chicago_shearer

It's on PPV in the US. Don't know what channel though.

A big gamble if we don't bring in any midfielders I think. Keegan is going to need much better performances from a number of players who haven't performed regularly for a long, long time (and good luck with injuries).

The club should start a little side business - charge foreign players who want better contracts from their own club a small fee in order to "officially inquire" and use the club's name in negotiations. Make some money out of the deal.

I don't care what anyone says, Crouch is excellent and deserves to be playing regularly.

Clearly all the fault of their Yank owners. Poor scousers.

Who cares? Many of the clubs with players good enough to be at the European Championship probably don't need their wages covered. This should only apply to clubs that need the money, otherwise it is a waste. Instead, they should put the money towards a big insurance compensation for players who release players for international duty and end up losing them to season/career disrupting injury.

Interesting statistic in the Telegraph match report. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=O1S2LLXLO13SHQFIQMGCFFWAVCBQUIV0?xml=/sport/2008/01/21/sfnnew121.xml&page=2 Percentage of accurate passes: Enrique 69% Cacapa 91% Taylor 85% Carr 78% Duff 86% Rozehnal 72% Owen 73% Ameobi 73% Milner 41%

Uhh...no thanks.

I dont think Milner is THAT bad that we have to buy two players in his position SWP & Gera play on the right wing not the left.

Regular football, money and Keegan. More chance than signing Bentley or Deco.

Wright-Phillips & Zoltan Gera. That would suit me for now and address the biggest two problems: pace and creativity.

Crossing was woeful today though he did look a little better when he went to the left maybe Sam had something there The best thing he managed to do all day was a bad cross that almost accidentally beat Jaaskelainen. His form this season has been awful.

Milner needs replacing. He compares unfavourably to Solano in every department, and he's 10 years younger.

Beye was the captain of Marseille, right?

By Premiership standards, we have an average to sub-average team. Oddly enough, I wouldn't concentrate on buying central defenders or fullbacks despite the frailties. Cacapa and Rozehnal are not poor players, and one (hopefully two) will inevitably adapt to the league. Take a look at Bouma at Villa - he was shit in his first year, then improved drastically. Not the only example either. We need central midfielders with the criteria being creativity, pace and height. I'd like to see Zoltan Gera brought in, some might disagree.

Beye should be full time. Taylor in the mean time.

That looks like a balanced team with a touch of flair, I'll have that one please!! I like the idea of trying Rozehnal in the holding role, but Owen as a lone striker has never worked and will never work. If Viduka is too unfit and slow to play on Saturday, then throw Carroll in to partner Owen. I expect to see football played on the ground, but you don't have a player over 5'11 in front of Rozehnal. Against a physical team like Bolton, it won't work.

The first big decision is what to do about Shearer. Yes or no as assistant manager. Second question is more generally to decide on back room staff, which will be important to a manager that hasn't been in the game for a few years. Then he can turn to transfers.

Best team available really.

It's football. Most people have enough things to be miserable about. So while I fully recognize that this appointment runs the risk of failure, I'm prepared to ignore that fact and get carried away by nostalgia and sentiment.

It is now absolutely essential that they bring back the grandad collars.

The madness. I'm off to listen to some Oasis and get back in the spirit of things.

Shearer/Deschamps/Keegan triumvirate clearly now on the cards.

Hmmm...a direct quote like that changes things. He says there has been no "official approach" but that leads me to suspect that there has been communication between him and the club. It's starting to seem like there is something behind this after all.