Deckard 13

Isn't Carrick injured quite a lot these days? Sort of niggily, 2/3 game injuries? Also, why on earth would he leave Man U for us?

I'd have Adama in a heartbeat like. http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2009/1/27/1233083815413/Commander-William-Adama-001.jpg

He has himself said that he needs to be sure he plays this season for the Euros like. I think he'll stay unless he's pushec.

Deal was called of when he arrived for the medical in the back of a hearse.

Clearly a fake. The quality of the picture is at least too half decent. http://s1.postimg.org/oaq28wd73/IMG_20150724_191845.jpg Looks legit now.

Aye, they reckon he was the best player in the league and a great signing for us but the initial assessment of devastation that he would actually come to us doesn't feel that nice. With that said, they don't sound like they think anyone is anything other than great so the bias is strong with this one.

It's the standard "good price if we reinvest it" scenario. We all know we wouldn't. We have a list, we'll work down that list and we will not deviate from that list. If Sissoko goes I imagine we'll point to Gini as his replacement and be done with it. That figure puts us about 4M up like for like. He hasn't looked at the races for a while now but he brings qualities to the team no one can replicate and if we just took him out of the team without replacement we will be worse off without him by a fair distance.

I thought his agent was Pini Zahavi who is as rich as agents get. I always think this about agents. If an agent gets a percentage, how many players does he have to move to earn more than a footballer in that year? I bet it's not that many. Some will even get a percentage of the contract rather than a one off fee. I'm sure whoever brokers the massive moves will be earning more in that one deal than the player will in a year.

Austin will never be worth more than he will this season. I think he's currently a victim of his own success. Too pricey for all but the most desperate. If he was going for a more reasonable price I'd imagine everyone from 5th place down would at least be asking about him. That said i have a feeling hell jump regular starter at a relegation scrapper and end up 2nd or 3rd choice at a decent mid table to Europa league contender. I can see him at Spurs or Everton.

Problem with the idea of good keeper is that they are rarely worth the extra you pay. You want a keeper who gets clean sheets, but does so making saves. The reason the mackems keeper was great last year was because even when they conceeded a goal he was still getting 1 or 2 save points a game. When they kept a clean sheet he was still getting those save bonuses. All of that is true this year but with the added incentive of bonus.

I would agree, but you're backing a team that has had 4 of the 6 players that make up a defensive unit removed. I think there's better value out there. I'm struggling going against my instinct and I'm choosing against fixtures rather than just good player. I always feel aggrived when my well balanced team performs poorer than teams with weird players who just have a good run of fixtures. I think it'll blow up in my face mind.

Giving Southampton a swerve this year. They have lost Clyne, Schniderlin and Alderwiereld since last year and Forster is out for the first few months. Just can't see the value.

I'd be quite worried about a pair of two young CBs in a new league like, however highly rated. Add to that Dummett and Haidara and its a pretty inexperienced defence.

Probably Hummel's tbh.

Hughes has said it will be Butland. Benteke has ruined my squad now like.

Both Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams scrape six foot and I'd be happy with either. If we're using Wiki to gauge his height then he is the same as Williams and 1cm shorter than Jagielka. Just put a 1cm lift in his shoe and he'll be fine.

I know you're joking like but it never stops amazing me how bad Williamson is, tall slow defender with the heading ability of a midget He couldn't win a header if he was the only one in the box. But he is tall!

You can be shorter and its OK if you are fast and you can be taller and slower and its OK if you are good in the air. It's a partnership. Let's get this guy someone who he can compliment. I know nowt about Matip but apparently he's a big lad. Or just play him with Iron Mike.

And we might be. But if we sign Austin where does he fit? I think if we get another striker they are more likely to be more of a wide forward than an out and out striker. It seems crazy to have no genuine wide players and 3 strikers who need service to score.

A mint signing so long as they never play Sturridge again. Gonna be brilliant when both wide players cut inside for the forward who thrives on crosses. I think he's a great player but not a Broge player.

All these responses to a bump based on What Culture... Austin is done. I think we wanted Austin. They wanted too much so we signed Mitrovic. You don't spend 30m to have half of that sit on the bench. Rather chuck money at Berahinho.

Sign a 5 year deal. Say you love the club. Sign for Tottenham on August 31st for the 8M buy out clause you inserted in the deal. Break the forum.

Shaqiri, while almost perfect in terms of age, price, ability to play in a position we're short in and potential for sell on there is no way we would get him. Players stepping up is our thing. He wouldn't step down from Bayern to Newcastle in the space of 12 months at his age. With regards to De Jong, from what I've seen I'm reasonably confident he will be good. He plays one touch football and I think if we can get players rotating around him then he will be really effective. Plus, he looks like he'll get in the box. That might mean at times we'll see Wijnaldum, Mitrovic, Him and potentially one of Ayoze/Aarons in or around the box when attacking which might mean we even score a goal or two.

Back 5 of Darlow, Bigi, Ferguson, Satka and Aaron's was always going to get destroyed by anyone whose ever even seen a football. All of their defenders were 6ft plus. Ferguson was our second tallest defender at 5'9. Not reading too much into it. I'll worry after the Sheffield and BM games if its the same.

Getting a winger is a priority but I imagine it's going to be complicated fitting a really top draw one in. I still think Cabella deserves a shot in the team, Sissoko might get shoved out wide to accommodate Capt'n Jack, Gini and De Jong , Ayoze could end up wide of Mitrovic and then there's Aarons. Non of those options are perfect but each possible outcome under McClaren. My biggest worry is on the left because there are plenty of players who can put a shift in in a pinch on the right. We have only one obvious candidate for the left wing position so we need another. You don't want to stifle Aarons but at the same time you can't rely on a player whose only played a hand full of senior level games. Ideally someone who can play both wings well would be a bonus, ideally a left footer though.