ponsaelius

Man I hate it when people post s**** like this. No matter how much you believe it to be utter bollocks there is always the seed of doubt planted in your head. I'm already in my head considering what kind of contract he would be offered, how useful his versatility is etc. For crying out loud.

I think that's just straight up bollocks tbh.

Vickery is one of the few journos I actually have any time for, always find that his pieces are interesting and avoid falling into patronising.

Shame most of them are shite then ey.

The one game where he scored against Barca I take it?

Yes, he's the defensive midfielder who was playing last season while the defence was getting lots of praise, and the defensive midfielder who was injured most of the season we were relegated when the midfield (we mostly still have now) were getting blamed for giving the (better) defence no protection. He may sometimes give away stupid free kicks on the edge of the box, but it's preferable to just letting the opposition have a free run into it which is what would happen a lot of the time without him. By all means get in a better defensive midfielder, but don't pretend any of the other midfielders we currently have can do the job better or that we don't need someone playing in that position. Playing Smith surrenders any hope of keeping possession in the first place hence just increasing the pressure on the defence and ultimately put more strain on himself to attempt to 'cover' the defence. He's not a defensive midfielder, he has none of the qualities to make him an effective player in this position. He doesn't read the game well enough to know when to challenge or intercept the ball, he doesn't time tackles at all, he doesn't have the physicallity to make himself a presence in this position, he doesn't know how to play things simple and allow the other midfielders to play. You can tell he's just a converted striker with very limited footballing ability or brain. He's constantly throwing himself into tackles which seems to get him praise from the crowd though. Good old 'Smudger'.

Don't know much about him at all in all honesty, would probably be a decent signing, but do we really need another CM? Gosling, Guthrie, Nolan and Barton, with Vuckic hoping to get a game or two, I feel that that's good enough. It leaves us 1 injury away from being in trouble. Get rid of Smith and bring in Cleverley on loan. Get rid of Smith and sign Scharner on a free. Get rid of Smith and replace him with a training cone. There's lots of possibilities, that are all advantageous at a footballing and economic level.

I know theres a lot of reasons why you don't like MON, but does his complete and utter ignorance to signing players outside of the British Isles wrangle you at all? I know it would for me, especially when you see teams like Spurs supplementing domestic players like Defoe, Lennon, Dawson etc with foreign imports like Modric, Pavlyunchenko and Sandro. I see it as narrowminded in all honestly, and one of the reasons why it would hold you back - there's only so much you can get from a limited market.

I don't think I can say it enough how much I'd love to see the back of Alan Smith.

I dunno, there's just something about him I like. Even on Saturday his touch and awareness appeared to be as good if not better than anybody else on the pitch.

I'd like to see him go to League 1 or lower Championship. I don't agree with Ronaldo in saying he's 'shite'. I haven't seen many players at 18/19 show his touch and ability to bring players into the game, he's miles ahead of his age in that department. He just doesn't seem to have a killer instinct. If he can develop the thinking side of his game to become a ruthless striker and bulked up a bit I think he could definitely become a Premier League player. He's just as good atm as Carroll was 2 years ago.

Asked him on twitter about it and claiming he's been watched by a scout this weekend An NUFC scout is following Simon Bird around? Assessing whether he spouts sufficient bollocks to be our new head of PR.

Obviously that would be great but if we are being honest it isn't going to happen is it? Why not? More chance of us signing somebody like that fella we've just been linked with (granted, probably bollocks) and him going on to be a success then signing Campbell and him being nothing more than a squad player for a year and then dissapear into the sun leaving us looking for another CB. Atleast taking a gamble on somebody will give us likely competition and a more long term future.

Successful teams replace most of their aging players with new ones and rejuvinate the side into a new generation, then we pick up their 'experienced' scraps and ultimately go backwards. We should just follow the Wigan model with the exception is we're probably slightly more capable of holding onto players. Wigan's team would be great if they weren't so shit and needed to sell their best players every summer.

In the recent past, 'experience' has done us aproximately bollocks all. In the past, we aimed for more than survival. The 'experience' went a large part to getting us relegated. I can't really think of an example of bringing in experienced, older players has contributed significantly to a teams survival/success. For the most part, I think it's a total myth tbh.

In the recent past, 'experience' has done us aproximately bollocks all.

It's like a abstract form of Chinese whispers, except rather than the story changing it just spreads and gathers momentum.

Yeah the symbolism shit doesn't really bother me. It does little harm even if in essence it means very little, nothing to get worked up about either way. Carroll getting it would be foine but I'd not be too bothered with a new signing either.

Striker I'd go somewhere in the middle. I'd love us to sign somebody around 24/25 who's proven elsewhere but also has room for improvement, where that player comes from doesn't bother me.

For me it's a case of past experiences. I just want young hungry players with the will to improve and further their careers. Players who are only likely to go up in the game than downwards and have the motivation to make it happen. Rarely do successful team have a bunch of over the hill players, 1 or 2 I'd be willing to accept and I'm starting to come round to the Campbell signing. However if we sign Campbell and don't go on to strenghten elsewhere with youth I'd be dissapointed.

Would rather go with the chance of unearthing another Bassong in this way than signing Campbell.

no one will pay the huge sum liverpool will want for a 30 year old Perez says hi.

neither did i Yeah, news to me aswell. No announcement about it or anything, and while I know it means little he's still on the squad at Wikipedia etc.

Handed the captaincy aswell

Should have gone abroad.