Mistle17

On another note, Berbatov wants out at Man Utd. I know he goes against our age and wage policy so it's never going happen but I'd far prefer someone like him. Top quality player. Again, I'm not suggesting him as a possibility, just the standard of player we should be aiming for.

We'll be taking a big step backwards if he's Demba's replacement. Ba is such a better player and goalscorer overall than Carroll, imo. I think its clear now that we've worked through a list of targets that haven't come off and our finger has slid down to Carroll. Despite our calibre of players I'm still sceptical as to our style of play reverting back to what it was back in January/February under Pardew.

No thank you. I really don't want him. I imagine we'd be paying a fee (small compared to what a permanent deal would be) for his loan regardless. We have Ba, Cisse and Ameobi already. Playing Ben Arfa/Obertan and Jonas/Ba wide doesn't accommodate him best either, with both wings generally cutting inside. We've found out what style of play suits him best and I don't want that again- not with the quality players we have in the side now. Surely, surely there is so much better out there for us. I don't know what we're doing here.

Looks like something out of Pro Evo.

Really liking the training gear this year, best Puma have done yet. Not buying any of that shit with a SD logo, though

Ah man, I'm dead jealous at that! Two cracking fixtures they are. I must get to the Mestalla before Valencia move (could be a while)! Plus, I'd love to go and see a game at the Riazor. To echo others on here, I too would like to see Valencia sort themselves out and pose a challenge to the 'untouchable two'.

Just imagine how fantastic it would be for him though; the stadium is re-named after his company with SD signs spunked on every corner of the stadium, and it's our main shirt sponsor! It could take a while since we've just signed that deal with Virgin, but considering the new TV deal with Sky he can afford to do that. Don't be at all surprised to see our players in post match interviews with the SD logo on their tracksuits.

No it isnt How do you know? First it was only a small sign on the Gallowgate, which nobody thought that much of. Now the whole stadium is covered in them no matter where you look- even the dugout seats- and the stadium is even renamed after it. The signs are all around the training ground pitches, too. Now there on our training kit. Who's to say our strips wont have two 'sponsors' on them like the training shirt? It's going to happen imo. But that aside, I thought last seasons (just gone) training gear was better than that one on show. But, you're not allowed two sponsors on the official kits, are you? No. Apologies, I didn't realise that rule applied in the Premier League. But nonetheless, my point still stands, I'm (regretfully) confident that SD logos will end up on our shirts. It sounds absurd, but so did the thought of St. James' Park now being called what it is. It pisses me off no end this pathetic SD business.

In fairness, the group stages were quite exciting this year! Lots of surprise drop outs.....Netherlands, Russia, Poland etc. It's just the knockout stages have been pretty dire in terms of excitement. But I do agree that 2008 was miles better- that was probably the best international tournament I've ever seen!

No it isnt How do you know? First it was only a small sign on the Gallowgate, which nobody thought that much of. Now the whole stadium is covered in them no matter where you look- even the dugout seats- and the stadium is even renamed after it. The signs are all around the training ground pitches, too. Now there on our training kit. Who's to say our strips wont have two 'sponsors' on them like the training shirt? It's going to happen imo. But that aside, I thought last seasons (just gone) training gear was better than that one on show.

FUCK OFF WITH SPORTS DIRECT!!! It's slowly making it's way to our strips. It's only a matter of time before that scummy logo is plastered all over our shirts.

I don't have problem at all with the way Spain, prior to this summer and currently. I enjoy the way they keep the ball and bid their time. And, as Ian W quoted Iniesta saying; teams set up to shut out Spain and prevent them from playing in behind, and without a recognised striker (open to debate) that's going to prove difficult. If people think Spain are boring then Jesus Christ I take it no one watched Ireland?

Oh, a massive cash injection into the club, you say? Well Mike, now we don't have to generate extra revenue via renaming the stadium! You can take all that silly billy Sports Direct writing down now and call it St. James' Park again

I thought something to commemorate Miki Roque instead of that Diversity speech that essentially means nothing to everyone, would have been more appropriate.

Looks a bit like our old training gear from when Allardyce was in charge of us (07/08?).

Shocking news Poor guy. R.I.P

Premier League aside, I think that over the years we've always been far more inclined to review our failures with regards to external factors i.e penalties, bad refereeing decisions, foreigners winding us up etc etc. as opposed to internal factors such as a failure to build a recognised national football centre, or a centre of youth excellence, or review our youth development system. It's just a shame it took us until June 2010 to realise our own faults.

The Premier League is far closer to being the reason why England are s***, not a reason why we shouldn't be so. Look at some of the players who got into the England squad this time. Downing. What kind of a season has he had? Was it zero goals and zero assists? Henderson? A kid who had one half decent season at Sunderland, then an utter stinker for Liverpool. England's third choice goalkeeper is Jack Butland. Honestly, I wouldn't recognise him if he turned up to empty my bins (and given Birmingham City's financial situation, that's not out of the question pretty soon). The Premier League is not the best league in the world. it is the best marketed league in the world. Once you get past that, you have to look at the fact that there really aren't that many very good English players in it, so stuffed full is it of foreign players. You can then look at the fact that the money grabbing clubs, with the equally avaricious agents and players ensure that nothing like enough money trickles down to grass roots football education for kids. Just like none of it trickles down to create affordable tickets for fans, absolutely everything about the English game is short termist, and centred on greed, and that is why we'll never achieve anything at international level. Can't argue with a word of that.

Considering most of the 'top' clubs in this country have their youth teams packed with foreigners it's no surprise we struggle severely nowadays to produce consistent players of our own. Our top division is purely commercial, not competitive.

Pirlo's past his best but is still light years ahead of whatever this country can offer.

Yet more demonstration as to how far behind we are to the top footballing nations. Germany would have pummelled us.

Things must be very slow on Wearside, even for their low life standards.

Vincente del Bosque has said this morning that his players are "jaded". The way France played last night offered Spain the chance to drop a few gears. If you are jaded then I think you will take a chance like that to slow things down, especially in such a high profile game with what was expected to be a fiercely contested encounter. A lot of people don't realise how aggressively they work collectively to win the ball back, they exert a lot of energy when they are out of possession. I thought the Spanish could have been more adventurous, offering a lot more penetration, but they chose to keep the ball instead. I don't see a problem in that. If only England could do that, eh? As Sewelly said above, France offered Spain a free pass to the Semi's. The Spanish got away with playing in reverse, they weren't going to turn it down. I think we'll see a better performance against Portugal- they're not going to want to lose the chance to defend their crown to their neighbours.

Personally I don't think Fletcher's a bad player, but £10million? This, ladies and gentlemen, is Marty 'Party' O'Neil at his finest!