Tsunami

We may have an offer on the table but only if Jose tells him he's not going to get a game can I see him considering to move here - & we'd face loads of competition to get him. I'd happily take either Bridge or Baines or both!

From the fit players we'll have at the start of the season & for home games: ------------------------------Given----------------------------- -----Solano--------Taylor---------Roze-----Geremi-------- -----------------------------Butt-------------------------------- ---------------Dyer------------------------Emre--------------- ----------------------------Barton------------------------------ ---------------Viduka----------------------Owen-------------- Subs: Harper, Milner, N'Zobia/ Ameobi, Martins, Huntington I wouldn't let Carr or Baba anywhere near the first team at the moment (they have a hell of a lot to show in Austria) & I'd have both Solano & Geremi both making forward runs down the flanks which would create channels for both Dyer & Emre to exploit. Butt, Taylor & Roze would have to be exceptionally strong defending breaks & I'd expect both Emre & Barton to have to run their socks off (I'd also like to see Dyer being able to track back & tackle - but that aint going to happen so Barton would need to track back to the gap left by Dyer)

He aint going to make it a the Toon. He needs to move if he is to stand any chance of a long professional career at a decent level & he seems to have realised this. Good Luck to him. I don't think he's one that will come back to haunt us.

Are people feeling sorry for Luque or do you think Sam will be able to add 15 yards of pace, desire & courage to Luque's game & perhaps an extra 15C to the NE's average temperature? What has anyone seen Luque do in a BnW shirt that suggests he should stay? Scoring a goal in a testimonial doesn't count, nor does a header in Italy that quite frankly my dear old dead Gran would have put away. Edit - Nor will I accept a goal against the Mackems where a) the game was over & b) the goal was as a result of Keystone Cops defending of the highest order - I do accept that it was exceptionally funny to see Luque scoring against them

Luque - the guy cost a fortune, is picking up a fortune in wages, clearly is passed caring & in comparison makes Carr look wonderful. You all may hate Carr & think he is rubbish (granted) but the first out of the door, if we have a choice, has to be Luque. Think of the money he has taken out of the club & the "effort" he has shown on the pitch. He is a disgrace.

Been away, surely we can't be paying a 2M transfer fee for someone whose contract is almost up? I'd suggest that the 2M was his salary package; but it is too low. Take it back; just seen a suggestion that Barca want over 3M for Edmilson whose contract is also just about up & who is out for up to 6 months! And it seems Sam is keen. :frantic: If we agree to that Barca should thrown in Godjohnsen for a nominal fee as Edmilson is madness.

Painted Black it would resemble a Dung Beatle.

Do us a favour and change your avatar to someone who has not recently killed his wife & mentally retarded son.

Has promise, looks like a detention centre.

So far this is all good publicity for Carling. What do we get (apart from a different brand of average lager), how much is it worth? NB Shearer's Bar isn't even the best pub on Strawberry Place.

If I were Wenger & it got offered you'd bet I'd take it. He owes Arsenal no loyalty these days.

No. He's obviously saying that he wants to keep him. If I had a player with a get out clause that I wanted to keep the last thing I'd do would be to go on TV & talk openly that Arsenal hadn't made any offers and remind everyone that the player does have a get out clause. If I wanted to keep him I wouldn't say a word to the media & would track down the player and get him to state his intention. Sam seems to do most of his business covertly & did say when he came that he hoped the 1st that the fans new of signings etc would be when they were done. It was unfortunate as he knew how we loved our gossip. He's talking like a fish wife over these get out clauses.

Haven't seen Sam's SSN interview but reading his comments (verbatim?) what strikes me is the fact that in very few words he reminds everyone (twice) that Oba has this get out clause & then mentions it again when talking about Owen. Could Sam really be saying "Oba has a get our clause; come and get him"?

I'll get the Car ready for him (pun intended? not really).

If Arsenal bid 13M & activate his buyout clause he will go. He has no ties to Newcastle & the buy out clause is there so he can go if something better comes along. TBH I'd rather Arsenal captured him rather than Owen. The obvious problem is that someone else may come along & take Owen. New Rule Number One - If buy out clauses are now the norm make sure that we insert a ridiculous figure. I don't understand why there are comments about what we should do with the money from the sale; the money is or certainly should be irrelevant to us now. I would love to see Gudjohnson & Baines here; I doubt that Gudjohnson would come & there is a school of though that Sam doesn't see Baines as being big enough. I'd stay away from Anelka - we could never play Viduka & home together as it is potentially the laziest forward line you could imagine.

98, 99, 100 - COMING READY OR NOT. :frantic: I'll post a thread when I have something I think is interesting. Geremi? I think he has quality in him I just haven't seen enough of it on a regular basis to mark him down as a regular - unless you play him RB. Will Sam have told him where he plans on playing him?

Good addition to the squad. Never came across as a consistant performer & could go missing - then again I remember him most from his time with the Smoggies.

I certainly hope so.

again, i did put in bold letters "once the squad rebuilding is done" but don't let that deter you I guess we all have different opinions on where squad building stops & trophy signings start. I know that you have defined this in the original post but for me the current realistic trophy siginings being mooted aren't really trophy signings at all & I would class them as part of the squad building. We aren't in a position to go for true trophy signings. Playing by your rules, the needs of the team & on the basis that he will be guaranteed to be fit I'd have Woodgate back like a shot. Unfortunately, he will not be fit.

Free & better than what we have (if used as a RB) = Get him in

Let's just not put a figure on it. MA should simply ask Sam which players he needs & can attract to the club, to make us into a viable option for the real top players to consider coming to in the future. He should then tell Sam to go & get them & that the money will be there. This may cost 20, 30, 40, 50 Million or more but it is important we do it right & have a platform to build from. We must start this process now, we will have competition from the likes of Man C, WH, Blackburn & possible others so there is not time to waste. MA over to you.

I think we should only consider trophy signings once we have a real one in the cabinet. We have spent years buying "trophy" players, these have sold shirts & captured imagination but the team has failed to deliver silverware. Use ALL the money to build a trophy winning team & thereafter, by all means, get a trophy player. By that time we may be a team they would want to sign for (as opposed to being mercenary - Shearer excepted) and will come and want to perform. Let's walk before we can run. There is going to be an awful lot of cash out there with all these buy-outs. 50M may not go that far in what may become an inflated market.

Gudjohnsen would be a much better acquisition than Smith. Trouble is I don't think he'd come here.

May just be spin to put pressure on Spuds to increase their offer.

Dyer isn't a wide player, you can not compare them in that position. Dyer will never make a winger, Milner's biggest problem is a lack of pace. His crossing is ok; Nobby's is better.