oldtype

Maybe we're not the only club that does fake bids

I'm not even asking for a whole lot. I don't have CL ambitions or anything. Can we just replace Shola? Please?

What is the point in finishing 8th? What are we aiming for? I want a goal for the club that doesn't revolve around just existing in the Premier League. Are we trying to get European competition and push on from there? If there was a goal beyond this season, I'd be more than happy finishing 8th, but there isn't. Finishing 8th is what we're striving to do. Do well without daring to get ourselves involved in European competition. Yay. So exciting. Not sure why this is happening in this thread like. It's quite ironic because 8th is actually a pretty good finish by the standards of our past decade. Like you said it's just that there isn't any obvious aspiration beyond that. Sports clubs survive by getting their supporters hooked on hope and there's not a whole lot of hope being sold to us at the moment.

I do think he has an interest in maintaining a reasonably competitive squad in the 8th~10th range through minimal investment so he maximizes positive exposure for his brand (better image, more TV games) and doesn't risk future relegation. Where we are about now is the "sweet spot" where Ashley would like us to be. So I guess we'd have to hope again for relegation flirtation to spur him on. Great. Just abandon all hope, less stressful that way.

I do think he has an interest in maintaining a reasonably competitive squad in the 8th~10th range through minimal investment so he maximizes positive exposure for his brand (better image, more TV games) and doesn't risk future relegation. Where we are about now is the "sweet spot" where Ashley would like us to be.

To be fair, no team ever sells their best players for anything other than those two circumstances. (Unless they're in administration I suppose)

Come on man, at least translate that for us stupid people

Try to look at it positively. If the Cabaye sale is contingent on Cabella move, the money men at PSG may have a quiet word with Montpellier's chairman... Or they can throw us more money. In all seriousness they would probably just raise our fee to cover whatever Monpellier demand. "They want 20 mil you say? No problem here's some spare change."

If this is indeed contingent on the Cabella deal it's about as positive as the inevitable departure of Cabaye could be. Getting an immediate replacement and good wad of money left over. I mean obviously I'd prefer that we'd be able to build on players like Cabaye rather than selling them, but that's not the world we live in is it?

The hilarious/sad thing is that I could only see the words "26m" in my preview screen and I knew we were selling somebody because we couldn't possibly be buying for that money

Try to look at it positively. If the Cabaye sale is contingent on Cabella move, the money men at PSG may have a quiet word with Montpellier's chairman...

Still just a rumor, but it makes too much sense to not believe

He's only signed a sixth-month deal with Augusburg and apparently he is set to join Dortmund after the end of the season. No, I don't know why they seem to want him so badly.

Ref would probably retroactively send off five of our players

Good performance but we'll never be allowed to beat these cunts

We're never going to beat city forever

No idea who he is and couldn't even begin to form an opinion. Signings are good I suppose.

As if what Pardew says would affect other clubs' decisions to make bids in any way. "It's a new Pardew sound bite about Cabaye! Quick, ready the chopper!'"

Shola would probably score ten past us in half an hour. While eating an apple.

We're at home, they're only six points better off than we are, and we apparently have the luckiest manager alive. No reason we can't win. Possibly three points off top if we do

Sell more shirts in Korea? Oldtype disagrees. I'm quite perplexed why they'd want him at well given that he can't get in the squad for the worst team in the Premier League and the Korean national team as well. Kid had loads of potential before the Mackems got to him. For his sake I hope he moves and it isn't too late.

It'd be their new 9-1. "2014! Screwed you out of Europe marra!"

Ki is decent, him and Giacherinni are their only decent attacking players/midfielders really. The rest are awful He was doing alright at Swansea. Mostly got kicked off the island due to personality clashes with Laudrup. (Ki has a pretty bad reputation for being a complete and utter dickwad)

(quietly steps away from the thread)

Barely even realized it was almost January. Two or three years back I'd be counting down the days till the window open. (And then again until it "slammed shut" and we signed nobody.) Dialing down expectations helps keep you sane. Like Yorkie, I'd be content with anybody who'll push Shola out of the team. Anything else is a bonus and an extremely unlikely one at that.