Dokko

Only if it's true. Which given the usual reliability of the Express, it's probably not. New to posting on here (though been lurking) so go easy on me at first lads yeah? Also in the Mail but then again that's just as unreliable if not more so. If this is true then I would think Owens decision to stay (for whatever reason) may well have swung Oba's own decision. That our two main strikers (arguably) have made a loyalty pledge to the club may have a good effect on any prospective signings, sending out a signal that it is a good place to be. Could benefit us in the next few weeks till deadline day. Welcome to the boards mate. Class AV like. Do it yourself?

Sheff Wed, Forest & Leeds are the prime clubs for a takeover right now. If i were a billionaire i'd be going for one of those 3.

£9m is a lot of money. His talent really is only about half of that, but Sunderland are paying double for everyone atm so Hearts will want the same.

Use the search button mate, its fantastic!

Has Chopra kicked a ball in the Premiership though? I think Chopra at 5m actually makes Harewood look cheap. In Harewood's credit, he has said today that at Wigan he would have been pretty much guaranteed a starting spot, whereas MON made it clear he'd have to fight for his place, but it was a bit of a no-brainer choice to make. I can also see the logic that if Carew gets injured, then he gives us another "bustling" option, which is something we wouldn't get from Gabby or Luke Moore (or Defoe if we were to sign him). I'm kind of coming round to the idea. I agree, if both were available for the same money I would opt for Harewood, let alone keeping back £1m for a rainy day. Harewood would work well with any of your current strikers imho, not something I could honestly say about Chopra. TBH, you are both talking shite. Chopra is by far a better footballer and striker than Harewood, and always will be. He isn't thick as mince for starters, and will keep on improving. Both players have bags of determination and Chopra will also work all day, and has a point to prove only he can score goals (and has proven at all levels where he's had a chance) and has shown that last year, the only thing Harewood has on Chopra is physical presence and tbf to Chopra, Harewood hasn't got the first clue how to use it. Utter dog shite signing, easily more laughable than paying £5m for Chopra, no fee should ever be involved for a player of Harewood's quality.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geovanni_Deiberson_Mauricio "Super Talent" He's only 28 So its not the giovanni who played for Barca then Olympiakos then? He must be about the same age as Rivaldo. Ps: Citeh also bought the wrong Fernandes, who next Scott Shearer? mackems.gif

You should be asking who went to the one only a couple of weeks ago.

Was Bort in by then

It is because of the new rule. When the player have one year or less left of his contract, he/the buying club can pay the salary he would make on that year as transfer-fee, so it is not a release clause. That is why Chelsea have such a rush with signing a new contract with Lampard. This is at least how I understood the new rule. Its two years and you have to be over the age of 28.

Spot on user name btw.

