KaKa

Versatility is sexy.

Hyypia will be captain ...

Tottenham surprise me, because their weak point is their midfield and they still haven't improved it. Still no left-sided player and their central midfield partnership is miles away from the top four teams. I don't think they will finish fourth.

Not another freakin' strip tease please!

Actually, he's fairly pacey. His acceleration isn't all that, but he seems to easily keep up with strikers considered to be very fast. He's good enough to play in the Premiership, but maybe not in a side challenging for the top 4. I wouldn't mind him as a squad player. The Times mentions that he is also a defensive midfielder. Does he play in this position regularly? Do you think it's possible that we might therefore be looking at him to play DM?

Yup I think that is indeed the case. The clause only kicks in if we do not qualify for Europe.

So anyone know what he is like as a defensive midfileder then?

I wouldn't bet on it sounds like we want him, and to be honest he'll have signed this time next week Na, i reckon this one is dead in the water now, especially after a fee is being talked about. But you never know, the fee's, injuries and the player himself just all adds up to a big no for me. I can't believe were pursuing this anymore. Hmmm ... not so sure it's dead though especially as the player is happy to come to us and apparently Sam was very impressed by him as an individual and not just a footballer. Well probably end up paying £1million or something.

The Times:

The Tines:

Spain vs. Uruguay should be interesting.

Thanks for the hookup just made my day mate. Quality.

Is this on TV in the UK?

come on, Solano has done well for us there but you can't possibly think he's as effective as Geremi They're both right wingers who can do a job further back. Just because Geremi's played there for Chelsea doesn't make him any better. i know, but Geremi has the attributes to play back there. Solano has the intelligence and very little else I agree Geremi is infinitely faster, stronger and more athletic. Also a better tackler.

True! Not very clear what Allardyce is planning. Maybe a 5-3-2/3-5-2 with (from the left) Taylor, Rozehnal and Beye as central defenders and Geremi as a right wing back? The future will tell us. This is exactly what I suspect too.

Dunga has killed Brazil! How bad do they look?

Geremi is far more of a right-back than Nobby. Infinitely faster, stronger and more athletic. Also a better tackler. Geremi is very comfortable at right-back and isn't that out of place at all.

Still not sure how we didn't get relegated last season. God loves us.

Wow! Awesome. Are we losing any of our current strikers though?

I think Sam likes his DM's bigger than Chelsea's Diarra though.

Linked with Bolton today. Whatever happened to this kid? Wasn't he one of the next big things at some point? Anyone still familiar with him. How has he been doing?

We have never, repeat NEVER, played 3-5-2! Big Sam plays with ONE up front in a 4-5-1 formation.

I think if we lose Martins and end up with Owen, Eidur, Viduka and Ameobi then he would be well worth bringing in. This is because if Owen is injured it would be good to have another striker who offers us the type of pace we would lack, which Ritgers would do. Would probably be bad news for Ameobi but so be it. We could then alternate between Owen and Rigters for samller faster strikers and Gudjohnsen and Viduka for a striker with more presence.

He WILL build a squad around his desired formation. Remember we had Jay Jay Ockocha and Youri Djorkaeff in the same team and they were expected to fit into the 3-5-1 formation! Think you meant 3-5-2 which you played at one point and which i think Sam might return to at Newcastle as has been rumoured to be the case.