Martin Lol

............ and expensive! Rumoured to going to Inter Milan in the summer for €15m. Wenger wanted him but was offereing something £4m if my memory serves me correctly..

I know, that's why i said "or developing, at least" get them in, work on them. He's still miles from any sort of finished product, and very young, but we can make him better. He may be very raw but, as you say, he is still very young. I've seem him play maybe half a dozen times, mainly with the England kids and always looked to be one of the brighter sparks in the team. I know we were trying to get him as well but we got our own back when Spurs signed Dean Parrett, who was very much on your radar. It's all well and good having a successful Academy but there also has to be the desire to promote from the youth/development squads rather than go out and spend another couple of million on another Johnny Foreigner. Spurs traditionally have (though what they have brought through has been generally poor), Villa have and obviously the scum up the road, but generally speaking, I think there is a tendency to look abroad , presumably in the search for instant results. Anyway, I should be having a look at your kids next week as they visit us tomorrow week. It should be a good game, it was good in Brum earlier in the season when we lost 2-1. I never got to go in the end (never went to Derby either) but Spurs got revenge winning 2-1 in a cracking game by all accounts. Villa were by far the better in the first half, but by the end Spurs were good value for the win, making it 9 successive wins and 13 out of 15 going back to the beginning of October. A lot of credit is going to Alex Inglethorpe who is Head Coach for the Academy, though Comolli ought to get some recognition for giving him the quality of players to work with. Perhaps more pleasing is that we've got 2 players who'll be joining the first year of the Academy who had been destined to join the scum up the road but didn't think they would have a great future there as they're English! Spurs have got Port Vale on Wednesday in the Youth Cup, Chelsea await the winners in the semi-final. I'm hoping for a Spurs/Villa final, they would be well matched. Got to get past Port Vale first though!! Port Vale 1 Spurs 0 ............................ FFS though I did half guess that! Inglethorpe out. Youth Cup doesnt mean owt....only YC game Ive been to best player on the pitch was Boro reject Andrew Davies...and thats only cos he was the biggest/strongest and won everything in the air. Dont think football at that level is a results business at all when games can be swung on a physical factor that just isnt there when the same kids play against grown men. Success at youth level is measured in graduates, not sales or tin pots.... That said....COYB. Got Plymouth in the Quarter final. Tallest, strongest, fastest will always have an advantage due to age but skill and technical ability you hope will prevail irrespective of age. About half of the Spurs group would be eligible to play again next year, but for most their progress by that time will be in Spurs' development squad (reserves to most clubs but that's what Spurs call them) or elsewhere having been shipped out.

Agree with what you say but I think Roeder would have alright given time if he had been given a) a transfer pot when it was obvious that he needed one and b) a DoF to have bought the players. Roeder's ability was getting the players he had to play, not deciding who should be bought to be added to the squad. It's all water under the bridge now but I wish him well. TBH, I can't see Keegan's appointment being any more successful than Roeder's.

How's the Livorno keeper Amelia doing? He would have been Robinson's replacement if there had been more time before the window shut, reputed to be all sorted for the summer. I've never seen him play (or I don't remember him) so I'm hoping we're not going going from the frying pan to the fire! He pulled off one excellent save when it was 1-1, Milan have battered them for most of the game but without Kaka and Seedorf they've struggled to break them down in the box, Livorno have had everyone behind the ball most of the match. Reputedly will cost £8m, roughly the same as Craig Gordon who by coincidence is the same age. Can't say I'm too impressed with Gordon, would you reckon Amelia represents better value? The more I hear, the more I think Robinson will never play for Spurs again so a sound keeper is a priority.

Seeing as NE5 seems to be absent I will make his point on behalf of him: you don´t get in the top 15 of financial powerhouses in world football by being mismanaged. Now if only it could translate to some decent results on the pitch.. That's why we are seen as a big club by some. Truth is if someone like citeh, villa or the spuds take on what we've gone through they'd sink. Fanbase and mainly gate receipts keeps this club in the zombie like state its been in for years. The catch is ever present in the shell of a club we call our own. Villa are the one team that under Ellis were financially well run off the pitch although that seemed to be to the detriment of the onfield activities at times. Man City have had there tough times before Taksin bought it, Spurs would have gone to the wall if Sir Alan Sugar hadn't bought the club when he did. City and Spurs didn't sink, I don't expect Newcastle to either.

