Yorkie

I would never be against that tbh. Get rid of all sponsors, maybe something little on the chest and go all retro 50s, with proper collars, and when football kits were at their 'most iconic' and didn't cost a fiver to make. Arsenal's maroon one looked nice. Man Utd's this season would have looked right had it not been for the fucking stupid non-things on the back, and Fulham have done a nice shirt this year n'all. A sensitive subject for me, as you can tell.

Marseilles have always had nice kits though. That there looks nice. EDIT - can you do another one and get rid of all the piping, and make the Adidas stripes pale blue like a described earlier? You've done a really good job of that.

come on alex.. have a go at him now. btw i totally agree The sentiment, like yours, is correct. But to say anything less than a win is abysmal or a 'total shambles', can only come from someone thinking we're something we're not. Only the top four (if that, tbh) have the divine right of saying that. You can't go away to anyone in the Premiership and claim anything but a win is a 'shambles'.

Why do people keep saying this? He was a first team regular for Allardyce's excellent Bolton last season, and a rock in their side. He'd be a bloody good 'squad member', if not a regular.

coz 'shark' is propa cool innit. I apologise that my username disturbs you so, Shak mate.

Its bad but not that bad. I'm struggling to think of a worse away kit since away kits changed regularly... Last years first away kit, that bright neon blue one from ten or so years ago and the awful brown and green with the orange collar. The only competitor imo. I just wish football kits would get rid of all the stupid, silly piping and daft designs. Would be nice to have some proper strips, before we inevitably descend into rugby kits.

Tbh, if it had been that plain silky white - with the three Adidas stripes being that pale blue colour, it would have been sexy.

Its bad but not that bad. I'm struggling to think of a worse away kit since away kits changed regularly...

Diop's a needless signing because he's only a central midfield player - which, in my opinion, we don't really need*. Faye's a good signing because he's a centre-back aswell as a centre-mid. CB still being the more pressing need... And for £2m that's excellent value for money - not to mention his actual ability as a player. *Once Barton's back, that's five CMs, and Butt should drop out of the team then.

Doesn't help being modelled on a long sleeve shirt like.

Away game. Derby. Anything less than a win is abysmal. Pretty much like the thread by Brazilianbob you've just been taking the piss out of. We really should be beating Boro tbh. Abysmal is maybe be pushing it, but a draw would be a disappointment. On the whole though (we'll beat Wigan), two wins and two draws would be a decent start, and a nice change. Still, three wins and one draw should be expected. I can imagine Allardyce will have set that as his benchmark, actually. And it's not a derby. 2-1 Newcastle. Smith to bag a couple.

Well, either way - i'd start with 4-3-3. We can go to 4-4-2 very easily with Owen and Shola, or whoever, on the bench. I think we should stick with it for now, because we could do so well with it. Like i say, it's easy enough to switch - i just hope Allardyce does this time if he needs to. We should win either way in all honesty. Take whatever formation was more profitable into the Wigan game.

http://static.twoday.net/bmworacleracing/images/crystal_ball2_bmwPreview.jpg

It worked at Bolton because we actually played good football without long-ball. We did the opposite in both respects against Villa. I wouldn't change the formation. Harper Carr Taylor Rozehnal N'Zogbia Butt Smith Geremi Milner Viduka Martins ... again and fuck long-ball. Bench: Forster, Cacapa, Enrique, Ameobi, Owen If we play with the mindset that we had at Bolton, then we'll hammer this Boro side. Someone said it earlier, but they've arguably got their entire backline out injured at the moment and we can really stun their defense if we drive at them like we can. Get shot of this bloody long ball, it did no one any favours; Viduka can't hold up the ball aerially and Butt can't play a decent long, high pass if the Villa game's anything to go by - so there's little point.

Thought.

Home one - definitely like it, but the backs are stupid. Away one - it's nice, nothing special; can't for the life of me find the reason why i bought it. Third one - wtf, in all respects.

What a peculiar kit.

Middlesbrough are shite and i'll be miffed if we don't win. If we attack like we attacked at Bolton, and forget this long-ball bollocks, we'll beat them comfortably.

I know, but Allardyce has said ever since he's got Rozehnal, that he'd hoped to play the guy sparingly at first, and give him the odd game (presumably eventually lining him up as a number one centre-back). Faye is someone that he knows inside out, is probably very eager to get and will be chuffed if he does so; plus he was one of Bolton's best players last season and first choice centre-back alongside Ben Haim. He might not go straight into the team, but he very easily could do.

If we get him i wouldn't be at all surprised if he went straight in alongside Taylor.

What, because we drew 0-0 with Villa?* We put three past Bolton and attacked them to the point of explicit murder. We don't have incapable players - we just don't need to play long ball. *In response to thread title.

Oh well yeah, obviously - it's the papers talking. But that's the price that's been consistantly banded about, and it's a good one.

*Menacing music*

£3m or even £4m wouldn't be silly money for Faye, given the prices gone for various other nationwide signings over the summer. If we're complaining about a £2m asking price then it's a bit odd. Disagree mate, 4m is too much for Faye. Obviously i think haggling over a little difference is ridiculas but if we value him at 2 and them at 4 i say we stick to our guns. I wouldn't pay more than we did for Rozehnal put it that way. Well no... you said initially that we shouldn't cave in and pay silly money. They value him at £2m (not four), which isn't silly money. All i was doing with the £4m thing, was just trying to prove that the £2m price-tag is a very pleasing one...

I'd have him as first choice centre-back tbh. I'd like a right-back but Allardyce can't find one. Doesn't mean to say we need to stop signing other players.