Shak

Well if some pundits think he's overrated then he must be like.

Ibrahimovic would be absolutely devestating in a team that has lots of clever, pacey players making runs into the box to feed off him. He's a beast playing with his back to goal. In a sense he's wasted at Inter, who aren't a very mobile team by any means. Would be a great signing for Barca, leading the line with Messi, Bojan and Iniesta all playing off him.

I could see Ferguson trying to turn Hargreaves into a right back tbh. Not sure he has the class on the ball that Man U want in their CM's, reckon that's part of the reason he didn't get that many games this season. Whenever he's played RB that I've seen him though he's looked immense. Fabulous engine, great crosser of the ball and defensively very sound. Iniesta hardly had a kick over two legs against him on that side. Obviously there's a few subtleties to the position he'd need to learn, but the qualities are there IMO.

I think it'll be difficult persuading Owen to stay, regardless of who's in charge of the negotiations. We all know what he did to Liverpool, and in all honesty I think he's a snakey little fucker who'll wait to see every option available to him before he seriously considers signing any extension with us. Time will tell I suppose, but I think you're being a bit harsh expecting the board to have sorted his extension by now, knowing what Owen is like.

Watched some when I was out there working last year. It really is at a shocking level. It would struggle to be considered any better than non-league football over here... Hardly a surprise though, is it, considering that over there "soccer" is for the kids that aren't good enough to play American Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey or any other number of sports. As someone who watches a fair bit of NFL, I can tell you that the NFL Europe was a dreadful quality of American Football too.

If I hadn't met him in person, I'd swear Jon was actually David O'Leary.

You forgot N'Zogbia. (If N'Zogbia leaves, keep Milner. Fair enough.) I don't know, I wasn't sure whether another attacking midfielder or a striker was the best way to go. I suppose someone who plays very advanced and has a bit of pace about him would be for the best, in case of injury to Martins. Butt New DM N'Zogbia Barton Geremi Quality Creative Midfielder Owen Martins Viduka New Target Man Type CF Pacey Striker Carroll See, Milner = Victory~!

I'd assumed we were peddling them anyway, be gutted if they stay. I dunno, ideally I'd sell all three along with Emre I suppose and bring in a DM, a quality creative midfielder type, a big center-forward type and another attack minded midfielder. As I've said before I don't think our squad depth is all that horrendous at all, we just lack quality.

Depends on our scouting system and who Keegan wants to target I suppose. 5 or 6 million if spent correctly can give us a player who can be valuable part of our first team, which I just don't think Milner ever will be. I'd rather we took the chance on someone else because, while there are no gaurantees a new signing will make a bigger impact and be a first team player, I think you have to try and get better rather than just accept your lot.

I meant ready to challenge to be a first-choice player btw. Hopefully he'll start getting in and around the first team squad and getting a few first team appearances, likely as a sub, towards the end of this coming season, but anything more is extremely unlikely you would have to think.

Yeah but the massive difference is that Martins can offer us something of significance on the pitch. Can Milner? Duff and Smith have no baggage, model pros by all accounts. But they need to be sold on, because they're rubbish (Milner is better than both of them, admittedly). The problem with keeping him as back-up for this year and looking to move him next summer is that his price tag invariably figures to drop if he's sitting on the bench most of the year. So, barring he actually comes in and does well, now is the time to sell him on, while we can hopefully get a nice fee for him. As Baggio says, our depth isn't all that bad really, it's just a lack of real quality that is the problem moreso.

Not 18 until December so I don't think we can put off buying a midfielder by any means. Hopefully he'll be ready to challenge for the first team in a couple of years, only seen him in a couple of sub appearances but he's looked like one with potential anyway. Hopefully he'll be around the fringes of the first team this year, would be nice to have a homegrown prospect coming through.

Difference I see there is that Milner seems to have some value in terms of a sale, something that can't be said about any of our other midfielders. Other than N'Zogbia, and I'd sell Milner long before Zoggy. If we're going with 4-3-3, as I would hope we will, we've got Barton, Geremi, Butt and N'Zogbia that will be here and looking to fight for a place. I think it's a given that we'll be looking to bring in a creative midfielder, hence the Modric bid. If we could do that and then spend whatever we sell Milner for on a long-term DM then that would be for the best, surely? Butt/ New Guy to compete at DM with Zoggy, Barton, Geremi and hopefully a really quality CM competing for 2 spots either side of him. Agreed, but in reality I'd accept anything over £6m once things get going. It's nothing like selling Martins to be fair though Geej. Martins has some attributes that, if harnessed correctly, could make him a very good player ultimately. Milner, solid as he may be, doesn't have any stand out thing that he really excels at, and it's impossible to imagine that he ever will. Shooting, perhaps, but that's about it.

How shit is the Cardiff keeper btw?

