Unbelievable

We haven't done anything wrong other than not be flush with cash, there's just a bit of an all or nothing attitude on here. We're either fantastic or s***. "At least we tried" cuts it nowadays, does it..? How the mighty have fallen.. Congratulations, there is literally no response I can give you which wont involve me getting yet another banning for unnecessary abuse Wahey! I win!!!!11111

We haven't done anything wrong other than not be flush with cash, there's just a bit of an all or nothing attitude on here. We're either fantastic or s***. "At least we tried" cuts it nowadays, does it..? How the mighty have fallen.. Well yeh! If it's a genuine attempt. What else can you do other than try? You think we will move onto another target now? Or just not bother which is the general theme regarding our transfer policy since Ashley took over. I for one would never defend our pathetic transfer success over the past seasons and it's one of the many reasons I hate the current board. But a genuine attempt at buying someone can't be bettered. It's just not possible. There's your problem right there. We are trying to "buy" someone by offering a 'ridiculous' loan deal.. Strange way to conduct your business..

Ben Arfa was told to find a new club, a couple came in which he didn't want to join but one came in that interested him but which didn't want to buy him, instead wanting a loan deal. I can see why OM wouldn't want to play ball. If we screw this up we have no-one to blame but ourselves: the player is keen, the selling club was keen to make a deal (until very recently at least) and we were dicking around offering them a type of deal they clearly weren't interested in.

We haven't done anything wrong other than not be flush with cash, there's just a bit of an all or nothing attitude on here. We're either fantastic or s***. "At least we tried" cuts it nowadays, does it..? How the mighty have fallen..

There's no perfect way to conduct yourself in the transfer market. This is preferable to Kinnear/Roeder/Redknapp/Levy school of transfers. I'd much prefer the Levy school of transfers thank you very much... I don't think the club could cope with the cost of the investigations into tapping up and fines. Seems to me the Champions League entry money will take care of that quite comfortably...

Of course he is, he is an agent. Errrrr.... I've been purposefully avoiding getting to involved in this thread so thats an error obvs but he sure goes on like one. No worries... Don't know why exactly, but I feel like I'm already in "last day of the transfer window" mode..

There's no perfect way to conduct yourself in the transfer market. This is preferable to Kinnear/Roeder/Redknapp/Levy school of transfers. I'd much prefer the Levy school of transfers thank you very much...

Of course he is, he is an agent. Errrrr....

The thing with our maintained complete silence regarding our transfer policy is we look really cool and professional when we pull a player out of the hat who nobody had seen coming, but when the other club constantly blabs to the press about our peculiar negotiation style, going in low and dragging things along for as long as we can until they cave, our silence just makes us look like complete and utter idiots, especially when we fail to get the player in the end...

Maybe he expected us to substantially improve our offer as part of the negotiations, only for us to insult their intelligence..? Wouldn't surprise me one bit...

Offer too low, that is a rather elegant way of putting it considering how the OM chairman qualified it..

You don't say!? Wind your neck in. People were inferring that the apf statement was something new and it wasn't. If I chose to comment on every banal post you made you have known me well by now. Heh? What's your problem mate..? I was just inferring that some people took it as we had never made an offer. I just find the choice of words by their chairman funny; the offer we have made is apparently derisory to the point of being (almost) non existent..

You don't say!?

Lucky you.. You support two of the worst run clubs in Europe by the looks of it..

Hmmmm, they classify our "bid" as "non existant".. Aye, we are really reaping the rewards of our new "transfer policy", aren't we..? It existed on Saturday, man It's brinkmanship - they've now got an asset who has just said "he will never return." This saga is far from over. I don't think the non-existant was meant to be taken literally like...

Hmmmm, they classify our "bid" as "non existant".. Aye, we are really reaping the rewards of our new "transfer policy", aren't we..?

You wouldn't be difficult if you want to sell a player and the club the player seemingly has his mind set on only wants a loan deal. He is club contracted to OM; they are in the driving seat. Imagine a french club was trying to loan N'Zogbia for a pittance when he wanted to leave. Would Newcastle refusing to co-operate and hanging on for a better deal be seen as the club being difficult or be applauded by our fans? Exactly, it's entirely subjective. See when we sold Dyer and Ashley knocked the price up at the last minute. Cuntish but good business. OM have acted out slightly but if I was a fan of theirs I wouldn't care. That's not my point though. My point is that people said oh Ashley is being a penny pincher, yet seem totally ignorant to the fact Marseille are the ones being to quote you 'cuntish' when it comes to this deal. I'm not debating their right to mess us around, I'm saying that in many ways I'm glad we didn't just fold and say 'Ok we'll pay x amount.' I don't debate he is a fantastic talent, and I would love to have him here, I think he could potentially improve us immensely. However, I prefer the idea of a loan with first option, because as has even been proved with his potential transfer to us, his attitude is questionable. I'm very unsure of this transfer policy, it has both advantages and disadvantages. But it requires patience. Still, say Arsenal come in tomorrow and buy him for 3 million whilst we have been fannying around. Will you realistically be able to absolve most of the blame from Ashley by pointing out that l'OM have been "difficult" to negotiate with..? Thought not. Let's face it: this "transfer policy" has more disadvantages than it does advantages. It got us relegated once, and will in all likelihood again if we don't strengthen as a result of it..

Quick, we need a title change..

You wouldn't be difficult if you want to sell a player and the club the player seemingly has his mind set on only wants a loan deal. He is club contracted to OM; they are in the driving seat. Imagine a french club was trying to loan N'Zogbia for a pittance when he wanted to leave. Would Newcastle refusing to co-operate and hanging on for a better deal be seen as the club being difficult or be applauded by our fans?

Link?

If what you're trying to say is Ben Arfa > Robben you must be off your rocker... "More like Messi" - love it. Seriously though, with expectations like this people are bound to be disappointed, whether he signs in the end or not...

If what you're trying to say is Ben Arfa > Robben you must be off your rocker...

Or (far more likely) can't bear the pressure of being our number 9 at the tender age of 21, the one we are completely and utterly reliant on to keep us out of the relegation zone despite his inexperience and being completely unproven at this level...?

It isn't when you aren't given a dime to spend..

Putting it in context he also spoke of the need to strengthen. He spoke about reaslism in terms of our aims for the season. Or he's been told there will be no money available for any further strengthening and being the yes man that he is, is now proclaiming to be "pleased" that there is no or very little money available?