Shak

Good performance, just need to get reset at the half time and come out and get at them again in the second half. Just need to make more of our chances, couple of bad misses with Carroll in particular missing a sitter.

Missing too many fucking chances like, no way we should be losing this.

Fuck sake.

Well, I certainly posted that in the wrong thread didn't I... I am stoned out of it though, to be fair.

Gosling in the few games I've seen him looks like he could be a good player one day, not sure he's ready yet though. Guthrie seems to me like he should be a quality footballer, but he seems to really struggle to assert himself on games like he should. Barton has to be first choice for the more attack-minded CM position for now, he really needs to stay fit this year though and we'll see if he can start playing like he did at City on a regular basis.

Aye, the media are entering their pre deadline frenzy. We need pace up front, Keane has none. He doesn't have pace, but he's more mobile than most of our striking options and his movement is quite good. He'd do very well playing just off Carroll IMO, would be another player who could give us a bit of invention in the final third.

Crucial ligaments are very important.

Reckon the one in the OP is about right, I do think there'll be games where playing Ben Arfa on one of the flanks and letting Nolan play just off Carroll may be a good option though.

Aye that was some craic, you'd just open a new page and more often than not there were those stupid dancing animals somewhere beside the first couple of posts.

You used to be cool, Dave.

Good post. I don't think people are fully upto speed on how talented he is, you can take a Beardsley and x2. The other thing is most French players have an attitude and the example of give of Anelka is a good one. When we discussed him on here back in the day, there were the usual reservations about him, but look at what he has delivered at nearly every club. Did you really just say this lad is twice the player Beardsley was? My mistake I mean potentially. Still a bit much, like.

Good post. I don't think people are fully upto speed on how talented he is, you can take a Beardsley and x2. The other thing is most French players have an attitude and the example of give of Anelka is a good one. When we discussed him on here back in the day, there were the usual reservations about him, but look at what he has delivered at nearly every club. Did you really just say this lad is twice the player Beardsley was?

So happy if this goes through like. Love the options this lad could give us. Could play just off Carroll in a free role, put him in the side instead of Nolan and we'd have a team that could have some real potential on the counter-attack against the better teams. Seems he can play on both of the wings as well, another option if Jonas or Routledge are injured/out of form/in need of a rest. We saw las Sunday that if we can get good possession of the ball in our opponents territory then Carroll and Nolan can be quite an imposing physical pairing up top, having another option on the wing can only be a good thing. Hope he doesn't get injured on his debut like.

Sign Keane and Ben Arfa and we'd stay up absolutely easily.

Will always maintain that he had/has the ability to have been a really good player. Just a lazy player though, never put any effort and as a result he's fucking useless. Talent will only get you so far, unfair really that there are people out there who'd run through walls to play football for a living when players like Shola don't bother their arse. He'll do as a back-up for Carroll for this season though, I suppose.

Fucking delighted, will be a great addition if this comes to fruition. Fair play to those involved, seems they've got their man in the end...

I expect he'll be erratic this year, he should provide enough moments of quality to be worth having in the side though. I'd really love us to have another proper winger in the squad though. Another option for when Jonas or Routledge are struggling. Saylor is pretty desperate, Lovenkrands never does much out wide, Guthrie is no winger... There'll be times when Routledge in particular will need a rest, hopefully we find someone who can replace him without losing what he gives us. Unless Lua Lua starts forcing his way into the reckoning I'm not massively confident we have that player in our squad though.

I'm quite interested to see Lua Lua in action. He's 20 before the end of the year, about time he started to contribute to the first team IYAM. Be nice if he could step up and look like a useful player, because we really need some cover for Jonas and Routledge on the flanks.

I'll be worried if we don't get someone in tbh. If Ben Arfa doesn't happen then someone like SWP would make a lot of sense. Can provide another option on the wing aside from Jonas and Routledge, and also play in a more advanced position if necessary. Ideally we'd get two players, one for each role, but getting one is essential or we'll struggle IMO.

Not that arsed, he's a decent player but I don't think he's got the brains to ever be much better than he is now. If we bring in someone with the money then I'd be happy to see the back of him.

Congrats on the bairn btw Chez, wasn't aware of that until just now.

Would be a new low if we couldn't afford Hughton's wage demands. Anyway, we'd be daft to give him a new contract yet in any case.

SWP would be a good addition. We need cover for the wings, and another option to play just off Carroll. In particular we need someone with a bit of pace. SWP would provide all of these things, and he strikes me as the kind of player who needs a manager that would put an arm around his shoulder and encourage him. Seems a player who has just been lost in the shuffle everywhere he's gone since he first went to Chelsea, think he'd do well for us.

Surprised people are losing interest in this one. You can pretty much guarantee we won't be signing an alternative that's anywhere near as exciting a talent as this guy, and as great as Sunday's result and performance was we still desperately need someone like this to be brought or it's going to be a very tough season. Reckon it'll be a deadline day signing if we do get him though, no real reason for Marseille to accept our offer before then.

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