadwise, and sold then if he was surplus to requirements. Personally I wouldn't have sold him even for £12m as I think he adds more to the team than he's given credit for, even when he's not playing well he doesn't disappear. His game isn't based on pace, so he's not as likely to go down hill as other young players who rely on that aspect of their game, so I think he'll only get better. Added to that he's a model pro and a good example to other youngsters.

For £12m you could buy two replacements and I'm pretty sure at least one would be as good as or better than Milner. If only Martin O'Neill had your football expertise eh. He is prolific compared to Jonas. PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS ABOUT GOALSCORING STATS & NOTHING ELSE. and N'Zogbia.

I hope you take this attitude from now on with anyone who questions the place of Smith, Duff, Ameobi, etc in the squad.

Nah, haven't you read the thread, it's a piece of piss to find someone much better and cheaper (fee & wages) than Milner.

That's more or less exactly what Ashley said before about Keegan. Link? and do you believe him if he did?

Chopra? Nah, too inexperienced. We should be going for top players who have played for their country, yet are available on a free.

Should go for a younger player. Preferably one who's played in the premiership and would be happy playing in the North. Maybe even someone who's already played with one of our other strikers so has an understanding and can fit straight in. I'm only dreaming finding anyone with those requirements though.

That might be a blessing in disguise for them, I'm not their squad is deep enough to cope with a UEFA cup campaign too. Players will only sign for them because of the glamour of the UEFA cup though.

So what do you make of "My optimism gets less the nearer that you get to the deadline.", "I’m still hoping that we’ll get a couple in, but if we don’t we’ll just have to soldier on."? Keegan double bluff (for what reason)? Keegan being kept in the dark (if they're not panic signings)? What are you basing your confidence that everything is perfectly under control on?

If Keegan's happy (within reason, of course) I can't say I'm bothered about how much we spend. Do you think he sounds happy?

How much do you think we should be spending this Summer Dave?

Best case scenario, if most of the team stay fit I can see us being upper mid table, but missing out on Europe. If we have injury problems (6/7 injuries for significant parts of the season) I think we'll struggle to do any better than last year. IMO we'll drop a lot of points in games like last weekend where a team sets out to defend against us, as we've a lack of options to break them down, and we'll leak a few goals on the break as we push for a winner. This is based on the current squad. If there's noone we can realistically sign who can offer much improvement to our potential for this season, then i think that's a pretty sad state of affairs, and I can't see how that situation is going to improve in the future.

f***ing hell we're resorting to signing sticker books. It's the club's new scouting system. FM2008 was too expensive.

I actually missed that line when I first read it. No, we're not rushing into deals now are we, because we're flush with players.

More careful in what way? With players' quality, with their attitudes, with their injury records. I've said a couple of times the last few days, quality control is in effect... I for one am in favour of this, bearing in mind where we were with the old splash the cash system. Well I guess we'll see about their quality after we've had a bit of time to assess them, but I'd be surprised if at least 2 of them don't turn out to be deemed as "failures" by most. Hope I'm wrong and they all make me eat my words of course, but I'm just going by the law of averages. As to their attitudes, well Coloccini's been through 8 clubs at the age of 26, and Gutierrez has just canceled his contract with his previous club

More careful in what way? Not rushing into deals because we are desperate for players I'd imagine. Instead of the previous s*** with Mckay FS:"s*** we need a Striker, who is available?" Mckay:"Erm...... Albert Luque" FS"How much and is he good" Mckay"Erm 8M and he's the best player in Spain" FS:"Give them 10M to be safe and he can have 80k per week" FS:"Graeme I've got that striker you wanted" GS:"Excellent Anelka is a proper Player" FS"Erm" GS"You did sign Anelka" FS"Erm.. I tried but I got this spanish bloke Albert Luque instead" GS:"FFS" Mckay sure gets around a lot doesn't he. Depo wanted £11.5m for Luque, a 27 year old attacking winger with 17 caps for Spain. We paid £9.5m Depo wanted £10m for Colocinni a 26 year old defender with 28 caps for Argentina. We paid £10m. Yes, I see the difference.

More careful in what way?

Sorry for picking on Wullie, but: Agreed. Makes a luvverly change for our new signings to be so determined and assured, rather than obsessed with their bank balance, whining how they'd prefer to play for Man U/Liverpool/Arsenal (but still get the obscene money we give them) and waving sick notes. Viduka and Smith I am paticularly delighted with.