brummie

Swapping one very good goalkeeper for another one? I'd suspect he was doing it for the sake of it, building a cabal of players he has worked with before. We wouldn't stand for that at our place. Oh, hang on a minute .....

I don't buy this Sunderland hype, Keane is overhyped and their resources are probably overhyped aswell. Watch the confidence drop when they step up a division! mackems are one of the biggest fanbases in the country Jon. They would piss all over s**** little club like Spurs for instance if they get their act together. Brummie - aren't birmingham owned by 2 of the richest men in the UK why don't they have ambition for the club ? Sullivan was complaining in the local press recently, "I've spent 10 million pounds at this club". That says it all really. They're a vile, piss pot outfit, tbh. The pornodwarf and they are a match made in heaven.

It is possible, but MON says no. I dunno really, I hope not, but in fairness, he started the season looking shagged from last year.

Not a bit early for that kinda prediction mate?! Certainly leaves the relegation fight looking interesting now, West Ham got Bolton (H) and Man U (A)... I wont write all the other teams fix down, but Wigan have the easist run in, wouldnt be suprised if its Watford, Charlton and Fulham down. Tbh he does have the right to feel optimistic . Agbonlahor, Young, Carew, Barry, Maloney, Petrov, Mellberg, Bouma, Berger and Laursen are all good players. If they could just add a goalscorer, some centre midfielders , full backs and maybe a good goalkeeper (dont rate Sorensen) they could make top 6. Goalkeeper, holding mdifield player, goal scorer, right back at the least. I'd also expect Davis to play a bigger role next year, don't forget Gary Cahill (who will play for England one day, I guarantee you) and Craig Gardener looks promising. Just need some experience.

You've kind of got to give it to them for getting themselves into the position where they've got a fighting chance, though.

Not a bit early for that kinda prediction mate?! Certainly leaves the relegation fight looking interesting now, West Ham got Bolton (H) and Man U (A)... I wont write all the other teams fix down, but Wigan have the easist run in, wouldnt be suprised if its Watford, Charlton and Fulham down. I'm talking slow evolution, step by step. We've got some excellent youngsters, if we can get the experience in, then it will be interesting. Relegation fight is looking really, really interesting. I can't believe West Ham have given themselves a fighting chance.

Should be interesting next week when they come to our place, then. I hope they stay up (obv not at the expense of a result for us). Third away win on the run for us today. Things are looking good for next season.

Lazy? Anti-premiership? Moaning? Slimeball? What exactly has he done wrong except accept the contract the Newcastle United offered him? 6 league starts isn't really enough to judge a player, surely? (i am lighting the blue touchpaper and retreating as i type this)

Who ever you want that we want isn't going to Tottenham, that's just the way of the jungle I'm afraid, monkeys are lower down the food chain than lions. I think Barnes and Davies could be on our list so unlucky. Be careful what you wish for, though, last time that theory was tested, didn't you end up with Duff?

I've got a feeling we might end up with him. I'm a bit undecided about him, tbh. Agbonlahor played alongside Carew could probably do just as good a job in time. He's shown hints of it in recent games. I think you may well be right. Whatever people say about his limitations, and there are a few, he is the most natural goalscorer at WHL. What he needs more than anything is to be trusted and with MJ using him as 2nd choice to Keane isn't doing his self belief any good. SGE with Walcott for the WC and McLaren since then have done him no favours either. No doubt imo he will score goals in the right environment. That environment isn't at WHL. Think he could do good for you under MON. As I said, I think he'd do well alongside Carew (who is one of the most physical but intelligent players ive ever seen), but I dunno, Agbonlahor plays well there and it is his natural position. I'd take him but not if it were at the cost of strengthening more pressing positions elsewhere. Have you got any holding midfielders or right backs going spare?

I think Sunderland will be next season's Reading. In Keane they have a winner and a motivator, some of it is bound to rub off on the players. Strikes me he is getting wonders from shite players. They're going to need to spend big.

Serious question - does Sunderland's renaissance worry you? Be honest. We've got the same thing with Birmingham potentially coming up, but in that case it is different, as they're always going to be a badly run grotty parks team. Sunderland seem to have some money and momentum behind them.

I've got a feeling we might end up with him. I'm a bit undecided about him, tbh. Agbonlahor played alongside Carew could probably do just as good a job in time. He's shown hints of it in recent games. Defoe is a good player. Would do well next to a clever big man. I agree, I just doubt the wisdom of spending that much money on him, when we've got an extremely promising player who can play that role already. Couldnt you just switch agbonlahor to right mid in order to accomodate defoe? . Then again where will Young play. Agbonlahor is wasted out wide, his natural position is up front in the middle. And as you said, Young will be playing out there, which is why I'm not sure if Defoe is the player we need.

I've got a feeling we might end up with him. I'm a bit undecided about him, tbh. Agbonlahor played alongside Carew could probably do just as good a job in time. He's shown hints of it in recent games. Defoe is a good player. Would do well next to a clever big man. I agree, I just doubt the wisdom of spending that much money on him, when we've got an extremely promising player who can play that role already.

I've got a feeling we might end up with him. I'm a bit undecided about him, tbh. Agbonlahor played alongside Carew could probably do just as good a job in time. He's shown hints of it in recent games.

