Interpolic

Look, I'm happy that he's signed, it's good news, but an incentivised contract isnt fantastic news. It's a shrewd financial move. But if his knee goes he cant play, on the pitch, where we need him to win games, then we're forced to play someone of a lesser calibre. This is great but it really needs to be accompanied by bringing in at least 2 more of his quality. Well aye that goes without saying man, but it's better news than handing him a fat payslip every week regardless of what he does. Don't understand the point of that post whatsoever. That the very fact we're paying our new striker on a pay-as-you-play/score basis indicates that we'll definitely need 2 further strikers and that he hopes the club realises that?

Also this wage talk seems entirely baseless to me.

Interesting to see the views from the outside, anyway. I see the point but Everton can't really progress as things stand, whereas our potential is pretty clearly there. We're a very up-and-down club and if you catch us on one of those upward trajectories then there aren't many better teams to play for. That's what he's conveniently ignoring and is a big part of why a lot of players take the gamble and sign for us ahead of more 'stable' clubs. Anyway they've beaten us to players in the past (Beckford, Baines?) and these things happen. They'd not be so arsed if they weren't so desperate for a striker.

I know.

Eto'o is exactly the kind of player Arsenal should be going all out for, been saying it since he was unsettled at Barcelona. Everyone knows that if Arsenal buy 3-4 players like that who have been there and done it then suddenly they're a force again.

Got a good feeling about this guy. I also had a great feeling about Damien Duff, but fingers crossed and good luck to him. Let's hope we complement this signing with another couple of striking options (a number 9 and a young up and comer) and get some real competition for places up front. Get rid of Lovenkrands and Ranger (preferably on loan for me) and Ba's your uncle.

Ba and Steven Taylor are going to hit it off straight away. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MuapTIBKloo/TT9SipNOfQI/AAAAAAAACWU/wMEkuFyUc_c/s1600/bubba+blue.jpg http://www.executiveofficespace.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bubba-gump-shrimp-office-relocation.jpg

To the tune of Cars by Gary Numan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldyx3KHOFXw He's Demba Ba He is from Senegal Now he plays for the toon And we're singing his tune He's BA

It's 5 course meals. Mike Ashley only does 5 course meals.

He's definitely got a bit of the Bubba from Forrest Gump about him. Yeah that's racist, blah blah blah.

I'm not stirring at all here and I'm certainly not trying to stir up any of the usual dull Keegan debate, but I was reading True Faith on the way to work this morning and couldn't help but be struck by Keegan's comments at the beginning of May: “It is not going to be reinvested is it, I think that’s obvious,” he said. “As a Newcastle fan, if Carroll is the only one you are going to lose you have to be pretty thankful. "There may well be other players going as we speak. I think they’ll sell two more players and then he’ll sell the club. And that’ll be the best day Newcastle fans have, when he sells the club. “I’d love to be able to give Newcastle fans some encouragement but I can’t see it getting any better in the short term.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8485428/Liverpool-will-not-win-the-Premier-League-for-at-least-five-years-says-former-Anfield-great-Kevin-Keegan.html I personally don't believe for a minute that he'll sell the club soon, but it does make you think slightly.

Probably the same message as signing, gosling, HBA, Ba. Really? I swear you're usually quite sensible.

Exactly, serious clubs don't sign cheerleaders and these pay-as-you-play deals are incredibly rare anyway.

Yep, you don't win anything with squads.

Howay man.

In Premier League terms I was thinking that if a lot of the rumoured moves came to fruition then such a squad overhaul was quite unprecedented, and certainly hadn't been done with much success. Then I thought of when Eriksson took over a bottom half Premier League side and brought in a load of highly rated foreigners that were unproven in the Premier League. They did OK but they spent a lot more money than they brought in (and also kept a core of decent British players tbf). The whole thing seems very risky at the minute. The focus has went from who's coming in to who's going out within the space of a few days and suddenly I'm slightly concerned. Our squad needs tweaking imo, not changed beyond recognition.

Why's everyone jumping on a random story in The Sun about Best? Sounds like they're putting 2 and 2 together without realising the paucity of our striking options. He's cheap, he's decent, he's no bother, won't mind sitting on the bench at times. Doesn't add up for me, this one.

Shame if true. But yeah: too injured; too often.

I'm at a Christening in Wales on the Saturday and staying the whole weekend, so I'm kind of hoping for Swansea away and for it to get switched to the Sunday.

The guy's a fucking cretin.

Weird isn't it, you'd think he'd scored 30 goals for us from centre midfield in the last 2 seasons or something. Tell me about it, still you can't stop your best players leaving when the top clubs come in for them. It was only natural that he would be in such demand after scoring so many goals. Such a WUM. You were confused as to why he's so highly regarded amongst our support, I gave you 1 reason.

Weird isn't it, you'd think he'd scored 30 goals for us from centre midfield in the last 2 seasons or something.

We came back from 2 down at home to Wigan. and were shite on the day. Well yeah. We got a last-gasp result out of it though and the point was about team spirit. Actually I'm not sure what the point was since the only one of those games Nolan didn't feature in is Wigan.

We came back from 2 down at home to Wigan.