AyeDubbleYoo

The last thing we should ever do is have Owen as our only striker, we always play shit with that formation. Carroll, Xisco, Ranger, just pick anybody FFS.

Not surprised Shola looks happy!

Thing about Shola is we've backed ourselves into a corner by horribly mismanaging many of our players' contracts, combined with the perilous situation we're in regarding relegation. We need to tie Shola down because, firstly, we might be able to sell him if he does alright this season. Second, we might well lose Owen and Viduka, and even Martins might be sick of battling relegation come the summer. So for many reasons signing him up again was the correct decision, in our current situation.

Is anyone actually expecting any decent business to be done this January? Very few clubs ever manage to make any good signings at this time of year, except the mad spenders.

By the future I mean from now onwards. Our short term target is to not to get relegated. Ashley's medium term goal seems to be to sell the club. Long term depends on the short and medium goals. Well, he said the club's no longer for sale. Whether he'll change his mind when the economy perks up remains to be seen, but that could be another 3-5 years. From now onwards you're right, first thing is to stay up... and that will continue to be the objective in future seasons unless we get a good manager and Ashley is prepared to invest in the squad. Otherwise we will continue to allow other teams to overtake us, sadly.

The Big Sho

I still don't feel the bone-chilling fear of relegation that I did during the Allardyce era. Not sure if that's justified, but it's how I see things. The future is challenging, but I don't see why we can't turn things around. We saw the quality players that the Ashley regime managed to bring in already. I don't think much will be done in January, but I assume by 'the future' you mean long term rather than the next couple of seasons?

Woo!

In the position we're in, we need exactly the type of player that Darren Bent is... physically strong, fast but lacking the world class ability that would make him too expensive for us! Similar to the type of side that Pompey were building I suppose, or other teams who have overtaken us in recent seasons.

I thought this was going to be about Dean Windass! On a serious note I would take Darren Bent.

Don't see why we want to sell Xisco anyway, much rather keep him and give him a fucking chance.

This was always the most likely outcome, still don't think it makes him more or less likely to sign in the end.

Who cares? Very honest answer!

Too fucking right, he never deserved that one in the first place.

On about -7 now.

Sometimes I hate Newcastle Utd. But sometimes I fucking love them!

You are aware that Keegan came back, right? His record is better than the Record KK have in his second term thus make him a better one over him. Uh oh.

Zoggy had a few setbacks though, partly his own attitude problems and partly the pointless signing of Duff just when he was playing his best. I still reckon he'll do really well if we have some confidence in him.

That would be a bargain, and not a bad signing considering our situation.

Because of the fact that we're languishing in a relegation scrap I can't really feel your joy. Glass half empty man eh?

I'm a bit worried that whoever was in charge it would be very unlikely that any 'major signings' would be made in January, it just doesn't happen very often does it?

If there's one thing that would make a man reconsider a decision, it's the set of circumstances that Ashley has endured since Keegan left. Maybe it is all enough to make him decide to give it another go.

Difficult one with Viduka, obviously he's useful if fit but I think his future will be either to retire or continue as he has been, being a bit part player for whatever club he's at.

Even to call it football is to flatter Big Sam a bit I reckon. I prefer to think of him as 'anti football', a strange game in which the only object is to keep the ball out of your own possession, preferably by launching it as far as you can up the pitch.

I was a big fan as well, there weren't that many player who could carry the ball like he could.