AyeDubbleYoo

Basically, if the agent represents the player he should be paid by the player only. I would make it illegal for a club to pay any money to agents that represent players. The problem is that agents are acting as pseudo-scouts and 'helping' clubs find players as well... so they can somehow justify charging the clubs a fee. Anyway, off topic there, Ba would be a decent signing if his knee hasn't totally gone.

Totally, this is one area where football could learn something from normal business. Don't give vast sums of money to people who don't do anything.

Fucking hate agents like, absolute parasites. On Ba though, I'm slightly worried about the injury problems he's supposed to have. Guess he can just join the Ameobi/Best permanent injury rotation.

If social services aren't going to act, it's your duty to at least bully them.

Don't think there's much reason to believe that our second season will be that much more difficult, except of course if we actually end up with a weaker squad.

Not sure I totally agree, Shearer was a legend for his playing days and everything that goes along with it, but there are negatives to his association with us as well. Obviously there's no reason to slag him off (thought I don't remember anyone ever doing that) but there's also no reason to blindly ignore anything negative. People are way too sensitive in defending Shearer and Keegan at times. They're both overwhelmingly good for us, and legends, but they're not perfect.

Depends what you mean by bigger club. If you mean Man Utd and Chelsea I agree. If you mean the likes of Spurs, Villa and even Liverpool I think he might choose us.

Could I guess at something like "Newcastle in chase for Ba" - with no quotes from anyone and no actual news?

Surely hundreds of thousands of kids would walk over hot coals to play for Newcastle Utd? The problem is when they make it, the reality of the football business bites. Either cheaper imported players block their progress, they aren't good enough anyway, or in rare cases like Carroll they're too good and someone else comes in and takes them. Still think what Carroll did was disgusting and totally impossible to understand. Why any Geordie kid would put money ahead of wearing the number 9 I just can't understand. The only consolation is that he isn't very bright and probably doesn't really understand the full extent of what he did.

Whichever way you want to spin it, the club will want Jose to sign a new deal. Either because they want to keep him (why wouldn't they) or to protect his resale value when we're swamped with offers from Champions League clubs.

Why? Just respected his midfield schemer style... his short passing was a strong role model for me! Top scorer that season.

Nothing about that is sexy. Unless by sexy you mean vomit-inducing. Gerrard wouldn't have it in him any more to be effective in that position anyway. Aye, I thought that after I posted actually.

Thing is, he needs a destination as well. He can't leave of his own accord, NUFC have to sell him to someone. Hope it's resolved soon either way.

There are hundreds of good players who aren't "touted for a move". We're just excessively paranoid and depressive about our players on this forum.

Gerrard and Suarez either side of Caroll in a sexy 433?

Got to be one of the worst pieces of transfer speculation ever that. Unless QPR actually are preparing a £1.5m bid, and it's them that are the idiots.

I think your mistake is expecting him to make any sense.

Ireland was rank in that game, think it was his debut as well.

To be fair, it is only mid-June. It's amazing we've even got one transfer tied up, I don't think the amount of time that's passed in the transfer window is a reason to worry.

To the fax machine!

You don't have a right to expect the finished article if you're buying a young lad with six months' Premier League experience. They're buying potential, if he doesn't fulfill it then Liverpool knew the risks. I'm not denying Carroll will be under pressure to perform, but to expect him to be an instant success just because he cost a lot of money is stupid. Obviously it will happen though.

Well, it'll certainly make me feel better about selling him. I don't think he should feel bad about it himself though, it's basically nothing to do with him.

The transfer fee is basically irrelevant for me, except that it means we couldn't say no. No player is worth £35m, and expecting him to achieve all that straight away is stupid.

Oh.

Born and raised?