Shak

damien duff is a pile of horse shat Nice use of tense. He's been shite, yeah. Was a massive critic of his last year. Doesn't mean he doesn't have pace though, and there's absolutely no reason we shouldn't be hoping he'll be decent for us next year. Allardyce's fitness things could be of gigantic help to Duff, whose always been a player who has looked best when he's fit and sharp. The fact that he got so many games at Chelsea shows he's a useful player, even if purchasing him when we did was a poor move, which is where most of the vitriol cast in his direction arises from.

Drab affair thus far, no pace out wide with Troisi and Pattison down the wings. Geremi solid again, N'Zogbia's wasted in the middle. Think Edgar has been good at the back. Can't see it being long before Huntington or Edgar displace Ramage as 4th choice (assuming we sign 1 more CB, which I expect will be the case) at the back. Ramage is so detremental to any attemps to play football. For a pro footballer it's bizarre how poor he looks on the ball, the other two seem at least assured on the ball. Martins looking the best bet of a goal, if only because we don't look like creating much as a team.

Good ball Geremi, fast becoming a cert to start in CM imo.

Martins playing with his head down a bit there, N'Zogbia could have been in.

Ramage has to be the worst player ever with the ball at his feet. Yet again just bulls it forward and ultimately out of throw while under no pressure whatsoever.

S-S-SETANTA!!

Great corner by Geremi that, could have been a goal with a bit of luck.

Pattison was the only option. Fuck that.

Ramage was a striker when he first joined the academy apparently. Bet that was an awkward conversation.

Harper in no man's land there, at least he didn't fall over this time. Zog through the middle and Pattison on the left, for some reason.

I had Setanta 1 on, sitting here waiting patiently for the match to start.

Lots of regular first team football?

Depends on who else is available though. Not really. £6m for Smith is still a gross waste of money. He's not top class, obviously. But he's vast improvement on the likes of Pattison. Considering we'll likely play 4-3-3 a fair bit next season we'll need extra bodies in the middle. One thing I feel Smith will give us is someone other than Barton who can provide a bit of penetration from midfield. A box-to-box player if you like, who will get beyond the strikers and can contribute goals from midfield. Runners from deep are imperative to stretching a defence. Can also do a job up front and as a DM, which is handy considering our thin squad. It's not the most exciting signing, but it does make sense. He's also nowhere near as bad as most people here seem to think.

Fiver says he crashes his car and injures himself on the journey down, leading West Ham to pull the plug.

Depends on who else is available though.

Hopefully we'll see Kazenga Lua-Lua get a go at some point

Brilliant, keep him away from Spurs ideally. The end of a deeply unpleasant chapter in our club is coming to an end.

Milner's like the slowest winger ever. N'Zogbia and Owen would be our only two players I'd consider pacey, until Duff returns anyway.

People in glass houses... I don't rant on press stories, I rant on truth Aye, but you do seem one of the least chilled out people I've ever encountered, at least online that is.

People in glass houses...

If we sell Martins, it's IMPERATIVE that whoever replaces him has some pace as well. What if Owen gets injured? Viduka, Ameobi and Gudjohnsen as options? Fuck that. Anyway, like Oliver has a clue anyway.

Poorly dodged question, ya big fanboy ya.

Alberto, just a question. First game of the season vs Bolton, would you prefer - We win 3-1, Luque doesn't feature. - We lose 3-2, but Luque plays a blinder and scores both goals. No offence meant at all, just you do seem a tad obsessed.

The squad you idiot. Then why did you say team like? Having said that, it's nowt to get worked up about.

I don't know what people are expecting him to say. Anyone expecting a detailed explanation of what he plns to do in the transfer market is a bit naive/incredibly stupid. He's said he wants to bring in 3 or 4 new players, saying more than that would be foolish. Spot on. I did spell 'plans' wrong, to be fair.