Mr Logic

PFA chief Mick McGuire added: “This is not an easy situation because City believe Joey is not entitled to the money, because it was the player who triggered the move by activating the part of his contract that says he can talk to other clubs who bid £5.5million. That doesn't make sense to me, if the clause was triggered it was triggered by a club offering the fee.

This is all speculation, for all we know Barton is a victim in this. Mackay could have approached the club as player representative and demanded the contractually owed sum. (Mackay may well be on a cut of it.) Even in a worse case scenario and it is all down to Barton, it could come down to a matter of principles that he feels the club has to do the right thing. No-one here knows what that money is earmarked for, he might be giving it straight to some charity. He's not a bling bling crack head for all that he clearly has some rage issues, there is an earlier quote from a reliable source regarding the amount of charity work he does. Why are people so quick to condemn when they have none of the facts?

kwai lo - "white devil" - A derogatory term used by Chinese to address caucasians

United's new manager appears to be toying with the idea of playing a 3-5-2 formation next season, with Kieron Dyer as a possible wing-back, The writer is classing wing backs as midfielders? Or Sam intends playing with 1 CD and 2 wing backs?

More kudos to Sam, he wants it sorted and clearly hasn't had the affirmation from the player himself so he lays the cards on the table so everyone can see them. I think Owen could be very good with Viduka, he certainly has a better footballing brain than Martins. Maybe Martins can improve, that's an unknown. But if owens not commited to the cause get rid and get someone who is.

Just from those descriptions AISSATI is the one we are crying out for.

So much for the amazing training ground facilities that Fred put in place, eh. Immediately dissed! I was thinking that too, I seem to recall they talked about having visited Milan? I think it was, and building a state of the art training complex. They certainly bragged about it at the time.

from IC Newcastle Allardyce has already declared his determination to shake things up behind the scenes at St James's Park and he may have caused a bit of a stir on Tyneside by suggesting the club's training ground, which was only built five years ago, is already out of date. He said: "While it's a massive football club, it's achievement has been minimal over the last few years. I'm here to try to change that and we are going to try to get as many things as we can in place for the start of what will be a very important first season for me. I want to make the training ground better. It isn't a place for professional footballers to work on a day-to-day basis. "This is a squash club converted. My vision in the long term is to create an all-encompassing building that would excite everybody who walks through the door every day. "The players will be in a rush to get here and they won't want to go home as quickly as they do now. "That's the long term and then there is the short term which is the most important at the moment." ------------------------

The future's bright........ the future's orange black 'n' white.

That's Shearer replaced then, good bit of business imo. Now, didn't we need some defenders? If we an get anywhere near the quality of an Owen/Viduka partnership in defence it will be a mouth watering prospect

I remember Allardyce saying you had to have players that could play at St James', indicating it was a special place and to play in front of 50,000 took a certain type of player. Parker, for all his abilities, pretty much proved he wasn't that type of player and I'm sure that's why Allardyce made only a token effort to keep him. (for WestHamSam)You'll almost certainly see a better player than we saw up here in the last season, as HTT said he was much better in the beginning when given just one task to do. No reason why Curbishley cannot revitalise him. You've neither waster your money nor got a bargain.[/i])

And so dawns a new chapter in the ongoing saga.... ..let's hope it's a bright and cheery one for years to come.

It'll be the new boy from Citeh.

Perhaps with the current takeover hanging over the club the only funds Allardyce can spend at this exact moment are those raised by selling players? In a week or two or three he'll have access to a proper transfer fund maybe.

Always thought Dein was a Gooner first and foremost; however maybe he's just like anyone else, and when one job doesn't work out he goes and gets another one.

On the subject of Lareya Kingston, I asked a mate up at Tynecastle if he knew anything.. here's his response. Larry will be signed by Hearts...100% However after that, who knows? He is on the same deal that we had Rudi Skacel on, pre-arranged so even if Kingston doesn`t want to sign (as was the case with Skacel) he`s got no say in the matter. As you probably know, we signed Skacel against his wishes for a pre-arranged fee then sold him onto Southampton at more than double the fee, so if Larry is to end up elsewhere, any buying club will have to meet Hearts fee. Hopefully he stays at Tynie though,....The guy`s a genuine class act. Just another piece of gossip if you like.

Newcastle want Manchester City's Joey Barton and are prepared to let fellow midfielder Scott Parker move to West Ham for £8m. (Daily Mirror) Been printed before... last week sometime iirc.

Another exciting possibility is that, when we do sell players in the future, we could be selling for 5 million having paid 500k instead of selling for 3.5m having paid 8m or letting go for nowt when they cost 5m

Given the current uncertainty over Ashleys plans for the next 5 years I wouldn't be too quick to laugh at Chelseas position as we could find ourselves in similar 5 years hence. PS. Is it just me that thinks Terry and Lampard looking for more money is absolutely obscene?

Next season going to verify wether he's got a dodgy ticker if you ask me.

He's a bit out of touch with the supporters like, thought 'they would never boo Dyer'.

In what capacity is Bobby Moncur still at the club?

Fantastic signing imo if it came off. Just what the front line needs.

That's shocking, I'd completely forgotten about Jinky. Aye he was skillful and then some.

Considering the animosity Whelan has for Ashley I can't see us signing any Wigan players unless through the nose.