I know, that's why i said "or developing, at least" get them in, work on them. He's still miles from any sort of finished product, and very young, but we can make him better. He may be very raw but, as you say, he is still very young. I've seem him play maybe half a dozen times, mainly with the England kids and always looked to be one of the brighter sparks in the team. I know we were trying to get him as well but we got our own back when Spurs signed Dean Parrett, who was very much on your radar. It's all well and good having a successful Academy but there also has to be the desire to promote from the youth/development squads rather than go out and spend another couple of million on another Johnny Foreigner. Spurs traditionally have (though what they have brought through has been generally poor), Villa have and obviously the scum up the road, but generally speaking, I think there is a tendency to look abroad , presumably in the search for instant results. Anyway, I should be having a look at your kids next week as they visit us tomorrow week. It should be a good game, it was good in Brum earlier in the season when we lost 2-1. I never got to go in the end (never went to Derby either) but Spurs got revenge winning 2-1 in a cracking game by all accounts. Villa were by far the better in the first half, but by the end Spurs were good value for the win, making it 9 successive wins and 13 out of 15 going back to the beginning of October. A lot of credit is going to Alex Inglethorpe who is Head Coach for the Academy, though Comolli ought to get some recognition for giving him the quality of players to work with. Perhaps more pleasing is that we've got 2 players who'll be joining the first year of the Academy who had been destined to join the scum up the road but didn't think they would have a great future there as they're English! Spurs have got Port Vale on Wednesday in the Youth Cup, Chelsea await the winners in the semi-final. I'm hoping for a Spurs/Villa final, they would be well matched. Got to get past Port Vale first though!! Port Vale 1 Spurs 0 ............................ FFS though I did half guess that! Inglethorpe out.

How's the Livorno keeper Amelia doing? He would have been Robinson's replacement if there had been more time before the window shut, reputed to be all sorted for the summer. I've never seen him play (or I don't remember him) so I'm hoping we're not going going from the frying pan to the fire!

I like this! I'd rather have bridge than Shorey but the rest is good, and quite realistic. I'd also add Bentley to the list. Leave Wes Brown alone. He's not good enough YaYa Toure realistic?? Hudd is very happy and Ramos rates him highly now that he's light enough to move about a bit. Don't imagine he will be on the move anytime soon.

But a couple of years ago, when you say he would have been pissed off then, he was superb. Maybe he's pissed off the way it's going now, but the Given of now compared to the Given of 2 years ago is like chalk and cheese.

Wasn't Allardyce (Pro-Zone, heart monitors and all) meant to be the dog's swingers at getting players fit though? Obviously not. I'm assuming you agree on the fitness factor, from that. The question is then, how long will it take us to get fitness to a level that lets us compete in the second half? Seems crazy to think of professional athletes not being able to run around for more than 45mins, no? Seem to remember a Spurs player (Jenas maybe?) saying that their fitness levels have improved under Ramos, so maybe our overall player fitness levels aren't what they could be, that coupled with all our other problems - confidence, midfield, tactics etc all contribute to poor performances. Most of the team have been saying it because they are all seeing the benefit of change of diet, far more intense training than before etc and that only breeds confidence. Huddlestone lost 22lb, Malbranque (who always faded after an hour) 12lb, even Jenas lost 6lb. Newcastle's recent record of conceding second half goals is very similar to Spurs this season prior to Ramos coming in. Ramos has shown that it can be quickly turned around, whether Keegan can do the same I don't know. I'm not totally convinced tbh.

I'd be amazed if Taylor was jogged on, there would be a lot of clubs interested in taking him on.

They won't have a choice if they go down, £8m relegation release clause sees to that. Would be great to take him off them, i reckon he'd be up for the move if offered. If they do get relegated I think there will be a fair few clubs interested in taking him on board. That said, I don't see Sunderland going down tbh.

But the problem isn't about ability, it's about confidence. Given is a shadow of the keeper he was 2 years ago at an age he should be at his peak. Spurs have had a similar problem with Robinson giving up goals, costing points. Cerny isn't as good as Robinson but his confidence is intact and so he seems better. That, I think, is the same scenario with Given and Harper, Given is the better keeper but Harper is the man with the confidence. I'd go with Harper for the rest of the season, pull Given out of the firing line and see if he can get his confidence restored in training. If the confidence returns, fine. If not, time for Harper with Krul as #2, or a new keeper coming in perhaps?

Poulsen was top of Ramos' wishlist for the window just closed. Seems he's destined for a move to Barca in the summer.

:clap: I fear that your voice of reason will be drowned out by the clamour for kneejerk reaction, but it doesn't stop your contribution being one of the most sensible I've seen here for quite a while.

I wasn't so much commenting on RM's interest as much as the scout who recommended Fletcher to them. If Vetere thinks he could be good enough for Real, I would think Fletcher could be seen as a potential target for Newcastle. Along with Celtic, Rangers and Blackburn as mentioned in the article.

