Gallowgate Toon

He's not a proper goalscorer really and that's when you should pay the £13 million type of money, so in that respect they've overpaid. He's decent though and will improve their team. The thing i don't get on that message board is that they think we'll be jealous because they have a £23 million plus strikeforce with the emphasis being on the money side of it. Why would i be jealous they've spent £23 million? I'm more proud of this window for the lack of money we've spent, we've bought some real class talent in for peanuts and it's so much more satisfying than wasting millions.

In terms of sheer quality, this is the best signing we've made in a long, long time. Can't wait to see him play against Blackpool even if it is just a 20 minute sub appearance. Tbh i can't even think of a window we've had that has been this good, some brilliant signings that show real ambition.

Confirmed on the official site, first interview on nufc.co.uk.

Saw a slight glimpse of it on TV. I thought it was nice the way Carroll genuinely appreciated the assist when celebrating with Xisco. Aye, MOTD didn't catch it but he smashed the ball into the back of the net, then started shouting and fist-pumping to the crowd. He seemed genuinely ecstatic.

Anyone else catch Xisco's celebration for the 6th? It was really nice to see a player care that much and he hadn't even scored. Hopefully this will give him that boost but it's great to see how much he wants it.

He looked pretty nervous and over-eager when he came on but if anyone caught his reaction after the 6th went in, you know that assist did a lot for him, he was going absolutely mental, i think it will do a lot for his confidence.

I noticed this too, put in some impressive performances. Pool fans seemed chuffed with him and wanted Rafa to build around him for this season. He's an excellent player imo so much more talented than Joe Cole, just too many injuries.

A very poor career choice if it goes through, Bundesliga is exciting but in a Championship kind of way as it lacks real quality. I think we'll see him fade now into a journeyman type career where he never fulfills his potential.

This whole saga has just highlighted for me that Ashley is still looking to sell the club this season. He did what he had to do to get us back and now he's not doing much at all, just enough to keep us in the league in his own opinion. What's 6.5 million in respect to his fortune about 2%? If he was in it for the long haul he wouldn't have thought twice about it imo.

That is Nolan's position, that's where he was succesful for Bolton. Maybe the reason Carroll was there in the first place was because Nolan is such an unfit footballer he didn't have the legs to get back? Nolan was just wandering around aimlessly, not even closing down opposition, that's the whole point of an attacking midfielder to get back enough to be an extra man but then link and/or break with the attack. He didn't do either and just doesn't have what it takes against such energetic opposition. no nolan was deeper when he was at bolton,. he had the license to make runs out of mid, but mid was his primary position. Iirc his stand-out season at Bolton, where he scored 10 was when he was playing just behind Davies. If not, then he had the legs then, he just doesn't have the legs now, if CM is his best position i seriously worry because he was truly awful there when he first signed he was over-ran by virtually everyone he came up against. bench the guy u think? what is our most strongest midfield in a 3 man or 5 man mid u say? dont say 4-4-2 i hate 4-4-2 We don't have the stamina, quality or discipline to have a 3 man midfield, unfortunately, so i'd have to go with a 5 man midfield. I would only use a 5 man midfield when we're playing away or one of the big 4 at home and Nolan wouldn't be a starter. I remember Lovenkrands looking good playing in the hole against the likes of Man U and Arsenal, so for me he would be the extra 'midfielder'. He isn't a good defender but you don't have to be when you're the extra man you just need to be able to get your body in the way of opponent and have some pace so you can break quickly. If we bring someone else in (Ben Arfa hopefully) then i'd play him there instead. In terms of central midfield, Barton is an automatic starter for me as he has the most pedigree. His partner i am torn about though: Smith offers a good engine, some decent tackles and commitment. Guthrie is a decent creative player and can pick a pass and make something happen. Between the 2, i really can't decide but both possess abilities that Nolan doesn't have apart from a decent shot. The wide men pick themselves as does our starting striker. For the other games inbetween, it's 4-4-2 i'm afraid.

