LionOfGosforth

Whether we sign this bloke or not, it's neesken of my nose like.

Suspended. Got a red card in his last game for Bolton last season. Ah right, thanks

Noticed Sturridge didn't even make the Chelsea bench today...injured?

Yeah that is true. On Cabaye, I was actually pleasantly surprised by how often he popped up in the Arsenal box considering how deep he played generally and his lack of match fitness, and with a bit of luck, he would have scored when he latched onto that Obertan flick. He clearly lacks match fitness (as they all do) but I think he will end up doing well. He would look better with better players around him (Ben Arfa, new striker). I think going back to Ben Arfa, he will alter everything, not just with his individual quality, but in the way his presence will dictate how we line up tactically, we'll be miles better.

Nothing really dramatic to add to what has already been said but it occurred to me watching the game how much better we will be if/when Ben Arfa is back and playing off 1 front man with maybe Obertan on one side and Jonas/Marveaux on the other side, instead of an archaic 4-4-2 which doesn't really suit the players we have. Cabaye had a quiet day and the game largely passed him by but you can see that's he a "thinker" type of player and when he gets on the ball more he should make us tick. Think we'll start to see what this side is really capable of then. We'll be a lot more fluid and mobile and better to watch too. Under the circumstances and with the way the game went, it was remarkable we kept a clean sheet so that's the main positive.

That was always my fear with the Carroll sale...not that they'd be prepared to spend the money (they clearly aren't) but that they'd be able to spend the money. I never believed for a minute we'd be able to attract the right calibre of player to our club, particularly in the striker position, with no Europe (or the wages to compensate for that) to offer them. As has been seen with Gervinho, Gameiro, Erdinc et al, the right quality of player doesn't see us as attractive enough. God only knows how we bribed a decent operator like Cabaye to give up CL football to join this circus.

F***ing useless, amateurish c**ts. F*** off.

There is no logic whatsoever to letting him go for such a paltry amount AND not having a replacement lined up prior to any sale. He has a year left on his contract, no replacement, no sale surely. Forget the whole "he doesn't owe us anything" and "don't begrudge him moving on to better things". What about Newcastle United FFS? Nobody in world football is amateurish enough to allow this set of circumstances to occur.

Yeah let's argue f***ing semantics all day. Great idea. My point was not to blame Enrique, as much as rant about him leaving due to the crazy running of the club and lack of quality investment...they got another of our best players and for next to nowt and we're left holding our f***ing c**** again without a replacement.

Really gonna miss this bloke in our team. Probably the best left back I can remember us having for his all-round play. Such a shame he stuck around for the Championship but won't stay to help us progress in the big league. Bloody Liverpool, and given what they've spent on players, just feels f***ing wrong they're getting him for that amount, an absolute bargain really. Don't know how we'd even get close to replacing what he brought to this team for 6m...we've been royally shafted here. I suppose it was inevitable he'd leave but it hurts and we're deep in the brown stuff at left back now. This club feels like it's being run by Trotters Independent Traders sometimes.

Honestly, for once, just once, i'd be grateful if they spent over their own market value for an established player in a position of (desperate) need. FFS, what do we do as things stand? we have NO left-back currently I'm pretty sure he was our preferred choice initially so if we are now in for Pieters we must have been priced out. Priced out? Ffs I'm all for being sensible financially but we've recently sold about £50m worth of players and freed god-knows how much off the wage bill. Perish the thought that we pay decent money for anyone. If he's the preferred choice, get him in. So say they want £10m for a player we think is worth £5m.. just get him in? Honestly, for once, just once, i'd be grateful if they spent over their own market value for an established player in a position of (desperate) need. FFS, what do we do as things stand? we have NO left-back currently once Enrique leaves.

I seriously doubt he's happy to come and sit on the bench as some are implying. He supposedly asked for a transfer request last year for not figuring in the Manure first team so he's hardly going to be chuffed to come here as a bench warmer.

Wonder what the fee is?

Pretty disappointing and completely underwhelming if true. Villa get N'Zogbia, we get this pacey plank.

Even Pards is starting to publicly voice disquiet. I notice the "wait until august 31st until you judge transfer activity" mob is starting to thin out considerably too. My patience wore out about 3 transfer windows ago...these clowns are just not prepared to invest sensibly at all.

You're absolutely right...let's play the risk game because every season injury-wise is the same. FFS, Ben Arfa is hurt already and the season didn't even start yet. An injury to Colo and/or Tiote and results are in the toilet. We don't have the SQUAD to cope. Not even close.

I was actually in the thinking that he may be trying to model us on Arsenal who clearly are the only PL club to turn a profit, that's what thinking does for you eh He's a business man. He sees success as his company making a profit I think he's clever enough to realise that he'll never make a personal profit from NUFC though, he's just trying to limit the amount he has to spend on us. And in so doing, he has already cost himself a shedload of cash by overseeing a relegation. As things stand, he risks doing the same again. Krul Simpson Coloccini Williamson New LB Gutierrez Cabaye Tiote Marveaux Ben Arfa Ba Yeah definitely looks relegation threatened.. Yeah, no chance of any of them getting injured eh? we don't need a squad, just a starting 11!

Great, another body out the door for a fee that is meaningless since it won't be re-invested anyway. What a squad we're building! I mean who needs any kind of strength in depth these days, we're bound to remain injury free in this position..

