brummie

Modern football. Right there. I'm tempted to launch into a rambling, incoherent 'how did we let them steal our game' diatribe here. I won't, though.

I know I'll get hung, drawn and quartered for saying this, and that people will say I don't understand what it means etc (and maybe I don't), but I've got a feeling it will - in this case, not because it is KK, but in this case - end in tears (I'm ignoring the witless hyperbole in the above article, and going for the final line). Emotionally, great move, instantly get a feelgood factor back at the club. But is this the best move MA could have made? I doubt it. Still, it should be interesting finding out.

Why would SWP leave Chelsea now that he is getting a game? Having the money is one thing. Convincing the players to come is another thing. Still, you can imagine what it is like for football journos in this dull-as-fuck-nothing-happening window to suddenly get something else to create stories about.

Surely they won't let him go? This is the problem for second tier clubs. Players already at one only want to make the move upwards unless they have no choice. He's not a good right back. No footballing ability. He's perpetually 12th man so I do feel that at some point he will want to go and play week in week out at centre half somewhere but he's City thru and thru so that won't be for a while i reckon. PS: We surely wont let him go for 6 as i believe the story went, if WBA got 10 out of you for Davies. He won't be playing centre half for us, then, that position is truly sorted. Davies has a full PL season under his belt, mind. He's fucking quality that boy. Mind you, if I played alongside Martin Laursen, he'd make me look good too. He's the new Paul McGrath.

Surely they won't let him go? This is the problem for second tier clubs. Players already at one only want to make the move upwards unless they have no choice.

Yes, why join a club that's in the last 32 of the UEFA CUP when you can join one that's just 'pushing for a European place'! Because he won't be going anywhere until the end of the season, and I rather doubt you'll be in the UEFA cup next year. Do you think he's going to opt for Bolton over Juventus?

I think that is a little bit of an exaggeration. Didn't he admit himself that he was out of his depth? And wasn't his England record the worst of any England manager (including McLaren)? Although that is no disgrace - the England job has broken lots of good managers. He's a good club manager, but that looks a tad like rewriting history.

I like Milner too (as I've mentioned here lots of times), and was gutted when FFS pulled the plug on his move to us at the last minute.

He must shake like a shitting puppy when it comes to buying right backs, Keef, as he still hasn't managed to pluck up the courage to do it in a year now.

No worries, it's cause someone else is after him. Keegan? Close to McKay...Lived in Scotland...Timing...Obviously a bigger club than Birmingham...obviously going to Villa I'm sure brummie would be made up to sign the Scottish Rooney instead of Defoe. No, no chance. He looks a bit like that bloke out of Robin Hood, I think. That's not a reason not to sign him. He's shit. That IS a reason not to sign him. Total confusion about Defoe. Very respected sources say he has had his medical blah blah blah, one very reliable one says MON doesn't want him and he hasn't been anywhere near the club. MON in transfer windows = fucking stressful. Leaves things nice and late before doing business iirc, doesn't he brummie? Yes, yes he does. And he dithers about spending money. Known fact that Lerner gave him a huge amount of money to spend last summer and he dithered so much worrying about spending it badly, the window closed and he hadn't done half the business he needed to. Lerner said to be unhappy with that side of him. This has actually come straight from a member of the board - none of that ITK shite.

No worries, it's cause someone else is after him. Keegan? Close to McKay...Lived in Scotland...Timing...Obviously a bigger club than Birmingham...obviously going to Villa I'm sure brummie would be made up to sign the Scottish Rooney instead of Defoe. No, no chance. He looks a bit like that bloke out of Robin Hood, I think. That's not a reason not to sign him. He's shit. That IS a reason not to sign him. Total confusion about Defoe. Very respected sources say he has had his medical blah blah blah, one very reliable one says MON doesn't want him and he hasn't been anywhere near the club. MON in transfer windows = fucking stressful.

We're not signing a left back. Well, not as far as I know. Although we need back up. Any truth in Villa been interested in Steaua's center half Goian? I've heard the rumours, but can't even begin to think why we'd be after another centre half.

We're not signing a left back. Well, not as far as I know. Although we need back up.

Birmingham City given permission to talk to Gary Cahill. Big, big mistake. Although we're flush with centre halves, we're letting a quality player go. Surely he can do better than that shit hole?

He'll do. Not that I've ever seen him play as far as I know, and I'm not going to pretend I have, what with me never having played FM either.

After a year, though, in Redknapp's case. They probably hadn't even had the time to clean all the drool off his desk before he washed up back again.

Defoe in, Laursen re-signed, Giles Barnes and a right back (probably Miguel) and that will be a fine transfer window for me. Laursen has signed a 2 1/2 year extension of his contract. (BBC) Great news. My tip is that within a couple of years, he will have Paul McGrath style stature with us. He's on his way already. Great partnership developing with Curtis Davies over the last few games, too. Was perusing a Spurs forum earlier, in which someone said of Laursen . Hmmm. Beyond having the same number of limbs, I can't think of many similarities.

Bolton are after Olof Mellbeg. So that's a choice - stay where you are, pushing for a European place in a club that is obviously progressing well, take a last big pay day and join Juventus (which is what I would do were I him) or join Bolton's relegation struggle under the inspirational leadership of Gary Megson. Hmmmm.

Will he be keeping Terry Mac? Jesus, that man has durability.

James McFadden? Why surprised? Birmingham is about his level. He's crap. Around £5m we're getting apparently I suppose it's the going rate for rubbish strikers these days- Nugent, Chopra, Harewood etc 5.75m they just said on SSN. Unbelievable. re Harewood (who cost 2m less), apparently scouts are at our reserve matches like flies around shit, looking at Harewood. The predictable suspects - Boro, Derby, Sunderland, a few championship clubs. Here's hoping.

Defoe in, Laursen re-signed, Giles Barnes and a right back (probably Miguel) and that will be a fine transfer window for me.

I don't think he is seen outside Newcastle as a failure. I think the general perception of outsiders is that it is a decision made out of emotion rather than cold, hard pragmatism, which is what you look like you've needed for a while. Look at the response from a lot of people on this site, and on the pictures of SSN, it has clearly struck a resonant chord, but outsiders (well, the ones I know) see it as similar to the parading of the trophy signings - distracting from the real problems by getting a short term lift. To be honest, I don't think the fact he has been out of the game for a while will have that big an effect - the game has changed, but not that much. I like Keegan, he's an honest bloke, he's also a pretty popular bloke - he managed to survive failing with England AND remain popular, which is some achievement. I hope it works out for you, but when the dust settles from this evening and his first few games back, will it look like the clever appointment? I guess his results will decide that.

We were talking in the office today, saying how Deschamps was going to be a good appointment, how the choice showed foresight and, well balls, and how although he wasn't who we'd have expected Newcastle to go for, we thought it would be a good move. Then I'm on the way home and hear you've appointed Keegan. WTF? Proper WTF territory.

Well written, but how much truth? Genuine question - I've no idea. Where are the assumptions / untruths in it? (I mean the Black Widow article quoted a few posts above)

Martin Laursen has signed his new contract with Villa. That is for us a very, very important signing.