Shak

We desperately need another striker. Owen, Martins and one other good option and I'm happy. Smith/Shola as 4th choice isn't ideal, but I suppose it'd do until Viduka is back. If one of them is 3rd choice then we're fucked basically. Another midfielder of some sort would be handy as well like. We have enough in terms of numbers in there, but there's a distinct lack of quality. Could do with a good center half as well, while we're on the subject. I really hope Keegan is bluffing.

He seems to cause himself more problems than the opposition do. No need to try and overplay it so much, just get rid. it's a f***ing friendly ffs, some fan's need to chill out, it's all about fitness not results or performances he's making an observation ffs of course it''s about perfirmances performance's, we had 2nd game of pre season, 1/2 first team out, and now because 1 player made a mistake he want's out Where did anyone say "he wants out", whatever that means? It's a relevant observation. Nobody is panicking, just making a general point about Enrique's game which was highlighted again in today's game.

I know that it's pre-season and the result doesn't matter at all, but it sounds like the kind of thing that generally worries me about Enrique. Hoping he learns from it.

Without the old board around anymore to weave their magic, I think it's certain that doom awaits us.

Be brilliant if they somehow clicked and ended up complimenting each other perfectly.

I see what your getting at but leading by example isnt the only method though, I cant imagine Alex Ferguson or Wenger keeping up with their players. I reckon they'd both be able to keep up with Milner though. At least if they did he wouldn't go off throwing a strop like wonderboy, even though he can apparently do no wrong!

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing"

I'd assumed Guthrie was going to be our DM for the future? Didn't Keegan say something to that effect recently? So I'd imagine he and Butt will be competing for a spot at the start of the season, with the other providing back-up. I think we're fine at DM, but we could definitely do with a quality attack minded central player. As for Milner in the center, I think it could work in a 4-3-3 with a proper DM and a playmaker beside him, allowing Milner to play the box-to-box role. Reckon he'd be useful there, but in a 4-4-2 where he'd be expected to pull the strings for us going forward I can't see him proving a success at all.

I'm fully expecting him to come running up to my window wearing nothing but a pair of white sneakers, armed with a chainsaw, any minute now.

Either way I think adding a LB that we're confident can hold his own in the 1st team is important. The jury is still out on Enrique, and he's the only guy we have capable of playing there at the club. It'd be a shocking risk to just expect that he can be solid for us, as while he's looked half decent in patches he's still a youngster who hasn't really proven he can cut in the Premiership. Last thing we want is N'Zogbia playing back there again. Much as I like him as a winger, he's a liability at left-back.

1 player that has never played in the premier league before won't turn us into a top 6 or 8 side What glorious logic.

Problem though is that Parker is horribly limited in possession. Can't pick a pass to save his life and has an appalling first touch. Comparing him to Rob Lee is absolutely absurd in the extreme. At best he could have been a decent holding midfielder, very good energy about him and well able to tackle and close people down. Lacks a good enough reading of the game to ever be top class in that position, but he good have been pretty decent. Unfortunately either he or Roeder got it into their heads that he could be our box-to-box, driving force playmaker in midfield, which is a truly laughable concept, given his aforementioned fucking uselessness going forward.

Aye, maybe if he wasn't shite he'd have half a case. That said, I'd much rather give him that kind of money than guys like Smith and Duff, wasters. He's on a fantastic wage for a fella his age, with still upwards of 10 years left in his career. He should just get on with it and actually earn a new deal, as I'm not sure what he's done in the last year to deserve a raise.

Not sure really. I'd really have liked us to sign Aimar, as we desperately lack someone of his class on the ball in our squad. And while he does have injury and form issues, for £6m it'd have been a risk well worth taking, as at his best he's a fantastic player. All depends on whether we can bring in someone else I suppose, because we really need a couple of very good players before the transfer window shuts or I can't see next season being all that great for us tbh. Impatient would be the word to best describe me I suppose, as I've no idea what to make of our current boards ambitions going by whats happened so far. We'll know a whole lot more by the end of August.

Can also see him being asked to play in a more coventionally wide role at Madrid, and while he'll do well it's hard to see him getting anywhere near 40 goals again without players like Rooney and Tevez to provide the foundation for it. I'm hoping he goes, it'd be very interesting to see how it pans out as much as anything. I also can't stand the sight of the greasy looking fucker (sorry Jon) so there's that too I suppose. Agree that from a footballing persepctive it's not a good move for Cristiano.

As if someone hasn't just signed up with his username to frame him. Still, ban the wanker anyway I say.

It's another line in the song GM was quoting, nothing sinister I can assure you.

Why? Cos i got told off. I didn't mean to scold you. I was trying (failing though, clearly) to get you to "accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative". You have to remember that Yorkie's a bit of a 'Mister In-Between' though, so don't mess with him.

I broke the dam.

Yeah, the Jonas acquisition really threw a spanner in the works for trying to figure out our system for next year, as he would appear to be an out and out winger from what I've read. As you say, I wouldn't be surprised if Martins leaves, though I really hope he doesn't. Owen and Martins as a duo though, could it work? Only if we assembled a midfield that had the ability to keep the ball on the deck and work it forward without resorting to long balls. Owen can hold the ball up and be the link man, but only as long as he's getting ball into feet. Against weaker opposition, I think it could work. But against sides better than us I'm not so sure. Still, I'd rather we bring in another striker to give us a different option, but also keep hold of Martins and Owen.

Would be a very exciting signing if there's any truth in this, as he's a real class act on his day.

My brother is a Liverpool fan who I think knows his stuff, reckons he's a really good signing for £2m. Best asset is his passing, which we need in the middle of the field. Also quite a confident player, willing to recieve the ball in tight spaces. Loves throwing himself into tackles as well. Lacks the engine to be a really top midfielder, but generally a very solid player who he thinks will keep Barton out of the team even if we hang onto him and he gets back fully fit. So I'm a lot more positive about this signing after talking to him about it, as tbh I'd never really seen enough of Guthrie to form a proper opinion, and had gotten the idea from somewhere that he's a bit of a grafter. But seems he's got a bit more about him than that.

A lot depends on Keegan's plans by the sound of things. As he says he wants to talk to Keegan about things and then he'll have a better idea of what his future is. With pre-season back underway, we should know soon enough. If we're reverting back to a 4-4-2, then I reckon KK will be determined to keep him and should easily be able to talk him into staying. If we're persisting with the 4-3-1-2 then I'm not sure what Keegan's plans for him will be or how many assurnces he can give him. The bumming of Arsenal and Spurs is a bit annoying, but hardly surprising given how moody we know he can be. Still, there's no real logic in selling one of your few young players with a bit of potential simply to make some sort of point.

It's more of a jog with Milner, guy can't run for shit. Or cross for that matter.