Well FS sacked Bond off the back of a TV documentary (maybe this was why he was so quick to distance himself from him) so i'm sure police issuing warrants and seizing computers at the club will result in termination of the contracts of whoever is involved. If its Freddy then no 2 year pay off, awww, poor fuker.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article1963015.ece From Times Online June 20, 2007 The world's top 50 footballers Can Kaka kick Cristiano into a cocked hat? Does Ronaldinho run rings around Rooney? Gabriele Marcotti picks the best players on the planet. Do you agree? Gabriele Marcotti When my editor suggested putting together a list of the top 50 players, I greeted it with a healthy dose of apprehension. For journalists, such lists are often a lose-lose proposition, exposing you to ridicule and, occasionally, venom. Then again, they do generate debate and I like open-ended discussions as much as the next guy. But before we get into it, here are the usual caveats. Making comparisons between different positions on the pitch is extremely difficult. Equally, while I do watch a lot of football (far more than is healthy), I haven’t watched most of these players week in, week out, for all ninety minutes. Then again, nobody has. So what you’re getting is a combination of personal assessment and, perhaps more importantly, the distilled views of people I talk to, from scouts to fellow journalists, from agents to managers, from club officials to, yes, ordinary fans. I couldn’t even have begun to compile such a list without basic criteria. So here they are: imagine you are the manager of a totally new team. You have a certain budget to spend, but first you get one freebie, one guy to build your team around. You get him only for one season, the 2007-08 campaign, so you want to go for who can do the best job for you here and now, without worrying how good he can be down the line. Who would you choose? Who would your “ringer” be? Have a look at all at my selection and then post yours in the comment box below. 50. Gary Neville (Manchester United) A right back is admittedly an unusual choice, but Neville brings a host of intangibles to the table, from leadership to experience to consistency. 49. Clarence Seedorf (Milan) You don’t win four Champions League crowns with three different clubs by accident. Perhaps he doesn’t turn it on as often as he once did, but his collection of rabbit’s feet alone makes him a worthwhile punt. 48. Jefferson Farfan (PSV Eindhoven) He gives you trickery, pace and width, plus a host of goals (42 in the Dutch league over the past two years, a remarkable total for a guy who is not a genuine centre forward). 47. Phillip Lahm (Bayern Munich) Little Mr Consistency runs all day and is a reliable source of goal-saving tackles and pinpoint crosses. Arguably the best left back around. 46. Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors) Probably the most reliable striker outside Europe. Something of a late bloomer, at 25 he’s really hitting his stride. 45. Diego (Werder Bremen) Stick him in the hole behind two strikers and watch him weave his magic. He’s Kaka-lite (or, given his corpulent build, Kaka-heavy). 44. Rino Gattuso (Milan) Steven Gerrard’s ghostwriters may not rate him, but most of the rest of us do. He runs himself into the ground, lifts the crowd and never gives up. 43. Hernan Crespo (Inter) 139 goals in his past 209 league starts in Serie A and the Premiership tell only part of the story. His movement up front is also straight out of a footballing textbook. 42. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Ajax) By all accounts, he had a poor season - “just” 21 league goals (down from 33 last year). That says it all. Comparisons to Marco van Basten may be wide of the mark, but he’ll get you goals. 41. Alessandro Nesta (Milan) Now that he’s fit again, strikers beware: he’s unnaturally quick, strong in the tackle and about as athletic as anyone playing the game today. 40. Juninho Pernambucano (Lyons) Elegant and creative, but also with an edge when necessary, he can light up any side. Plus, he’ll get his usual haul of set-piece goals. 39. “Lucho” Gonzalez (Porto) A box-to-box dervish who gets his fair share of goals and is a natural leader to boot. If only he played in a higher profile league... 38. Paul Scholes (Manchester United) He redefined the role of attacking midfield player in the Premiership. The one concern is how well he would do away from his mentor, Sir Alex Ferguson. 37. Daniele De Rossi (Roma) The poor man’s Roy Keane. Runs the midfield with intensity and intelligence and, like Keane, occasionally falls prey to the red mist (just ask Brian McBride). 36. Dejan Stankovic (Inter) His long-range goals make the highlight reels, but his real contribution is the way he can effortlessly slot into any midfield position. 35. Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid) It feels as if he’s been around forever, but he’s still just twenty-three. Tall, strong, bright, he can lead any line on his own. 34. David Beckham (Real Madrid/Los Angeles Galaxy) Strip away the hype, and you have a respected leader who provides the most delicious service from wide positions. That alone is worth a few dozen goals a season. 33. Javier Zanetti (Inter) Again, we’re dealing with intangibles here. The Inter skipper is a true leader, selfless and self-sacrificing, who can fill either full-back position or play in midfield. One of the most underrated players of the past decade. 32. Jamie Carragher (Liverpool) Like a fine wine, he gets better with age. Reads the game exceptionally well and has developed a first-rate tactical awareness. Plus, he’d run through a brick wall for you. 31. Florent Malouda (Lyons) Put him wide or put him in a diamond and the result is the same: a blend of quality and workrate that make him one of the most sought-after players on the market today. 30. John Terry (Chelsea) He’s what God had in mind when he invented the British centre half. While Terry’s strength and courage win him plaudits, he is also an underrated distributor who reads the game very well. 29. Andrea Pirlo (Milan) Possibly the best free-kick taker of the lot. He single-handedly brought back the role of the deep-lying playmaker. He’s the human metronome, the man who dictates his team’s rhythym and hardly ever gives the ball away. 28. Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid) He’s a natural-made backbone to any side. Never stops running, wins every 50-50 and distributes the ball efficiently. A central defender’s best friend. 27. David Villa (Valencia) Nobody in La Liga has scored more over the past two seasons. Quick, tricky and with an eye for goal, he will punish any opponent's error. 26. Michael Ballack (Chelsea) OK, so he had a bad season. But he’s big, strong, outstanding in the air and can find the target from anywhere in the final third of the pitch. 25. Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham Hotspur) He has the body of a bruiser and the touch of a virtuoso. And he looks like he’ll only get better. One of the more athletic big men on this list. 24. Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea) Like Ballack, he underachieved last year. But his contribution goes beyond goals (is it just a coincidence that Didier Drogba scored so much in the one season he played alongside the Ukrainian?) and with an injury-free pre-season under his belt, he’s worth taking a punt on. 23. Ronaldo (Milan) Put your fat jokes to one side please. Consider instead the seven goals in twelve starts for Milan after leaving the Bernabeu asylum. Or the 82 goals in 117 starts he notched at Real in the seasons before the move. Now wash your mouth out with soap. 22. Didier Drogba (Chelsea) The nice thing with him is that you can either leave him up on his own and lump balls to him or get him involved in the short-passing game. Either way, he’ll tie up entire opposing back fours on his own. 21. Carles Puyol (Barcelona) A fine defender, but he ranks so high for the intangibles. Puyol is a natural-born leader, a manager’s dream, a guy who knows his limits and will leave his innards on the pitch for the club. 20. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) Already a legend, and he only turned 26 last month. He’s an agile, fearless shot-stopper who, if Raul ever retires, will captain Real for years to come. 19. Daniel Alves (Seville) Rarely does a single man dominate an entire flank the way he does. He combines the skills of a winger with the grit of an old-style hard man. His mere presence on the pitch forces the opposing side to readjust everything defensively. 18. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) If you could open his skull, you’d find the brain of a 30-year-old. Few players are so mature and so aware at such a young age, while also being totally undaunted by the task in front of them. 17. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter) Admittedly, he’s one of the more volatile heads on this list. But creativity and vision like his rarely come in 6ft 5in packages, which makes him one of the most difficult players to defend against in the game. 16. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) Let’s let the numbers do the talking, shall we? He has missed five league games in the past six seasons at Chelsea, while hitting double figures in league goals in each of the past four. Plus, he never slows down and is genuinely adored by his team-mates. What more do you want? 15. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid) And to think some numpties thought he was finished. He and Thierry Henry are the only strikers to have scored 20 or more goals in a major European league in five of the past six seasons. Put the ball anywhere near him and he’ll score. Simple as that. 14. Petr Cech (Chelsea) Go ask Jose Mourinho and he’ll tell you that, had it not been for Steven Hunt’s boot, Chelsea would have won the treble this year. That’s how important Cech is. With a guy like him, you can just stick him in goal, stop worrying about the defensive aspect of the game and focus instead on the other end of the pitch. 13. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) The highest ranked defender on this list and with good reason. He’s big, strong, fast and gifted. He held Real’s defence together this season, while chipping in at the attacking end as well. And he’s still only 21... 12. Thierry Henry (Arsenal) Would have ranked higher, if not for the fact that he hasn’t played since early March and it remains to be seen in what condition he’ll return. Beyond that, he’s a sure thing. Not only does he scare the bejesus out of defenders, he is also one of the most prolific forwards around today. Had he been around all year, it’s unlikely the naysayers would have mocked Arsenal’s lack of finishing the way they did. 11. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) Another who had a mediocre season (by his standards). You notice how important he is when he is not there. His workrate and ability are hard to replace and he is quickly becoming indispensable, both for club and country. 10. Francesco Totti (Roma) His job is to create, not finish, and yet he won the European Golden Boot this season with 26 league goals: a total made all the more remarkable when you throw in the fact that he uncharacteristically missed six penalties along the way. (At least he made the ones that mattered in the World Cup.) That alone should get him on the list - his vision and phenomenal range of passing are bonuses. 9. Leo Messi (Barcelona) Leave Maradona out of it for a minute. Focus instead on that when the ball is at his feet, unless you’re Nostradamus, you have absolutely no idea what will happen next. There is no legislating for unpredictability in football and Messi has bags of it. Plus, his 14 Liga goals last year show that he has added a healthy scoring dimension to his game as well. 8. Carlos Tevez (West Ham) A single-minded winner, who has carried whole clubs on his back in Argentina, Brazil and England. Tevez’s contribution isn’t measured in just goals and assists, but in self-sacrifice and heroism. With a season of European football under his belt, there is no telling how much better he’s going to be next year. 7. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) Speaking of heroics, he’s done it so many times, it’s easy to lose track. If Gerrard were a few inches taller and a few pounds more slight, we would marvel at his pure technical ability. Instead, we focus on his bruising workrate and other more obvious qualities. Don’t worry about fitting him into your side. Just do what Rafa does. Line up your nine other outfield players and let Gerrard do whatever he likes. 6. Gigi Buffon (Juventus) Simply put, he’s a freak of nature. No man his size should be so athletic. His agility belies the laws of physics and he is about as unflappable as they come. Having a guy like him in your side means that defeats turn into draws and draws into victories. That alone is worth an extra ten to 15 points at the end of a season. 5. Michael Essien (Chelsea) A one-man wrecking crew. Is there anything he can’t do? You could probably let the rest of the team go off for a fag break in the middle of the game and let him man the fort in midfield. Terrifyingly gifted already and, if given more responsibility, likely to get even better. 4. Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona) He’s tired of playing second fiddle to Ronaldinho and with good reason. If he were anywhere else, people would be writing odes and sonnets to him. Eto’o is freakishly quick, an outstanding finisher, with a supernatural eye for goal. Plus, he’s happy to do the dirty work when the other side have possession. Just make sure you continue to massage his ego. 3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) In the P.C. era (pre-Cristiano) wingers were slight, nippy and small. He redefined the position marrying size and brawn with pace and trickery. You get the sense that, when he’s running at defenders, he could go around them or straight through them. As an added bonus, he’s also an aerial threat on set pieces. 