Delima

Alvaro Arbeloa has a good game. Cost only 2.6m, and is only 24. Another fullback we didn't look at.

I put 10£ for Liverpool to win at 5-1. Small money but pleasant surprise.

Stoke, Connolly, John, Elliot Hysen, Kavanagh, Whitehead, Edwards Evan, Simpson Fulop I think these players will prove themselve to be premiership (low table) quality. Wallace, Miller, Nosworthy, Varga, Collins are not too bad either.

I like Mowbray too. Him and Keane got their teams playing swashbuckling attacking football. Yet their teams are not overexposed at the back.

1m net Can you tell me how do you come out with this figure? Just done a bit of research myself, they spent 2m on Stokes, 1.5m on Edwards, 250k on John, Evan + Simpson loan, 500k on Kavanagh, 1.4m on Connoly, Yorke 200k, Wallace + Varga 1.1m, Miller free. Total 6.95m. Sunderland earn 400k from Alnwick-Fulop swap deal, Lawrence 500k, Brown 325k, Stead 750k. I can't recall them selling anyone else of note under Keane. So that is a net spending of 5m by Sunderland under Roy Keane, discounting Quinn's deals.

How has he done so far as our reserve team manager? Can anyone who regularly see reserve football tell us something about him?

I think Roy Keane has the criteria to become a very good manager, even an excellent manager. But I am not sure how much pressure and compromise he can take. Yes he has spent a quite a bit (by championship standards) on new players. Nonetheless the players he acquires are good players. In the transfer market he is as ruthless as he is resourceful. He has assembled a good team with good squad depth, young average age and good potential. Tony Mowbray is another very good prospect. He hasn't done much on the transfer market but the one he did (Koren in for free Quashie out) is an excellent deal. IF Derby, Sunderland and West Brom (my predictions) get promoted this season, I think there is a good chance all of them will stay in the premiership.

For those clubs. It is a question of aptness. Both Blackburn and Pompey are on limited budgets and they did very well with stopgap solutions. Don't think that either would've been the right fit for us, even at the cut rate price. Chelsea would've done well to sign either, though they would've cost them three times as much. I would rather pay extra money for McCarthy over Sibierski, who himself a bigger gamble than Kanu.

Can't believe that people are writing off Coppell just because they thought they have seen other managers wither and Coppell would join them sooner or later. Is Coppell's Reading a fluke? I don't think so. Good functioning tactics (tactics that are working, ie not simply relying on individual players' brilliance) Squad depth - In fact too many good central defenders. It'll be hard to replace Sidwell, but I trust Coppell to find the decent replacement, just like how he found new defenders once he discovered that his centre backs are not top notch. Furthermore, the only way out for Sidwell is down, assuming he doesn't go to any of the top 4 club, and assuming Reading maintains their current position till end of season. Doyle, Lita (Kitson, Long) Convey, Harper, Sidwell, Little (Oster, Hunt, Seol) Shorey, Bikey, Sonko, Murty (Ingimarsson, Sodje, Duberry, Bennett, Halford, De La Cruz) Hahnemann (Federici) Supportive Chairman - No big money, but a chairman who trusts and supports his manager Big City - Decent fan base, decent stadium. A sustainable club.

This. Left back is a certainty, although there seems to be a lack of quality left back available on the market.

So St. James' is better than other stadiums because of the location, but not other factors?

I said in the summer I would be happy if we sign any of the 10 millions rated players, Martins, Kuyt, Berbatov, Johnson, Bent. All of them are good players who are not overpriced or underpriced. But best bit of buisness must be McCarthy and Kanu. Cost little but very effective. However I would still prefer the 10m rated players as they are good players who apart from scoring goals, contribute to the game in overall.

Davies, Gooch, Taylor and Bramble + Edgar, Huntington We will end up having too many central defenders and I see no point putting Taylor on the bench and Bramble as 4th central defender. IF we sign Gooch permanently in the summer, then Gooch + Taylor + Bramble are enough. The 4th slot should be occupied by Huntington or Edgar. Both Taylor and Gooch are adequate enough for a midtable team aspiring for top 6. Free up the money to concentrate on other areas more in dire need of reinforcement, such as left back who can deliver results immediately, and a young bright right back with the potential of replacing Solano eventually.

The Independent

Steven Gerrard of Liverpool. Or David Bentley of Blackburn The Independent

Our European shirts are ugly.

The way I see things: Eboue - A great engine who is very sound defensively. His crossings and overlapping are good too. He excelled in Championsleague and has proven to be very competent in the premiership. When fit probably the best right back in the premiership. Substitute Hoyte is a class below him but nevedtheless solid right back who still has room for improvement. Toure and Gallas - Top central defender. Clichy - Defensive suspect at times for top top competition, nonetheless still a very competent left back who can only get better. Don't forget he just comes back from a lengthy injury. Rosicky - After a lukewarm strt to the season he is getting used to premiership. The most valuable attribute he has that Arsenal would dearly need his his shooting from range. Gilberto - The oldest of all. But pace is never something he relies on. Positional sense and game reading can only improve with age. Fabregas - Phenominal talent. Hleb - Doesn't have any outstanding attributes like his One thing I especially like about Arsenal is that, they can only improve with age. The oldest player bar Lehnman who would be replaced, is Gilberto who has shown no sign of aging. And he is a defensive midfielder who doesn't need too much pace and power like winger, wing back and striker. Gallas is 30 but centre back Adebayor, Van Persie, Fabregas, Eboue, Hleb, Flamini play like seasoned premiership top players yet none of them are over 25. Will next year be the year of Arsenal? play

Can't agree more. Was going to post a topic about Denilson. Shame that he is only 19, hence probably not yet ready for constant wearing of premiership.

What do you guys think about the odd of Arsenal winning the Premiership next year? Of late Arsenal seem to have finally acquired the guile and determination needed to beat other physical teams. Would next year be the year Arsenal finally win the premiership again? They have been plagued by injuries this season. Injuries to Eboue, Gallas, Henry, Diaby. But equally they seem to have acquired some good players to cover for lost. Imagine a team of New Keeper Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy (Hoyte, Djourou, Senderos, Flamini) Hleb, Fabregas, Gilberto, Rosicky (Walcott, Denilson, Diaby, Ljungberg) Van Persie, Henry (Baptista, Adebayor, Aliadere) This season is the first top flight arsenal season for Clichy, Eboue, Hoyte, Djourou, Rosicky, Baptista and Denilson. I would imagine that all of them will certainly improve come next season. The real plus point is that all Van Persie, Baptista, Adebayor and Aliadere finally come good. With a bit of luck on Lehnman replacement and injury, will next season be Arsenal's? I am trying to convince myself on this and put a bit of money on them winning premiership next season.

Maybe put Huntington/Edgar on right back and push Solano upfront!? But Solano has been really magnificient as right back I don't want him to be played out of position as right winger.

Edgar, Luque, Troisi

Steven Gerrard of Liverpool.

Why is St James' Park so highly acclaimed?

Possibly.