gjohnson

It probably was paid in installments. They would still have to pay all the installments whether they sold him or not though I was under the impression in recent years that we'd insisted on cash up front for all sales. Could be wrong. You are. We buy cash up front. This....we pay up front to get a lower overall fee, but take outgoings in installments to ensure a good cash flow

Is this "gulf in class" between the premiership and championship real or imagined? Given something of the dire standards shown by premiership teams i can't help but feel at least a third of championship teams would make a better fist of creating an entertaining game beyond focusing on 17th place or better. Recent years have shown that at least one of the promoted teams surprises.the premiership for whatever reason (not a rule of course)...but who would have considered Bournemouth a premiership team just 5 years ago?

FA board consisting of 12...get that 12! all considered him to ve the best man for the job. That's not incompetence..that's taking the p***. Think even Lee Clark would have been a better option

Any odds on how many so called stars will "retire" from England? Could see Rooney jacking it in from now that his place is under threat from Defoe ?

How is it that the FA cannot see what any self respecting football supporter can see, that Bruce and Allardyce are simply not good football managers? Surely at least one of the decision makers must have watched either of their teams over the last few years? I can only conclude that their interviewing of these two clowns is either ultimate incompetence, or a final FU to the media and little ingerlanders that insist on a "Proper Englishman with Pashun" in charge, just to show how bad things can be. Sadly incompetence is the more likely

And they're a champions league team!

Still maintain he'd fit in to Leicester's style of play well

8 seasons, 2 or 3 very good. Should never have been made captain, but that wasn't his choice. Rock solid in the championship and the first season after promotion. Overall a good servant, soured by a couple of garbage seasons and repeated flirting with San Lorenzo. Best of luck in retirement in Argentina

This...no-one was hugely convinced by Bellamy or wanted him here until they saw how his pace gave Shearer a new lease of life

Correct, you're not right. and what is right?

It's all subjective on what people see, unless they can watch every game. I don't think anyone could agree a definitive top 10 for any position really

Nah I didn't appreciate Kroos until he joined Real. Selfless player. Much better at quick short passing than Alonso. Good set pieces. Can put a foot in Although tbh - I rate nearly every RM player extremely highly. I pretty much watch Newcastle, Real, Palace, other PL games, Barca. This season the vast majority of poor RM performances I blamed on Rafa. Marcelo - top 3 LB's in the world James - if he played like he did under Carlo he would be a top 5 PL player (if he was in the PL) Modric - top 3 cm in the world Kroos - top 5 cm in the world Ramos - best CB in the world Ramos & Pepe - best CB partnership in Europe (alongside BBC) since Ferdinand/Vidic... all time great Heel defensive partnership Ronaldo - greatest ever RM player that i've seen Different opinion only...Would have Modric top 10 at best, and Ramos not even the best CB in Spain Name em. Only CM's on his level is Iniesta (who plays in a 3) and Busquets who is a totally different type of player. Nothing comes close in the PL. again he's been the most impressive CM in the tournament with his side falling apart in his absence. InSpain who is better than Ramos? Genuinely don't think anyone is close. Iniesta, Rakitic, Vidal, Pogba, Ozil, De Rossi, Matuidi for me at least are better CMs....Doesn't mean I'm right though, just opinion. As for Ramos, I consider both Varane and Pique to be better defenders. Mainly cos I simply don't like Ramos :-)

Nah I didn't appreciate Kroos until he joined Real. Selfless player. Much better at quick short passing than Alonso. Good set pieces. Can put a foot in Although tbh - I rate nearly every RM player extremely highly. I pretty much watch Newcastle, Real, Palace, other PL games, Barca. This season the vast majority of poor RM performances I blamed on Rafa. Marcelo - top 3 LB's in the world James - if he played like he did under Carlo he would be a top 5 PL player (if he was in the PL) Modric - top 3 cm in the world Kroos - top 5 cm in the world Ramos - best CB in the world Ramos & Pepe - best CB partnership in Europe (alongside BBC) since Ferdinand/Vidic... all time great Heel defensive partnership Ronaldo - greatest ever RM player that i've seen Different opinion only...Would have Modric top 10 at best, and Ramos not even the best CB in Spain

They'd be telling him to f*** off after 10 minutes man At his best for us was breaking in to space which seems to have been how Leicester won so many matches... No good in a compact team that needs to breakdown the opposition.

Be interesting to see his reaction when none of the traditional 'big' teams bid for him. Although i still maintain that I could see him fitting in to Leicester as an alternative to Albrighton given their counter attacking style...assuming the plan is to maintain that for next season.

Oops...meant Brown, not O'Shea. Too many ex Mancs down the road

Good shout.

Fletcher, O'Shea, and Graham released from Mackems. Likely unpopular idea, but anyone take Fletcher on a one year deal?

I'm not accepting that. If that was a double-whoosh attempt then it was so poorly executed that I claim the whoosh. In a bit. No whooshing intended. Just didn't pick up on the original one

Not really...in '82 the British record transfer was £1.5m. Liverpool paid £1.4 for Mark Lawrenson that same season. In '87 the record was £3.2m, and they paid around almost £2m for Beardsley the same year. Scale that up to current records (£59m presently?), and you'd be looking subjectively at tens of millions

Well not really...they tended to pay the going rate for players. A couple of million back then is more like 10 million plus now.

Smoke me a kipper