KaKa

I really would like to see him join a decent premier league outfit just to see what he could realistically achieve in the league as part of a decent side.

Regarding the Huntelaar debate ... I guess the question should be whether his game clashes with Defoe's (which I don't think is the case) and if this isn't the case then I would say you go with Huntelaar who is the younger better player overall. Huntelaar does do a good job of maintaining posession and then linking up play when he does receive the ball to his feet from what I have seen, but will not be as good as doing the same if these balls are played to him through the air. Crouch on the other hand is good at receiving the ball both ways and then linking play. Huntelaar however is younger, is more athletic, is quicker and faster and most importantly is a better finisher. I would get Huntelaar and encourage the team to play balls into his feet. Simples. P.S. Could we have the meerkat's face as a smiley for all "simples" scenarios? cheers.

It also increases the chances that all interested parties will pull out as the prospect of the club getting promotion recede with every day lost, making the club less valuable every week that goes by. I would like to think that Ashley has a Plan B if this all blows up in his fat face (as usual) but I doubt it. Unless you call putting Hughton/Kinnear in charge and running off to London while they get on with it a plan. He's likely thinking that no matter what happens Freddy's offer will remain on the table, due to his desperation to get the club back and therefore Ashley will feel he can wait right up until the latest to try and get the money he wants from someone else.

I actually think the whole experience has driven him a bit mad. The guy was some sort of recluse before taking over the club. Finally, steps out of his house only for the world to throw rocks at him due to his knuckleheadedness. Yeah I think it's pretty likely something in his head has taken a turn for the worse.

Ashley is probably saying to them right now that if they pay up they still have a month of the window remaining to appoint a manger and allow him to sort out the squad. Otherwise he'll just put them right in it by accepting the offer right at the end of August. This is assuming of course any of these parties would still be interested by then. I imagine most would have walked away, but he's likely counting on Freddy still being interested which is likely.

I'm thinking Ashley definitely has offers for the club at this point, but not at the price he is looking for. I believe that he will accept these offers but will not be in a hurry to do so. Basically, he will only accept these offers right at the start of the season or worse at the end of the window in order to make things very difficult for the new owners, as some sort of retribution for having to accept less than he wanted. I think the decision not to sell any players and also not to appoint Shearer as manager is all tied into this. These are things the new owners are going to have to sort out when they come in and the less time they have to do so the more difficult things will be for them. There is going to be very little time in the window remaining for players to be moved on as well as new ones brought in now, and this in turn is likely to make the job less desirable for Shearer, which will increase the chances of him turning it down. Ashley is essentially using these as tools to pressure interested parties into paying what he wants I would imagine. Pretty rotten situation really.

Hey guys, Just got a text. Press conference at 3pm apprently. Anyone else heard similar? Fingers crossed.

Ibrahimovich is going to be the best striker in Europe next season. It's going to be too easy for him in Spain especially with the players he will have around him. The Spanish league is far more open than Italy and on top of that is far less physical. Ibra would probably not be anything special in the prem but in Spain? Absolute dynamite.

Ibra will be devastating in Spain.

Ash can you please help me understand why Wenger doesn't just play Diaby alongside Fab in the centre? On the rare occassions he has done Diaby has looked great both defensively and going forward. Still he shunts Diaby out to the wing way too much and will then play the pre-pubescent Denilson in the centre, who proceeds to get tossed around like a rag doll. You could definitely do with a real top class DM in there though. Shame about Melo really.

So Bruce is signing Crouch and letting Kenwyne go? Dumb move imo. Jones could really flourish with the right guidance. He's got huge potential. How quickly people forget eh? The season before last he was being linked with Chelsea because of his performances. He had injury problems last year and Sunderland was a mess and everyone's forgotten what he is capable of already. Bruce is going to bomb spectacularly.

HA! I had to laugh out loud on that one. Biggest misconception out there is that Butt is some sort of ball winner. The guy more often than not completely misses his tackles and is left strewn out on the pitch while the opposition saunter merrily into our area with our defence left completely unprotected. Last season was just unspeakably awful. It would be really difficult to top it but we are well on our way it seems.

South America is a gold mine if people would just put in the work and scout there properly. It's hardly a risk too as the players are so cheap. Valencia cost Wigan less than £1 million for goodness sake. Signed from Villarreal. Work Permits will always rape the UK from signing up these South American talents. Is true. However a lot of the internationals from the less renowned countries like Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia etc would qualify, and a lot of these guys are better than the same old Zamoras, Bowyers, etc.

Id like us to look abroad a little more often, but i quite like Downing. He was superb against us at our place this season, is two footed, and provides ammunition: Daily Telegraph - Chances Created Last Season 1 Frank Lampard Chelsea 124 2 Steven Gerrard Liverpool 80 3 Stewart Downing Middlesbrough 72 4 Luis Antonio Valencia Wigan Athletic 70 5 Wayne Rooney Manchester United 67 6 Francesc Fabregas Arsenal 63 7 Mikel Arteta Everton 63 8 Dirk Kuyt Liverpool 63 9 Mark Noble West Ham United 63 10 Nicolas Anelka Chelsea 62 My appreciation of Downing really grew this last season. Managed to catch a lot of Boro games and he really is a good player. His left foot is great, passing , crossing or shooting it's never far off. My favourite thing about him though is his smarts. He knows what he's good at and he focuses on doing those things well. Doesn't force the issue and makes very good decisions the majority of the time. He's also a lot more versatile than I thought, saw him on the right and through the middle at times last season. Solid purchase. A bargain considering Milner cost the same. He's on a completely different level to Milner.

South America is a gold mine if people would just put in the work and scout there properly. It's hardly a risk too as the players are so cheap. Valencia cost Wigan less than £1 million for goodness sake.

I will never ever understand these managers. Rather than pay more for someone you know cannot score in the premiership why not spend less on one of the young championship strikers who scored a lot of goals last season and see if they can do it at a higher level. Bobby Zamora? Darryl Murphy?

What a dickhead. What the hell is this guys problem? Your management stinks, your attitude stinks, your health stinks, your hair looks like it stinks and I'm willing to bet your breath freakin' stinks too. Crawl back into your gutter and be silent punk. Damn.

Downing will flourish at Villa. Unlike Milner he actually has serious talent with still more room to grow. I believe Downing even has the potential to play centrally and could very well step right into Barry's former position. If I was O'Neill though I would just push Milner into right back and hope he develops there. It's the only position I could ever really see Milner perhaps being decent in. His work rate and stamina would be good assets at right back and his average attacking ability will look better as a right back also.

Well thank God! Where are these tales coming from? Freddy trying to crank up the pressure?

Kinnear was ranting on about how he was best friends with Ferguson and Wenger in that silly interview. Let's at least hope we can get some young players of them on loan if this mess is true.

Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt. Lets not forget that they had already drawn up a three year contract for this man they were so smitten with him. Now he has declared he has been given the all clear they have brought him straight back in.

The day I came home to find Kinnear on TV going on about Owen and his desire to come back to manage Newcastle "if" the club wasn't sold, I tell you a cold shiver ran down my spine. I felt something dodgy was up then but didn't dare dwell on it too long. It is the most likely of outcomes all things considered.

Kinnear 's most likely been in his ear harping on about how he can get the club straight back up and so Mike wouldn't lose any money. Probably been harping on about his experience of the sort of footbal needed in the championship. Kinnear is an ass and he reeks of desperation and for some reason he seems to have Ashley's ear so we are screwed.

They knew they couldn't meet the demands Shearer wanted in order to make him manager and for them it was probably the Keegan scenario all over again so they've decided not to even go there perhaps.

Perhaps they aren't selling anymore?