Mowen

if we had equal budgets in both windows, you might be right as we didn't, that's hardly a 'vast improvement' given what could have been I take it that means you're underwhelmed by our signings? Who do you think we could realistically have attracted to the club this transfer window that would have made much of a difference if we'd been splashing the cash? Anything, Vicky?

Excellent work by Birmingham. He's shit.

Don't Villa have that now, based on league finishes? Or did we just hold them off at the death? Seem to remember it being brought up at the time.

Not only funny, but enjoyable to read somehting that isn't about transfers/the board/petty bickering. Exact same reason I bumped T27's thread yesterday! Look forward to reading the second half...

if we had equal budgets in both windows, you might be right as we didn't, that's hardly a 'vast improvement' given what could have been I take it that means you're underwhelmed by our signings? Who do you think we could realistically have attracted to the club this transfer window that would have made much of a difference if we'd been splashing the cash?

I agree. Would by no means be disappointed if we ended up with Baines though. To be honest this speculation could well just be coming from the agent to try and drive a deal through with Everton more quickly - I'd be a little surprised if we now moved for him having waited for so long.

Not starting?!

Class. “Drago” rubbishes tabloid stories that he doesn’t have a sense of humour, “I laughed as much as the next person when Simba’s dad was killed in the Lion King”. Joey Barton stuns the Newcastle squad and staff by punching Terry McDermott seemingly unprovoked. Dragutinovic rolls around uncontrolably with laughter.

Is correct. edit: O-Nut that is. Didn't want to quote the whole thing though.

Sol didn't play much there, i always remember him from an early age being a CB. Carragher was classed as very average until his move to CB, which just proves my point in a nutshell. Sol Campbell was definitely a right back when he broke into the Spurs team. Not long though. Maybe not, but I've got a feeling he didn't start playing with any regularity until he was at least the age Taylor is now.

Sol didn't play much there, i always remember him from an early age being a CB. Carragher was classed as very average until his move to CB, which just proves my point in a nutshell. Sol Campbell was definitely a right back when he broke into the Spurs team.

There seems to be no appreaciation for poetry these days. It's for gays! Just like that thread you made about footballers you fancy!

One things for sure, we should definitely be more lenient on allowing prodigously talented left sided midfielders into the country at a young age.....

Parky likes to write things that don't make any sense every now and again in a desperate attempt to prove some intellect

Copying my jokes now alex? Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery

The one thing David Pleat almost got right. Tried to sign him for Spurs as a 17 year old but fell foul of work permit problems. Think an Italian grandmother then came out of the cupboard and he now has an EU passport. Agree he is a superb player, my one reservation would be if he is as good as he always seems to be when I see him, why haven't a really big club gone for him? That though is a small reservation as whenever I've seen him, he's looked the dogs wotsits. He'll be at Bremen for another season I reckon, they've got CL. Expect a big team to come in for him then. If City get him now they've done brilliantly. Also would be one of the first players they've signed this summer I've ever seen play

Well, Sven's certainly lived up to his spending big reputation.... City will be a very interesting team to watch develop this season.

Good point Jol. Regular Waffa Cup football will raise your profile and sent out a signal that you're consistently one of the better clubs in the land - and hence not too far from CL football. In the position that Spurs are now, having come 5th two years in a row, they could convince players who should be going for CL footy that they will be the final piece in the jigsaw to take them there.

What's workmanlike about Duff and Solano?

I agree, there can't have been many clubs with more unrealised potential in its playing staff over the last ten years.

Diego is a stunningly good player. Would be an excellent signing imo.

Gonzalez was loaned out to Real Sociedad. Arsenal bought Carlos Vela and loaned him straight out to Salamanca. Chelsea have done the same with Alex. I guess if other clubs are doing it, we could get in on the act ourselves. Have Newcastle ever done a deal like this? The bargains to be found in South America (and to a lesser extent Africa) make it very worthwhile, clubs like Sevilla have made great strides by findings like Dani Alves and Baptista for pittance, while PSV have been doing it for years. Like I said, makes a mockery of the system in place. Maybe it needs reviewing though, if other countries aren't so strict.

Oh yeah, I read about that. Does signing someone and then loaning them out not make a mockery of the system? (not sure if that was the case with Gonzalez, but I'm sure it's been done) They were right not to give Gonzalez one. He's wank.

He was fit to start with, the problem was that when he started having injury problems, he never really stopped. I don't know what to make of this. As I said, this really had me absolutely gobsmacked when I saw it, and my first reaction was to wonder why the fuck anyone would take that kind of a risk, but I dunno .... something about it makes me feel uneasy. If you get my drift. I feel a similar way about Dyer. I'm pleased he's gone, because he's never fit so can't possibly justify what he's paid or fulfill his potential. But now he's gone what if he stops getting injured?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/6919965.stm - Eduardo gets his http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6274174.stm - and Alex his. Now I'm not saying that these two players shouldn't have their permits, but do players ever get turned down for them? Are there any instances of it happening? Given that I haven't really heard of any of Citeh's new signings this summer is there a chance any of them won't be granted one?