OzzieMandias

So he doesn't want another deal with us because of the money, he wants one because we're going to win trophies?

Because I don't think a CL club will come in for him offering more money than he's getting from us. He'll end up running down his contract and leaving on a Bosman, as Barton also clearly intends to do. I hope you're right and a quality player spends at least another season with us. Considering that quality though I would be very surprised if Ashley is content for the club to let him leave for free. I can imagine us being willing to accept a lower bid at the end of the transfer window of around £5m. Well, if they're not interested in contract extensions, I think we should definitely get a fee for them if we can -- and this is of course normal practice in football, not some outrageous example of Ashley greed. But, for good or ill, I don't think either player will want to move on before their personal gravy train pulls to a halt. i'm reasonably glad it looks like we'll have Enrique for another season. Barton can fuck off.

I'm not overly excited about any of them, but Shane Ferguson definitely seems the one to watch.

Based on nowt more than blind optimism. The realistic situation is that he's not been willing to enter contract renegotiations and is more likely than not, on his way. I really cant seeing the club letting Barton run down his contract either, if a bid comes in at a realistic figure, he'll be away. Thats not being negative, it's just the most likely outcomes from where we are at this moment in time. So how is the club going to stop Joey "#bosmanruling" Barton from running down his contract? It's entirely dependent on some other club coming in for him and offering a superior deal to either what he's on now, or what he thinks he can find for himself when he leaves on a free next summer. I think that is hugely unlikely to happen.

Because I don't think a CL club will come in for him offering more money than he's getting from us. He'll end up running down his contract and leaving on a Bosman, as Barton also clearly intends to do.

Look, when you say "I don't post anything without foundation" and then you acknowledge your foundation is the bollocks that shite tabloid/news rags print, it undermines the entire credibility of the thought exercise. If you genuinely feel there's an "everything must go" air about the club just because a bunch of newspapers are linking our players to other clubs in articles with absolutely no quotes, prior interest from either side or possible logical reason - an act, it has to be said, they are and have been apt to do every season since the dawn of movable type, for every club, everywhere - then I don't really know what to say. The cries of asset stripping and fears over massive cut-rate bargain sales of our players have been heard every season since the takeover. And every season since the takeover they've slowly dwindled to an angry whisper as the team hasn't been completely gutted, only to resurface in the offseason under the possible justification that this will be the offseason he sells and he wants to recoup as much money as possible, etc. There's plenty of sound reasons to remain wary and on guard in regards to Ashley & Llambias without having to throw unfounded suspicions like that around. edit: Yes I'm aware of the irony of a man talking about undermining credibility when he has this as his avatar. http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/avs/avatar_177.gif We'll have to see how the summer pans out I suppose, but I think we'll see at least as many players leave as come in. Of course we have transfer tittle tattle every year, but even taking away the newspaper gossip, we have at least three key players- Nolan, Barton & Enrique who have either gone this summer or are likely to go as we cant give them the requisite contracts. I also recall the lad who broke the Pardew story (Golfmag?) who said that Pardew's remit on appointment was to significantly lower the wage bill. I'll be really surprised if Barton goes this summer. Don't expect Enrique to depart either. Mass exodus = one player?

What's Toon's Taylor doing bidding for players?

Always seems to me someone hands them a list of things they have to say. "You've got to mention that it's a big club -- a massive club -- and talk about how great the supporters are. Then you've got to say that you want to help them win something."

Very good read with a few Sir Bobby moments: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/8597265/Andre-Villas-Boas-Chelseas-new-manager-who-has-dedicated-himself-to-football.html

Apart from when someone questions Ashley over it. So you disagree with my point? Or what?

Utter tripe. If there is any truth in this story, then Nolan has been doing precisely the opposite of what you describe. And I can't see a single reason to assume this scenario will repeat every season.

In what way does it look like that?

Sliced bread is rubbish, let's face it.

Signs are though that Carrol and Nolan (and probably Routledge) will be followed by Guitierez, Barton, Best, Enrique, Ranger, Guthrie and Smith (OK, no tears on that last one! ). Plus, on top of the new signings, in Ben Arfa and Gosling we have two more players yet to be bedded in. Get real. The team is already used to life without Carroll. Neither Barton nor Enrique will leave this summer. Nil Ranger won't be missed, though Best might. We're buying and going after better midfielders than Routledge and Guthrie. And Smith, well, hey, great!

Didn't Pardew say some time ago that one of Forster, Krul or Harper would go this summer? Probably is one keeper too many, given we've also got Soderberg. No idea which one I'd axe, but I can't imagine either Krul or Forster wanting to hang around warming the bench.

Sarkozy.

I would imagine having two defensive midfielders who are good in possession, unlike most of the defensive midfielders we've previously employed, would give us insurance to play a very attacking front 3. front 4 surely ? I was thinking 4-3-3 thats the confusion, if matuidi comes in i'd see more of a 4-2-3-1. could answer the barnetta situation. could be holding off on him for matuidi in the way we did arveloa (sp ?) for tiote. In the Ukraine, France played a midfield three of Matuidi, M'vila & Cabaye with Menez & Remy either side of Gameiro. I could see us pretty much adopting that system with Tiote in M'vila's role. So Matuidi, Tiote and Cabaye in the middle with Ben Arfa and Erding either side of Ba? Yum!

And again... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/22/sam-allardyce-west-ham

History.

What a ridiculous statement. If football club owners think the same way then it's no wonder hacks like Allardyce and co. keep getting jobs. No vision, it seems, and no trust. So you disagree with me, but agree with me.

If he gets them up, and it's a big "if", he may only have succeeded in typecasting himself as a get-someone-out-of-the-championship manager. He'll still have it all to prove in the prem.

Well yeah, we are 30k a week better off. Loads of point in it. Thats a bit more money we could offer other players. And a squad place freed up for someone younger, better, cheaper.