KaKa

Hearts are listening to offers apparently.

Experienced, international box to box midfielder who is definitely quality and has a lot of bite.

Would be an excellent signing.

Well, well, well isn't that just a kick in the teeth. The Spurs destroyer out?

People really have to be careful what they wish for. I blame Optimistic nut. Seems he will get his fantasy strikeforce of Owen and Viduka upfront.

Brummie I haven't caught enough of your games this season but how is Cuellar coming along. He seems to be playing at right back a lot. How's he coping?

Brummie I noticed Reo-Coker was left out again this weekend.

He's coming to the Toon I tell thee.

O'Neill is beggin us not to make Vill have to pay the full £12 million for the average Milner and so we'll be having Reo-Coker as remaining payment.

i should say, whilst he's not looked particularly good with us, he has had his moments. He set up Sidwell for that first goal at Everton, he set up Young a few weeks ago in a fixture I've totally forgotten (but it was a decent run to the by line then a cut back), he also set up Sidwell's goal at Wigan.

 

The way I'd assess him at the moment is as follows

 

As good as when we had him on loan? No.

 

Looking like 12m worth? No. But it is too soon to expect him to do so.

 

Had his moments? Yes, just not enough of them so far.

 

Worth persevering with? Absolutely. Ashley Young didn't cross like he does now when he arrived here. It took work. He looked very average for a while when he arrived. Everyone laughed at the price tag. I'm not saying he'll be anything like a good a player as Young, but I've no doubt John Robertson had a lot to do with Young's fantastic crossing. Who's to say he can't do the same with Milner?

 

Time to write him off? Absolutely not. He's got the luxury of playing in a team that is getting results at the moment (by and large), which will probably help. He's got time.

 

Worth an international call up? Definitely not, but I can see why Capello would mention him.

 

What i don't understand is the level of bitterness (that's probably not the right word, but not far off) to him from certain quarters here. No, he didn't set the world alight with you, but he was far from your worst player, and you got 12m for him 2 years after coming within a whisker of selling him for a third of that.

 

Not much to moan about there.

 

 

I see why you would say that about the bitterness, and it's nothing against you or Villa.

It's just a combination of how pants he was for us, then the contract thing after 12 months of having just signed one.

Seriously, he is one of the most irritating players to watch ever, particularly when your team is struggling.

A base salary of £80,000 a week with incentives to boost that is a very very good offer. I really can't fault the powers that be for that.

Everton being linked with Owen, but I don't see it myself. I could see them coming in for Shola though, as he would be much more affordable.

 

Hope we try to flog them Viduka instead though, or even Smith. Damn! If only Smithy was fit in time for the window.

 

Shola

 

For absolute f***s sake. It's more likely we'd play Phil Neville up front.

 

Considering Moyes was interested in Alan Smith you ought to be chuffed if he went for Shola instead mate.

 

Would rather pay 5m for Shola than get Smith for free

I know!

I can't believe how offended 1878 was by the suggestion.

Hopefully Smithy will be fit enough in time to join them.

Everton being linked with Owen, but I don't see it myself. I could see them coming in for Shola though, as he would be much more affordable.

 

Hope we try to flog them Viduka instead though, or even Smith. Damn! If only Smithy was fit in time for the window.

 

Shola

 

For absolute f***s sake. It's more likely we'd play Phil Neville up front.

Considering Moyes was interested in Alan Smith you ought to be chuffed if he went for Shola instead mate.

Can't believe Keegan's name has been forced into the title of the thread.

 

So pathetic.

 

 

QFT. Ridiculous.

 

 

 

Any f***ing thing I can do to stop this from turning into another Keegan fight.

I think it's sad you had to though, but fair enough.

We all know what Keegan has meant to the club and he has been shown a lot of love and appreciation in numerous other threads.

Considering all the abuse the recruitment team have got, it was cool to have an honest thread that recognised the very good work they have done.

But still people just couldn't quite bring themselves to just respect that, instead they start crying for Keegan to be included too.

I just think it's really silly.

Can't believe Keegan's name has been forced into the title of the thread.

So pathetic.

