Jack Flash

If we're talking a difference of a million then it's just as bad tbh. We arent though are we? Unless you think we actually banked the whole Ba fee and that we paid out no signing on fees/agent fees for the players coming in too. Thats obviously ignoring the obvious fact its January 10th and we are clearly trying to spend more than a spare £1m or so anyway. I do think we got the whole Ba fee, like it was reported and I don't count agents fees/future wages etc as transfer fees. That kind of nonsense started with this lot and people are swallowing it. That money doesn't go to other clubs so it's not part of a transfer fee. Time will tell on the rest of the window. I can see strong cases for it going either way.

If we're talking a difference of a million then it's just as bad tbh.

We're probably in profit from this and the last window. Not even the most negative, Ashley hating person would have thought that on June 1st.

Is there any reason at all why he'd come here now? Or is it just wishful thinking?

The fat that people were saying we have to sell Ba to (possibly) make our team look half decent says so much. Widespread Pardaganda.

http://i49.tinypic.com/2054l09.jpg

"2048: Chelsea make a rapid start and Fernando Torres is in behind the defence - only to see a raised offside flag. We have to see more from Torres or surely he will be replaced by Demba Ba. Surely." That's also going to get very annoying before the end of the week.

michael owen ‏@themichaelowen What a finish by Michu. Signing of the season? Taking into account how much he cost I can't think of many better signings. http://i47.tinypic.com/aetqw3.jpg

Really needs to be a Willy Wonka "Tell me again how Michu has been a great signing" meme.

Highlights from the Bordeaux game

Getting a much needed striker in early isn't that unheard of. Sturridge and Ba got 3 goals between them during the first week of the window

You're a parody these days, bro

They'll have made a fair bit of that back over the years. Rooney, Lescott, Rodwell, Arteta all were sold for over or close to their record signing after minimal outlay.

"The Merseysiders insist they never divulge confidential arrangements of player contracts" http://i48.tinypic.com/2vru73k.jpg

Who says he did? The point is that he didn't.

It's an awful point and I'm sick of reading it. There's ONE example of that working. Fergie? He'd won European trophies plus loads of league/cup trophies. Plus that was about 25 years ago and the game has changed immeasurably in terms of manager stability.

We'll either be trying to sell Simpleton in this window or he's off for free next Summer so we'll still be one short eventually. One in one out.

I'm not satisfied unless we get a striker of real quality and a centre half of equal quality really. 4 windows now we've needed a centre half and we barely seem to have had any targets even linked. "We have about seven names for a centre-half," from October. Not that you're wrong, of course.

Lost our top scorer...

It's an awful point and I'm sick of reading it. There's ONE example of that working. Are you really suggesting that chopping and changing managers leads to more success? There are truckloads of examples across all sports that prove the exact opposite. It's not done this way, but changing managers should be a last resort when you're absolutely sure he's what's holding the team back AND there's a replacement you believe can take the team forward. I'm speaking in general terms here as I'm on the fence about Pardew at the moment. Better the devil you know for the time being. Obviously not. I'm saying there's one example of sticking with a manager that gets trotted out to defend Pardew. Moyes surviving a 7th to 17th finish doesn't mean every other manager should "just in case".

It's an awful point and I'm sick of reading it. There's ONE example of that working. I don't have the time right now to go trawling for examples but are you suggesting that David Moyes is the only example of a club being rewarded for sticking with a manager through difficult times? Because it looks like that's what you're suggesting. It's the only example I keep reading all season. I'll balance it out with George Burley.

He's only playing for us because of his name so that's fair, especially as his name bought him about a year of "hype".

It's an awful point and I'm sick of reading it. There's ONE example of that working.

I'd rather get relegated after finishing 7 points ahead of 17th than finishing about 30 points off it. What they're doing now is far, far more incompetent.

There's only Cisse and Gosling who can regularly get into goal scoring positions in our entire squad.