Offshore

Or Bent's transfer to Spurs in jeopardy..... oops, thats in regards to Owen/Martins leaving....don't really see Owen as an Arsenal type player tbh

They have as much need for a 50,000 stadium as Boro do

Yup, i'm along those lines....... If either of them was called up in the near future and got a start in a 'meaningful match' i'd be more than a bit worried. Don't mind them being called up for 'experience' but neither are ready..............yet

Football stars taking drugs is a bigger story/bust than a so-called drug baron.......if he had any proof he'd have shopped them.

Good coaching should keep him progressing and I think we've finally got the right man to do that.

He must be trying to get back in the game (again).

Wouldn't quite put Gibson in the same category as Fred - Boro fans would be quite sad if he left...... but I can see him becoming more and more disallutioned being chairman of a small tiddler in an increasingly growing big pond.

I only have one smoggie mate luckily and he said the same thing, doesnt see how they are going to compete well in the prem with the squad they have and the big fear is fewer season ticket renewels and even lower attendances. Great they kept woodgate and they have one of two very good players but I see them needing big improvement and Aliadiere does not seem to answer much . In regards to Gibson, some are wondering if his heart is as much in it now with his divorce looming....

The few Boro fans I know at work are cacking themselves about next season.

If the season kicked off next saturday...... Derby, Wigan and either Man City / Boro.

Considering all we can offer any player this season is a good wage - i'd say we did about as well as we could.

Did opal mints become pacers?

Spot on. What's the point if nobody uses the name? Waste of time and effort. Worked for the Snickers bar....

Don't think we've got any stand-out candidates for team captain. Given - not a fan of goalie captains, feels more of a honorary appointment than a tactical one. Solano - nice guy but not sure if he's gonna be a regular Butt - right credentials; experience and position, but is a virtual mute on the pitch Any forward - no. Taylor - too young. Barton - if pushed to have to pick one of the present squad, i'd be tempted to give it to him, could be the making of the him or equally send him completely mental. I'd say our next seasons regular team captain hasn't yet signed, and i'll wager a guinea on it being the expected experienced centre half.

Wasted opportunity for a win. Pearce has as much vision to change his system (up and at 'em lads!!) as Roeder did! Lita.....knob Lucky to get anything by the end. Still think they'll beat Serbia and go through to meet Holland though!!

For one, West Ham won't let Ashton go, they don't have to, they've got oodles of cash and are happy spending it. Anyway, the longer he's been out the more his value seems to go up - should be the other way around to me. For two, with the will he/won't he Owen saga showing no immediate sign of being sorted, I don't think we can afford to let Martins go at least until little Michael deems us worthy of letting us know what his plans are. For three, 'IF' wor Mickey stays then we've got a fair few canny options for the forward line, time to concentrate on getting the defense strengthened. (which we're all alot more confident of happening this time around)

Simply cannot agree with that comment - the team we had on the pitch, irrespective of whether or not it should have been strengthened, should certainly have been sufficient to beat Partizan Belgrade. One theory is that Shepherd waited for the result of that match before committing funds to the strengthening of the squad, and it is a position with some merit. It's the only sensible way to operate. You can't spend 15m you don't have and expect to get away with it. We bought Alonso and Kuyt with the CL money, once we'd qualified for the group stage. Is this why the Chairman was right to spend 17m on Owen, but also right NOT to support his manager prior to a CL Qualifying campaign....!!?? Owen was to be Shearer's replacement. and as said, the team we had at the time should have been more than adequate to get through the qualifiers. Owen NOTHING like Shearer - purely a chance taker, would never be able to hold the ball as Al did. The story that he was Shearer's replacement is nonsense - Shearer's Replacement should have been Ashton, with a player like Owen playing off him. Also, saying the existing squad was good enough for Qualifiers is just arrogance - it WASN'T - FACT. You can never take anything for granted in Football - we lost on Pens at HOME - enough said. The fact that Owen is not the same type of player as Shearer is neither here nor there......he was bought as Shearer's replacement, I agree you can't take anything for granted in football, but the squad we did have then 'should' have been more than capable to not go out at home to Partizan. That is not arrogance, it is widely held opinion.

It was there to be won last night, they know that and it'll hurt...........should have gone two up front before half-time when they had AC pinned. Pennent is no great shake but he had their left-back everytime, shame he can't cross properly. Still a cracking manager though.

Simply cannot agree with that comment - the team we had on the pitch, irrespective of whether or not it should have been strengthened, should certainly have been sufficient to beat Partizan Belgrade. One theory is that Shepherd waited for the result of that match before committing funds to the strengthening of the squad, and it is a position with some merit. It's the only sensible way to operate. You can't spend 15m you don't have and expect to get away with it. We bought Alonso and Kuyt with the CL money, once we'd qualified for the group stage. Is this why the Chairman was right to spend 17m on Owen, but also right NOT to support his manager prior to a CL Qualifying campaign....!!?? Owen was to be Shearer's replacement. and as said, the team we had at the time should have been more than adequate to get through the qualifiers.

Short term yes but only if we were really in the shit group-wise (which we're not, yet) but long term ie for the actual euro championships no.

want...Liverpool Think...Milan

Yup, good player in portugal and had his moments here, but definately not cut out for the physical side of the premiership.

Fair point, but I don't think a change of manager would sort this one out, I just think he's in the wrong league, if you like when we bought Hugo Viana - good player but wrong league..... Which is Hugo Viana's right league? He hasn't exactly 'pulled up any trees' in the Premiership or La Liga. Well it certainly isn't this one, which is the point I was making........

Why would they be desperate to give up their trophys to be thrashed every week by the worlds elite? Maybe to join the Premiership yes but there's no chance of a european league ever working, they tried to leave two years ago if I remember rightly over TV money and all the other clubs in Scotland just said 'right f*** off then' and the old firm backed down. They wanted a bigger share of the tv deal as they know that they are the only major draw. It's money, prestige and to be in a decent league that they want, if a super league ever did come about they'd fight like hell to get in. They could probably field their reserve teams in the SPL and still be competitive.

Fair point, but I don't think a change of manager would sort this one out, I just think he's in the wrong league, if you like when we bought Hugo Viana - good player but wrong league.....