The fact that the absolute worst signing of the summer is a loanee we got for nothing, as opposed to Alan Smith for 6m or Duff for 5m or Boumsong for 8m is a ringing endorsement for the recruitment team if anything.

Bingo!

Let's all just hope that part of the reason we went with Kinnear, is because he is close to Wise and is happy to work with the system of recruitment.

If so january could be really good for us.

Wasn't Benitez also interested in Milner for a while?

 

He's looked dodgy since he's been here, but I remember what he was like first time around, so am happy to give him time to get his act together. Ashley Young looked dodgy for a while when he first joined, incidentally.

 

As for getting a game for England, I can't see how he should be near the squad at the moment.

Benitez is definitely funny upstairs.

Spends £20 million on Keane and has started antagonising the dude already. Doesn't bring him on against Hull at home even though they are chasing a winning goal.

Spends £10 million on Kuyt and then plays him on the right wing, where I know he does a decent job, but he's all graft there and can't really stretch teams. It's all the more bizarre when you consider he has the £10 million Babel on the bench who he never plays anymore.

I'll tell you what, once I heard that Rafa rated Milner I knew for a fact that Milner was a horrible player for definite.

 

 

I really disagree that Milner is better than what we've got, he's more mobile than Geremi and Butt but I'd say that's about it.

 

I think most managers disagree with you.

Yeah...there was an absolute flood of managers after him when he wanted to go wasn't there ?

Aston Villa and....and...er...

 

Wasn`t Everton interested? At least more interest in Milner than Zog.

I really hope for your sake you are taking the mickey.

If you really are an actual Milner fanboy then you might need urgent medical attention.

Is Capello demented?

He still hasn't given Ashley Young a game and here he is bigging up James freakin' Milner!

Mental. Milner is crap and his ceiling for improvement is low. He pretty much has zero potential.

Just pay the Owen whatever he wants and let him score the goals to get us back up the table and into Europe.  We can always sell him in a couple of years after he is signed up on another 4 year contract so we then get a decent fee.  However, above all else he owes us the fans for supporting him while he was out injured!  Perhaps he needs a gentle reminder of that!

We really should offer him a contract the length of his own choosing with an improved salary. We need to keep him.

I would like to see him stay but you guys really need to get a grip!

So according to the both of you if Owen comes in demanding £200,000 a week for the next 5 years that's okay?

Great negotiating skills.

Just stop it.

The thing is I would understand if we were looking to buy someone to compete with him for the position, I mean that's fair enough.

But the idea of selling him is a stupid one. He's only young and has very good potential.

Everton being linked with Owen, but I don't see it myself. I could see them coming in for Shola though, as he would be much more affordable.

Hope we try to flog them Viduka instead though, or even Smith. Damn! If only Smithy was fit in time for the window.

I think Joes philosophy is right for our current team. Our attacking players don't need as much work as our defenders I don't think, as they are a pretty talented bunch and are a threat to score goals and create enough opportunities.

 

We are actually playing some decent football a good amount of the time under Kinnear and are looking to pass the ball about, well until Butt gets involved anyway, but still it's not like we've got all men behind the ball with hefty lumps forward whenever we get posession.

 

 

Or that period when Shola was starting and we just hoofed it long all the time.

 

Or the last home game.

Don't get me wrong we do go long sometimes but we're not Stoke or Bolton. We're no worse than the likes of Everton tbh.

Quite bizzare!

He's giving Enrique a run of games.

He's stopped with the subbing of Jonas too early.

He looks like he will be stopping with the subbing of Martins too early.

He's sticking with players who have come in and are performing.

All very key. He's getting there. Good to see he can at least acknowledge his errors and look to eradicate them.

I think Joes philosophy is right for our current team. Our attacking players don't need as much work as our defenders I don't think, as they are a pretty talented bunch and are a threat to score goals and create enough opportunities.

We are actually playing some decent football a good amount of the time under Kinnear and are looking to pass the ball about, well until Butt gets involved anyway, but still it's not like we've got all men behind the ball with hefty lumps forward whenever we get posession.

Stuck with Bassong and appears to be sticking with Zoggy.

Could be huge for our season those two decisions.

Good job.

3 year extension please.

Still trying hard not to give Martins any credit, laughable.