Ronaldo

Yes.

Cristiano is the 2nd best forward in the world and probably the best player ever to grace the Premier League. He'll have to be content with those meagre accolades for now.

The miss away at Forest last season is still the one that pisses me off most.

Some of those were signed in 2004, mate. Drogba, Kezman, Ferrreira, Tiago and Robben to name a few.

Exactly.

I think it's a huge indictment of your attitude that you're writing off a promising-looking youngster after only a handful of appearances alongside Peter Lovenkrands. (Everyone in Spain isn't Barcelona BTW) I'm not writing him off. This is England, is it not? So you don't think he'll make it, he's not a talent but you're not writing him off? I think he has a chance of making it in this country, but I do resent the fact that we sometimes seem to look for athletes first, footballers second over here. And Ranger is certainly an example of that.

I think it's a huge indictment of your attitude that you're writing off a promising-looking youngster after only a handful of appearances alongside Peter Lovenkrands. (Everyone in Spain isn't Barcelona BTW) I'm not writing him off. This is England, is it not?

I've said it before but it's a huge indictment of English football that players with Ranger's footballing ability are considered 'talents'. In Spain he'd be scrubbing a filthy toilet at McDonalds.

He inherited a team that had just finished 2nd and added the likes of Drogba (and Essien a year later) for £25m. There was nothing ingenius about it.

He really shouldn't be on enough money to make him comfortable, he's not even a Championship player as things stand.

Get a grip.

Like Hughton would have put his foot down anyway. Anyway, he probably signed something to ensure he couldn't criticize the current ownership.

Explains to some extent why Pardew is so reluctant to play him.

They won't be cleaning up with Barcelona around.

He most certainly isn't an excellent player. He's a good guy and a good captain who scores lots of goals, which is basically filling a huge gap for us at this moment in time.

I said the same about a month back, in fairness.

No chance. Not in a million years.

What a guy, man. Completely fallen for him.

Real are the best team in the world after them; they'd be forst comfortably with their points total in the Prem or Serie A. But look what happened when Barca played them. Good point.

You know fine well what would have happened in that match. Barca would get 3 stonewall penalties ingnored then watch helplessly as Milan bundle one in from a corner in injury time, 1-0.

I've only realised since he returned from injury last season just how physically weak he is in spite of his aggression. Bigger and similar sized CMs knock him all over the shop. Probably the main reason he's better suited to RM.

True story.

3rd is the lowest they've finished in the PL era.

Nah, man. Against Chelsea and Wolves he was our best player by a distance. Easily deserved an '8' in both games.

Christ, The Pink.