Cronky

Do you think there's a chance that Ashley will break Freddie's sword, strip off his epaulettes, and make him do a walk of shame down Grey Street, with everyone turning their backs on him. Let's start a petition.

What needs to be 'uncovered'? From 2nd place to relegation candidates, and four managers in four years. His record speaks for itself.

I'm quite sure that Ashley has no intention of keeping the current regime in charge. This review just sounds like a piece of research so that the new Chief Executive can be well briefed rather than having to launch into the job cold. It also makes sense that, if we're half way through a number of transfer deals, that the same people see it through. I imagine the switch will come in September.

I think the time had come for Arsenal and Henry to part company. More serious for Arsenal is all this talk of a rift between Wenger and the board following Dein's departure. The team draw a lot on their manager's self-confidence and daring. If he's really started to look elsewhere, then that's a real problem for them.

Agree with this.

I disagree with you. I think he is poor. Just my opinion of him on a purely technically level. Got nothing to do with him being a dirty player - I thought Dennis Bergkamp was absolutely criminal, his first touch was alright tho . No worried about his lack of know-how? Well, on that purely technical level, you're wrong. As for his lack of know-how, that's a gamble. But if he's got the stamina, then he's got all the other ingredients that you need for that position. Including a football brain, so I think he'd adapt.

Sorry, but this idea that Smith has no skill on the ball is simply wrong. Just because he's a dirty player doesn't mean that he's just a clueless grafter. His touch on the ball is good. The player who he reminds me of a bit is Norman Whiteside (showing my age a bit here). Whiteside started off as a striker at Man U, lacked pace, and ended up as quite a useful midfield player. He was a dirty sod just like Smith, and that often blinded his critics to the fact that he could actually play a bit. If I was convinced about Smith's physical fitness and his stamina, I'd definitely have him as midfield player. Not being good enough for the Man U midfield is irrelevant. Hargreaves might struggle to hold down a place at Man U.

Taylor is stronger, King is more comfortable on the ball. Difficult choice. I actually think King is the best English defensive midfield player, and that's where I'd play him. I often feel he's too classy to be wasted in defence.

It does seem a bit suspicious that he managed to escape without even a scratch when a number of gunmen had supposedly caught him in his car. Either Oba is even quicker than we realised or those assassins must have had their balaclavas on the wrong way round.

What Sam is saying sounds very fair and perceptive. However, I think he'll fail in this instance. The ability is there, but not the aggression. The move came about all of a sudden, and I think Luque quickly regretted it and hasn't been committed since. He's got to now fight for his place against Duff and Zoggy, and I don't think he'll succeed.

Didnt' Smith also play left wing for Leeds in their relegation season? He played on the right wing against us the season before they got relegated when Venables was in charge. Then some mugs took Fowler and Kewell off them and it was him and Viduka leading them all the way to the chumpionship the season after. Btw, Alan Smith is absolutely fucking abysmal. Wouldn't have him for nowt. Nothing to do with him being a rag either...he was absolutely shocking for Leeds too. Speaks volumes that so many different managers have tried to convert him....they like his huff and puff for some reason...but he has no real footballing ability whatsoever. I mean, watching him against Brazil the other week. I was genuinely embarrased that this muppet was representing my country. Absolutely fucking abysmal. Following his injury, I've got my doubts about the guy, but he's a lot better than you're saying here. He can pass the ball well, he's a good reader of the game, and quite creative. He's not just a thug. A problem that I saw when he was a striker against both Southend and Brazil last season was that the opposing centre backs were either getting to the ball before him or going right through him. I think he now needs that bit of extra time and space that you can get as a midfield anchor man. Not all strikers have the stamina and work rate to play in that position, so that's the question mark for me. I suppose I also worry about that spiteful streak in him. Being hard is one thing, but he can actually get a bit mean. If he loses the ball - even when legitimately - you often see him chase after his opponent to chop him down. He's got to cut that out.

He doesn't look quick enough to play up front at the top level any more. Maybe he's still on the recovery trail, but I suspect that his injury has taken away some of his pace, and he wasn't exactly quick before. I think he can be converted to a midfield player though. Man U are on a different level and have better options, so they're not going to spend the time.

