mrmojorisin75

some people, myself partially included, are seeing it difficult to work out how we can attract the right calibre of players if we're no longer going to be matching or exceeding other clubs wages and are not in europe also due to the lack of noise from the club we're all searching for scraps of info about targets - the fact we lost the only confirmed one we know about shouldn't fill anyone with confidence realism not negativity is about right (TT excepted), but i'm mentally prepared to be very, very disappointed and it's up to ashley and co to go out and prove they're in it for something more than balance sheets now

i'd like to think this was 100% correct...don't understand what difference it would make though when the lists went in before the holiday and KK is supposed to have no involvement in the deals right? but then what we all DON'T know far outstrips what we know at the moment!

is that actually true? great, why don't we write and complain about going to pompey, or london then, see if we can play the games online with a couple of PS3's? that's weak that like

the little i've seen of modric suggests he'd not be great with us, sits too deep for my liking especially if he was in a midfield with geremi & butt or even barton at some point...unless he could be played higher up he looks like he needs the midfielders around him to do his running missed turkeys games but it sounds like the lad turan plays higher up, probably more what we need

when they've played in the CL i'll start listening, til then they can fuck right off

played very deep for croatia in that first game, i expected him to be just behind the strikers but for most of the game he was almost sitting in front of the defence possibly not a gameplan, just the way the game panned out?

if this is "true" then it's likely down to two reasons; either the age we've bought a player and/or the high turnover of managers we've had

surprisingly Dave's comments on another thread made me feel better about this whole situation - IF the club goes with 3-4 first team signings and 3-4 younger players to challenge and push for first team places it'll be enough IMO i hasten to add it'll really need to be 4 of both rather than 3!!! so sign one first team quality/age CB, 2 x CM and a ST then get fullback cover and more midfield cover from the younger players we'll be OK

Because we can sack him and stop him playing for anyone else for four years. Its not going to be that straight forward, naive to think it is IMO Agreed, his right to work is guaranteed under the Human Rights Act and we could be seen to be infringing on that right should we stop paying him and yet still refuse to let him play for anyone else. See Adrian Mutu. Thats exactly the sort of thing I mean. Naive to compare it to the Mutu case, because its nothing like it. hold on, wasn't mutu sacked for breach of contract (drugs) and the talk is we'll sack barton for breach of contract (beating the shit out of someone and bringing the club into disrepute i'd guess)? are they that different? i'm no lawyer before anyone starts

Ronaldo literally cannot play any better, he's at his peak - there's nowhere left for him to go but down, now. We should be looking to sign someone on their way up as opposed to making an investment that will depreciate. this is a very, very good point - he's not only reached personal level of fitness and ability that outstrips his peers more importantly he's playing in a team that is virtually geared towards creating space for him to mauraud (sp?) about in should he leave man u in the next couple of years i'd strongly predict he'll never come close to the last couple of seasons

don't say it too loud but this is honestly a major reason i thought we'd see a big move in the market early in the summer - splash 15m+ on a good player and convince people it's worth parting with their money, that we MIGHT NOT just have the usual shite to watch again next season not to do so leads inevitably to the conclusion that NE5 suggests, that the people in charge now haven't a scooby about football in the slightest

