Rich

If this is indeed happening it's been timed handily again... Look at me becoming all cynical.

What's new?

KD, I was on the wind-up. I know the Man City result was a stinker but I still have to begrudgingly state that you'll be fine this season, despite a quiet transfer window. You are still quite stocked in most positions. I don't even dislike Spurs that much these days for some reason, got a lot of players that I have a lot of time for, including Parker now.

I'm making Ramadan fun man. Back off.

The bolded bit I have serious issues with. Why do we constantly make stupid bids on the last day when we know fine well that there is no mileage in them? So we don't have to buy anyone?

Xisco and Kuqi should equate to one, really, given their involvement. Even that's pushing it a bit!

Campbell? Xisco?

It shouldn\'t need to be changed though. The sign never said anything about the stadium, it nearly had our name on it. If it ain\'t broke, don\'t fix it. Quite\

Will it not just be "sportsdirect.com@St. James' Park"? The "just" in that sentence is in no way supportive of it, for the record, but simply assuming what it would change to if it was indeed to change. Utterly gash if it does, of course.

Forum should be back to normal now folks, thanks for bearing with us during that busy spell. Glad it was all worthwhile in the end again, eh?

Milking what ffs? i'm not allowed to say that i'm dissapointed in my teams transfer activity in a "transfer deadline day thread" because you're in a worse situation and no one else can feel bad because it's not as bad as how you feel? From an outsider you signed: a very promising left winger that was wanted by Liverpool a dm/cm that looks the business and just won the French league a physical striker that managed 7 in 13 in his opening half season in the league and looked a beast a left back that was only recently billed as one of the best young players in his position in Europe and all i've heard is how bad you did because you didn't buy another striker. Too easy. I'm just using you to make me feel better KD. Beautiful work. I don't believe he was baiting me tbh. Come off it man. All you had to say in reply was "Ben Arfa will do the same for you lot". Didn't have that in your locker though, did you? Instead got some mega-post about how great our transfer window has been.

I wouldn't read too much into it. There was an interview with Pardew at the weekend were he mentioned "other reasons" (sic) as to why Ba hadn't started so well here, as well as the Ramadamadingdong thing. He specifically said he didn't want to go into detail about it, though.

Milking what ffs? i'm not allowed to say that i'm dissapointed in my teams transfer activity in a "transfer deadline day thread" because you're in a worse situation and no one else can feel bad because it's not as bad as how you feel? From an outsider you signed: a very promising left winger that was wanted by Liverpool a dm/cm that looks the business and just won the French league a physical striker that managed 7 in 13 in his opening half season in the league and looked a beast a left back that was only recently billed as one of the best young players in his position in Europe and all i've heard is how bad you did because you didn't buy another striker. Too easy. I'm just using you to make me feel better KD.

only if you look at it in the most basic of terms, merveaux isn't a forward but is very attacking,cabaye is a midfielder but will overall be much better for us than nolan. I am amazed by the basic way many look at football, very much in FM terms, how many on here scream for 4-4-2 with wingers etc when it's patently obvious thats not going to get the best from our squad. Of course, "patently obvious" to the footballing sage that is madras. I'm fairly certain some people speak in those terms as an easy way of communicating on a forum where every single slip of the finger (tongue) is pounced upon given half an opportunity. The defence, at the very least, is a separate entity then. To me it looks weaker on paper. In terms of the "attacking section" of the team, it remains up for debate, especially if you merge it together.

I would love that. Pinning a lot of hope onto Ferguson and Tavernier. Abeid, Ameobi and Vuckic go without saying. IMO they should all be out on loan getting their minutes in, not filling in for squad deficiencies. Agree entirely. Still think a couple of them will, at least. We're in good shape in terms of fitness at this moment, would be a good opportunity to get them out for a month or more.

I would love that. Pinning a lot of hope onto Ferguson and Tavernier. Abeid, Ameobi and Vuckic go without saying.

Would I be wrong to suggest that it looks as though only the midfield has been strengthened this summer? Even that's debatable given the influence of Barton and Nolan last season...

Van der Vaart plays up front these days, more or less. Stop milking it.

There's no doubting the starting XI looks strong, but how often will we see it?

In an ideal world, this looks like our best starting XI to me: Krul R. Taylor S. Taylor Coloccini Santon Marveaux Cabaye Tiote Jonas Ben Arfa Ba Bench: Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Gosling, Obertan, Best, Ameobi. Only choices I even debated for a short time were R. Taylor/Simpson (still feel Simmo long-term), Marveaux/Obertan and Ameobi/Ba/Best.

you should always look to improve in all positions, however, to me, with ba and bent, strikers weren't the most important position to stregthen. with merveaux and ben arfa i'd like to think we wont be playing 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. I think 4-4-1-1 is exactly what we'll be playing with Ben Arfa, provided he gets fit and the others stay fit. wont get the best out of him or the squad then. IMO Don't see why not, with Jonas and Marveaux/Obertan on the flanks. Give Ben Arfa the role Sessegnon plays for Sunderland. It could also be called 4-2-3-1 if that would make you feel any better. what i was looking at was more a 4-3-2-1.........the midfield 3 being cabaye-tiote plus 1, very solid allowing ben arafa/merveaux freedom aswell as at least two of those being able to push on in support. we dont have the personnel to go with just tiote and cabaye and hope the further 3 can help defend. Ah, the Christmas tree. Would be asking a lot of the fullbacks for width, which would be my concern, but I see where you're coming from. We've already struggled for periods in games when we've tried to go 2-v-3 in the middle of the park, but that did tend to be when we had two strikers playing flat up top and not dropping back in (as one did last season when we were "brave" enough to go 4-4-2). I think if you're playing someone in that VDV/Sessegnon role they basically just need to sit on the opposition's holding midfielder when we're not in possession and that should do enough. I have no worries about Jonas/Obertan coming the other way, but haven't seen enough of Marveaux to know whether he'll be as diligent.

4 minutes and 11 seconds. Longer than I expected, tbf.

Depends massively on injuries, as always, but top ten isn't out of the question given the results we've managed so far with some rank players getting starts.

you should always look to improve in all positions, however, to me, with ba and bent, strikers weren't the most important position to stregthen. with merveaux and ben arfa i'd like to think we wont be playing 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. I think 4-4-1-1 is exactly what we'll be playing with Ben Arfa, provided he gets fit and the others stay fit. wont get the best out of him or the squad then. IMO Don't see why not, with Jonas and Marveaux/Obertan on the flanks. Give Ben Arfa the role Sessegnon plays for Sunderland. It could also be called 4-2-3-1 if that would make you feel any better.

you should always look to improve in all positions, however, to me, with ba and bent, strikers weren't the most important position to stregthen. with merveaux and ben arfa i'd like to think we wont be playing 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. I think 4-4-1-1 is exactly what we'll be playing with Ben Arfa, provided he gets fit and the others stay fit.