Shak

Every new place it shows up is encouraging though, no sign of a denial or anything from us so it's looking good.

They're worth more than that, surely?

It'd be strangely satisfying to see him rot in the reserves, on the bright side. Of course I'd rather we just got rid and got some money, but the thought of him being buried at the bottom of our squad and wasted away the next two years does appeal to me on some level.

Be shocked if we're after this Enrique and Baines, it'll be one or the other surely? Both seem very similiar, good young prospects at LB. I'm not much of a fan of rotation when it comes to your defence so I'd prefer we just chose one and went with him. We'll have Dragutinovic for depth, hopefully, and then Babayaro as 3rd choice. As for playing Enrique on the left of midfield, don't see that happening. Firstly, we'll probably play 4-3-3 a fair bit next year. Secondly, we have N'Zogbia and eventually Duff to play hat role. Milner as well is an option. Spend the money on a similiar RB instead, we'd be fucking laughing then.

Reckon if we sign Dargutinovic and Enrique then we're pretty much set. Whether they'll be good enough we don't know, but it'll be decent depth and cause to be optimistic. LB : Enrique/Dragutinovic, Babayaro CB: Taylor, Rozenhal, Capaca, Dragutinovic, Huntington/Edgar/Ramage RB: Carr, Geremi/Solano Definitely something to be said for going after a new RB, if there's more money. Get someone very good in and have Carr back him up. That leaves Geremi and Solano to play in midfield more, which will be to our benefit. We'd also be looking at having a pretty deep squad.

IT'S ON!!!

Aye, easy for the FA to come down hard on a team that isn't loaded with fresh new Premiership money.

Perhaps tomorrow will be a really shit day, to counteract today's events. Shame about Owen, if we can get Viduka going then him and Martins should be fine to start the season with. Smith signing making more and more sense now, as you expect Allardyce has known about this for a while. Smith will offer another option up front, as well as being able to play midfield as well as up front if and when we get Owen back.

Anyone think West Ham are going to become the most disliked mid-table club in the country? The whole Tevez thing stank, they should have been relegated, and now they're gonna be throwing money about when they should be in the Championship. Add to that a team with Bellamy, Bowyer, Dyer, Lucas Neill and Anton Ferdinand and I don't see how you can't just hate the cunts.

We could probably get more out of them, West Ham are throwing money about. Given that he wants to leave, and it's Kieron Dyer, I wouldn't mind just getting him peddled now we can afford to do so, and just get on with our lives.

Got a couple of friends who are Leeds fans, got to feel sorry for them. Never like seeing big teams fall like that. I'd prefer to have teams like Leeds in the Premiership, or at least be a strong side in the Championship, than not. Adds a bit of something to have rivalries in the league, Leeds vs Man U games were always decent. Begs a question Would people prefer to see the Mackems fall down into League 2 than be like they are now?

You can come over but, you're not getting in. And how do you intend to stop me, old man?

Have you ever seen Newcastle win? No, never even seen us get a point. Maybe I'm sitting with the wrong people...

I'll be at the Villa game. I'll let you lot know how it compares to my trips over last season, which were drab to say the least.

Any transfer news like this seems to bring out this strange brain fuzz in people, when they seem to lose all logical sense and thought. "I don't know him, never seem him play, but it's a great signing, etc..." It's not my job to identify players abroad that I feel could benefit our team both in the short and long term. It is Sam Allardyce's job, however, and I'm willing to trust his judgement. If we were only signing players I'd heard of and seen in action plenty then I'd be a little worried as it would imply that our manager doesn't really know a whole lot more about footballers than me, which as manager of the club I'd expect him to. Is this guy a sure thing? No, far from it. But nobody we sign is. He's young and seems very highly rated by pretty much everyone who's able to from a proper opinion on him. Also a fairly big fella who will add some much needed height to our team as well as being an apparently solid ball player. So you'll have to forgive my brain fuzz on this one.

Brilliant news. Not seen him play a great deal if I'm being honest, but he's young and very highly rated in Spain and is a LEFT BACK~! that we'll be hoping becomes a staple of our back 4 for years to come. Delighted.

Good point. If he's a free agent and he's so good, how has it taken him until August to find a club? Genuine question. Viduka and Geremi were snapped up in no time when clubs found they were available. Hard to say. My bet is that he was waiting for a really big club to come in, and now sees that it's not going to happen and we're as good an option as he can expect. Or wage demands perhaps? Maybe he's just shit though, as I'm sure someone will soon suggest.

we paid £5m for Barton not 6 You really don't think Barton is good enough for our first team? both moraly and talent wise, hell no! who else wanted him? Everton wasn't it? West Ham I believe, though that doesn't strengthen my case at all to be fair. Morally perhaps, but in terms of talent he's streets ahead of the other CM's at the club. who was at the club shouldn't come into it. As Mortdyce said, we're looking to sign european football quality first teamers Probably should, to be fair. If we had Gerrard or someone that good at the club I wouldn't want Barton, but we don't and I'm struggling to think of many players we could have attracted better than Barton for the price paid. And Barton has never played European football as far as I know, so it's not like he's failed at that level or anything. Ignoring my proposition for a wager I see?

we paid £5m for Barton not 6 You really don't think Barton is good enough for our first team? both moraly and talent wise, hell no! who else wanted him? Everton wasn't it? West Ham I believe, though that doesn't strengthen my case at all to be fair. Morally perhaps, but in terms of talent he's streets ahead of the other CM's at the club.

Fancy a wager like?

we paid £5m for Barton not 6 You really don't think Barton is good enough for our first team?

Innit. Is he winging or in the centre then? Been in the middle, not at much. Reckon he could be a good player there, ultimately, but it's a waste.

N'ZOGBIA IS A WINGER!!

For those not watching, he was running down the wing with the ball and he basically just gradually lost balance and ended up falling on his face.

Pattison