Kitman

Yes. There's free drinks and enough fun and sunshine for everybody apparently.

I don't believe we've Donadel at all. I thank you.

The unluckiest billionaire on the planet? He's probably only a multi-millionaire these days. I bet he hasn't even got a yacht. What a loser.

If you listen to some people we should be grateful to Fat Mike because we're not in liquidation. Plainly it's unreasonable to expect him to have been able to afford the club, and invest it. Thank fuck we've got him and not some super rich Arab consortium, eh? To be serious, there's no doubt we were heading into financial difficulty under the Halls/Shepherd, hence the Halls desperation to sell, but there may have been an opportunity cost to Ashley's swoop on the club. Which we're paying for now, because he's brassic (figuratively speaking). Still, we do have a "plan" instead, so we'll be all right. * Takes more Prozac *

I expect it's been said elsewhere but this comparison with Arsenal is totally superficial. Firstly you need a Wenger type character at its head PLUS an extensive scouting system - it's well documented that Wenger has a huge amount of contacts, especially in French football where a lot of the best African talent starts out, which brings players to his attention. We have Joe Kinnear and Dennis Wise, draw your own conclusions. I couldn't see us signing Vieira from AC Milan or wherever it was for instance. Secondly, Arsenal were still a top club when he took over and being based in London is an attractive draw for young and older players alike, especially foreigners who can find plenty of home comforts in the big smoke. The toon doesn't have the cultural diversity of London of course but my sense is we've never as a club been professional about helping foreign players settle in, like Man Utd say. Thirdly, Wenger didn't take over at Arsenal and spend nothing on the first team, as per the good doctor's post above they've invested heavily in certain areas notably in attackers and wide players. This without considering someone like Bergkamp, whose wages would have been hefty (and worht every penny). Wenger was lucky enough to inherit the best defence in English football, whereas our squad is crap from top to bottom, particularly in the wide positions including defence. Fourthly, there's nothing to suggest young talent will flourish at our club. It hasn't in the past, we've been very good at taking young players and ruining their careers (Viana anyone?). We can sign as many 16 year olds as we like but we have to turn them into first teamers and bring them through. I haven't noticed too many starlets getting a chance in the first team but we'll have to see on that one. My point is, just signing these guys doesn't make us like Arsenal - until we have a Fabregas or Van Persie playing in the first team, it hasn't actually saved us any money at all.

I think he was being tongue in cheek mate.

Has been a problem simmering away on the back boiler for a good few years...only now it's coming home to roost. Like a fat pox-ridden chicken

Yeah, all those article writers are right cunts

This is the crux of it for me. We're not talking about spending money to take us into the top 6 - it's purely about survival now, and the squad is so lightweight and undermanned that we're in serious danger of going down through the effect of injuries and suspensions and players who just aren't good enough (not to mention the manager). I can accept we are carrying players who are overrated and overpaid but the summer's the time to address that and try to re-engineer the squad.......now we he has to protect the club's income which is in peril. I can't see how he would be better off in the championship, it's likely quite a few of our top paid players - Owen, Viduka etc will leave anyway in the summer. And nobody could take for granted either that we'd bounce straight back up, or that some of the dead wood would then piss off. Surely there's sense in investing to protect the value of his investment......why not chuck another 20-30 mill into the pot, eh? If he's in for 250m isn't another 10% worht a shot to preserve value? Maybe he could get co-investors in in the summer if he needs to recoup it. Or are we just a rudderless ship, hoping for the best? Unless there's no way to borrow the cash of course, which I find hard to believe.

I think we can get through this but we'll need a fair chunk of luck. Key to it is prem survival, ditching JFK in the summer & getting in a decent manager. We then need to rebuild the squad, losing the dead wood, letting malcontents go and making some canny signings well ahead of a decent pre-season. Unfortunately this will require the Board to get a grip, make some plans, make them happen in good time and spend some money - all of which seems to be beyond them up to now. More likely if we survive, they'll all have a nice long holiday and then get together to discuss what should be done a week before the season starts. JFK will then write out a list of urgent transfer targets and Wise will wipe his arse on them, as usual. While Ashley's stuffing his face with Lame-Ass in some Knightsbridge eaterie, Wise will be negotiating on deadline day to sign Dean Windass and three 16 year old wonder kids. Bah!

Perhaps but we were deteriorating at an alarming rate under his "stewardship". Much like we are now of course.

If Allardyce hadn't been sacked we'd have been in the Championship a season earlier. Let's see what this chugger of a journo has to say when he's been subjected to Allardyce's ambitionless neanderthal football on a regular basis.

Would we sing "You're Shittu, and you know you are"?

Pain in the Harris?

Tell me this is all a conspiracy between you and Fat Mike to ruin Baggio. Please. And stop it before it's too late, for the love of the children * insert "will no-one think of the children?" smiley *

I believe 4m is the going rate for "serious" bids?

If this is true, it shows we've no ambition to be a top half club anymore. If we don't invest in decent players, we're on our way to the Championship I'm afraid. It's looking like Ashley is up to his old asset stripping tricks again, stripping out the cash while he can. I'd be suprised if we get gates of 30,000 next season at this rate, unless hordes of people signed up for 3 years

I'm quite relieved. I thought it was going to be Harry fucking Basset.

At last something approaching an accurate assessment from wor Louise. Shame it's so badly written.

Joe Kinnear:"Fuck off Parky"

I don't see why we can't have a PR officer to spread lies to the press. Bloody amateurs

Howay Peasepud man, I hope you're going to apologise for your lack of vision when the Academy starts cranking out Fabregas quality players* * At at a time to be appointed. Quality of Academy dependent on quality of players and staff. The value of the Academy may go down as well as up. Club reserves right to sell Aademy players for a massive profit if they are any bloody good.

I'm getting increasingly worried about the calibre of player we can attract tbh, even if Fat Mike opens his wallet

An American president with balls could stop it in 24h. Threaten to stop aid and weapons sales. Stop using the U.S. vote in the U.N. to stop motions against Israel. Use the 1967 lines of demarcation for a final settlement. Make sure Palestine has a water supply it doesn't rely on Isreel for. Have a pig that flies anarl. The US will never do any of those things.

We're not good enough for Willy Mckays rejects. The gravy train's left the station.