Dr Gloom

we should bid for sol campbell. he's only a year left on his contract and he's said he wants to move again before he retires. i'm sure he's got at least another 2-3 seasons in him at the top.

anything by al green usually does the trick

i'd be more than happy with shaun wright phillips as a replacement. we'll be missing pace in forward areas if dyer does go.

yup. he's succeeded with me. i'm as pessimistic going into this season as i was this time last year as things stand, despite the fact that we've now got a half decent manager instead of a muppet in charge. if the transfer window closes and we haven't made significant improvements to the squad i think the best we can expect is another season languishing in mid table and flirting with relegation.

why exactly? they're completely different types of player. smith is a slow and average in midfield and we have enough strikers. it wouldn't exactly be a like-for-like swap. if dyer is to go, i think we need to replace him with a pacey attacking player who can run with the ball, take on and beat a man and play in at least two positions - because that's what we'll be losing. those kind of players don't grow on trees.

agreed. fair enough if big sam lets him leave but we have to replace him if he goes. the kid who reckons we're well covered with luque and troisi is having a bubble.

he's one player we don't want to let go until we've signed a replacement.

looks pretty sweet. nice that they've thought about tradition with the new kop rather than just creating another indetikit modern stadium. does anyone know if ashley is likely to press on with shepherd's plans for st james? Liverpool unveil new stadium plan http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ool/6912346.stm

baines isn't tall enough apparently Who the fuck made that stupid comment? the chronicle claimed that's why big sam isn't in for him (depite what stevietooon would have you believe). fuck knows if it's true or not though

baines isn't tall enough apparently

we'll pay over the odds because he's english but davies is highly rated. i'd be happy to see him here if ash fancies splashing the cash - see what i did there?

While I appreciate what you're saying with next season in mind I'm concerned about there now being some long-term stability and planning from the top. That's the crucial thing for me. if only leazes could see this

5th best team in the premiership under him?

Owen will be fit for the opener surely? And is Taylor not supposed to be back to play ahead of Ramage. Don't let semantics get in the way of another Dan whinge, will you? i'm i really whinging? possibly, but as things stand i'd say with good reason. what kind of team do you expect us to start the season with? one significantly better (or better at all) than last season? at the moment it doesn't look too probable, a late flurry of activity in the transfer market notwithstanding

what's everyone reckon our team's going to look like for the big kick off? at the minute it could be: ---------------shay solano---rozenhal---ramage----n'zogbia geremi---dyer----butt---------milner ---------viduka---martins not very encouraging is it?

would be a gamble but sounds like the sort of player big sam turned into a success at bolton so you never know. not too many people had head of ben haim either

one centre back, one right back and a left back is the minimum required defenisvely. i also think we need two or three midfielders to bolster our numbers. preferably one creative player, one holding player and someone that could play on either flank would be a bonus. so mr ashley, please forget about the problems at sports direct for the moment and invest some of your billions in the following: baines campbell beye makalele deco simao thank you. as you can see, we don't ask for much.

morons

you don't say?

with duff, barton and owen all injured just three weeks before our trip to bolton, dyer possibly off to west ham and no top class players incoming, suddenly i'm not at all looking forward to the new season. it would be nice if we started the season well for once. a typical newcastle start sets the tone for another season of underachivement. we need at least three first team players signed before the start of the season - we don't want to leave it until the last miniyte like we did in the shepherd days by spending way over the odds on someone like luque or having to panic buy another sibierksi. the takeover optimism seems to be draining. does anyone fancy our chances for the season ahead under big sam and big mike, or is another season of mediocrity and 'consolidation' beckoning?

that's been the same line trotted out for years now. we always seem to make excuses before the season even kicks off....transitional year etc. a good manager and a few good additions and we should be challenging at the right half of the table. i just worry when you see so many teams around us spending big and i hope ashley gets his money out before the last week of the window, unlike his predicesor

you need players in your squad (especially strikers) that while not guranteed starters will always fight for the cause and fight for their place. shola fits the bill. you can't have four strikers that all expect to start every game. shola is good coming off the bench, can make things happen and deserves to start a few games this season if he can keep up his pre-op form. i always thought he'd do well for us after shearer retired as they never really worked as a front two and i felt for him that he picked up his worst injury the season after shearer called it a day. i hope he proves a few of us wrong next season. this could his best (and, sadly, final) chance with us.

would have been worth a punt if only for the novelty name

aye. after a decent start our transfer window dealings have stalled. i think we need at least three more signings that are better than what we already have. most of our buys so far have been decent additions to the squad but we haven't really added players that are definitely going to take us to the next level.