AyeDubbleYoo

I'm happy with squad, we've done as much as reasonably could be expected in the transfer window. Much more probably! Carroll's replacement is a worry, but from a management point of view we actually have a lot of strikers on the books. I can see why we wouldn't be able to sign another one at the moment. Overall, well equipped for the season and very excited to see Ben Arfa and Tiote.

Really really want to go to this, but I don't have the cash to travel up from London for the third weekend in four. We should be getting a win really, would be nice to see the new boys come off the bench and get some good minutes.

Guthrie's a munter TBH, very sweaty close up as well. Carroll's got to be the best though, surely. With his might-not-be-from-Gateshead looks?

Keanes for everyone!

I wouldn't be writing off Guthrie just yet, he showed some good things last season. As the season develops we might see Hughton become more adventurous with the midfield. Might been Nolan sometimes dropping out for Ben Arfa, and Barton or Smith making way for Guthrie.

When it shuts at 6? Oh.

They should really call it "transfer deadline three hours between 9pm and midnight".

As much as I don't rate Shola, I wouldn't want to see him consigned to such a terrible fate.

Fucking hell, George Graham. I think we'd endured enough of the crazies and hasbeens of English football already.

I know relegation shouldn't have been required to sort out the club, but that's not the question. We went down, was it good for us? I would say definitely yes, we're in a better position all round than before it. And I don't believe these changes would have happened if we had limped on in the Premiership... certainly not as quickly. May also have been good for the long term of the club in that it showed Ashley that relegation is totally possible if you allow the weaknesses in a team to go unaddressed.

There's no reason at all for Moyes to go to Villa, it would be absolute madness.

Do you genuinely think he's a Premiership-level striker?

I do want to us to sign a forward, but I'm just saying that this transfer window is already way beyond what I expected.

Maybe 'Arry's favourite agents haven't got the players on offer this summer.

Weird going into deadline day not actually caring what happens. We've done some great deals already, so even if nobody else comes in I'll be reasonably happy. Would like to see another striker in, except if it's Heskey.

I would say... yes, but only because we came back up at the first attempt. If we had failed to get back up this season, we would have lost most of our decent players and could have found ourselves in the Championship for the next 5-10 years... which wouldn't be good for anyone. Yes, the positive change could have happened if we hadn't gone down, but let's face it, it wouldn't have. We needed a catalyst to change the way the club was going, and jettison some over the overpaid wasters who were milking our club. It also gave Chris Hughton a chance as manager, which would likely not have happened in the Prem. We would have appointed some Premier League name manager like Curbishley or O'Leary probably.

Barton should stay away in the return leg, leave the revenge to Tiote and Smith. The refs will no doubt have this feud in their pre match briefing and will be looking out for Joey. Better still, just hammer wolves and don't get involved at all.

There's no rule that says an owner has to plough their own money into a club, as far as I know.

Think Hughton's entitled to speak up for his players, the way he was treated was shocking. Interesting to see if he goes out for retribution in the return game later in the season.

I never hated Ashley, as most people will have gathered. When he came in, I was happy to have a youngish English owner rather than a unknown sheik... and I was very happy to have the embarrassment of Shepherd behind us. I think a lot of people shared that view. Then it became clear that Ashley didn't know what he'd let himself in for and had little idea of how to manage a football club. He then made a few incredibly bad errors, including the appointment of Keegan intended to ingratiate him with the fans. We all know the eventual fallout, I think our reaction to it was made worse by the initial hope that Ashleys takeover had generated. I've always believed that his mistakes were down to naïveté and lack of knowledge, I mean why would he possibly want us not to succeed? So it seems like the regime are learning from their mistakes and are making some good moves to make up for the previous bad ones. If they're getting better at this business of running a football club, then I hope it continues.

350 sweet pages and a transfer to boot. Not too shabby.

Never believed this would happen TBH. Very very pleased. Now just fingers crossed he settles in and does well.

If 'somebody' means a fucking retard, posting on a fucking retarded blog that nobody who's not fucking retarded reads or takes seriously, then yes. Malcolm Tucker-esque that Dave, nice work.

Possibly, all I'll say is things are looking better recently. Under Ashley they always have the potential to go wrong.

I'd like to see this too, but either he doesn't want to or managers don't see the potential.