Mowen

At least if we were to sign Baptista then Arsenal would have done the decent thing by getting him used to the league for us!

So you do know Fletcher, and he is your source? Hang on. Dazza? You are Darren Fletcher!

So you do know Fletcher, and he is your source?

Isn't Darren Fletcher your source? Would be a gash signing imo. Could probably get Appiah for that sort of money who is a far superior player. However, if true, at least it would mean we're looking for another midfielder.

Well, he hasn't signed just left Arsenals training camp to undergo a medical at West Ham. WHU played against Lazio yesterday and lost 2-0, Bellamy and Parker both played the full 90 min and Bowyer was taken off in the 65th minute.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/6911613.stm Done. Dyer to Arsenal as Ljungberg's replacement?!

If true that would seem to scupper the Dyer to West Ham transfers.

Got nothing much to do at work yet, so here goes... Your report to Mr Ashley must cover: Which two players do you want to sell: Names here please (you don't have to sell any or can sell 1) Keiron Dyer and Steven Carr Place a price on their head (a reasonable one) and list your reasons for selling. Probably £5m and £1m. Dyer seems to be unhappy, has huge wages and wouldn't get in my starting lineup - he seems a bit of a luxury player for the bench at the moment. Plus West Ham would spend £5m on him, I'd imagine. Carr is just not goot enough - I'd have him as behind Geremi, Solano and Taylor at RB, but just off the fact he's a biggish name I wouldn't be surprised if we could get £1m for him. Add the sales money to your new total transfer budget. £21m Bearing in mind who is injured, who is unhappy, who isn't good enough, list your targets and how much you are prepared to spend on them, you must also provide a back-up player in case your first target doesn't want to come, is overpriced or their club doesn't want to sell. Joseph Yobo £9m (Backup: Wes Brown £6m) Gabriel Heinze £7m (Backup: Wayne Bridge £6m) Stephane Appiah £5m (Backup: Teemu Tainio £3m) Which players do you plan on converting and to what position and why, list them and give your reasons. I'll probably copy the Nut here and say that Taylor would be a useful RB in a difficult away game where we needed to be combative. I'd also have a go at playing Duff at LB in training - from what little I've seen of him there he's looked like he could do an OK job, and it would give an oppertunity to get Baba off the gravy train. Line-up for opening day: Given Taylor Yobo Rozehnal Heinze Milner Appiah Geremi N'Zogbia Owen Martins subs: Harper, Solano, Butt, Ameobi, Luque. Hmmm. Bench looks a bit shite, but I have assumed Emre, Viduka, Barton, Baba and Duff out injured.

It was a better signing than Michael feckin Chopra, that's for sure.

If he were to leave I wouldn't be surprised to see us bid for SWP.

I can't believe Cech is above Schmeichal, given that the big dane was a better keeper, stuck around for longer and cost a lot less, even relative to the market. Absurd.

I don't care if Charlie prefers the middle, he's a winger and has been shite when played in the middle.

Once a year? Same as me.

Absolutely fantastic move if you ask me.

Ideally Yobo, not sure how much he'd go for though. Heinze would seem to be more likely, would be an excellent signing imo.

Babayaro, I suppose. Huntington. Seriously? He may be a prospect but I'd have Baba, Edgar and Rampage ahead of him in the left back slot. He looked woeful there last season, and it can't have done him any good.

I can't see the US league becoming popular, or gaining many more fans before the country starts taking an interest in it's national team tbh. Most dedicated soccerball fans out there seem to have a prem or la liga team they follow first and foremost, and I can't see that changing until people start worrying about the development of youth players and its impact on the national team.

Rubbish. Shit manager, shit appointment.

Genuinely one of the funniest things I've read on here.

BBC mention it in the Robben article but describe Drenthe as replacing him on the left wing. It is also believed Feyenoord's 20-year-old left winger Royston Drenthe has been lined up to replace Dutch international Robben. I'd imagine Malouda is taking Robben's place. They should have Joe Cole playing all this season as well. Wouldn't be surprised at all if they let Bridge go.

If Chelsea sign Drenthe, what odds on us going for Bridge now and healing him or in January? Would love that as a signing.

I don't think Terry was even a regular at Chelsea at Taylor's current age.

If you're a leader on the pitch than you lead with or without the armband, see Gary Speed. As it is a reasonably important symbol I think it is important to give it to someone who is an automatic starter when fit, as a lot is made of dropping the captain if and when it happens. Therefore it'd make sense to give it to Given or Owen, imo.

It's not even taken him 2 weeks this time, maybe the close season really gets to him.

"England did nothing in that World Cup, so why were they bringing books out? 'We got beat in the quarter-finals. I played like shit. Here's my book'." That one was class. Interesting to see different players reactions to it as well, Gerrard offered him a signed copy whereas Lamps went into a huff. Apparently Lampard also moved tables when Barton sat next to him at the England training camp, prompting Barton to say "don't worry, I won't steal your breakfast"