I didn't say a refund, but some form of credit for unused tickets - obviously, if it were a refund, you could theoretically buy a ST, watch the games against the big four, then get refunds on the rest, and hey presto, you've watched the four games you want at ST holder rates. You're right, it does get very complex, and apparently there are a lot of issues to still be ironed out, but to be honest, I'm surprised it has taken so long for clubs to get round to using swipe cards. They're not stupid, if you check the small print for your current ST book I am sure it will say it is non-transferrable. They know people obviously lend them to friends and such. Theoretically, swipe cards could make this much, much harder to do, but they seem to have realised they're going to have to make some concession to the fact that for a lot of people, if they can't "transfer" their ticket to a friend for a match, they're not going to buy one in the first place.

His volley from a tight angle against Villa wasn't too bad either. Meh. He was a fantastic player, any team would be feeling his absence.

Is your objection to the swipe card the fact that it makes it harder to lend to people? I don't know what the situation with Newcastle is, but we've had these trialled in parts of the ground this year, and everyone gets them next year. Apparently they *will* be transferrable at our place, so I wouldn't be surprised to find out that yours will be too. Basically, for the cup games I missed through work/travel, and 2 league games, my mate sold the tickets to people he knows in the club or whatever. Once or twice I didn't know the person, but he did, for a lower price though. A couple of games went unsold. Next season as we aren't in europe it probably is irrelevant there will only be a handful of cup games unless we have a good run in one of the cups, so I suppose I could renew. But I'm just pissed off at losing out so don't really want to waste even one ticket next season. To answer your question, or ask further, what do you mean by "transferable" ?? My mate actually sold one ticket for me outside the turnstile. Obviously it was to someone who "looked" OK and anyway he sat next to him and he was "OK" ... I meant transferrable as in usable by someone else. My situation is like yours, in that i work in London, so night matches are a problem for me. This season, I've given my ticket to friends when I couldn't make it and it hasn't been a problem. But, here's a scenario - if say my sister had her ST next to me, and couldn't make it to a match, so lent it to my brother. On entering with a ST book, nobody bats an eyelid. On entering with a swipe card, the flunky there watching people come in notices that the card flashes up my sister's name, only for him to see some hairy bloke coming in. In that case, it becomes much harder than before to transfer your ST to someone else. Not even getting into the subject of selling it on. What we've been told for next season is that we CAN transfer the ticket to someone else for the day (apparently it is a legal minefield getting the wording of this correct), and not only that, they're going to be introducing a system whereby if you can't use your ST for a certain match, you get some form of credit back - possibly not a direct refund, but something approaching it. The idea is also that you'll be able to charge things to your card, ie charge it up with cash, and use it to pay for stuff at the food and drink outlets in teh ground / the club shop (apparently Reading already have this system). I'm normally the first one to raise an eyebrow at infringements of civil liberties, and I'm naturally suspicious of anything that holds more info about us than it needs to, but I think swipe cards aren't a bad idea. Of course, it makes you harder to sell your ticket for the day.

Is your objection to the swipe card the fact that it makes it harder to lend to people? I don't know what the situation with Newcastle is, but we've had these trialled in parts of the ground this year, and everyone gets them next year. Apparently they *will* be transferrable at our place, so I wouldn't be surprised to find out that yours will be too.

Yup, he's not allowed to play tomorrow, apparently.

What are they smoking at WHL? They were actually linked with Gavin McCann this week, too

See my earlier post about changes from next season. You're not behind the goal any more, you get the bit at the front f the Witton Lane (our the Doug Ellis as you probably know it) and the bit above it. Will the size of the allocation still be the same? I don't know for sure, but i think it will be slightly lower, due to the difficulties of segregating any more of the Witton Lane stand. This is out of some misguided belief that we're better off with home fans behind both goals, which most of our fans seem to agree with. However, those seats at the front of the North Stand are amongst the most uncomfortable places on earth, and the rake is so slight that the view isn't even very good. Well you have to give us 3,000 minimum given the size of your ground. We have to offer 3k, yes, but the current arrangement with the area behind the goal in the north stand plus the seats to the part adjacent in the lower Witton Lane is more than 3,000, more like 4,000. Obviously, some teams get both bits, others get just behind the goal, others get the side area only. I can't see the new areas they are giving to away fans being any more than around 3k seats, which is obviously a reduction in the max available seats.

Where on earth have Villa been linked with Dyer? If he's a central midfielder, then that's no use, we need a holding midfielder. If he's a RW, then that's no use, as we've just bought Ashley Young who can play there as well as elsewhere, and have Agbonlahor to play in that position. Dyer is precisely the kind of player we don't need at the moment. And, I can't speak for Spurs or Chelsea fans, but they're probably about as likely to give you Berbatov or SWP in exchange as we are to give you Barry!

See my earlier post about changes from next season. You're not behind the goal any more, you get the bit at the front f the Witton Lane (our the Doug Ellis as you probably know it) and the bit above it. Will the size of the allocation still be the same? I don't know for sure, but i think it will be slightly lower, due to the difficulties of segregating any more of the Witton Lane stand. This is out of some misguided belief that we're better off with home fans behind both goals, which most of our fans seem to agree with. However, those seats at the front of the North Stand are amongst the most uncomfortable places on earth, and the rake is so slight that the view isn't even very good.

I don't know what shocks me more. The idea that Newcastle are paying Dyer 80k a week, or the idea that Robbie Keane is Spurs' highest earner. Football = fecking mental.