2. Ronaldinho (Barcelona) There’s a reason he’s always smiling. You’d be smiling all the time too if you knew that you were the best player on the pitch and you were about to make some poor defender look a jackass. He is the poster child for Brazilian football, the proud heir of those who came before him. He didn’t adapt to the European game, he forced it to adapt to him. Put him on the team sheet, sit back and enjoy the show. 1. Kaka (Milan) The top four are incredibly tight, but he just edges it for one simple reason: he combines Brazilian flair with European directness like nobody else. He truly is a product of two footballing cultures, a man who has all the virtues and none of the vices of either. Speaking of vices, he really, really doesn’t have any. A committed Christian, he announced proudly that he was a virgin on his wedding night. He likes to parade around in his favourite T-shirt, the one that reads “I belong to Jesus” (thereby opening a whole can of worms regarding third-party ownership). And that’s another reason he tops the list - with Kaka in your team, odds are, the big fella upstairs will be on your side as well...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2048914.ece You're the pundit: 20 players to rival the worst of British You, the people, have spoken. And you have been extremely forthright about our list of the 50 worst top-flight performers (or under-performers) of all time. Some of the players we selected were harshly judged, you felt – and we are prepared to hold up our hands in some cases. But many others were not judged harshly enough, as you pointed out with obvious relish. So today we unveil the freshly-built extension to our Hall Of Shame, housing 20 players who have trooped in, heads bowed, because you demanded their inclusion. The loudest howls of protest came from Newcastle-upon-Tyne – not about the players that we had included, but those St James’ Park legends we had omitted. Today, we aim to put that right. In fact, we could almost have filled the list entirely with players who have worn the black and white with dishonour. As for those who may be granted early release from our rogues’ gallery, the largest vote in favour went to Claus Lundekvam, who has proved a steady and capable defender for Southampton since he realized that a reluctance to head the ball under challenge would lead to a very brief career in English football. Others who are strong candidates for rehabilitation are Larry Lloyd (“won 2 European Cups with Forest and a Uefa Cup with Liverpool and played every minute of every Liverpool game in 1973 when they won both the title and the Uefa Cup”), Vinnie Jones (“a ruthlessly effective midfield policeman”), Charlie Nicholas and Marco Materazzi. Lundekvam was signed by Graeme Souness, who has a reputation among many of you as the manager with the worst record for poor signings for a series of clubs over a sustained period, although Gerard Houllier’s time at Liverpool is regarded less than fondly, it seems. Fortunately, few of us are ever likely to be given a chairman’s chequebook and invited to do better. Here, though, is our supplementary list of 20 more who should never have made it past the first trial game. And remember, these are the players YOU chose. 20. Jimmy Carter (Arsenal, Liverpool): “Surely there's been a huge oversight here.... Jimmy Carter, surely the worst LFC player ever.” (Arnie, Northampton) 19. Paddy Roche (Manchester United). “If Massimo Taibi is on the list for that one game for Man Utd then surely Paddy Roche has to be on the list for every game he played!” (Steve F, Birstall, W. Yorks) 18. Alan Reeves (Wimbledon): “… the only top-flight defender ever to score two own goals (one a volley from 30 yards) and concede a penalty in the same game.” (James, London) 17. Robert Rosario (Norwich City, Nottingham Forest). “I remember a newspaper article describing Robert Rosario as being as effective as a plank of wood. He was never that good when I saw him.” (Percy, London)., 16. Igor Stepanovs (Arsenal): “If Igor Stepanovs does not make it into the top 3, I hope the 47 previous players all sue The Times for the slander of even daring to suggest that they were worse than him.” 15. Agustin Delgado (Southampton). “Another turkey for Saints. 11 appearances in 3 seasons and no goals! About as useful as a chocolate teapot!” (Tom Chapman, Southampton, UK). 14. Florin Raducioiu (West Ham). “Surely one of Mr. Redknapp’s worst signings.” (Adam, Northants.) 13. Ralph Milne (Manchester United). “Even Stretford Enders have been known to groan when his name was announced” (Grub, Surbiton, Surrey) 12. Corrado Grabbi (Blackburn Rovers). “Can't believe you've let Souness get away with the one and only 'Ciccio' Grabbi. Signed for £6m from some Italian Serie B club, picked up probably £40K per week over 2 or 3 seasons, played no more than 15 games. Woeful not the word !!” (Dave G, Warrington) 11. Juan Sebastain Veron (Manchester United, Chelsea). “How has nobody mentioned Juan Sebastian Veron!?! Cost us a fortune and was complete crap! Then went to Chelsea for a sizeable sum, and was still crap!” (Monty the Man Utd fan, Hemel Hempstead)., 10. Pascal Cygan (Arsenal): “What a relief it's been for us Gooners to see the back of him. A large fridge would have better movement than that joke.” (Danny O'B, Buncrana, Donegal). 9. Fumaca (Newcastle United): “If Fumaca, the only Brazilian ever to be unable to take a first touch, does not get in the top 25, then this list is a sham.” (Steven Ord, Newcastle). “The only Brazilian capable of falling over a ball when trying to trap it.” (Steve K, Newcastle) 8. Djimi Traore (Liverpool, Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth): “Watching him is like waiting for an accident to happen - you want to look away but can’t.” (Steve, London). 7. Paul Okon (Middlesbrough, Watford (loan), Leeds United). “Would have trouble making a Sunday pub side.” (Howard Broadwell, Nottingham, England). 6. Bruno Cheyrou (Liverpool). “Bruno (Zidane) Cheyrou, bought for looking a little bit similar!” (Simon, Macclesfield) 5. Jon Dahl Tommasson (Newcastle United). “His period in Newcastle was AWFUL.... he's is probably capable of filling that whole list alone” (Peter Ley, Aarhus, Danmark). 4. Silvio Maric (Newcastle United): “a waste of a shirt peg. Actually Newcastle could probably put out a first eleven players who would all make this list.” (Bruce, Dublin, Ireland) 3. Marcelino (Newcastle United): “Missed half a season with a broken finger.” (demondegs, Coventry); “he had a better influence on the match when he was in the sick room” (Pabs, Newcastle upon Tyne) And in joint first place, by overwhelming popular demand: 1=. Titus Bramble and Jean-Alain Boumsong (Newcastle United). “Oh save my soul. You have got to give praise to Titus Bramble and Jean Alain Boumsong, the best defensive pairing ever in the history of football.” (Kwame Asante, London). “Titus the Terrible is a shocking omission. I've never seen one player strike fear into his own set of fans so much as Bramble, and then there's his sidekick, Boumsong the boy blunder.” (Danny O'B, Buncrana, Donegal) “Boumsong …couldn't read the play, couldn't tackle without hacking a man down, couldn't mark, no positional sense....not bad for a defender.” (YMW, London) “Bramble and Boumsong formed the worst defensive partnership I have ever seen. The funny thing is: why did every Newcastle manager over the last 7 years insist on playing Bramble? They've all been sacked and rightly so.” Alex, Southampton).

