AyeDubbleYoo

Gooch looked good for the USA in the confed cup like, I was very impressed. Never thought he was bad for us though really... another shit managerial decision not to sign him.

I had an epic debate about Jonas with one of my best mates the other day, I still reckon it will click for him soon and he'll be class! Think he'll do a job in the championship if he's still here. Not sure why I believe these things!

Always get a strangely positive feeling when I see training photos... it's when they get out on the pitch that it goes wrong.

I pretty much agree, obviously I hate Owen for being shit last season, but then that goes for nearly every other player as well. He's no more to blame than anyone else, he's just better paid.

I rate Johnson and Crouch... whether they're worth £15 million or not seems a bit of an impossible question, the transfer market has gone mental.

Has anyone actually bought one of these yet?

If you have to put 'when fit' alongside an assessment of a potential signing that should be code for 'don't go near him under any circumstances'. Can't believe teams are so desperate or naive they will sign players with fitness records like Owen and Viduka.

I like Crouch but I don't see why he would leave Pompey for Sunderland now.

What do you mean? He hasn't changed a bit! http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00496/Michael_Johnson_496845a.jpg http://content.mcfc.co.uk//~/media/Images/Shared/Players/Players0910/JOHNSON_800x700.ashx?as=0&dmc=0&mh=700&mw=800&thn=0 wtf is this? that's surely not the same person? jesus If that isn't inspiration for the how to lose weight thread I don't know what is! Fucking hell.

Just shows how long you can live on past glories.

Hate to say it, but he might do alright. I'll be livid if he suddenly 'finds fitness' now he's at United though, can see it coming.

Do you not think it's unduly pessimistic to say nobody else will buy us? The asking price is a bargain and the club has massive potential.

He's not our problem anymore

My uncle lives in Brisbane. Bet that makes it more interesting for you James!

Gatesheed

Aye, it was a potentially good decision that turned into an absolute disaster. Ashley hiring Keegan might have been a good decision, if everything else hadn't been wrong.

I always thought £60m for a club like Newcastle is a bargain. Depends on the debt and if Ashley needs to be repaid as well I suppose.

We might still be able to keep him if we up his wages! Anyone?

It's going to be really weird to watch live league games on the BBC... brilliant in a lot of ways.

Don't think Valencia is average, there are very few wide players in the Premiership as good... and he's fairly young as well.

I dunno, he might turn out to be just what they need, a cog in the machine rather than a superstar. Fergie is a master of making a team more than a sum of its parts... he's made Darren Fletcher, Ji Sung Park and Wes Brown into part of the best team in the world (or maybe 2nd best!). He just needs to make sure he gets other players in who will provide the goals that Ronaldo leaving will take away. I like Valencia though, sure he'll do well. My thinking too. People will say he is Ronaldos replacement due to the position he plays although Man Utd will be looking elsewhere to replace the goals, assists and flair they have lost. I guess he'll play strictly out wide, in a way he might simplify Fergie's team selection since he has a clear position and won't be played through the middle like Ronaldo sometimes was. Rooney might come in and play central every week, along with another new signing. Maybe there'll be an increased role for Nani next season as well.

I dunno, he might turn out to be just what they need, a cog in the machine rather than a superstar. Fergie is a master of making a team more than a sum of its parts... he's made Darren Fletcher, Ji Sung Park and Wes Brown into part of the best team in the world (or maybe 2nd best!). He just needs to make sure he gets other players in who will provide the goals that Ronaldo leaving will take away. I like Valencia though, sure he'll do well.

The next disaster would be to end up going into the new season with a 60m pound wage bill, a squad full of uninterested want away wasters and no manager. Shepherd coming back is like a trip to Amsterdam with 5 grand spending money in comparison, sad but true IMO. Well that's a different disaster. For what it's worth if it is a straight choice between the status quo and FS then obviously we have to hope this deal goes through. I just hope it isn't as clear cut as that, and someone else emerges. Or failing that, that Shepherd is just a front man for this consortium and they have a lot more intelligence and wealth behind them.

Don't think the fact we've just been through one disaster should make us welcome the next one!

Well, a bit of all of those I suppose! Mainly taking money from the club, appointing the wrong managers and allowing them to waste the club's money and generally getting us into too much debt chasing his dreams. Got to admit though, his personality doesn't exactly help! In the short term you're right, the manager issue is taken care of. But we'd better hope the Shearer experiment works out because we know what Freddy does if not.