Drenthe looked like a very good, all-round talent. However, it's a bit tough to ask such a young and inexperienced player from the continent to be a full back in the Premiership straight away, which is where we really need someone. If we could swap him for Zoggy, I'd take that deal in a shot.

I think he's a more than okay player who'd be a good addition to the squad. Don't be surprised though if we see an upsurge in Carr's form. I think he's previously been very pissed off with the way the club has been run, on and off the field, and that's affected him.

I doubt if Freddie ever bought a player that the manager categorically didn't want. I think the way it worked was that they'd agree on a list of possible players, and then Freddie would go out and try and get some of them. Because the details of bids and negotiations were kept secret from the manager, if Freddie and his circle of advisers didn't fancy a particular player, they'd just bid a low amount. In the end, the manager would simply be left with the choice of accepting the players that Freddie wanted, or not having anyone at all. Also, given that the manager had no idea of how much money there was to spend, he'd have no say in the prioritising of transfers. The Anelka / Owen episode was the classic. Souness wanted Anelka, Anelka wanted to come but Shepherd didn't want him. In frustration, Souness went public to force Freddie's hand. Freddie then bid a ridiculously low amount that he knew Fenerbahce wouldn't accept. The striker Shepherd really wanted was Owen. Souness wanted him as well, but surely not on the terms that were eventually agreed, and not at that cost in transfer fees and wages. No manager would ever have wanted a player who had publicly stated only the week before that he didn't want to come. However, in the end, from Souness's point of view, it was either Owen or nothing.

They do seem common but then most clubs put clauses in like £100m etc.. We just seem very fucking stupid! A clause like that is never going to be invoked, and wouldn't be of any use to the player. Except in exceptional cases, I imagine they'd be much lower. I'm not one to defend Shepherd, but we often have difficulty in luring players who might be more attracted to London or a Mediterranean destination. We may have to be a bit more generous in the signing-on terms. £13 million may be a bit on the low side, but at least we'd make a profit.

Souness's account is very consistent with Sir Bob's, in terms of Shepherd's manner of conducting transfer business. He's not pulling any punches, and I see no reason to disbelieve him.

I think buy-out clauses are fairly common, aren't they? The only problem with the Owen one was that the player was unwilling to join us, and the clause was for less than we paid for him - making it likely that it would be invoked, without providing us with the funds for a replacement.

Not so. He did well at Celtic and Blackburn and O'Neill and Hughes were desperate to keep him. I agree with ab - The point is not whether you think Bellamy is a good player or a troublemaker or whatever. There's a new manager in charge with his own opinions and this kind of comment from Shearer doesn't help. Allardyce isn't an idiot - he know Bellamy's background and can draw his own conclusions.

What the f***? Christ... ANYTHING to have a pop. He's offering a f****** opinion man! I did think it was amusing that one mans opinion was that another shouldnt have an opinion. The likes of me offering an opinion on a player that the Newcastle manager is looking at isn't the same as Alan Shearer offering an opinion. Shearer has influence with the fans and the press, and coming out with this view is going to put some kind of pressure on the manager. If Allardyce really is weighing up a move for Bellamy, I think he'd be quite annoyed at Shearer's intervention. If Shearer is that worried, why not just pick up the phone and call Allardyce? Coming out with it in public is a clear attempt to stir things up.

Which makes it all the more strange that, a few months before Bellamy was booted out, he and Shearer were on holiday together. This ain't your problem any more, Alan. If you wanted to be the manager, you should have applied.

However sharp and quick he is around the penalty box, his touch on the ball is poor and that limits his contribution. The game has moved on in the last 10 years and the top teams don't want a player like that. I basically agree with the article. If he's going to be here (and I think he will be), we may as well take advantage of the abilities that he's got, but his departure wouldn't be a tragedy.

Sir, you jest. He was one of our better players during the dark days. Now if we really want to visit the chamber of horrors........ Peter Cartwright.

Those Serbian players need to grow a brain. No-one's going to kick the ball out in that situation. Credit to Derbyshire who could easily have gone down afterwards in that ruck, clutching his face to get a man sent off.

It's interesting that Allardyce mentioned the possibility that the captain might be someone who's not yet at the club. It sounds like he's aware that there's no obvious candidate at the moment. In the absence of any other choice, I'd go for Butt, but he's a bit quiet and may have difficulty holding down his place.