Couple of weeks old, tried searching 'The 50 worst footballers' and nothing came up so thought i'd post it up, some right donkeys on there, surprisingly we get off quite lightly, although Souness masterclass strikes again and again...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2025420.ece From Times Online July 4, 2007 The 50 worst footballers Times Online presents the players who had no rightful place in England’s elite division in the modern era It stands to reason. You have to be a pretty good footballer to play in English football’s top division. They don’t just give any mug a game, do they? Well, yes, sometimes they do. And our list of 50 stumblebums, no-goodniks and fat lads proves that the odd duffer slips through the net. We consulted supporters from clubs which have played in the English top-flight since 1970 for their nominations – and this is the result. Agree or disagree ? Have your say below Related Links * The world's top 50 footballers 50 Claus Lundekvam (Southampton) Saints boss Gordon Strachan paid this glowing tribute to the one-paced Scandinavian in 2003: “He was carried off at Leicester and someone asked me if he was unconscious. I didn’t have a clue. That’s what he’s always like.” 49 Massimo Taibi (Manchester United) United’s worst keeper ever – in a competitive field featuring Mark Bosnich. The Italian takes the prize for that dive over a shot from Matt Le Tissier, an all-time You Tube favourite. Watch that ludicrous blunder here. 48 Stephane Guiv’arch (Newcastle) Milburn, Macdonald, Shearer and ... Guiv’arch! The World Cup winner never came close to that pantheon. Come to that, he’s lagging in Tyneside’s Hall of Centre-Forward Fame (they could call it Striker Grove) behind Cunningham, Mirandinha and Ameobi. 47 Jody Morris (Chelsea, Leeds) Grew up at Chelsea with Dennis Wise as his mentor, and turned into the snidey kid brother everyone hates. Had all of Wise’s sly tendencies and penchant for a scrape, but none of the skill. Perfect acquisition for Leeds in 2003, then. 46 Nigel Quashie (QPR, Forest, Southampton, WBA and more) Relegated four times with four clubs – and only narrowly avoided No 5 with West Ham last year. 45 Roque Junior (Leeds) The execrable Brazilian arrived on loan for a few months from AC Milan in 2003, and did as much as anybody to shove Leeds towards destruction. 44 Sergei Rebrov (Tottenham) Looked good enough playing alongside Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kiev. Sadly, Glenn Hoddle’s £11m signing never looked the same force with Steffen Iversen. 43 David May (Blackburn, Man United) The guy picked up Premiership winner’s medals with two clubs. But so did Larry Lloyd. 42 Larry Lloyd (Liverpool, Nottingham Forest) See David May (No 43) 41 Bosko Balaban (Aston Villa) They said Deadly Doug was tight, but you can hardly blame him after Ellis fished £6m out of his humbug tin for John Gregory to spend, and the manager came back with the elusive Croatian. He never started a Premiership game and scored no goals. 40 Carlton Palmer (Southampton) “He covers every blade of grass out there,” said Saints manager, Dave Jones. “But that’s only because his first touch is so crap.” 39 Claudio Marangoni (Sunderland) The striker swapped the rolling pampas of Argentina for Wearside when he signed for a club-record £320,000 at Christmas 1979. One year and three goals later he went back home. Only Geordies were sorry to see him go. 38 Glenn Keeley (Everton) Arrived on loan from Blackburn keen to show his mettle at the highest level. On debut in 1982, against Liverpool no less, he was sent off in the first-half, The Reds won 5-0 and he never played for Everton again. 37 Marco Materazzi (Everton) Yes, he won the World Cup with Italy. But the lean centre-half couldn’t tackle a Sayers’ steak and kidney pie during his pointless spell at Goodison. 36 John Jensen (Arsenal) Empires rose and fell in the time it took the bubble-permed Dane to score his first Arsenal goal. Searing pace, an eye for goal and a fierce shot were just three qualities he didn’t have. 35 Dean Austin (Tottenham) The wafer-thin defender earned the wrath of the notoriously fickle Spurs support early doors, and never won them round. Even now, he featured strongly in a straw poll of Tottenhamites’ least favourite player ever to wear the white. 34 Ramon Vega (Tottenham) The big Swiss was Dean Austin, with (cow) bells on. 33 Alberto Tarantini (Birmingham City) Jim Smith went down the Spurs road and hired himself an Argentinian World Cup winner in the afterglow of 1978, but the Bald Eagle chose this dud left-back. Blues were relegated. 32 Gary Sprake (Leeds) The Kop serenaded the hapless Welshman with “Careless Hands” when he threw another one into the back of his own net, hardly a unique moment for the accident-prone Inspector Clouseau of international goalkeeping. 31 Charlie Nicholas (Arsenal) The much-hyped Champagne Charlie didn’t even amount to Pomagne Charlie at Highbury. 30 Darren Ferguson (Manchester United) Tried to make a name for himself at Old Trafford in the early 90s, but it was already taken. 29 Winston Bogarde (Chelsea) For all the good this expensive, non-playing flop ever did Chelsea, they might as well have signed foppish character actor, Dirk Bogarde. Or maybe they did and tried to cover it up. 28 Iain Dowie (West Ham) Headlines that were never written: “It’s Iain Wow-ie!”, and maybe “Dow ya think I’m sexy.” Watch Dowie's "finest" moment with a classic own goal against Stockport County here. 27 Eric Djemba-Djemba (Man United, Aston Villa) One Djemba would have been bad enough, but two of them was more than plenty. 