TRon

The Lovenkrands debate is redundant as far as this game is concerned, he's not available. So it should really be about who will partner Carroll, and for me it should be Xisco or Vukic. Nolan should partner the bench.

I don't rate any of our central midfielders so am very happy to have got this lad in.

There is always a chance that could happen the longer the deal isn't done. OM might offer him the position he wants, he might get disillusioned at our reluctance to buy him rather than loan...any number of possibilities.

Just watched the youtube vid and not what I expected tbh. Not one good tackle on there and he's not that big either. He's strong, quick and seems to have a good left foot though. Looks like he'd make a decent left back if needed.

if we are going to be uber-critical even Routledge is a bit of a headless chicken who takes on one too many and loses the ball. Neither are good enough to be considered quality. But they are quick and hard working, and once we've got the glaring weak spots sorted hopefully we'll be able to upgrade on the wide positions as well.

Shifting out s**** is an Ashley forte tbh. I'd expect Taylor to be the one shifted if anyone goes. Edit: hadn't seen that Dave btw. Bring in a club-less defender for nowt who has one or two seasons maximum left in him (if that) and sell a 24 year proven PL defender for a couple of million – that’s how to build for the future. Like I said, the "proven" PL defender is going to walk anyway at the end of this season. If we get £2m for him consider that a bonus.

Shifting out shite is an Ashley forte tbh. I'd expect Taylor to be the one shifted if anyone goes. Edit: hadn't seen that Dave btw. I think Taylor will walk for a free at the end of the season. Can't see anyone paying a big fee and wages of 40k a week.

Jonas isn't good enough at this level, his end product is woeful. Until we can get someone better though he'll do. At least he is physically quick and strong enough to compete with premier footballers which we can't say for some of our players.

It did at least confirm we were after Tiote... Would have been nice if the club had just come out and denied it but then that may have just sparked the fires more. Does make you think that Peruvian bloke was actually telling the truth then for him to mention this. If he'd came out with that story before we were linked with Tiote in the press then yeah but he started spouting that shite a week after. Is Tiote really that good then ? Will he be our Vieira or another Amdy Faye ? Arevalo didn't look a bad player tbh. If Tiote's better than him he's going to be a damn sight better than anybody on our books.

To which it's a stupid movie then. Guthrie's our only decent attacking midfielder, and we're replacing him with a DM?! Guthrie's a pretty weak attacking midfielder by premier standards. I'd far rather have a proper defensive midfielder. So he can pass the ball to Nolan and Barton to attack? That'll end well. I doubt it would end up much better if he passed it to Guthrie. Marginal at best.

To which it's a stupid movie then. Guthrie's our only decent attacking midfielder, and we're replacing him with a DM?! Guthrie's a pretty weak attacking midfielder by premier standards. I'd far rather have a proper defensive midfielder.

Agreed. Ben Arfa and a striker along with Tiote and I think we'd be safe mid-table. We'd have a team that could we could put out against most premier sides and I wouldn't be embarrassed. That's all we are really asking for. How much of this Tiote have you guys seen? His picture

The FC Twente Chairman seems to have dropped his price quite a bit for someone whose supposed to have a tough rep for transfer negotiations.

Still a damn good signing for us though. Colo and Williamson are hardly bad fill ins while he's getting fit.

Put it this way Toure £24M Essien £24m Tiote £3.5m Nolan, Barton, Smith, Guthrie, Gosling and now possibly Tiote all vying for two CM roles? Surely at least one of our current midfield plodders must be on their way out of the club. It wouldn’t be Barton (wages + reputation) Smith(wages) Nolan(Goldenboy) or Gosling(injured) so it must be bye-bye Guthrie? It could be any of them and I wouldn't give a flying fuck tbh.

Agreed. Ben Arfa and a striker along with Tiote and I think we'd be safe mid-table. We'd have a team that could we could put out against most premier sides and I wouldn't be embarrassed. That's all we are really asking for.

Ben Arfa is more of an attacker though isn't he? Plays wide or off the striker I think.

If he doesn't sign now madras should get a one year ban.

That's what this thread needed. An ITK heads up from Spunkers. That just about wraps it up then.

We finally have our own Blacktrick Viera.

300 pages on Ben Arfa and this fella has joined without even a thread to his name. Tut tut.

We have to drop Nolan and play two strikers to have any chance of points IMO.

Will be a massive signing for us if it goes through...and I mean that in the nicest possible sense.

He'll bring the black power to our midfield. It is sadly lacking at the moment. We probably have the whitest (and therefore the slowest and weakest ) midfield in the Premiership. should never have let Geremi go anyway, going for this lad on a permanent? terrible deal, what if he turns out to be shit? we should attempt a loan with no guarantee of buying so if he is good another team can snap him up at the end of the season.

We'll see how good Ashley's negotiations tactics are by transfer deadline day.