wormy

Why you no bet, OCK? Cos I'd be shit at it and lose too much money. Look at me and Neil, man. It's all part of the fun! -1 means they have to win by 2 clear goals, basically. If Chelsea win 2-1, you -1 goal from them, so you'd lose. If they win 3-1, -1 goal and they'd still win 2-1, so your bet is a winner. That looks like an awful way of explaining it but fuck it I've typed it now.

Fuck sake. You tell me after I give in and put a couple on it. You know what? I hope you win today Neil, I really do. Just so you can choke on your medium value wine.

Match winner special of Young and Rooney to score looks quite tempting at 7.00. Although I'm thinking Young's goals will have to dry up soon, surely?

Woah, where did we get 2 Jonas' from Double the work rate. :fwap:

I look forward to seeing the thread title change to something involving the word 'setback' in the next week.

Seriously. Every funny thread from RTG that gets posted on here. That fucking Ricky Sonybravia bloke is there. Class and all that shit. Either has to be the most immense WUM or a fucking retard. And, as it's RTG, I can't decide which.

I agree our attempts were rubbish, but even more worryingly I think we were serious. It seems pretty obvious that the transfer market is a difficult place to do business. There are differering agendas from players, their agents and the clubs themselves and they all have to be dealt with. We seem to be ok at identifying and closing in on release clauses and free transfers. We can also pick out a bargain. But to me we have demonstrated that there is a lack of the right sort of negotiating expertise in our structure. There are times when a bit of flexibility is required. One of the journos (Edwards?) said we are always looking for the perfect deal when, at times, you have to bite the bullet and pay a full price for a player you really need - and I think that view is right. Couldn't agree more. What annoys me, and I suspect a lot of other people, is that "the perfect deal" is sometimes paying a bit more to get a component you need rather than look at it in isolation. If we had to spend an extra £2m on signing a striker it would probably have been worth at least that just in finishing several places higher in the league table, generating excitement and therefore higher gates and so on. I just don't understand our mentality sometimes. By all means work within a budget, but when you've banked so much money from sales why not invest a bit more in the players who will take you on a level? It makes business sense to do so for most people. I'm not entirely sure it was a case of just offering a higher price, but more worryingly that extra nous is needed when the target player's club do not want to sell. Lets face it any idiot can transact a deal when the club wants to sell but we seem to lack someone with the the ability to make it happen when they don't. During the last days of the transfer window the only forwards who moved were discards and if we are aiming higher than that then we need someone involved who is capable of making it happen. Ruiz is the one I can't get my head around. If there were no players of the right quality available then fair enough, but why wait all summer then bid for Ruiz at the last minute? Because we were hoping to sign Mobidu Maiga despite Socheaux telling us repeatedly that they weren't going to sell without getting a replacement? What utter shit. Like they were going to spend £10.8m. Hate to say that even I've turned into a cynic. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if it was discovered that yes, they bid £10.8m for Ruiz. But then offered him, like £10k a week.

I agree our attempts were rubbish, but even more worryingly I think we were serious. It seems pretty obvious that the transfer market is a difficult place to do business. There are differering agendas from players, their agents and the clubs themselves and they all have to be dealt with. We seem to be ok at identifying and closing in on release clauses and free transfers. We can also pick out a bargain. But to me we have demonstrated that there is a lack of the right sort of negotiating expertise in our structure. There are times when a bit of flexibility is required. One of the journos (Edwards?) said we are always looking for the perfect deal when, at times, you have to bite the bullet and pay a full price for a player you really need - and I think that view is right. Couldn't agree more. What annoys me, and I suspect a lot of other people, is that "the perfect deal" is sometimes paying a bit more to get a component you need rather than look at it in isolation. If we had to spend an extra £2m on signing a striker it would probably have been worth at least that just in finishing several places higher in the league table, generating excitement and therefore higher gates and so on. I just don't understand our mentality sometimes. By all means work within a budget, but when you've banked so much money from sales why not invest a bit more in the players who will take you on a level? It makes business sense to do so for most people. We did, though. You should see the signing on fees.

On a more serious, releated note. Did someone not say he's recently invested in some well-known French brand? Probably why tbf, raising profiles and all that. I think the recent one he bought was 'No Fear' (who I think are American). SD though are looking to open stores in France, but I really don't think that relates to us or affects our transfer policy. The very simple reason we are buying players from the French league, or players like Santon and Tiote from other leagues is that with good scouting, we can pick up impressive young(ish) players who are willing to come to us, for relatively reasonable prices. Considering the only players we have actually bought from France under Ashley are Cabaye and Ben Arfa (Abeid, Marveaux were unattached but I guess could also be included), I'd be delighted if we feel we can pick up any more players like that from there. Bullshit.

On a more serious, releated note. Did someone not say he's recently invested in some well-known French brand? Probably why tbf, raising profiles and all that.

Don't think it will be for that reason, but can't see the signing being a resounding success. Think everyone got lucky with how we ended up working out how to use him. Will they utilise him the right way?

In the interest of fairness and a balanced debate, I'd like to put forward that I think he's going to be more useless for us than John Karelse.

What is it about me winning bets that I was tempted to put £2 on, rather than my usual £1? Just got £7 for Young FGS

Does Bale do his hair like that purposely to look more like Donkey Kong?

Fuck sake I hate international breaks.

Glad it's been highlighted.

Rotherham looking like they're going to screw me out of my League 2 accy from the off.

Fucking slick. Love it. I'm in. What are we doing?

Accys on League 1, 2 and Conference. MK Dons @ 2.70 Chesterfield @ 2.20 Notts County @ 2.10 Scunthorpe @ 2.10 Huddersfield @ 2.00 Wimbledon @ 2.30 Southend @ 2.10 Rotherham @ 2.75 Oxford @ 2.80 Burton @ 1.61 Forest Green @ 2.05 Gateshead @ 1.53 Fleetwood Town @ 2.10 Braintree @ 2.50 Wrexham @ 1.83

What a cunt.

Owen Hargreaves' accent is awesome.

Those pictures are amazing.

Was anyone else stupid enough to head to bed about an hour before the end of the transfer window, and jump on here this morning with the ever-so desperate hope that we'd managed to push at least one signing over the line? Even if it was fucking Ridgewell?

The monkey on that reporter's left, the fat fucker who just doesn't seem to be happy about anything to his right. Love it.

These cunts really, REALLY need to go to bed. Fuck sake.