26 Frank Sinclair (Leicester City) Whatever the opposite of a purple patch is, Frank ‘Spencer’ Sinclair had one in August 1999. In two matches in August he scored two risible own goals, single-handedly costing his team three points. That month of mishaps alone earns him a place in the annals of infamy. 25 Steve Marlet (Fulham) Mr Fayed didn’t rise to the top in business by not knowing the value of a pound. So mystery remains why he was persuaded to give Lyons eleven and a half mill for the misfit striker. Marlet’s ghost will haunt him to the end of his days. 24 Mark Dennis (Birmingham City) There were rumours in the game that Dennis could actually play, and possessed a decent enough left foot. But the Blues’ anti-footballer was content to amass the game’s blackest rap sheet. 23 Torben Piechnik (Liverpool) Graeme Souness faces the bad transfer tribunal again for the inexplicable purchase of the dithering Dane. English football was no picnic for Piechnik and he slunk back to Denmark in short order. 22 John Fashanu (Wimbledon) Fash elbows his way into the list for a legion of crimes and misdemeanours inflicted on association football in the dubious cause of Wimbledon FC, topped by the assault which shattered Saint Gary Mabbutt’s eye socket. 21 Nikola Jovanovic (Manchester United) Third-worst United centre-half of all time (see nos 5 and 6). 20 Jason Lee (Nottingham Forest) “He’s got a pineapple on his head,” crooned fans all over the land in homage to the dreadlocked striker, who couldn’t hit a ruminant’s posterior with a stringed musical instrument. Watch a clip of Jason on Baddiel and Skinner's Fantasy Football League here. 19 Marco Boogers (West Ham) He made his mark on English football, but only on Gary Neville’s midriff as a murderous tackle almost wiped out the United right-back. It was all downhill from there, as Mad Marco fled East London for a caravan park somewhere in the Low Countries. 18 Martin Jol (West Brom) The Dutchman was away from school the day they taught the sophisticated tenets of Total Football, and the no-nonsense midfielder went on to spread mayhem across the midfields of England. 17 Nicky Summerbee (Manchester City) The mid-90s City ‘winger’ earns his place on account of his singular running style. Arse stuck out in the fashion of a cartoon Mick Jagger, in Manchester derbies he made the ungainly Phil Neville look like Nijinsky. 16 Chris Kamara (Leeds) For more than two decades Kammy has sported the perma-frizzed coiff of a 60s soul legend, but it failed to distract from a playing style long on effort, short on elegance. 15 Ade Akinbiyi (Leicester City) Big Ade’s combined career transfer value would dwarf the national debt of an especially feckless banana republic, but he couldn’t buy a goal at Filbert Street after signing in 2000. 14 Micky Droy (Chelsea) Nouveau Chelsea fans should know that their swanky club’s DNA contains the traces of lumbering 1970s dinosaurs such as Big Micky. 13 Steve Daley (Manchester City) The poor bloke suffered from one of Man City’s periodic bouts of madness when they insisted on paying Wolves a record £1.45m for him in 1979, back in the days when £1.45m was £1.45m. He never looked close to matching the valuation. 12 Terry Hurlock (Millwall) Graced Cold Blow Lane during The Lions’ unlikely late 80s spell in the top flight, and unleashed a short-lived reign of midfield terror. Hurlock, a one-man disciplinary crime wave, remains, unsurprisingly, a cult hero in Millwall-supporting enclaves of south London. 11 Billy Woof (Middlesbrough) Even three decades down the road Boro fans are still convinced Billy only ever got a game because he was the son-in-law of John Neal, the manager. 10 Vinnie Jones (Wimbledon and more) Told Kenny Dalglish he intended to bite off his ear and spit in the whole. And they said there were no characters left in the game. 9 Ian Ormondroyd (Aston Villa) Nature’s prototype for Peter Crouch lived at the same lofty altitudes as his Villa Park successor, but perhaps lacked his touch and speed – so why did he play on the wing? 8 Andrea Silenzi (Nottingham Forest) The Italian who looked much like a horse turned out to be a load of pony at the City Ground after his multi-billion lira move from Torino in 1995, and pips Justin Fashanu as Forest’s greatest transfer rick ever. 7 Li Wei-Feng (Everton) Arrived as part of a buy-one-get-one-free deal that brought the not-too-bad Li Tie to Goodison in 2002. The Toffees should have left him on the shelf... 6 William Prunier (Man United) The baldy Bordeaux triallist starred in a calamitous 4-1 defeat at Spurs on New Year’s Day 1996, and he was bundled back onto a plane to France the next day. 5 Arnold Sidebottom (Man United) Ryan’s dad also bowled quickly for England, but the centre-half injected no discernible pace to the worst United team since records began. 4 Istvan Kozma (Liverpool) Yet another Souness master signing – the abject Magyar cost £300,000 from Dunfermline in 1992 and played just three games for the Reds before Souey realised he’d made one more transfer goulash. 3 Gus Caesar (Arsenal) “... painfully, obviously, out of his depth ... he looked like a rabbit frozen to the spot ... and then he starts to thrash about, horribly and pitifully...” not our words – those of ultra-loyal Arsenalist, Nick Hornby. 2 Tomas Brolin (Leeds, Crystal Palace) Hard to imagine that Leeds United, normally a model of fiscal probity, paid £4.5m for the Swedish meatball in 1995. A good footballer treats his body like a temple. Brolin’s was a bouncy castle. 1 Ali Dia (Southampton) Was he George Weah’s cousin? Was he hell! Neither had the impostor won 12 caps for Senegal, nor had he played for Paris St Germain. But it took Saints boss Graeme Souness a whole 52 minutes to suss he’d been had in 1996.

