BottledDog

I'm not saying it's one or the other. I have gone on record saying I don't think we work to a transfer budget, but we try to get good deals when we see them even if this means our squad is unbalanced. This is my concern currently... Do you really believe that the Anita signing is an opportunistic bargain? That strikes me as frankly ridiculous if I'm honest. Not that ridiculous like. He just turned down a new deal so he's kind of become 'available' now. Obviously its not that simple and we've had an eye on him for some time like all our targets. We have a list of players and when someone's situation changes in a way that allows us to make a good value for money signing, we strike. And that's fair enough, but there is no way that we sanction knee jerk bargains at the expense of the squad and positions that are more pressing. I'd even question whether €8.5m plus future bonuses is that much of of a bargain in the first place. We want him for a reason, he will play. If we can't do a deal we're happy with we'll happily leave gaping holes in our squad as has been proven before. We've gone the first half of last season without the striker we were after since Carroll left and the second half of the season without centre back cover even though we knew Saylor was out injured for the remainder of the season, gambling our excellent start of the season by relying on Colo and Williamson staying fit for the sake of a few million. Eh? That is an entirely different argument. Yes we will abandon or wait on deals until they are right financially for us, even if it leaves us short temporarily. Again, fair enough. But that has no bearing at all on whether we would go out and grab a player that doesn't fit into our plan for the squad just because he has a 60% off sticker on his bonce (which I don't think if the prices quoted are right, describes Anita in the first place). And I don't think buying Anita has any significant knock on effect whatsoever on any other deals that may be being worked on to address the 'gaping holes' in the team.

I'm not saying it's one or the other. I have gone on record saying I don't think we work to a transfer budget, but we try to get good deals when we see them even if this means our squad is unbalanced. This is my concern currently... Do you really believe that the Anita signing is an opportunistic bargain? That strikes me as frankly ridiculous if I'm honest. Not that ridiculous like. He just turned down a new deal so he's kind of become 'available' now. Obviously its not that simple and we've had an eye on him for some time like all our targets. We have a list of players and when someone's situation changes in a way that allows us to make a good value for money signing, we strike. And that's fair enough, but there is no way that we sanction knee jerk bargains at the expense of the squad and positions that are more pressing. I'd even question whether €8.5m plus future bonuses is that much of of a bargain in the first place. We want him for a reason, he will play.

I'm not saying it's one or the other. I have gone on record saying I don't think we work to a transfer budget, but we try to get good deals when we see them even if this means our squad is unbalanced. This is my concern currently... Do you really believe that the Anita signing is an opportunistic bargain? That strikes me as frankly ridiculous if I'm honest.

I for one will be ...if he actually does. Oh, and yeah, not sure what stream the expert bloke was watching. Sounds a bit of a chancer.

Greedy c*nt.

Why? Because to think otherwise may jinx it. Oh, plus he doesn't strike me as terribly tempted to forego being a starter in the CL this season and leaving on a free if he so chooses this time next year for a bigger club possibly. /still... fingers crossed

I'd be very surprised if he chooses to come. Very surprised indeed.

Bu-Bye Tiote.

They're after one anyway! Lille seemingly don't want to sell Marseille will for the right price Simples FYP

Hardly 'talks' if L'OM haven't responded tbf.

Happy with him as the replacement. Reasonable price and we can spaff the rest of Tiote's fee on a striker.

Yes. Yes you can.

Speak for yourself, bonny lad.

Thank you Prophet. Are the mists of the mind hiding the face and name of this player from your third eye, or can you reveal more to us?

I don't know.

Sometimes you just want to smack journalists around the head. The movie is poorly edited (or intentionally misleading), Valentijn Driessen (not Breissen) is clearly talking about Van der Wiel who switched to Raiola a few days back and is looking for a transfer. He didn't say anything about Anita who is still managed by Lulofs. Daniel Salisbury-Jones lowering himself to that degree? Say it aint so.

First question on the last page is a bit messed up (strongly disagree, agree, nuetral, disagree, strongly agree iirc).

Parboo?

Yep, highlights will probably be out tomorrow. Huzzah.

This going to be on NUTV?

That Dutch journalist is usually right on the money.

Fingers crossed. It would be an extraordinary tally, but then he is a pretty extraordinary player.

So the stories were just agent talk then. Neeeeeext...

Didnt a lot of people do it last season? Praising Raylor and Pardew and saying he was right in benching Ben Arfa after the Brighton game because he was a lazy cunt or to lesser extents obviously? Remember having plenty of discussions during the whole season about Ben Arfa with loads of people saying that he wasnt fit and so on and wouldnt be good enough and so on. I remember a few people happy to leave it to those working with him day in day out to make the call, and not fall into the camp that said Pardew didn't rate HBA, or that he actually rated Raylor more. Can't say I remember anyone, nevermind loads of people, saying that 'he wouldnt be good enough and so on'.