Parky

Company debt isn't really an issue for the ceo unless it hits the rocks. As long as he carries confidence in the market and financial instruments hold sway all is fine. But what it does show is that Mike wants to grow bigger.

Ashley thought to have added Nevisport to empire Marianne Barriaux Monday September 24, 2007 The Guardian Mike Ashley, the controversial sports goods billionaire, is understood to have made yet another addition to his retail empire with the acquisition of Nevisport, a Scottish outdoor goods chain. Sports Direct, the sportswear retailer controlled by Mr Ashley, is thought to have snapped up the 12-outlet chain, founded in 1970 in Fort William by two rock climbers. Later in the article.... All this has started to worry the investor community, amid mounting concern over the level of debt that Sports Direct is taking on with its acquisitions. Mr Dorgan said he believed the company will go from having a cash surplus to debts of between £500m and £600m by the end of the year." This is why I like him. He's a maverick and a go getter. Good times ahead for us regardless of the bitching of the city boys. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2175778,00.html

Ultimately he's tactically too conservative. I agree, he needs to open up a bit. Do that and he should have the right balance. To be fair he's attempted to do that at the start but reverted back to type and that's what's effecting their chances. Actually they're lacking a truly creative midfielder.

Ultimately he's tactically too conservative.

Also hints they'll just give the Manager title to Clark short-term as a work around. Grant will then be given study leave and come back fully qualified to be Roman's Chief Puppet from next season onwards. Ironic, considering that they may not make it to the CL next year under the new regime. Tottenham it is then. Would be very happy with that but sounds like Levy won't wait till the end of the season before doing anything. Talk of giving Jol 5 or 6 games seems to be pie in the sky. I wouldn't guarantee him being at WHL at the start of October, let alone at the end of it. Bascially if Jol's confidence isn't blown by all the shannanigans he must be made of steel.

Rafa is quite possibly the most overrated manager in the world. true he is overrated... i mean what has he won in europe umm just the uefa cup, champions league and super cup.. did i miss any trophy which is still available.. if glenn roeder had won even on of the afore mentioned trophies there would be a statue outside SJP and he would be the benchmark.. Its amazing the load of rubbish you come out with.. Don't really count the Super Cup (what is that?) as a proper trophy tbh. Tell me so while you seem to be firing blanks you think it is another piece of tactical genuis to leave one of the best strikers in the world on the bench?

Lots of people thought the same. I still think he's worth a go up front with Martins or Owen. On the contrary I thought he was very involved yesterday and cropped up in many areas of the park. The problem is SA and not AS...By no stretch of the imagination is he a right winger or right midfielder. He needs to play upfront or license to attack the box late as a forward midfielder. Off the bench he would be great when Viduka gets tired around the 70min as he does these days. When Jan comes and 5 odd players dissapear he wil come into his own. Still great player to have around and every team needs an Alan Smith type. Perhaps we overpaid for him a bit and £4m would have been closer to his real worth at the moment. I still think he is a player who will do something when you least expect it. His time will come.

What are people doing about strikers there don't seem to be any regular starters in the star striker bracket..Drogba inj..No Henry..VPersie doesn't seem to start much ditto Martins..Torres seems to be bench bound for some bizzarre reason.. Who to pick?

Who the hell is Finnian, Belletti, Chimbonda? How many goals have they made? What is the proof of their end product?

Rafa is quite possibly the most overrated manager in the world.

Another draw this time at home and Torres on the bench again. Keep it up Rafa...

Good idea I'd forgotten he plays both sides.

Got 70 odd points making up for a couple of bad weeks. This was the week to make sure you had 3 arsenal players.

I'd rather have Beye than Finnian, Belletti, Feriera or Chimbonda. I think we've snapped up someone who will be one of the best right backs in the PL.

Did you watch the game? Smith and Gremi prob had their best games for us. Esescially Smith. The team as a whole performed much better 2nd half, and a soon as Enrique went to left back i always fancied us to get the 3rd. Smith seemed to revel up front, albet it was for oly 10 minutes. Smith had a good game today especially his reading of the game and coming inside to shore up the midfield and also his interchanging was good with Geremi...But we just can't leave him out there wide right..