What is this madness you speak sir? Just some decent competition and coaching will see better players of the both of them imo. Dont think we need to be too bothered at the moment with the board situation, its going to be frantic, always is when new business's take over old ones. Talking to Sam a bit more is a kinda biggy on the list but things will soon settle. They've had their chance, their time is up. The fans do not like these two, and both need removing with immediate effect. I hope the only reason they are still here is that SA hasn't go round to signing their replacements...yet. Absolutely. I share your sentiment but not your optimism, I dont think we will be shipping them out this summer, bar a signing flurry miracle, we can all hope we get that far though! 6 weeks for the window to close and we've spent £1.5m in total, and have just been taken over by a billionaire. The club should be finished its review soon, and a new plan should hopefully contain more money for this seasons spends. I truly hope were in a position to cancel both of these players contracts, as lets face it, only a turnip would sign these two for money after their efforts (or lack of) at this football club.

What is this madness you speak sir? Just some decent competition and coaching will see better players of the both of them imo. Dont think we need to be too bothered at the moment with the board situation, its going to be frantic, always is when new business's take over old ones. Talking to Sam a bit more is a kinda biggy on the list but things will soon settle. They've had their chance, their time is up. The fans do not like these two, and both need removing with immediate effect. I hope the only reason they are still here is that SA hasn't go round to signing their replacements...yet.