That is Nolan's position, that's where he was succesful for Bolton. Maybe the reason Carroll was there in the first place was because Nolan is such an unfit footballer he didn't have the legs to get back? Nolan was just wandering around aimlessly, not even closing down opposition, that's the whole point of an attacking midfielder to get back enough to be an extra man but then link and/or break with the attack. He didn't do either and just doesn't have what it takes against such energetic opposition. no nolan was deeper when he was at bolton,. he had the license to make runs out of mid, but mid was his primary position. Iirc his stand-out season at Bolton, where he scored 10 was when he was playing just behind Davies. If not, then he had the legs then, he just doesn't have the legs now, if CM is his best position i seriously worry because he was truly awful there when he first signed he was over-ran by virtually everyone he came up against.

That is Nolan's position, that's where he was succesful for Bolton. Maybe the reason Carroll was there in the first place was because Nolan is such an unfit footballer he didn't have the legs to get back? Nolan was just wandering around aimlessly, not even closing down opposition, that's the whole point of an attacking midfielder to get back enough to be an extra man but then link and/or break with the attack. He didn't do either and just doesn't have what it takes against such energetic opposition.

Might be decent foil for Carroll if we don't get anyone else in, he has abit of pace and presence about him. We'll see but encouraging.

He's versatile as he can play on either wing, CM or as a second striker. His best position imo is as a playmaking second striker, he's accomplished on the wing too though. Wouldn't be able to do a job in CM though, he just won't do the defensive side. Same as Nolan then, except he can't do the attacking side either. he really is an abomination of a footballer.

He's versatile as he can play on either wing, CM or as a second striker. His best position imo is as a playmaking second striker, he's accomplished on the wing too though. Wouldn't be able to do a job in CM though, he just won't do the defensive side.

Suppose, but if you have a player in the middle capable of getting, retaining and then passing the ball, you have more chance to get players forward. Fair point but if we're looking for retention he isn't our man, he's not that type of player.

Wouldn't have made a difference tonight because of the sheer lack of movement or willingness to get forward, he would have got the ball, looked up and seen nobody ahead of him.

Perch was decent in the second half tbh he has one asset and that is pace. I think he has potential but was over-whelmed in the first 45.

You was watching a different game to me then. Colo was pretty bad out there - his game was littered with errors. Williamson was our second best player. What errors are you referring to? I remember him making tackles, interceptions and winning headers, he played alright. Williamson was also decent but he gave the ball away in the box to a clinical striker and if Berbatov had scored after megging Williamson i'm sure the reaction would have been a lot different. Also his lack of pace is a massive worry, if someone makes a run off his shoulder he's f***ed at least Colo has some pace (see foot race with Hernandez). I don't think Colo is much faster than Williamson in all honesty, neither are the quickest, Never said they were, just said Colo had some pace compared to no pace at all.

You was watching a different game to me then. Colo was pretty bad out there - his game was littered with errors. Williamson was our second best player. What errors are you referring to? I remember him making tackles, interceptions and winning headers, he played alright. Williamson was also decent but he gave the ball away in the box to a clinical striker and if Berbatov had scored after megging Williamson i'm sure the reaction would have been a lot different. Also his lack of pace is a massive worry, if someone makes a run off his shoulder he's fucked at least Colo has some pace (see foot race with Hernandez).

Not quite sure why Colo's getting some stick tbh didn't really see an awful lot he did wrong but Williamson who made a glaring error is getting positive reviews? I'll put it down to surprise that he wasn't raped in his first PL game.

Thing is if we hadn't bottled it we could have given them a bit of a game. We're not as inferior as people think but we just let Man U do whatever they pleased, it was infuriating to watch. We never played to our strengths and after 30 mins didn't even bother to attack. Hughton is going to have to buck his ideas up, we actually need to give teams a match, not a training game, no matter how big their reputation.

Strange half like, started off very well but after 30 mins just seemed to burrow our heads in the ground and stopped attacking. Hughton needs to grow a pair, just defending is like putting a lamb to slaughter we actually looked decent when we were attacking in those first 30 mins. Nolan's fault for the first imo poor ball to Jonas in an already cramped space. Nolan anonymous mind, he's shit and i want Vuckic on instead of him.

Just highlights how pathetic our local sports journalism is tbh they've got the deal is off from him going back to Marseille?

Not quite sure how that puts the move in serious doubt, he was always going to have to go back to sort stuff out.