I'd be very surprised if the Hibs striker wasn't on your radar Real Madrid Swoop For Hibs Ace Steven Fletcher Feb 10 2008 By Scott Mcdermott Exclusive Madrid On Trail Of Hibs Striker REAL MADRID are planning a sensational s4million swoop for Hibs striker Steven Fletcher. Incredibly, the Spanish giants rate the 20-year-old as one of the 10 hottest prospects in European football. MailSport understands the La Liga title holders have already watched the Scotland Under-21 star at least twice and will visit Easter Road again before the end of the season. Real's former super scout Jeff Vetere, who joined Newcastle United last week, was so impressed by Fletcher he sent glowing reports to Bernabeu sporting director Predrag Mijatovic. The Spanish champs arranged to watch the youngster last week in Portugal at the Vale Do Tejo tournament but he pulled out of Billy Stark's Under-21 squad through injury. Real have a global scouting network but MailSport can reveal Fletcher has passed the first stage of their recruitment policy and is now on a 10-man list of young targets. Madrid's director of youth football Miguel Angel Portugal will assess the Hibs hitman again before making a final decision. And he would have been impressed yesterday had he seen Fletcher come close to scoring with a spectacular overhead kick in the televised 1-1 against Dundee United. A Bernabeu source said last night: "It's true Fletcher is in the second phase now. We will watch him again before making a definite decision." Real scouting chief Julen Lopetegui, who received the first reports, added: "He is now one of 10 young players we are watching across Europe. It's a complicated process and we know it will be a hard choice." Fletcher's cause has been helped by input from Spain's Under-20 coach Juan Santisteban and Under-21 gaffer Inaki Saez. Saez is a huge fan after watching Fletch help Scotland reach the final at the Under-19 European Championships in Poland two years ago. Spain beat the young Scots in the final and Saez was also impressed by Fletcher at the Under-20 World Cup in Canada last summer. He said: "During the last couple of years the level of young players in Scotland has increased. "Fletcher is proof of it. He has a big future and I can't understand why he isn't playing for Celtic or Rangers." Sky Sports Spanish pundit Guillem Balague reckons Real value the Easter Road starlet at around s4m. He said: "I know the scout who watched Fletcher and he sent favourable reports to Mijatovic." Fletcher signed a new five-year deal at Hibs in December, making him the club's highest-paid player. The Old Firm and Blackburn Rovers have also been linked with the hitman who has scored 34 times in 133 appearances. And Fletch proved his worth last season when he bagged a double in the 5-1 CIS Cup Final thumping of Kilmarnock. http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/scottish-football/spl/hibernian-fc/2008/02/10/real-madrid-swoop-for-hibs-ace-steven-fletcher-78057-20315051/

I know, that's why i said "or developing, at least" get them in, work on them. He's still miles from any sort of finished product, and very young, but we can make him better. He may be very raw but, as you say, he is still very young. I've seem him play maybe half a dozen times, mainly with the England kids and always looked to be one of the brighter sparks in the team. I know we were trying to get him as well but we got our own back when Spurs signed Dean Parrett, who was very much on your radar. It's all well and good having a successful Academy but there also has to be the desire to promote from the youth/development squads rather than go out and spend another couple of million on another Johnny Foreigner. Spurs traditionally have (though what they have brought through has been generally poor), Villa have and obviously the scum up the road, but generally speaking, I think there is a tendency to look abroad , presumably in the search for instant results. Anyway, I should be having a look at your kids next week as they visit us tomorrow week. It should be a good game, it was good in Brum earlier in the season when we lost 2-1. I never got to go in the end (never went to Derby either) but Spurs got revenge winning 2-1 in a cracking game by all accounts. Villa were by far the better in the first half, but by the end Spurs were good value for the win, making it 9 successive wins and 13 out of 15 going back to the beginning of October. A lot of credit is going to Alex Inglethorpe who is Head Coach for the Academy, though Comolli ought to get some recognition for giving him the quality of players to work with. Perhaps more pleasing is that we've got 2 players who'll be joining the first year of the Academy who had been destined to join the scum up the road but didn't think they would have a great future there as they're English! Spurs have got Port Vale on Wednesday in the Youth Cup, Chelsea await the winners in the semi-final. I'm hoping for a Spurs/Villa final, they would be well matched. Got to get past Port Vale first though!!

He has an opinion but has got no say in the decision making, he's an employee of the men that really matter, nothing more.

.....Sorry, what? PS. Great news. But the modern game has made a cynic of me and I'm wondering if he's got any clauses. An agent stipulating clauses going into a contract?? I wouldn't have thought so, never been done before!!

I might have got the wrong end of the stick but am I right in thinking that the suggestion is for the 10 matches to be played in 5 cities with the cities bidding for a package of 2 matches, one a Man Utd v Newcastle type and the other a Fulham v Reading type, with all matches being played on the same weekend in January? Yes, the proposal is driven by the success of the NFL game at Wembley and is designed basically to generate more money. But if each club is being guaranteed £5m, that cannot be a bad thing for the game in general and the clubs in particular. Of course it would have to be properly assessed and there is also FIFA who have to be convinced, but I'm prepared to give the concept a cautious thumbs up. It needs a lot of detailed investigation and may not happen in the fullness of time, but the PL are trying to make the product stronger and if, for only that reason, I don't think it should be dismissed out of hand.

Most of the major other European leagues have 7 subs to choose from, the same in European competition. Nothing more than falling into line with the rest tbh. About time too.

You would have got one if he'd played for Man Utd. A minute's applause would be appropriate for Milburn, to celebrate his life and what he achieved. A minute's silence at Old Trafford is the right thing to do, to remember all 23 who died, not just to celebrate the lives of a select few. Not much chance of the minute's silence being observed though. In fact, none at all imho.

Rules are always different for Man Utd. Man Utd can do what they want and everyone has to agree with that. It's the law.