Chris_R

Disgusting effort from all concerned, but utterly predictable. Not getting one penny from me until they start showing even a tiny bit of ambition. I don't have Sky, so they'll get nothing from me there. I'll not be at the games anymore, I'll just stream them all off the internet for free. And I'll certainly not be in any of his tatty charva clothes shops. I can wait, I'm younger and significantly healthier than that fat fuck. I'll be back.

I do too, actually. I mean he's a shit manager, but he's not being backed by the board either. But I'll stop feeling sorry for him the very instant he opens his mouth and defends this summer's transfer dealings. Which he will do, because he's a fucking spineless prat.

Shut up, there's 2 fucking minutes left yet. Ashley's probably calling as many people as he can right now.

Fair enough. Must be pretty depressing for him. "Mike, I'd really like to go and look at a young chap called Sebastian Polter. He's young, creative, scores goals, could be an excellent addition." "Ok Graham. Who's he play for?" "FSV Mainz" "Not heard of them. Where abouts in France is that?" "Mike, it's not in France. It's in Germany." "Germany? f***ing GERMANY? HOW MANY TIMES, GRAHAM. France! They're 10%cheaper. Now pack a Beret and f*** off to Paris again. We've bought you a Eurostar ticket. Economy class."

Care to elaborate?

Didn't Kinnear say "Judge me on the transfer window"? Can we start yet, or do we have to wait for the next 42 pointless minutes and 23 seconds?

We aren't even backed by a sovereign ring ffs.

If WBA don't want him, maybe we should sign Sessegnon? Good offensive player, just what we need really. (I know, as if we'd sign a player. )

So, everyone still glad we looked so comfortable against Fulham?

This is, sadly, spot on.

We haven't had our token derisory bid refused for someone unattainable yet. They'll declare themselves done after that. I think our problem is that it's becoming increasingly apparent that, barring a couple of very rare exceptions, we only buy French players. It's so obvious now, and we're limiting ourselves so much by it. It would be fine if it was because French players were the best in the world and we were willing to pay good money for them, but its not. It's because we perceive that their clubs will accept less money for them due to their lower TV deals, and we can offer their players less gross salary as when you factor in the French tax laws, net of VAT they actually still get a payrise. We've got no intention of buying quality players for decent money. Ashley is just hunting through the bargain bin and expecting to find something rare and valuable. Sure, when you're first to root round it you have a decent chance, but you can't keep going back to that same bargain bin time and again because of two things. Firstly, the owners of the bin will up their prices for you based on your previous success. And secondly, it's now fucking empty. You've rinsed it of anything of value. We need to pack this shit in and widen our nets.

Not true. We signed some kid for about 10p. Kemen, I think?

There's just not even a vague feeling that we might sign anyone. We've all suspected for weeks that nothing was happening, and now it's just grim resignation. 1 kid and 1 loanee who might soon end up banged up anyway. Disgusting. I'd put money on Pardew justifying our inactivity by saying we spent so much in January. I'd put even more money on the spineless interviewer not pulling him up on this and saying "Didn't you spend so much in January because you failed to spend anything the summer before?". Well they're not getting another penny out of me until this attitude changes or they're all replaced.

Yes, bid an acceptable amount for someone you know doesn't want to come. Genius. That way the board come out of it OK, they showed ambition. It was the player who wouldn't come, we did all we could.... They'd shit their pants if he said he'd sign.

Sadly the only person coming after him will be the local landlord with his extortionate bar bill, the drunken old c***. That's why we can't sign anyone, his expenses bill must be f***ing enormous.

Thank merry fuck for that. When Pardew manages to coach the life out of Ben Arfa as well, we're truly screwed.

If Defoe was 25 and available for £6m, I'd snatch your hands off. However I'm not sure on the merits of signing 30+ year olds who are after one last big payday.

Can we just lock this thread? It's pretty pointless it being open really.

Remy looked dangerous because Pardew hasn't coached it out of him yet. Trust me, he'll be Sissoko'd in a couple of weeks.

Jesus, that's so possible it's frightening.

Maradona was always a little fatty, never did him any harm.

I've always been against Jonas playing right wing, as he simply cannot deliver a ball into the box with his left, nor can he cut in and shoot with his right. Again, like Santon, sporadic games on the right have failed to excite us but you can't play 20 games on the left, 1 on the right as an emergency and complain that it didn't work, then stick him back on the left for the next 20 again. My argument with Jonas under a 4-4-2 has always been right side only, or if he can't do that, replace him. I'll say the same now about Santon.

Nothing to do with world class players, its do with being coached properly its easily done. Your acting like its an alien concept, it really is quite a simple set up but we do need the right forwards and a bloody winger. OK then, I've given a few examples in the opening post to back up my argument. Care to back your views up with some examples of (non-worldclass) teams that have made wingers work on the wrong sides under 4-4-2s? He could play wide right in a 4-3-3 and it would work. As it has done in the past. No way on earth should he play as a right winger in a 4-4-2 though. I mean the lad's got enough talent to play as a bloody fullback and look decent, but it'd be a complete waste of him to stick him as a right winger in a 4-4-2. He can offer us so much more.

I have no coherent reponse to this mess of a post. I can only sum up my thoughts with the following combination of emoticons:

I'm yet to see a wide player look consistently effective when played on their unorthodox side under a 4-4-2, with the exception of genuinely world class players at world class teams where they have enough collective talent to make just about anything work. We're nowhere near that level so cannot look at them and go "Well THEY manage it OK". Get the basics right and we might do OK. Otherwise it's a recipe for disaster.