ChrisMcQuillan

Watching Sky Sports News is the most depressing experience at the minute.

Don't agree that Campbell is a wider player. To me, watching him play at the Milk Cup, he liked to play like Rooney, dropping deep into an AM, taking the ball, distributing it, and then making a run for the player to aim for. He's also perfectly capable of running from the last man and taking people on heading straight towards goal.

As much as I want to see Simpson upgraded, it would take him, Perch and Raylor to get injured to have to resort to Tavernier. If Cisse and Ba get injured, then we really are in trouble with Ameobi as only striker. Carroll is less of an improvement than Debuchy would be in terms of positions, yet he (or any real striker) is almost more of a priority over the course of a season.

I'd have Carroll. Wouldn't go near Enrique with a barge pole.

Pretty grim, isn't it?

Not at all. Lille is asking for a price that we don't think he's worth. It's pretty simple. It sucks, but it's cut and dry. So why not go for another RB? Surely there were back-up options. We're constantly told that by Pardew that they work down a list, i'm afraid i haven't seen any of that. Really do think that is bullshit at times. It is. I mean really, if we had 5 players in a list for the positions needing strengthened, and we can only afford one of, say, 15 players, then what's the point of having the list at all? It's still wheeling and dealing, albeit highly educated thanks to Carr.

Ticket hasn't arrived yet..

He has been right about pretty much everything he's claimed that I can see. Probably Twitter nonsense, but he seems a better bet than most.

He was good at the Milk Cup, for what it's worth.

Harper R. Taylor Perch Williamson Santon Bigirimana Gosling Marveaux Ben Arfa Amalfitano Ba Subs: Krul, Tavernier, Coloccini, Vuckic, Anita, Campbell, Cisse

That's all nonsense. They may have a list, but once they're filtered by the wheeler dealers, we"re left with or two possibilities.

According to a lot of people on Twitter, criticising United For Newcastle atm, we need to get behind the team and not worry about signing a new RB and back-up striker because "that way, we don't be broke."

Exactly. What's the point of a list of 10 if we can only get one. Clearly not the scouts advising on price.

If our scouts really have moved on to winter and next summer... We have a full year to target affordable players who would bolster the XI, and we come up with a rotational defensive mid? And that's the product of at least 6 months of trying to improve the first team? So Anita, Carroll, Douglas and Debuchy were our targets? So much for all the Plan C for each position thing. Douglas is possibly talking out of his arse, but the lack of signings is worrying.

This. We can look at other clubs around is not making much progress, for instance the Modric and Allen examples cited, but this should not be an excuse for making a lack of progress. We need to be opportunistic, and if this is the time we can capitalise and build on an advantage over other teams, we should be using it. If the transfer window closes, and we have not replaced Simpson, Lovenkrands and Best, then it will cost us points. Replace these players - that's just two signings, one RB and one ST - and it'll have been a very successful window. Fail to do so will be an opportunity missed, in my opinion, and with the case of Debuchy, where it seems to be all for the sake of £1m, I'll find that difficult to stomach. Disclaimer: I don't think the club have done badly in this window, but we have an opportunity to make it a great one.

This. Insane how people have random goes at eachother for no f***ing reason. f*** off It's all got very edgy around here lately.

Bigi just oozes confidence. Think he's class, like.

Didn't witness the Gaycastle one.

Our long throw is the worst tactic ever, except for our long free kick.

Great for the lad on his European debut!

Ryan Taylor. Over the wall!

I'd put Campbell in for Gosling. He looked great playing in that Rooney, second striker, AM role in the Milk Cup. Different level, I know, but still.

Campbell and Cisse the only two out and out strikers. Will almost certainly be on bench or starting XI then. Also, no Elliot! Glad to see Pardew realising Harps is still the preferential option.