AyeDubbleYoo

Harry Redknapp doesn't care if a player is "available", he's a wheeler-dealer remember!

I disagree, Ian. I think it demonstrates success is impossible if you're not willing to hang on to your gems which didn't cost too much. If you're (MA) going to follow the Arsenal plan then it has to be to the end. Not dumping the gems when an offer comes in. But we don't know that offers have already been refused on other players. Ashley has starting to make me sit up and take notice (of his plan) when our cheaper purchases were showing how well they've been scouted and are, in fact, pretty awesome value for money. The flaw will be if they start to be shipped out. I'm not including AC in that because I think the money was far too much to refuse. There's some method in his madness. Yeah I totally agree with all that, I suppose I meant instant, short-term success. I don't think the general plan is to sell players at all, I just think the Carroll offer was too good to refuse, bearing in mind that he wanted another new contract to stay. And if another similar insane bid comes in we've shown we're prepared to sell players now. But I agree with Ashley's general transfer and wages policy, it's one of the things he's improved over the previous regime.

I think you're right, I wasn't looking forward to this but now it's getting closer it'll actually be nice to concentrate on what's happening on the pitch.

"What is a club in any case? Not the building or the Directors or the people who are paid to represent it. It's not the television contracts, get out clauses or the marketing departments or the Executive boxes. It's the noise , the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city" - Sir Bobby Robson

If Ashley's going to be here then it's in everyone's best interests that he has a manager who he trusts and he can work together with. If he's going to be the owner, then that's the best chance we've got for stability and progress.

It hardly makes Dalglish a footballing genius that he spotted Andy Carroll. Any human who's watched MOTD this season would want to sign him.

He could have been the best or maybe the second best (in recent times), but now he's just a minor footnote in our history.

So Nolan hasn't actually done an interview?

We do have a better squad than in the season just before relegation IMO. It's pretty thin in depth, but I would say it was just about better.

My mate played with Shola and said he was a lovely lad. Make of that what you will.

I was really easy on my West Ham mate at work when we slaughtered them, and he gave me a hammering today about the Carroll sale. He won't get mercy next time.

I wish I could give it up sometimes, but I fucking can't.

He barely smiles in that whole thing TBF... he doesn't look 100% happy.

I hope they can do the business, recent experience suggests they've got the ability. I wouldn't mind a big-ish spend on one striker, then the rest on Tiote-level buys. It's a long time to wait mind.

Responding to it certainly is.

Are you taking the piss? We've got 15 games left to play, man. 15 games with 4 strikers who just aren't up to it at this level. Well you know, Carroll would have been injured for another 5 or 6 of those anyway. It might make the difference between one or two places in the league, I'll give you that.

There's no such thing as the going rate now, transfer spending and player wages have gone mental. It's all about what a club is prepared to splash and what a player thinks he can squeeze out of them.

I never believed the plan was to sell him in the summer, I just think we never expected such a massive bid and for Carroll to agitate for a move. Summer or now anyway, it makes very little difference.

They're all cunts. even more well said.

Well said, man. How many times are we going to be fooled by reassurances? When it comes to this, a few normally very intelligent poster suddenly experience a vacation of cognitive functions. It just shows how stupid wishful thinking can be. Hence a bunch of assholes making Rhonda Byrne a very rich Australian tart for her dogshit Secret. Who is absolving him of all blame like? Obviously he wasn't devastated to get £35m for Carroll.

Can't remember reading many of those posts.

This is what I fear TBH. I just about believe they plan to spend some money, as they've done before on Tiote and Ben Arfa etc.

Nothing happened at all?

I think that's guaranteed.

Fair enough, everyone is telling me that this is 'just how football is' blah blah blah, and making me feel like an idiot for caring about or commenting on it. If that's the case then I'm not sure I'm bothered about football any more, if what you say is true then what's the point in believing in any club or player? It's not worth the hassle.