Hanshithispantz

There's definitely something about this thread that sends people fucking crackers.

Shit! Offer Carlton Cole £100kpw plus £2m bonus, it doesn't matter were getting more money at the end of the season. worst post ever.

He'll not be locked up immediately after he is charged, he'll be set a court date to find out if he is guilty which could be be adjourned, possibly multiple times and then he'll be given a trial date, the whole thing won't be sorted out until many months from now.

And therein lies the problem. Why are we looking at it from a window to window basis instead of just spending whatever we need and assembling the squad we need now, or back then, or whenever? This x amount every window doesn't work because we're constantly playing catch up and buying players that we don't actually need because they were cheap and/or a short term solution.

Had we paid full whack for those players we wouldn't be signing anyone for the next 2 windows. I think we did really well with those signings like and I hope we continue to make similar purchases going forward. I just think (actually I know) we need to splash out and actually build a proper squad first capable of competing at a high level, not just in the league but in Europe and the cups too. I think we need to spend about £40m personally. We need a top quality winger and central midfielder as well as another striker as back-up for Cisse and Remy, the defence needs experience back up too, especially at centre back and right back, and obviously another keeper. We'll probably get those things paying £2-£7m here and there over the next 2-3 seasons by which point we'll be needing to plug up more holes That's dream stuff mate. That's the point though init? It shouldn't be dream stuff, it should be the bare minimum at the minute as it's what we desperately need to perform in the competitions we're in/should be hoping to be in.

Had we paid full whack for those players we wouldn't be signing anyone for the next 2 windows. I think we did really well with those signings like and I hope we continue to make similar purchases going forward. I just think (actually I know) we need to splash out and actually build a proper squad first capable of competing at a high level, not just in the league but in Europe and the cups too. We add our bargains afterwards. I think we need to spend about £40m personally. We need a top quality winger and central midfielder as well as another striker as back-up for Cisse and Remy, the defence needs experience back up too, especially at centre back and right back, and obviously another keeper. We'll probably get those things paying £2-£7m here and there over the next 2-3 seasons by which point we'll be needing to plug up more holes

It is as simple as spending money, really. You need to make the right purchases, obviously, but you need to actually make money available and be prepared to pay the going rate for the players that you so desperately need, not just hunt around the bargain bin in the hope you can find a gem. I'm entirely grateful for the likes of Sissoko, Cabaye and Mbiwa on the cheap, I really am, but when these deals are all you rely on every window you're never going to realistically build a proper squad, you'll always be left short.

I will continue to be baffled by sides paying top dollar for Downings, Milners and Hendersons, but not at Soldados, Paulinhos or Schurrles.

Wow, quite a claim that! I agree they might need to be a bit more disciplined at times, but I can't agree that a team with Santon/Debuchy can possibly be "a lot worse" than a team with Simpson/Raylor. Both are bang average players at best. They're a lot worse because they're not suited to Pardew's style. We don't have Leon Best to bring on now and then as an outlet which Pardew often relies on, we have a Shola. Tiote turned to complete shite and he lost his destroyer in the centre. He relied massively on Jonas putting a shift in on the left too but his legs have pretty much gone now, Ryan Taylor played almost every game that season either at left back or on the wing which helped. None of this was any good to watch, it was fucking painful in all honesty, but it was compact and it stifled the opposition. I agree with most of that, but we were talking about the fullbacks. Which, IMO, we've massively upgraded. The fullbacks go hand in hand with the rest of the team though. Having 2 attacking fullbacks in a system which relies on keeping a rigid shape could be counter-productive, look at Stoke who can go as far as playing 4 centre backs. The same with playing the likes of Williamson and Simpson amongst a group of players who like to keep the ball on the ground. Simpson and Ryan Taylor suited the 4-4-2 we were picking back then* far more than they would in the squad we're hoping to pick now. *before the return of Ben Arfa and the purchase of Cisse

Wow, quite a claim that! I agree they might need to be a bit more disciplined at times, but I can't agree that a team with Santon/Debuchy can possibly be "a lot worse" than a team with Simpson/Raylor. Both are bang average players at best. They're a lot worse because they're not suited to Pardew's style. We don't have Leon Best to bring on now and then as an outlet which Pardew often relies on, we have a Shola. Tiote turned to complete shite and he lost his destroyer in the centre. He relied massively on Jonas putting a shift in on the left too but his legs have pretty much gone now, Ryan Taylor played almost every game that season either at left back or on the wing which helped. None of this was any good to watch, it was fucking painful in all honesty, but it was compact and it stifled the opposition. You cannot really do that with players who signed up to play football.

Aye, Debuchy is also a much better attacking outlet compared to Simpson also. Simpson, and Ryan Taylor (other than the few games he went mental) were both very good at keeping defensive shape though which is something we excelled in for large parts of that season, because that's what kind of manager Pardew is. You're not going to get the same rigid defensive structure with the players we have now. So although the players we have now are far more talented, as a team they look a lot worse.

Wasn't Gomis going to cost about £8m? £4m cheaper than Bony and £7m cheaper than Carroll. Both who were probably willing to come (the latter was desperate) and are probably better players. We missed out on them though and now we'll probably miss out Gomis.

The squad that finished 5th was relatively lucky with injuries in defensive areas (we went to shit when Taylor was injured) and scrapped it's way to victory. Had Coloccini and Krul picked lengthy injuries we probably would have been nearer to 17th than we were 5th.

And then we all get a stot on because we paid £4m for a striker and "Mike wins again."

The fact is that lesser clubs around us are going out and spending the money they need to upgrade their squad for the season now. We are trying to bring in players on the cheap - in this case Gomis because his contract is running down and he's in a dispute with his current club - and we end up bringing in the players we need for an admittedly decent price a season or 2 after we actually need them. We're undoubtedly gambling on getting another striker and a winger for pennies instead of splashing out the money that would guarantee it (£10m-£15m for a Carroll or Bony, hell add another few bob on top and go for a Soldado.)

I enjoyed it, that probably make me super uncool.

Zaha fucking loves them stepovers; I don't think I've ever seen him pull one off.

:lol:

Is this that painfully old looking kid we were all laughing at the other day?

Haha get in. Made up for him.

If Scotland loses, Gordon Strachan is hanged, drawn and quartered. And deep fried. :lol:

I don't know why people go out of their way to declare that they are watching the game as a neutral though Seems a lot more effort than just watching the team like a normal person and supporting the club/country of your allegiance

As friendlies go it's not bad at all.

My money would be on the 6ft+ Scottish radgey like.

TAKE THAT James Forrest.