TRon

I think the difference will be in the forwards so I've got a nasty feeling Gervinho will score the winner just to rub it in.

Funnily, he's also linked to Valencia as a Coloccini alternative. More likely to go there I recdkon as Valencia probably couldn't afford Colo's wages.

How old is Colo now, 29? Might have a bearing on whether we'd consider selling. I hope not but knowing how this club operates....

Many times you seen him play? Probably 10-15 or so. He's not as bad as Bebe, but f*** me, he is grim. You must have watched every game he was involved in When he has Valencia, Nani, Giggs, Young ahead of him it makes sense to move on Personally i think he could suprise a few people Pretty much, I do watch a lot of football. I'd love to be wrong, love it, but I've been taking the piss out of this player for months, and I'm not prepared to stop now. Fair play you would like to think our scouts have watched him at least as much as you have though and saw something different, otherwise it seems crazy to spend £3m on such an apparent waste of space.

Get a grip man..Of course he'll improve the squad..He's amply proven that already. That's why we need the money for Enrique, so we're able to buy a PROPER replacement. Besides, if he wants to sell the club, he'll get much more for it if the squad is full of prospects and is fighting in the upper tier of the table. From this perspective, he got every incentive to plow the money he earns from player sales back into the team. http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3222/unledhjc.png So a French international in Cabaye isn't a reinforcement? He's cheaper and better than Nolan..BA is better than Shola, and his stats are impressive. .MA managed to haggle over Nolan, Carroll and Routledge's fees.We got more than they're worth imo. You're so fucking negative that you refuse to see the positive aspects that actually are happening. We've brought in nearly £40m in transfer fees this calendar year and yet we need to sell Enrique to be able to afford a replacement. Fucking hilarious man. I could understand not getting a replacement in if we were confident of keeping Enrique, but we clearly aren't according to everything Pardew has said to this point. Part of the reason I still believe Ferguson is the back up option stupidly risky though that seems..

He's not Paul Jewell is the first thing that came to my mind. Then he's not Mick McCarthy was the next.

Here endeth the discussion.

Ashley's regime has generally been pretty good at getting decent fee's to be fair. In some cases they've done really well. Enrique's contract situation is the decisive thing here though. He won't let him go for nothing next summer and will take whatever is offered for him imo. No doubt he'll be off. Pardew keeps talking about a plan in place if he leaves. Have to assume he has someone lined up, so if it doesnt happen he will be slaughtered. However, i dont think he'd keep reiterating it if he wasnt confident. That's where we disagree. I think his 'replacement' is already here - Ferguson. No need to spend cash and it gives one of the young lads a chance which fans approve of. Doesn't always work out but the fans will swallow it until Jan. Predicted this weeks ago and it's no surprise that it looks like that's how it will pan out.

We bought expensive players on high wages on the basis we would be playing in CL/Europe when the reality turned out different.

IMO he won't sell at the first available chance because the price will keep going up. Why? Because we'll be getting better every year? Get in, if thats the case I'll be pissed if he does sell. Because we'll be making more profit while steering clear of relegation would be my guess.

those quotes are taken from his talk sport interview where he also said there would be one price for him and one fee for anyone else wanting to buy the club, basically saying Ashley would not sell to him. Dont know about anyone else but hope it comes off but doubt it will ,Shepherd made big financial mistakes as we know but him and a proper board would hopefully run it correctly this time around and he would be reeled back in from Owenesque stupidity. I wouldn't want Shepherd anywhere near the club, he damn near led us to financial meltdown last time the fat oaf. It was horrendous when we had no money wasn't it. I used to cry myself to sleep when we paid a decent fee for a player and I was forced to travel to foreign lands watching the useless cunts play in those shit european competitions. I had a few beers while I was there but it tasted oh so bitter. It's much better now. Two words: Leeds Ridsdale That's not an Ashley defence in any shape or form but people defending Shepherd and the mountain of debt we were left with need to stop pretending there weren't going to be consequences to his reckless Hollywood transfers.

those quotes are taken from his talk sport interview where he also said there would be one price for him and one fee for anyone else wanting to buy the club, basically saying Ashley would not sell to him. Dont know about anyone else but hope it comes off but doubt it will ,Shepherd made big financial mistakes as we know but him and a proper board would hopefully run it correctly this time around and he would be reeled back in from Owenesque stupidity. I wouldn't want Shepherd anywhere near the club, he damn near led us to financial meltdown last time the fat oaf.

IMO he won't sell at the first available chance because the price will keep going up.

Hmmm. Makes me see the Pardew comment that Colo would like to see new players coming through the door in a new light. Still can't see us selling at that price though. It would be madness.

Or more desperate as he realises the striker and left back might not be signed after all.

The lesson taken from this is "never sign Big Sam if you want long term success" you fat oaf. Interestingly, while I think Sam's building a side that will get promoted back to the premier he's doing it by throwing money at it and going route one in his tried and trusted fashion. When they get back in the premier they will be stuck with players on their way down who will be hard to shift. They will become the team we might have done if we hadn't made the decision to change the playing staff this summer.

The tabloids are just making up stories to fill the space atm. I'm sure the Valencia interest in Colo story is just a rehash as well. I read those quotes a few days ago.

This is a major fallacy in some people's thinking. People ridiculed the idea that Obertan was Barnetta's replacement but effectively that's what he is. A cheaper alternative to buying Barnetta. The interest in Barnetta is now dead I guarantee you, no way will we be buying two right wingers who would compete for the same spot.

Cuntenkrands. That's just awful. His official nickname is Lovenkrap, I'd appreciate it if everyone stuck to the script.

Friday afternoon. Even he's given up the ghost by the looks of it.

He must be the bums on seats player Pardew was talking/lying about.

Now, now He's sent out to reel these lines off to keep the deflect any criticism aimed at the club. He can't tell us any details other than 'it's not the football club's fault'. He's a fucking liar.

Yeah flight probably gets in Friday night around 1159pm That'll do tbh. beats 10 weeks by a country mile. I'd still play him on the Saturday as well.

I have thought that might be the case for some time. The striker pursuit has been half-hearted IMO. There doesn't seem to be any clear target we are pursuing. I do genuinely think Gameiro, Gervinho or Erdinc would have come here had they wanted to and I think our interest in all of them was serious. But seeing as how they didn't want to come, shouldn't we be targeting strikers who do? They aren't the only strikers out there surely?

I think the Ghana officials will relent as the season kick off approaches and some compromise will be reached.