We're gonna be going into the season with about 16 players at this rate.

Reading these reminds me of an ancient memory...Blackpool away in the league cup in 87...just got beat 1-0, bloke in front of me with a face purple with rage proclaims the next day's chronicle back page headline should be "F***ING SH*T!!!!!!!!"...probably had to be there to appreciate the savage comedy.

Players I'm happy to see play for us in the Premier League. Harper, Krul, Forster Simpson, Enrique, Coloccini, S.Taylor, Williamson Jonas, Ferguson, Marveaux, Cabaye, Barton, Gosling, Ben Arfa, Tiote Ba, Best That's 18 out of 25 places, Neil Taylor will probably be added to the defensive list, there's bound to be one more striker and by the players linked with possibly a winger too taking us to 21 players. I don't think anyone outside the top 6 is going to have all 25 players who could all be at home in the first-team, so you still have squad fillers like R.Taylor, Guthrie, Ameobi & Lovenkrands in there too. I don't think it's that bad tbh...provided those 3 players come in, and any outgoings from the above list are replaced. Just to play a little devil's advocate to that post...the back line is way too thin, we're an injury to Colo away from a virtual crisis. The forward line is the same, nowhere near deep enough. The midfield is our strongest area but...Jonas is inconsistent, Ferguson is too green to rely on, Marveaux and Cabaye are completely unknown quantities, Barton is not likely to be around due to contractual wrangling, Gosling is always injured and can't be relied upon clearly and Ben Arfa is coming off an injury that threatened his career. That leaves Tiote from that group. Not trying to be a doom merchant but that's the flip-side, our squad has huge holes in depth and quality once a couple of injuries or ANC appearances come along. I don't think Jonas is inconsistent at all really. You are entitled to your opinon, mine is that although he is a valuable squad member and good at certain things (ball retention, workrate, drawing fouls) he almost completely fails to provide any kind of reliable service from wide areas or many goals to compensate since his shooting is usually awful. Sorry If I expect a little more from wide players that pull on our shirt. So...if by "not inconsistent" you mean "consistently failing to be a decent winger" then I agree

Players I'm happy to see play for us in the Premier League. Harper, Krul, Forster Simpson, Enrique, Coloccini, S.Taylor, Williamson Jonas, Ferguson, Marveaux, Cabaye, Barton, Gosling, Ben Arfa, Tiote Ba, Best That's 18 out of 25 places, Neil Taylor will probably be added to the defensive list, there's bound to be one more striker and by the players linked with possibly a winger too taking us to 21 players. I don't think anyone outside the top 6 is going to have all 25 players who could all be at home in the first-team, so you still have squad fillers like R.Taylor, Guthrie, Ameobi & Lovenkrands in there too. I don't think it's that bad tbh...provided those 3 players come in, and any outgoings from the above list are replaced. Just to play a little devil's advocate to that post...the back line is way too thin, we're an injury to Colo away from a virtual crisis. The forward line is the same, nowhere near deep enough. The midfield is our strongest area but...Jonas is inconsistent, Ferguson is too green to rely on, Marveaux and Cabaye are completely unknown quantities, Barton is not likely to be around due to contractual wrangling, Gosling is always injured and can't be relied upon clearly and Ben Arfa is coming off an injury that threatened his career. That leaves Tiote from that group. Not trying to be a doom merchant but that's the flip-side, our squad has huge holes in depth and quality once a couple of injuries or ANC appearances come along. I completely agree with you. Just saying that group is who I wouldn't be opposed to seeing in our starting XI at any one time. Agreed, midfield is easily our best area, just can only hope we either have a ton of luck with injuries and/or we add some more depth. Otherwise second season syndrome will be the least of our worries.

Players I'm happy to see play for us in the Premier League. Harper, Krul, Forster Simpson, Enrique, Coloccini, S.Taylor, Williamson Jonas, Ferguson, Marveaux, Cabaye, Barton, Gosling, Ben Arfa, Tiote Ba, Best That's 18 out of 25 places, Neil Taylor will probably be added to the defensive list, there's bound to be one more striker and by the players linked with possibly a winger too taking us to 21 players. I don't think anyone outside the top 6 is going to have all 25 players who could all be at home in the first-team, so you still have squad fillers like R.Taylor, Guthrie, Ameobi & Lovenkrands in there too. I don't think it's that bad tbh...provided those 3 players come in, and any outgoings from the above list are replaced. Just to play a little devil's advocate to that post...the back line is way too thin, we're an injury to Colo away from a virtual crisis. The forward line is the same, nowhere near deep enough. The midfield is our strongest area but...Jonas is inconsistent, Ferguson is too green to rely on, Marveaux and Cabaye are completely unknown quantities, Barton is not likely to be around due to contractual wrangling, Gosling is always injured and can't be relied upon clearly and Ben Arfa is coming off an injury that threatened his career. That leaves Tiote from that group. Not trying to be a doom merchant but that's the flip-side, our squad has huge holes in depth and quality once a couple of injuries or ANC appearances come along.

Isn't Ba likely to be buggering off for up to a month due to the ANC as well? So apart from worries about him staying fit, if he's going to the ANC in January, we'll be without him for a while anyway. He simply cannot be our only forward signing this window, would be idiotic.

We were about three minutes away from doing just that a few weeks ago. Yeah but he wasn't in the team man /sarcasm