TRon

If we weren't struggling why were we nervous until the end? We weren't. Ok. Please ignore my posts in future and I'll ignore yours as we are clearly living on different planets. Once I know how to reach Planet Hindsight I'll be in touch.

I am considering whether we already have an option linked to Emre. Deals with both players seem to have stalled. doubt they'd be linked with arda at gala and emre supposedly going to fener Emre was a Galatasaray favourite and him going to Fener supposedly created a stir. Has he officially signed for Fener?

If we weren't struggling why were we nervous until the end?

The good players need to be signed though, otherwise we end up with what we've got - a squad which struggled to avoid relegation last year. Er, what? The conversation is about incoming transfers, so obviously that's what he's referring to. Yes, I was also referring to incoming transfers or lack of if that transpires.

The good players need to be signed though, otherwise we end up with what we've got - a squad which struggled to avoid relegation last year. Did we really struggle to avoid relegation yeah, pretty much. Really? How much time did we spend in the bottom 5? It must all have been a dream then. Fancy that.

I am considering whether we already have an option linked to Emre. Deals with both players seem to have stalled.

The good players need to be signed though, otherwise we end up with what we've got - a squad which struggled to avoid relegation last year.

If he hasn't been signed by anyone else yet, I would be happy to push the boat out for this one. Give them Emre in exchange assuming he hasn't been signed by Fener either.

We are obviously bidding for big players, just not doing enough to get the deal done or the players concerned have other options.

I have to agree, I'm very happy with the goalkeepers here as well. It's a few of the other positions which are the fucking problem. I'm sure KK knows this and his "Not going to buy for the sake of it" sounds ominous. He said that in January and no one came in.

Cautious would probably best describe it. On the one hand we are looking at decent players, and the decision to go for younger players is right IMO. It's a bit of a concern we aren't closing any deals though, the squad is not good enough.

good guess.

Are you ITK? It was just a hunch based on previous information. Worth more than ITK sometimes.

Before anyone gets carried away, it's more than likely this is Aimar's agent trying to get more money from Benfica. £7m for a 28yr old doesn't tie in with Ashley's current player recruitment policy of younger players so I would be surprised if there is much in it.

Mid-table if the squad building - if that term could be used to describe what's going on so far - continues in it's current vein. Still time yet, but I expected a more go-get-'em attitude from Ashley tbh.

Bullard would be a good signing for a club like Sunderland, i.e, a place no top player would dream of going.

You almost made Smith sound a decent player in comparison, but sadly the thought died almost as soon as it entered the brain.

The story is written by Brian MackemNally, a sworn Red and White cunt. Obviously the news that we are ready to take Evans from their filthy grasp has hit where it hurts

I'd take Lennon and Bent, wouldn't want the others. There's a reason they want rid. Didn't think you'd accept other clubs' cast-offs btw. Most players sold are cast-offs, just depends on the quality of the cast off. All of the above for those prices would enhance our squad, some of them straight into the 1st team. I don't mind good business, and they would be good business. Ramos thinks Kaboul may have moved into the Premiership too early but isn't writing him off. He may still go to WBA on a season long loan, other clubs are also in the mix for a loan. Of the others, Spurs won't sell Bent for £8m while Sunderland are in regular contact, Chimbonda may go for £4m, Lennon a bit more than £6m and Hudd may possibly go to Blackburn as part of a deal for Bentley, depends on who Ince actually wants to be added to his squad. Seems like mostly shit clubs are the only ones interested, giving a truer valuation of their worth.

Good to see that everyone is picking up on the most important part of tonight's quarter final in highlighting Beglin's woeful co-commentary. When I am watching a great match unfold over 90 mins, I don't want it ruined by a clueless drunk on ITV.

I hate to say it, but in the head to head against Modric, the Croat looked a class above yesterday. Arda didn't do much wrong, but he didn't come close to the heights of Modric who was directing all of Croatia's best attacking play. Modric NEVER loses possession of the ball - as we've seen with N'Zogbia, it's all very well having great dribbling ability, but football intelligence counts for a lot as well. If we've bid £9m for Turan, it's still a good fee for a player who is still quite raw, so I wouldn't rule us out for his signature just yet.

Hadn't seen too much of Arshavin before yesterday, but he is clearly a top drawer player. I think he is out of our league, and I'd be surprised if he ended up at anything less than a prestige Champions League club.

Obviously he's not going to make himself sound like a bad manager, but the fact is he showed his incompetence at managing a big club...he proved the England selectors right in being wary of appointing him because of his limited vision of how the game should be played. This is the exact reason why Man U or Arsenal aren't ever going to chase him, and why he's now being considered as 2nd choice to Shearer for a club like Blackburn. This is his level, a small time club, happy to cause a few upsets. Good luck Sam wherever you end up, but stop bleating about Newcastle because you blew it. Don't blame US for other big clubs not giving YOU a chance.

So you don't think it was his fault but you would like to see him go to a premiership rival so they could go backwards? Where did i say 'it wasnt his fault?' I was just trying to bring some balance to the over the top sentiment about the impact he had on the club. Are you going to argue our predicament somehow was his fault? I know a few who will be happy to hear you concede on that argument.... What my analytical brain tells me and what my emotions want are two different things, I'd love him to join another rival and fuck it right up, who wouldnt? It just seemes strange that your post was mostly defending Allardyce, justifiably or not, but then you ended it hoping he'd join another Prem rival because "it'll send them backwards no doubt". Couldn't quite work out where you were coming from there tbh. Personally speaking, I thought whatever the situation before he arrived, he handled the squad very poorly in his time here. I don't really want to hear his whining so he can fuck off and get a job more to his liking.

So you don't think it was his fault but you would like to see him go to a premiership rival so they could go backwards?