On his own, not a chance. On his own its pretty much what you would call the ultimate "trophy" signing. Their ticket sales etc would go through the roof, naturally and rightly so. But what really matters is they follow it up with 2 or 3 really top quality younger signings. Such as Bentley, for one. Persuading one or two players like Hart, Richards, Dunne and Johnson to sign longer deals. Now THAT would really convince me. As for Newcastle United, and people saying that our new way of searching for bargains and kids is the way to go Would anybody on this message board not be delighted if Newcastle United did the above ? Your point in bold is excellent Dave we kind of discussed this on another thread but never got down to brass tacks regarding ambition for NUFC - what do you think is a realistic summer ambition for us? as you say here man city already have a better squad than us so if they sign ronaldinho and YOU still reckon they need another 3-4 bentley-esque signings, what is realistic for us this summer? given the amount of players we need rid of 'cause they're s***, plus the ones we've already let go we would need some amount of rebuilding huh? suppose i'm trying to pin you down on details that i might not get, but in your posts there's always an undercurrent of impatience, if you like; if we're ambitious enough to crack the top four we'll spend money and that's about it...do you think we could have a such a summer to leave us in a position to have a go at the top four next season? if not when do you think we should be aiming for that by? i'm genuinely interested mind, this is not a fishing expedition 'cause i reckon we agree on the basics - buying the best players makes the best teams! for my part i honestly, honestly think it would take an investment of 100m+ to get us anywhere near europe again and as that's never happened in football apart from the one obvious exception & consider it unrealistic for us, or indeed anyone else...as for 2-3 consecutive 50m spending summers that's a different matter - it's what i think we should be expecting a minimum personally if you consider nothing else bar the increased TV revenue each club gets, spending anything less than that is akin to f***ing the fans over IMO Impatient ? I've always been like this mate. I've never understood why we buy 2nd rate players ie not through bad judgement as in the likes of Boumsong, but in setting 2nd rate standards. There's a difference. In terms of money, I don't know what to expect/demand. But I expect/demand standards . If they make a few good signings who are quality, and setting out the standards they should, I'll be happy, and see from that that they have the right idea and so are moving forward. I suppose what I'm saying is if they are going to spend 30m quid I would rather see 2 quality players for 15m quid each than 6 for 5m quid. Thats always been my view. There is no problem with scouting around the lower leagues looking for the next Rob Lee, but people have to get this sort of thing into context. It just doesn't work like that. Sign 20 players from that sort of department, and only about 4 would be what you want, at the most. So you've paid the money for 20 players, and still need another 7. Every top team has 3 or 4 players who are absolutely top drawer, otherwise they wouldn't be in the top 4. You have to pay the money when these players are available. I would never criticise a board of directors for trying to bring quality footballers into the football club, thats what you want from them !!!!! I agree with the short post by UV. We have to compete with our rivals, at the time, thats what its all about. I don't think there is much between us and a top 6 place if we do, its all about which managers show the best judgement ie between us, Spuds, Man City and Villa now probably, being the clubs with the biggest support. Getting higher than that is a taller order as you say, but over a few years any of these teams could do it and in time one or more will. Do you think anybody else could do it ? Cheers, not 100% with you but almost; I'm just of the opinion that at this point in time 2 x 15m players isn't what we need to take us on. We need a better squad as a priority THEN those players. If we could do it all at once then fantastic but considering Modric is what you get for 15m these days, or Darren Bent, I just couldn't see them making the impact we need with the current squad. Can't disagree with any of it fundamentally though.

Dawson is blunder prone, but there is a good CD in there somewhere. Still young? We already have Taylor though we need someone experienced in there with him or Faye would have to pass on Dawson i think i'll lose faith in life itself if we sign dawson - what fucken scouting team would recommend/approve him anyways? Being overly harsh on Dawson imo. you think? perhaps...white titus bramble IMO, minus a bit of fat

Dawson is blunder prone, but there is a good CD in there somewhere. Still young? We already have Taylor though we need someone experienced in there with him or Faye would have to pass on Dawson i think i'll lose faith in life itself if we sign dawson - what fucken scouting team would recommend/approve him anyways? Chris Hughton? oh JESUS CHRIST aye... FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK FUCK

Dawson is blunder prone, but there is a good CD in there somewhere. Still young? We already have Taylor though we need someone experienced in there with him or Faye would have to pass on Dawson i think i'll lose faith in life itself if we sign dawson - what fucken scouting team would recommend/approve him anyways?

comments are cracking me up, "Awesome" off the other thread and now Towelie's!! you'd think he was a peedo or summat...! great fee if true, good sale...

