Rich

Think this is fair, especially with Sunderland away second game. Big ask for 6/7 new players to go there and be fully ready for it. We were so successful last season due to our nouse as much as anything else in those games. It's going to be very interesting indeed. Hopefully we get off to a great start against Arsenal (Frenchies have to love that as a first home game, surely?) and Liverpool ream the Mackems, meaning they are already quivering like bitches by the time we arrive.

I had to do it. You're back to normal now. Great banter Sir, great banter.

Disgraceful suggestion/allegation!

Surely they'd be better of trying to get Sturridge in the deal for Modric?

I want in.

Makes me laugh that Ashley gave him the wages in the first place and, like Smith, was daft enough to sit in public with his name on his back. Wonder if that registers at all with him? It's typical that Colo will finally have been earning his weekly wedge for a good three seasons (in my eyes at least, based on his performances) and he could run into a speed-bump when negotiating time comes around, after an indifferent start. Hopefully we've progressed enough in the next 12 months to be able to raise our limits (which we should be looking to do if they truly have ambitions of top-six/Europe). Naturally you have to pay more as you get better results. Not necessarily before you do, though.

As it stands it could be argued we have Barton, Jonas, Guthrie and Gosling as backup for Ben Arfa, Marveaux, Tiote and Cabaye. That doesn't look too bad to me. It's half of our first-choice midfield from last season as potential replacements. There's also Ferguson and Vuckic to consider, too, and maybe even Abeid depending on how good he actually is for his age. If any of the four listed as potential backup are going to leave/do leave (Barton, Jonas or Guthrie realistically - Gosling definitely won't), then yeah I'd like to see us ready to replace them/replace them, but as it stands I think the depth in midfield is good - certainly miles better than last season given that people are currently "fit" (ready for pre-season). I haven't even considered LuaLua, Routledge, Smith or Ryan Taylor, as it looks like the first two are going and I'd hope the other two would be shot of. The depth thing is being addressed in this area, as it stands.

It's amusing that he loves Morrisey THAT much

He's having a boy then, something of that nature... and I hope I don't ever have to tell anyone that I'm up the duff. Was blatantly never anything to do with football, you pansies.

For me Harper, Perch, R. Taylor, Smith, LuaLua, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Ranger and Xisco should all be up for sale before anybody else. I'd be very happy to keep everyone else (currently 23 senior players if you include Soderberg as 3rd choice 'keeper, Kadar, Ferguson, Vuckic and Abeid) and add a good few more. And obviously, not all those listed up there will actually leave. Just to note as well, if all of those went and we kept the remainder I'd hope we'd bring in a right-back, left-back (Neil Taylor?), centre-back and striker (Erdinç?) at the least (without losing any more). That would leave us with two senior players for each position, while having those five younger players mentioned as emergency options - plus the likes of Tavernier, Sa. Ameobi, Inman, Donaldson, Richardson and Airey for bench-filling slots in those emergency situations. With the Best story and other murmurings, I will be surprised if we're only in the market for 4 more players though.

You'd imagine his lass is up the duff.

But surely if Enrique goes, his fee would more or less cover the incoming left-back? Hence, there'd be money there to get a right-back if possible. You've also not taken into account all of the other possible outgoings that could see us bringing in a good few million more/trimming money off the wages to be used on first-choice players. Got to think ahead man. Also, to reserve £15m for a left-back is a ridiculous expectation of the current regime. Plus, we currently only have 3 central defenders - I can see that getting addressed at some stage and I'm hoping we bring in someone capable of partnering Colo from the off/breaking into the team like Bassong did, rather than another Neil Taylor/Perch.

I'm not sure I agree, football is far too 'plastic' nowadays, its lost touch with reality, with the fans and turned into a slick business operation where the only thing that's important is the money. I think its important to keep some form of connection with tradition and sentiments in order to preserve some level of soul in the game. It's little things like having ironic numbers which preserves the affinity that fans have with their club, it would be a travesty to throw away that tradition for the sake of 'rationality'. Exactly, I love the shirt, I'm a massive fan of it and it is definitely "special" in the way that the "7" is at Man Utd, etc. I'd argue with anybody that the 9 here is as iconic as any other number in English football. However, all I'm saying is that those who make the decisions seem keen to remove all traces of this sort of stuff from the club, which is a massive shame. It doesn't currently look like we'll be bringing anybody in with the stones to wear it this season at least, so I can see it going empty again unless they do go down that road and give it to a non-striker.

