BottledDog

He'll also know it's probably his last chance of a big pay day too. You reckon he's on a pittance at Man City? It's a strange world when Harper sitting on his arse for 10 years accumulating piles of money means he loved the club but Given showing ambition to be at a club that won't just accept relegation, insisting on a first team place, not sitting out a good contract, as players like Babayaro would, is mercenary. Can we get the story straight? Ok. There is a question mark over Harpers ambition, though it has benifited us to a degree. There is no doubting that Given, despite years of excellent service, royally fucked us over by demanding a move half way through a very tough season.

Well hopefully. It's Tuesday!

10 minutes to go until Tuesday. Any news?

Oh joy!

Ask Dave. He knows the French.

Okey I think it's been pretty obvious from the start they would prefer a straight sale but Ben Arfa really wants to play in England... Not anymore. He's changed his mind now its getting chilly of an evening.

Hughton. Nailed on.

Fingers crossed.

Christ no.

What an eeeeeejit.

I can't see anyone denying his talent.

fkn 'ell

That's one hell of an assumption. ...and yes Chris said we need at least another defender.

That was the whole point though. It was precisely because he made it clear he was off that we had little choice but to accept a low fee (or have one fucked off Irishman running around kicking our hordings and shit).

Think most people would just say 'bugger' and move on. /I don't think I could stomach the minority whiney posts damning Ashley and Hugtons inability to 'get their man' despite not knowing what the ferk actully happened though.

Much better.

Hope he's just pulled out of the England squad as a precaution. If he's out of this game too, I think I'll take the negative route and say 5-0 to the mancs.

/It's not going to happen...It's not going to happen...It's not going to happen...It's not going to happen...

What are these shocking conditions? I'm yet to be convinced that the conditions Ashley sets are massively different to most other chairman tbh.

Personally no, was very supportive of his appointment, but I do remember being disgusted by the constant digs at him being no more than a 'puppet' of the 'cockney mafia'; I've got a feeling there was even a true faith front page cartoon saying exactly that.

1m? Good stuff. That's better than what was expected at the start of the window.

Can't see owt happening, but hope he's right.

When the club suggested there was little money to spend in the first place, have not confirmed an offer, and have yet to even discuss the player other than to dismiss suggestions that any contact had been made? That's a hell of an angry imagination you have there Chubby. I was not imagining the previous examples I mentioned, along with the fact that the truth about these things usually comes out eventually. I have very little doubt that come September we won't have signed anyone and Ashley or one of his cronies will cite a bid for Ben Arfa that never came off despite the club's best efforts. It's the same every time, I hate to be a cynic but every transfer window under Ashley has been an utter embarrassment and Ashley's spin does nothing but insult the fans' intelligence, I'd love this one to come off but I imagine it almost certainly will not, and it will be the same old story again. I doubt it will come off also, but not because we haven't tried, but because he is either beyond our budget or other teams offered him more professionally or personally. Those other name you mention. How much did WBA pay for Barnes and his 18 month contract? Was it more than West Hams £4m, or our £2m offer? I doubt it. Times change I guess, but we offered what he we felt he was worth, and I think our valuation was probably right. Victor Moses, what did we offer? Not sure that anything was official but was it around £2m again? Seemed a fair offer for the risks involved considering we were still in the Championship. Once a Premiership team came in for him though, in my opinion we didn't stand a chance. In either case, I don't see much evidence of the club trying to dupe its supporters (not that raising and then dashing expectations seems worthy of building a conspiracy around in the first place), just a club trying to be fairly prudent and missing out on some of the deals that make it into the papers.

When the club suggested there was little money to spend in the first place, have not confirmed an offer, and have yet to even discuss the player other than to dismiss suggestions that any contact had been made? That's a hell of an angry imagination you have there Chubby. Deschamps has confirmed we are in discussions with them though. Cool, got a link?

What's the spin?