Yep, Allardyce even admits himself he understands the reasons from the new owner's point of view. We'll sign at the very minimum one quality centre-back and a quality left-back. Could that be Allardyce trying to get his point across without wanting to start a war of words with the new owners? I still think we'll get players in, It's just frustrating that it isn't going as well as I'd hoped and I just don't want us to be in the same position as we were last summer with big holes at the back when the window closes. We need to make some serious moves on the fullback positions quickly. There is plenty of talent for the LB slot, and i hope we walk away with two of them, even if it costs £10m for the pair. RB is harder to nail down, but there are £5m options all over Europe and i'd be happy with one of them and Geremi. Another top class CB is needed. I think Rozy should be 3rd choice, and also backup in mid as well. Taylor looks nailed on to be captain, so i guess he's 1st choice, the two lads from Palermo would be a good start, and two of Heinze, Bridge, Twaio, Baines or Shorey would just be magnificent right now, and not out of reach either. Thats about £25m imo, (2LBs, 1CB & 1RB) and a net spending of less then £30m when we already had £15m (apparently) to spend. Im sure Ashley can afford it, we do that and we are a force next season, and for seasons to come. Anything less than that and we going to have a ropy season of transition, and pressure on SA to have immediate effect might be too much for him (not in terms of mental pressure but in terms of expectation, and not mainly from the fans, but board)

If he wants 4 top defenders, then its going to be 2 LB's, 1 CB & 1 RB. Good fuking bye Carr & Babayaro.

Its human nature to speculate, especially about the game thats all about opinions, and especially on the internet, and especially when its on a NUFC forum. This place is designed for shit like this.

London police say they raided 3 professional football clubs today search warrants served on two individuals as well.

Breaking news on Sky news: 3 football clubs raided as part of corruption case.

If you insist...

Nothing to do with Sam. Mort and Ashley? Nope. Use process of elimination to find the pretty obvious answer. Can't really say much more without getting into trouble. Tea lady? Finally we've got her! Our troubles have ended, the new era begins!

How many favourite defenders do you actually have? Its not a marriage, he can legally have more than one.