Parky

How about getting the current French international on and the clogger off Chris?

Hardly. Bafra has to come on and I don't mean the 77th minute.

Not sure why the two CURRENT internationals are on the bench Chris. Chris!!! CHRIS!!!

Might be handy to start your best players.

Think it will be a straight swap Bafra for Routledge.

I think there's a happy medium between those two poles. The club was under financial pressure and they have addressed that (they also added to it going along with some of fat sams buys and wages), but when the clouds clear over the next couple of seasons then we'll see how much ambition they have, I suspect very little. Although it is fair to say that the club needed to stabalise financially and that was the first target.

Good appointment imo and a wealth of knowledge of the European game. Villa are lucky to have him. Personally I find him a bit too boring and over reliant on the fundamentals as a coach and he tends to stifle his teams (not as bad as Benny with full back not allowed to cross the half way line etc). Fully expect Villa to pick up a few French bargains in the next year from obscure places.

Think he'll get another one with a pay rise.

Will be intersting to see what happens with Bafra, whether Nolan gets dropped or there is some other reorganisation of the side. After all he (Bafra) must have had assurances to have been so single minded about joining us. IMO CH's first big descision of this season.

2 goals in 3 games, should have had an assist v wolves if carroll hadnt missed from 5 yards. Had 2 or 3 good chances saved also, coming off a similarly great goalscoring season in the championship to Carroll which may have renewed some confidence. On top of previous premier league experience in a side that finished in the top 6-8 seasons in a row, with him making an impressive contribution towards that. And you think you're in a position to write off his worth as a player in the future with that amount of conviction? You're talking bollocks. If you read back through my post i said, as a midfielder, he isn't good enough. As a striker he's a decent member to have in the squad. I'm only repeating myself but his limitations are clear for all to see, and he'll be countered with ease against the majority of teams in this league. He's doing alright at the moment but i'm delighted we've got Ben Arfa. Hopefully he'll be in the side sooner rather than later. Nolan scored a lot of goals last season and was a kingpin in our revival. He had a good year and i'm relieved that he did so - but for him (and the others that remained) - that was the bare minimum we deserved. Every single member of the squad that took us down owed us a promotion. Nolan was one of the players with enough heart to actually see that through, and i thank him for that, but when it comes to this season - there's no room for sentiment. I can't deny that he's doing a passable job but there's no doubting we've got players in the squad who are better than him. He's second choice this year. Mangers like Mourinho are successful cause they are ruthless, Nolan has done his bit and has been instrumental in our recovery, but quie simply Bafra is on another planet and should slot into the side. It might well be that CH drops either winger, but for me Bafra should play behind the striker.

What's sadder is when you sign a better player in 3 postions on the park and then start him on the bench. Bafra should start, I don't care where.

Boring.

It would be mad not to start him.

I can never work out whether quotes like this from redknapp are bollocks or not. A fee coming down from £18m to £8m because of the transfer window? I don't think so. I wonder if there's a medical problem which caused Bayern to pull out, and which is holding up the decision with Spurs. See above. Thanks for that. We posted at the same time. Bit silly of Dirty Harry to come out with a misleading story. He'd be better off saying nothing. I'd agree that it's a puzzle that he wanted another midfield player in. That's an area of strength for Spurs, I'd say. He can't help himself, it's how he bankcrupts these clubs, huge squads, many wages.

Yup. Didn't he try and get the Dutch striker - Crouch with a Dutch name?

I can never work out whether quotes like this from redknapp are bollocks or not. A fee coming down from £18m to £8m because of the transfer window? I don't think so. I wonder if there's a medical problem which caused Bayern to pull out, and which is holding up the decision with Spurs. See above.

how so? He did his ankle ligaments here at Hsv and that is a bad one for a midfielder. Played about 70 games in a 120 in 3 years here. Hasn't been quite the same since and couldn't get into Pellegrini's Real side most of 2009. Still a good midfielder but for me has lost that wow factor he had a few years ago. Needs others to work for him in midfield. Still a great passer.

Bayern probs didn't like what they saw at the medical. He's had a fair few inj over the last 2/3 years.

Casuals always trot out this nonsense, the VDV you're thinking of was way back in 2006. He isn't same player anymore.

This whole keeper thing at the arse is beyond a joke now.

Cheers Dave. Forgot about the chunk they got for Mascherano. The money has well and truly run out.

Fair enough.

Cause in your mind it corrolates to cock size innit?