The Viduka question was well and truly answered today. For me he starts when fit with Owen untill he needs a rest or performs poorly. His close ball control for a big man was fully evident and came into its own as we played more along the ground today. Longer balls were more apparent as the team tired. This might sound harsh on Martins, but SA does look to have made his mind up and at the moment prefers to use the Nigerian as a super sub. Martins isn't looking particlularly happy about all this, but this is what being at a big club is all about and he'll have to fight his way back into the team. Owen five or six times came deep to act as the link up man and kept re-cycling the ball beautifully and although he didn't score took up good positions and might have scored if Beye had picked him up on the overlap around the 36min. It looks like Owen is appreciating he can't perpetually goal hang and is prepared to come deep which is a good sign. Zoggy for me was man of the match and had a hand in all our important moments and more importantly has developed a good understanding with Viduka and then later interchanged well with Martins. Zoggy saw everything before him as if he was a seasoned professional. Best player for us this season so far....Loads of promise to come as he moved up when Enrique came on and looks like he might get 8 or 10 goals this year. Our problems are on the right and the cd partnership needs re-evaluating. One of Cacapa and Roze have come out of the pairing as together there isn't enought oomph there to counter ariel threats, especially at set pieces. Taylor back in there and Roze into mf as the DM is something we might try. Lastly poor Smudger who I thought had a good game today and put himself about as well as playing some nice interchanges with the midfield and intelligently holding position as WH's main threats came down the left. But once Barton and Enrique start, I'd play Milner on the right and Zoggy on the left, so unless SA wants to go with a front three hogging the middle (doubtful) then he has to go to the bench. This will be the next test for SA who I feel will be reluctant to drop him. But it will have to happen as nearlyall we did today came down the left with Milner and Zoggy interchanges. Also we need to chose between Butt and Geremi sooner rather than later. With both playing we set up too defensively and don't need to unless we have particularly difficult away games imo...One of them will have go when Barton gets back I should imagine.

Can't disagree with a word of that analysis, though I thought N'Zogbia just edged Viduka as he made all three goals. Agree. Zoggy ran it for us and had a hand in everything...Even some good tackles. What a player!

''What a differance a Beye makes''. Also a contender.

Viduka is quite possibly your best player tbh. One of my favourite non spurs players. sorry lads but i feel kind of lucky and im going to have to back h.camara to score the next goal. Looking at the paddpower website, i cant actually do it as camara isnt on the list > > I think Zoggy is pulling the strings.

...but you can see he is a goalscorer as he changed his body shape for a ball that was almost behind him...Shola for one would have fallen over..

It's a fine line when you play in that position, but you have to contrast it with the Boro game. Great goal there, but very poor overall. Today, brilliant. He's having a good game. Could have picked out Owen toward the end but decided to go for the third and who can blame him. Beye with pace, skill and control is making all the difference on the right hand side, what a refreshing change from Carr/Taylor etc..

He had a fair point there tbh, could see him saying to the ref 'why is it me, just me?' when both players were doing the same. Same for rooney, why is it always him. Well their reputation precedes them. Just saying he had a fair point in that particular incident. Smudger has endured a couple of rough tackles and imo made a fair point to the ref. Also he's playing well and moving inside as a third forward when Beye overlaps which is what I think SA is trying to do with him. Zoggy is the best player on the park today imo.

Chelsea face possible Euro ban.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=IRC4MIR5IL5NHQFIQMFSFFOAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/sport/2007/09/23/sfnfro123.xml Avram Grant's appointment as Chelsea manager in succession to Jose Mourinho was in doubt last night as the Premier League and UEFA warned that the club could face unprecedented repercussions domestically and in Europe because of the Israeli's lack of qualifications. Later in the article quote from Mourinho: "It has to be a big club, with responsibility, with targets, with pressure," he said. "It has to be serious, with a big European club. They don't have to be champions, but one that wants to go to the Champions League for the first time; or which wants to win a title it hasn't won for a long time; or which wants to rise to another level, or which wants to remain at the top.

I've just watched the Arsenal game on repeat on TPS, Arsenal were imperious and Derby did nothing that they got right on monday. Quality performance. Real football.