How many would you say represent good value? Aye, and before you answer please take into consideration: £250,000 – N’Zogbia to Newcastle £500,000 – Chimbonda to Wigan £12.24m – Ronaldo to Man United That's ridiculous. You've basically taken 3 of the best value for money transfers of recent times and are using them as a point of reference. The best three? Rubbish. There are plenty of bargains around. £3m – Adebayor to Arsenal £5m – Lescott to Everton Free – Aurélio to Liverpool £8m – Anelka to Bolton £4m – Muamba to Brum £4.7m – Petrov to City £3.5m - Santa Cruz to Blackburn How much did Blackburn pay for Bentley? Spurs have pissed a load of money away… I know, a bit rich coming from a Newcastle fan, but we at least acknowledge our bad business. http://www.uk.pg.com/images/bold_logo.gif They've made some signings that maybe haven't worked out, but nobody gets it right every time. It's a very tough business trying to find value for money every single time, nobody manages it. Of the players above you have to fancy that if they sold them all on they'd get close to their money back, so it's hardly that bad a showing at all is it? They'd lose money on all but Berbatov, Steed, Woodgate (depending on fitness), and possibly Bale (too early to tell). Hutton, Zokora, Kaboul, Boateng, and Bent they've paid well over the odds for. I'd wager that the profit on Berbatov would offset the small losses they'd admittedly make on some of the others. But, overall, it's a solid return all things considered. Anyway, this defending Spurs business I'm engaging in is hurting my heart, so I'll cease from here on.

Was hardly a sitter tbh, he was off balance from all the brilliant jinking to get by the keeper. Still, he'll be disappointed obviously. Good game so far.

You'd not have anyone from Chelsea then? Think that Drogba fella looks like a handful, personally.

We've enough defenders anyway.

How many would you say represent good value? Aye, and before you answer please take into consideration: £250,000 – N’Zogbia to Newcastle £500,000 – Chimbonda to Wigan £12.24m – Ronaldo to Man United That's ridiculous. You've basically taken 3 of the best value for money transfers of recent times and are using them as a point of reference. The best three? Rubbish. There are plenty of bargains around. £3m – Adebayor to Arsenal £5m – Lescott to Everton Free – Aurélio to Liverpool £8m – Anelka to Bolton £4m – Muamba to Brum £4.7m – Petrov to City £3.5m - Santa Cruz to Blackburn How much did Blackburn pay for Bentley? Spurs have pissed a load of money away… I know, a bit rich coming from a Newcastle fan, but we at least acknowledge our bad business. http://www.uk.pg.com/images/bold_logo.gif They've made some signings that maybe haven't worked out, but nobody gets it right every time. It's a very tough business trying to find value for money every single time, nobody manages it. Of the players above you have to fancy that if they sold them all on they'd get close to their money back, so it's hardly that bad a showing at all is it?

How many would you say represent good value? Aye, and before you answer please take into consideration: £250,000 – N’Zogbia to Newcastle £500,000 – Chimbonda to Wigan £12.24m – Ronaldo to Man United That's ridiculous. You've basically taken 3 of the best value for money transfers of recent times and are using them as a point of reference. Off the list. Berbatove, Malbranque and Woodgate are fantastic value for money. Bale and Hutton are too soon to tell, both look promising prospects though. Boateng I've not seen much of, but he's only just turned 21 and is hardly already to be considered a flop now is he? Zakora and Bent they overpaid for, though Bent is still a very good player IMO. Kaboul is the only out and out poor signing as far as I can see. Hardly a disaster now is it?

Depends on whether we're going with 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 though, innit? I'm just hoping we're going with 4-3-3 tbh.

Yeah but that said I reckon Milner is one of our most saleable players, and getting in £5-7m for a player that (now this is only my opinion Jon and I hope we can still be friends after I say it ) will never be more than a passable squad man may not exactly be bad business by any means. Geremi and Butt have little or no sale value, and nobody will be mad enough to take Barton off our hands you would think. So that's 3 guys I can't see going anywhere. If N'Zogbia really does want to stay then I'm happy to see Milner move on to be fair, that is if Keegan wants to keep his 4-3-3 system of course. Get someone really quality in to play Geremi's role, and a young DM to compete with and ultimately succeed Nicky Butt. Then Barton and N'Zogbia fight it out for the other spot in midfield with the loser, Geremi and Butt/Young DM providing the cover. Hopefully Kazenga Lua-Lua can start getting a sniff around the first team in the next couple of years too.

I can see the point about squad depth, and I've thought for a while that his best position might be through the middle, so Geremi's role in the 4-3-3 might suit him. But honestly, he's just another grafter in a midfield group that's desperately screaming out for someone with a bit of class on the ball. N'Zogbia is the only midfielder we have that is capable of producing something special, and that's with his dribbling rather than anything he can do picking out a pass. We desperately need a playmaker, and if selling Milner helps us get one in then I'm all for it. That said, ideally we'd keep him and get ourselves a playmaker as well.