Why, who else do you think we should replace? I don't think looking to replace a third of the outfield players is undercooking things, really. Seems realistic to me. Dave I am not disputing that it won't be the case I am just of the opinion that its a pretty average squad and that only 3 additions to it, especially some of those who have been linked, will not make a major difference. I am not expecting to see an overhaul nor do I see it as a realistic option just pointing out how s*** I think the majority of our team are. you can both call me unrealistic if you like but unless we net spend about 50m this summer i honestly think we've been had what's TV money worth now? 20, 30, 40m a season to a club? never mind season tickets and sponsorship for a club our size there's no excuses man, none...how you spend it is a different matter i guess, if it's on 3 players then the manager lives and dies by that decision but i for one am a bit sick of having a weak imbalanced squad and think it's time we dealt with it

If that is our squad for next year it looks like its going to be another long hard season tbh aye...sad thing is dave is probably right

think you're right, but it's not something i think any of us should be remotely happy with

so what are you telling me? we're going to start the season with the following assuming the above leave: one LB & RB 3 CB's (so one for cover) 2 x new midfielders plus butt/geremi/charlie/milner & barton when out of jail martins/owen/new guy or am i missing something?

you can expect what you want, i have my own standards i believe we should be trying to reach but consider; carr/ramage/troisi - gone emre - on the brink of going shola - not wanted rosenthal/cacapa - probably not good enough and going to leave smith/duff - definately not good enough and have to leave barton - back against the wall in a prison shower, out of the picture viduka - severe fitness problems owen - time will tell if you think we can start the season with the 3,4,5 players keegan has mentioned publicly and see us NOT get relegated then good on you this is NE5 style logic i'm applying here man

Needs a holiday after having 3 years off. If that was me i'd be at every game, working 24-7 to better the club, SBR style. OR more realistically when the season finishes work to get one or two KEY signings made then take a relaxing holiday before completing the squad building late june to early july you'll not talk any sense into these people TT - we've done the same thing year in year out in the transfer market so why could we/would we possibly do anything different given our prior "successes"? it's ostrich time...the "look at you panicking 'cause we've not signed anyone on 9th june" brigade will say the same thing until the last day of transfer window guaranteed...at 23:58 august 31st they'll be saying "there's still time man" not one of the people ridiculing you/me or whoever, not a single one, can offer me a satisfactory answer for us not making sure a signing or two is in the bag early on - tells it's own story.... What a load of bollocks. If we're still in this position at that time on that day, there's no way people won't be livid. No f***ing way. Why would we do any different this season? New owner, new chairman, new manager (that they appointed). Let's see, eh? Oh, and last summer ended up being pretty damn good in the end IMO, so I don't know where you're coming from in terms of the most recent reference point. You give me a satisfactory answer why 17 other clubs in the Premier League haven't signed anyone yet and I'll show you why we haven't. In fact who has signed players? Chelsea - not quite comparable is it? Spurs - only one player we weren't in for with a record-breaking bid. Liverpool - slightly less problem getting players for them methinks. howay dave, you're better than picking up on an exaggeration to make a point man!! most people would be akip anyways at 23:59!! anyhow why would we do any different? 'cause what we usually do doesn't fucken work, that's why i'd suggest...as for the summer of the 9 (iirc) brought in you could consider 3 a success, 1-2 average, 2 a failure & 1-2 a total disaster - you can deem that a success if you like perhaps the 17 other clubs in the PL don't have the expectations we do about what is going to/should happen to their squad this summer? we spent fuck all last summer (net) and nothing since when TV money is at the highest it's ever been, have had years of on-pitch decline and have come to a summer where it's not unreasonable to expect a massive overhaul of the team under keegan...most of the other teams have been building up over the last few years and will be looking for bits and pieces as opposed to us who SHOULD be going nuts in the market that enough for you? thought not for what it's worth i said people would be doing/saying the same at the end of the window and should have clarified that i meant IF we've not performed well on transfers by - i actually think we will have got a few in but am prepared to be very disappointed

if only all replies could be as succint as this!! and agreed on all points, by the way

looked very assured on saturday i have to say...still a nice slow pace and little in the way of physicality from the swiss probably helped

anyone see olic for crotia last night? closest thing to bellamy i've seen in a long while (questionable finisher apparently too so even more like bellamy!!!) if we were looking fo that type of player again we could do much worse, think he was linked a while back too iirc?