Lotus

Anyone who puts an escape clause for that amount activating only if we fail to qualify for Europe and while they were currently employing Souness and then compounding that later by hiring Roeder has made 3 very bad judgements. Had it coming unfortunatley.

Players on a free: Joey O'Brien (i think), injured most/all of last season. Apparently a CM, when i saw him at RB i thought he had a good reading of the game and good athleticism. Distin, Dr. Spec thinks he's much improved. I've barely watched him but thought he was average at best when here. Ben Haim, haven't seen too much, some good games and one bad. Sidwell, done nowt for me but others who (i hope) have watched min more reckon he's good. Tuncay, raved about. Haven't seen him. Viduka, I guess i see the logic. Just speculating. If the above are actually any good and would come (and be wanted by the new manager) i reckon we'd only have to buy a LB and a goal scoring midfielder. People mention Baines but i dunno how many have seen him consistently, cause what i have seen hasn't grabbed my attention.

Never seen anything from either of those two to make me sit up and take notice.

I've heard from someone connected to a bookies that it's Allardyce. Can't qualify it anymore than that. Confuses me though because i've heard that we are actively pursuing a signing, don't know who at the club is pushing it through if GR is about to be tin tacked.

He doesn't have the qualifications - or the bottle! CG, i pm'd you. Hope to find out more today.

I did qualify it with 'from what i remember.' I haven't watched him much since he left us so i can't judge him properly now, which is what i said. I'm sure he's a big improvement on Ramage/Bramble/Huntington if your opinion of him is only half right ;-)

If we are gonna sign a central defender we need to sign an experienced one to partner Taylor and help bring the massive potential out of him, not one to replace him in the team. Um, my point was that i don't remember Distin being the player who could bring the potential out of anybody. Rather i remember him as a player who needs a smart defender alongside him. IMO Taylor is not good enough to cover another eejit's lapses of concentration. Also dispute the notion the Taylor has 'Massive potetial' tbh.

I think SA looks at how best to win a game given the players available. Simple really.

Players can improve. Distin will need to have because i don't have many good memories from last time. Might be decent as the LUMP playing alongside an intelligent CB. That wouldn't be Taylor imo.

Owen, Rooney, Van Der Sar.

Are Kevin Davies and Joey O'Brien (both Bolton) out of contract this summer?

Neither Nobby (at RB) nor Carr will be good enough for a top 10 team in the PL next season.

If, as expected the situation ends up as follows: Taylor - Staying Moore - Leaving Bramble - Leaving Huntington - Out on loan Edgar - Out on Loan Ramage - ? Then we defo need to get at least 1 new CB.

I doubt anyone doesn't know we need a Forward who can hold the ball up and actually head it in a useful direction. We all know we need more creativity in the CM position. It's obvious to everyone that we need defenders, a proper RB and LB and CB. Surely no-one disagress with the above. So it's a question of prioritisation. We can all offer an opinion but we don't know what budget we have, we don't know who's available and at what price. You have to get value for money, Fwd's and creative CM'c are generally more expensive or higher wages if on a free. When the manager looks at who he can get he'll have to decide who can offer more for the team for the money paid. It might be that no CF or CM who could really make a difference are available or who want to come. In that case you spend it on the defence or visa versa. No-one can say what position would make the most difference to the points tally.

Like Shay Given you mean? Wasn't Ramage stalling on a contract a couple of years ago as well? Wanted some guarantees over first team football or something.

This. Best prospect we've had in ages. Maybe family circumstances + being away from home + losing his mates (Boum) has all got to him though. Still worth a start ahead of Duff. Anal's had in for him for a while i reckon. I remember him going on about Zog 'putting his pet lip on,' etc. They'll be pr1cks on here going on about how he'll want to go to Arsenal because of the French connection, completely ignoring the fact that they are a far better club in all aspects (except the fans, of course!)

Zoggy is worth more to the club than Roeder. Easy choice to make if i was Chairman. Not comparing the players but could've said the same thing wrt Souness vs Bellamy.

