Tsunami

It would go against everything we are supposed to looking for in a signing, so if we are; Panic Mode has started.

We've known since last year that we need a target man - that need hasn't gone away. Ok some of the injured players will be back in 3 to 4 weeks but you can guarantee that within another similar time some of them will again get injured. We need a target man.

Why panic, there's still less than a week left before the window closes & we have agreed a transfer request? I've no doubt Milner was forced into asking for a transfer 'cos we wouldn't sell him & he knew SWP was on his way along with "others". Viduka's out for at least a month; wonder in Sibierski fancies another year here, Ameobi may just decide he has a future here as well. All is well.

He's neither a first team regular (shouldn't be) or a consistent performer. Last night, for example, was the first time in months that he has put in, what i would call, an acceptable performance and we were playing Coventry. He lacks pace and end product, i won't buy that because he is young we need to keep him. Are you telling me if Villa put an 8m+ bid in for him we shouldn't take it? The key in the whole thing is if we can find a replacement because as you say, our squad is thin. All things being equal I'd take 8- 9 Mill. My concern is that we have unsettled players (Zog, Milner), under-performing players (sic) in Ameobi, Smith, injury prone players (Owen, Martins, Viduka, Duff) and Joey Barton..... All this in a paper thin squad. We had a decent start to last season, there was early optimism from many & then the wheels fell off. We do not have the squad to deal with the set backs when they come & they will. We need players in, not out.

Can't understand why anyone is happy that a young, first team regular, in a paper thin squad, puts in a transfer request near the end of the transfer window. This suggest that he's not happy with where he sees the club going & knows other clubs want him more & are better equiped for success. He will never have pace but he is a consistent performer. We'd better have some pretty big rabbits waiting in a top hat somewhere. I bloody well hope that this meeting today gets things moving. Our decent start to the season is in danger of glossing over a severe lack in investment.

No, ball fell to Morrison from a deflection and he stuck it away well.

no

KK was asked about Owen and he said things should be a lot clearer after Wednesday and that his goal would have done him no harm. Reading between lines suggests that we haven't offered enough, that Owen would be prepared to stay and that KK supports Owen's position. If MA allows Owen to run down his contract serious questions need asking.

The Last Word on SS showed most of Owen's goals from headers, most were frrom Geremi's crosses. You can't criticise Jonas for his crosses (& they say his assists in La Liga was impressive) but Milner, Zog & Duff all need to improve. As everyone knows though Geremi has no legs, he's completely gone so the quicker the others improve their delivery the better.

I sit in the Milburn Paddock, the singing section sang about as much as the Gallowgate - by singing section I think they must mean standing section with some singing.

I think the attendance was as good as could be expected. There will have been empty seats due to hols/ late arrival of season tickets but I don't think the club have made public the number of season tickets they have sold; they usually do. The truth is, we have been poor for quite a while now, times are harder and up to now MA hasn't invested enough in the team to excite those wavering fans to sign up. When you look at our fixtures you could hardly blame anyone for simply picking their games up until Xmas & then if we are looking good then buying a part season ticket - doing this would get you the Mackems, Smoggies, Man U, Chelsea & Arsenal (Lpool is just after Xmas so you may even get this) - looks very attractive. Bolton didn't bring many up; but they don't get many at home & they were rubbish last year.

NOTW player report complimented Milner on his perfect cross for Owen's goal but that he wasn't the answer for Capello as Beckham's replacement........................

Hope MA takes today's result and performance as a sign to back KK with the players we need and not a reason to say we don't really need to strengthen. I fancy KK will use this performance as a means to try to push deals through & if he can get MA's ear for half an hour or so he'll give MA a right good rallying speach. We have to make the positives out of this game work for us. We lost the goal as Zog isn't a defender, a left back may have thrown himself at the ball & I'm pretty sure Taylor would've got there first or would have blocked it. We need a left back, a creative midfield palyer & a target man; get the right players in and we will enjoy a much better season than last. Our workrate, self belief & commitment were all first class today. 8 out of 10.

MOM without question once we get a proper left back (KK mustn't fancy Enrique) we will look pretty strong down the left. Jonas's workrate was fantastic.

Sunday Express reckons Spuds (who else?) will be in for Owen once Berbatov goes. With Spuds you never know but it would leave us in the shit & short of time to get a replacement.

Doesn't mean we should be buying him though. Or counting on Owen as well. True, but at any given point you'd hope one of Martins/ Owen would be fit & that at the same time it will be 50/50 whether Viduka will be fit or we'd be up against a team that you'd want Viduka to play against. Given this our current options are Smith (as in tomorrow) or Ameobi (soon to be gone). You'd take Heskey every time over those and I'm really not sure what available target men are out there that we could perhaps make available or get at a reasonable price. Saviola as an example may be a decent player but we just don't need his type.

Capello has called up Heskey, I'll say again - he'd do a job for us. He wouldn't get the goals but Owens/ Martins would thrive off him & he'd be a completely different type of target man than Viduka giving us an option we just don't have at the moment. Given the lack of creativity we have in the centre of midfield we are going to need the ball to stick when it goes up top as we aren't going to passing teams to death and opening them up through he middle anytime soon.

If he does turn them down he must have another club in for him; he knows he has no future here and he wants to go.

The man is a genius, pure gold, Ricky Gervais you are owned by Steve McLaren.

He must've wanted to go; we are now short of CB's now (Cacapa will not survive the PL pace) & he could also do a spoiling job in midfield. We must be going to get more in, our squad is paper thin.

Thought it was about time this was bumped. We need to get this situation sorted out; I'd like to think we get the contract sorted before the season starts or the end of August latest. If we don't this will be hanging over what he will do come January & there will be a line of clubs in the meantime tapping him up for a pre contract in January & we could lose him for nowt. It would cost millions to replace him and whilst he hasn't been value for money it would compound the whole thing by letting him go for nowt. Of course he may be saying he hopes to stay but in the end doesn't sign up.....................................

On the picth you either support all of the team or you don't support the team at all. Booing affects the whole team. Smith is a clean living honest pro. Yes, he may not have worked out right for us but, we have a paper thin squad and booing isn't the answer. What must Colocinni been thinking in the stands - booing at a player in a friendly - ffs.

The game was played at 3/4 pace at best & he nearly got caught in possession in dangerous areas a couple of times, from where I was sitting he seemed to get caught unawares for the goal (Taylor wasn't happy). I don't seem him doing the business in the PL as he looks like a player who needs time on the ball & he isn't strong in possession. Speaking of which, Jonas' strength in possession was excellent.

Were you at the match? I only ask as I can't understand how Cacapa gets 8. He will get roasted in a full blooded PL game playing like he did. IMO he was at fault for the goal caught ball watching. Anyhows, we did ok, we need Colocinni in & settled, Zog still isn't a left back, our centre midfield is not strong/ creative enough & we need a target man. Not being negative here just realistic. Beye, Jonas, Duff & Milner all did well. We will struggle to score goals if we play a front 2 of Owens & Martins & if we play 442 at Manure we will get stuffed. Overall workrate was excellent.

We shouldn't allow Faye to leave unless we have a better centre halve, in addition to Colocinni, lined up. He did ok last year albeit he can be a bit immobile at times.