Ashley17

Benjamin playing? He is, only been watching from 85ish minutes onwards but doesn't seem like I've missed much. See if he takes a pen

Watching the French Charity Shield on Liverpool TV(!?), about to go to pens

Liverpool TV is, if you have it of course.

Dann and Johnston are PL class, Williamson isn't. Out of interest, did you think that last season before Dann and Johnson played? Haven't you realised who you're asking this of? Yes but I was hoping that his flat mate had a season ticket at St Andrews last season, and another two at the Ricoh Arena and Ninian Park during the 2008-09 season.

Dann and Johnston are PL class, Williamson isn't. Out of interest, did you think that last season before Dann and Johnson played?

Howay man, he did a flip when he scored and he had that cheeky look about him, he's just misunderstood

My brother reckons Kenwyne might go back to Stoke. Anybody know anything? I thought they bought him from Southampton ? Was he at Stoke before that or on loan to them ? Would be a good fit there I think, fits Pulis's mould. Was on loan there iirc.

1 player doesn't make a team you know I'm fully aware, but when that player scores the majority of your goals, it has a huge bearing on things. Take Bent out of their team and where do you think they'll finish assuming he isn't replaced by someone as good as or better?

They didn't play Bent, and they played a top European side, I'm sure they won't be losing much sleep over it.

I think Campbell will be a pretty good partner for Coloccini, in that he has the physicality Colo sometimes lacks. He'll lead the defence as well, should be pretty handy. However their success/failure will be dependant on the midfield in front of them not being incompetent morons.

Supposedly Bentley to Sunderland in the next few days, possibly with Anton Ferdinand going the other way

Is he!? Get in

Aye Spain are fantastic, whereas England are full of bits and pieces footballers. Donaldson played in about 4 positions before he got subbed and I think that will ultimately be his downfall, not good enough to hold down one position to himself.

No, it won't be that. That has nothing to do with us.

Same person who told me the above tells me Pedro will be looking after the reserves next season No smoke without fire I guess

"Here comes Wayne Bridge to SERVE IT IN!"

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6278782,00.html Burnley have agreed a fee for Sheff Wed keeper Lee Grant, presumably that will end their interest in Forster

I don't think I am wrong, I'll admit not every transfer has been out of the blue but I think the majority of permanent signings under Ashley have come as a surprise. I'd even go back as far as Enrique under Allardyce, didn't the Villareal site break that news? I admit it's not a perfect record and there has been some leaks in the press but of the completed deals, very few have taken the same path as this Ben Arfa lark.

In your own words, short term loans can be out of the blue, so I discounted them. The Moses scenario was brought about because they went into adminstration, and Beckford's agent I think brought up our interest. Hughton denied it for ages didn't he? I don't recall it all that well, likewise Kilgallon. Besides, we didn't sign Moses, Beckford or Kilgallon, and they were "public" bids. The players we have signed under Ashley have been generally well kept secrets. The Routledge one, look at the reactions in the thread. Most people didn't even believe it was us, and we were never named as the club hijacking the bid. Yes you could take an educated guess but it was hardly all over the press was it?

Both of our transfers have not come out of the blue nor have they been from abroad so your point is bollocks tbf. 1. Perch came out of the blue, if some guy on the Forest forum hadn't spilled the beans it would have been a total surprise, he hadn't been mentioned since January. 2. Gosling, fair enough, it was well documented Everton had f***ed up. 3. Nolan, Routledge, Hall, van Aanholt, Khiz, Xisco etc. All signed under Ashley, all out of the blue iirc. 4. I know we haven't signed anybody from abroad, that's my point, I'm saying this could be different because it's from abroad. tbf. thought xisco came from aboard Read the rest of the quotes man, none of our transfers have come from abroad so far this close season. Wish I'd never brought this up, the thread is about transfer rumours in the press, and as far as I can see, it is rare these days we sign players who are mentioned in the press because that's not how we operate these days. For example, Routledge: http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,67272 Nolan: http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,59766.0.html Jonas: http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,53940.0.html Then, my point about signings from abroad is that they seem harder to keep quiet, see the Xisco thread: http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,55595.0.html Obviously Williamson couldn't be kept quiet because Pompey's dealings are all over the world (they owe everybody money) but in general, our signings are not splashed over the tabloids for weeks on end under Ashley. That's the new way things are done for us, add to this the guff in the Club Statement about not speaking to anybody about anything, and the fact that Hughton said no contact had been made, I don't think it will happen. I'd be chuffed if it did because he looks a good player, but it's probably not going to happen IMO.

He was linked in January, then nothing until the ITK turned up on the Forest forum. For me, it was out of the blue, it wasn't in the papers the days before it happened was it? As far as I can remember it wasn't anyway, and as we'd released a statement saying we had no "Capital outlay" as far as I'm concerned it was out of the blue. All the January signings happened in a flash (and Wise had long gone), but I agree with the point that it's a lot easier to keep things under wraps in the Championship.

Both of our transfers have not come out of the blue nor have they been from abroad so your point is bollocks tbf. 1. Perch came out of the blue, if some guy on the Forest forum hadn't spilled the beans it would have been a total surprise, he hadn't been mentioned since January. 2. Gosling, fair enough, it was well documented Everton had fucked up. 3. Nolan, Routledge, Hall, van Aanholt, Khiz, Xisco etc. All signed under Ashley, all out of the blue iirc. 4. I know we haven't signed anybody from abroad, that's my point, I'm saying this could be different because it's from abroad. tbf.

I doubt this will happen solely because so far under this regime our transfers have been out of the blue, although this is from abroad where apparently nobody can keep a secret

And proper players? Aye, working wide men. There's no such thing as a winger