BigWalrus

Aye, I would have probably started with Tiote, but it's hardly a clear cut decision.

Team is: Krul; Debuchy, S.Taylor, Coloccini ©, Santon; Cabaye, Perch; Gutierrez, Sissoko, Marveaux; Cisse. So no instant return for Tiote. And Gouffrran makes way for Marveaux.

To be fair, we did go out all guns blazing from the off, when perhaps we should have been a bit more cautious. The game was over by about 15 minutes in as we were so cavalier.

That would be quite a sight. The bisexual amongst us would love to cuddle up close to an arsuntock

Take everything you hear from Llambias with a pinch of salt. Quotes suggesting that we've replaced Ba are probably designed to suggest to agents / clubs that we're not desperate for a new big name striker and can't be bent over backwards. Everything he says seems to have one eye on gaining a solid negotiating position. Clearly, we are still after a striker as we continued to chase another one in the closing weeks of the transfer window. Ba was bought as a bit of a punt - nobody expected him to be such a ridiculous success here. His basic wage was in line with Danny Simpson! So in that respect, signing Gouffran is a similar signing to when we originally brought in Ba, but there's no way he adequately replaces what Ba became at NUFC. I'm almost certain that we'll be chasing another striker in the summer.

The bottom half reminds me of when my computer used to overheat when I was playing Half Life. When it crashed, the graphics would mess up and it looked exactly like that.

I think it's over the next three seasons. It's also a result excluding disallowed income, meaning if they have a dodgy funding source, UEFA will strip that out of their income and widen the losses. I'm intrigued to find out, firstly, if UEFA have a pair of balls in that wrinkly old sack of theirs and secondly, what creative measures the bankrolled clubs are going to pull out the hat to get round the regulations.

Ah yes, my misunderstanding - I've just read back up the thread. I originally read it as if you were suggesting he'd make a deal with the French tax authorities so his endorsement income wouldn't be touched.

He says in the interview that he thought we needed to strengthen - hence the bids for De Jong and Debuchy. He admits that they fucked up in not sealing the deal. I think you're looking for something to argue with but he honestly hasn't said anything controversial.

I love the mock outrage. What are you going to do about it? Start an "Ashley out" chant? Throw your season ticket on the pitch? Boycott home games?

I feel like I'm in the fucking twilight zone.

Adebayour is yet to return home, apparently.

To be fair, that's pretty much what he says.

Llambias has admitted they got it wrong in the summer and should have strengthened. No argument from me. The signings in January look like they're of real quality. I'm not going to dispute his comments about holding on to the big names. It seemed to be a certainty that Tiote was going to Chelsea, Ba to Liverpool and Cabaye to Spurs / Man Utd, but none of those transfers happened. Not sure the phrase "worked hard" is the right one, but I was surprised that we managed to hold on to everyone.

Is he worth £30m? I'm not sure we'd get that much for him.

Yep, agreed. Next game is a "free game". I hope Pardew isn't approaching it like a free game, and is heading out there to win, but the home game against Southampton remains a six pointer and is a more important match in my eyes.

Bale is nailed on to score against us.

Nah, I'm at work.

Why would the French government agree to that? They'd go from getting 50% of his wages to getting nothing whatsoever.

Winnet lipped twat. Immense. I might have to use that at some point.

Well, this has become an abortion of a thread.

Very true. I haven't seen replays of either, just what I saw live.

Gouffran reminded me of Bellamy. Very hard working and seems to have an understanding of where his team mates are. He made a couple of cracking decoy runs that opened Chelsea's defence wide open. Got through his fair share of defensive work too, working the lines. I don't think he's technically the most gifted player we'll ever see, but he appears to have a footballing brain, which puts him ahead of Obertan in my eyes.

The FA would refuse to look at Ramires' two-footer as he was given a yellow at the time. The rule stinks, but that's a separate issue.

Outside of football, I mean. I know a couple of people who have had the "pleasure" of spending some time with him and I'm yet to hear anything nice. Footballing wise, he has always given the impression that he gives 100%. However, he's anything but a team player. He'd happily leave a team mate in the shit to avoid the risk of him making a mistake. He's quite a cowardly player and is ridiculously quick to point the finger elsewhere when a goal has been conceded. It's never his fault, in his eyes. He lived off the back of a few goal line clearances, when in reality there would never have been a need for a goal line clearance if he had picked up his man instead of standing behind the keeper on the line. As you say, he thinks he's a lot better than he actually is.