I'll only be disappointed if Zog doesn't start instead.

Doubt he would be interested, left Preston because he felt that tje expectations there did not reflect the realities he faced, he chose Derby as he felt the reverse was true and he would have a better chance of achieving success So few proven Championship mangers get a shot at the EPL these days unless they get a team promoted. Do you really think he'd turn down the chance if Derby don't go up?

Loved it when Miguel made Robben cry (Portugal vs Holland), marked him tight all game. Could afford to as he had the pace to catch him again if Robben gave him the slip. Pushed him about too, bullied him. Not a great defender but has enough physical attributes to make sure most LW's have a moody time of it.

Roeder clearly can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear. We might have done better if most of them were fit for most of the season. He doesn't appear to have the ability to 'make do.' FWIW, i hope we don't find out if he's up to it next season. Rather he was replaced. Would have thought Billy Davies (Derby) would be worth an interview.

I don't think Roeder should be the manager. Forgetting his media spiel for a moment we should try to remember to some important points: 1) We HAVE had a lot of injuries and this has disrupted the team very badly. 2) We are not Man U and have neither the squad depth or finance to make one. I know the transfer windows appeared to be poorly utilised but losing Owen, Duff, Dyer, Baba (our only left back), Moore (our only experienced CB) and Given for large chunks or all of the season was always going to hurt us. Then there was Emre's injury/suspension (best CM partnership with Butt), N'Zogbia's injury, I've not even included Shola because i don't think he's good enough. Losing fringe players like Harper and Ramage to injury meaning we have to play Srnicek and Huntington (or Solano filling in). Roeder can't be to blame for everything, just everything that is within his minimal influence. Losing all those players meant this was going to be a bad season, fact. I'm more curious as to why we've had sooooooo many injuries, personally. Or should i say, sooooooo many injuries AGAIN....

Couldn't agree more, Shepherd did unbelievably well to get Souness then Roeder from all the ambitious and confident managers from the list who were willing to snatch the job they have obviously been reading your informed and professional website. Or talking to that willy woofter who runs the Post Office, you know, the bloke you think would be our ideal chairman Your faith in the club you say you support is touching. Such unambitious talk would have made Mckeag and his cronies proud, as I'm sure you have so much else in common with them. time after time you have gone to my site and systematically pointed out the inaccuracies. Every time I try and take you advice and fix it. Then I find I'd be going against what Shepherd has published and I think "who do I believe Freddie Shepherd, and his signed report, or NE5". My brain then explodes. You agreed with Shepherd's appointment of Souness, I never agreed with Crozier's appointment of Sven, regardless of how many times you say it. Give the choice of Sven or Souness it would be a brave man to decide either way. You are clearly braver than me in deciding Souness was the better man. Where did McKeag appear in this ? McKeag's appointments versus Souness and Roeder. Not sure I've heard you say anything against any of them. But that's cos you sycophantly back who ever is chairman then claim otherwise later. Doff your cap the rich man. Yes Sir, of course Sir !! 11th's great sir, better than 7th last year sir, and better than 3rd and 4th and 5th sir, just unlucky sir, blame the manager sir, blame the players sir, blame the fans sir, how were you suppose to know sir, yes sir of course sir, Geordies are winners sir, yes sir. (Oh and yes sir, did you like my clever comment about poofters sir, wouldn't ever catch a great man like you sir, doing anything dodgy on the sex front sir, unless you you asked me kindly sir, cos for you sir, anything sir ) . i just thought he was saying that we have had worse boards in his time and for all the slaggings off those slagging off come up with no solutions Then you probably don't know the context of these two's 'duels'.

Mid-table teams that lack creativity are normally pretty solid and hard to beat. Unfortunately we're a soft touch.

The most basic of research would have brought about the conclusion that Gullit was never going to be a good appointment. Didn't need foresight for that one.....or Souness......or Roeder.......