You've still got it

Another person who has clearly seen Marveaux play a bit making this post look like utter cobblers. He appears to be the same type of player that we've been targeting for a long time (can play anywhere in an advanced forward-supporting role). Making me very optimistic that we'll have a very "fluid" look about us next season if everything clicks, with Ben Arfa/Marveaux/Another switching in and out of position with each other. Also still convinced we're going 4-2-3-1 ahead of 4-3-3, even moreso after this buy and the apparent interest in another player of this type.

Aye, can see it going empty again for another season. If it is Tiote's favourite number though (not sure on this, or whether he just got given it at random for Ivory Coast in the WC), then I'd honestly just let him have it. Blasphemy, I know, but all the other emotion/tradition appears to be disliked by those at the top, can't see why the #9 should be any different.

Agree with that. Would agree too, based on the squad as it stands in the here and now. I'd have him in there with Cabaye/Tiote, while having Ben Arfa/Marveaux outside of Ba. However, as Nut's argument/my argument goes, we don't appear to have finished bringing in attacking players.

I hope he stays, because how often are we going to be able to field a first-choice team? It happens so rarely these days that you can play your "best" XI for every game. Like Nut says though, it does appear we are looking to bring in another midfielder - as well as another striker - which would mean that I think he'd find himself outside of the team if all/nearly all of those players were fit to play. You'd imagine Cabaye, Tiote and Ben Arfa are automatic starters at present. Marveaux won't have joined to sit on the bench and neither will Ba. That only leaves one more place in the team, which could be a central midfield spot, an attacking midfield/wide slot or a striker slot, depending on what formation we play. You'd still imagine he would play 20+ games, given our luck with injuries, and would provide a great option from the bench (if he remained motivated enough to do so), but I can see Ashley/Llambias desperate to shift him if that's the case as they won't want somebody on that money as a fringe player when there's the likes of Ferguson, Gosling and Vuckic in and amongst it too. That's not even mentioning his potentially disruptive influence, etc. Not saying it's necessarily "right", just how I think it will be.

I can attest to this. Ethi is gash. Can never tell when you're being honest or talking shite, but Ba does appear to have everything necessary to be a big success here.

Sell him. Nah I like the sound of him, sounds like Dyer. I liked Dyer. Aye, but Colocho said he was a traditional winger who DID get to the byline and cross it a lot. I'm so torn.

Are people honestly going to be surprised to see Barton go? Really? I'd be amazed if he stayed now. Enrique, granted, would be disappointing - but hardly without months and months of warning. Colo is the only one that really would piss on my cornflakes again out of those three.

Right, I'm officially off the reservation after Marveaux signing. Teetering on the edge after Cabaye, Nolan brought me back down to Earth with a bang and now we've had two free transfers in two days to get me right back up there again. I want, nay, I DEMAND a right-back and centre-back of an equivalent quality of these attacking players brought in, given how little the outlay on transfer fees has been so far. I don't even care if they're French/Senegalese again. A sort Beye/Bassong equivalent, without the fucking off part. Given our knowledge of the league's attacking players, surely we've singled out defensive targets aside from M'Bengue if Enrique goes? Williamson/S. Taylor and Simpson are the two areas of the team that stick out like a sore thumb to me as the two we could look do better on by bringing in more continental players of this type, although I wouldn't say no to Samba and Walker, given that we've taken about £40m in transfer fees and spent £10M in the same time (Ben Arfa and Cabaye). I appreciate there will have been signing on fees and the wage bill will likely have increased (although not by a great deal given that Nolan/Carroll were probably on very good money between them and there will be the likes of Barton following them). I want a right-back who is very quick, of reasonable build and well capable going forward (can dribble/cross/pass a bit), while also not being a complete liability defensively and I want a beast of a central defender, who isn't a total carthorse and doesn't have the turning circle of a tank. Too much to ask if we sign another attacking player as well? I hope not.

I would, tbh.