David Kelly

I was confident last week with the noises that Keegan was making but he seems a bit less confident now and basically there's fuck all time left to do anything now. For my money we needed three more players in with one of them being a nailed on starter. If Milner goes that number increased to four bodies, two of which being starters (unless players are going to play in different positions to what we've seen so far). I just can't see this happening unless they are panic buys at this stage. You could maybe get that one player you want (like Robhino to Chelski or Berbatov to Manure) but to numbers we need just doesn't seem possible. If we don't get these players in the luck we are going to need on the injury front is unthinkable.

Apparently we ''bought'' that off Leeds a few days ago. It was on their main site as thats how they are paying for their players Turns out that we approached them to buy it and they knocked us back. Allegedly it's 25% of anything <£15m and 35% of anything >£15m. So it was always going to be 25% then.

You his agent?

My post after the Citeh game last season.

They should try reading some of our other threads. They seem to think that those of us who are happy to see him go have just come to that feeling. I'm sure I can find a few threads where there have been plenty on here slagging him off for a while now.

As others have said he is a truely average player and this could be the best thing for us. It forces us to look to replace him and going off our recent signings I have confidence that we can get in better quality. The only question is can we do it before Monday night.

I can't understand why Villa would turn any players head from us tbh. Yes they are in the wafa cup this season but they only just got in through the intertoto and I think we have a chance of this season. Unless Liverpool do come in for him. In which case I suggest we try and do a deal for Xabi Alonso.

The kids a cunt for me like. Any player who hands a transfer request in this close to end of a transfer window is. It now leaves us in a position where we are pretty much forced to sell without the necessary time to sign a replacement. Although I suppose it serves us right for arsing him about last time we were going to sell him. That said I still don't rate him (any winger who's crossing is as bad as his is no good to us) and won't be disapointed to see him leave (as has been the case with most of the players who have left here in the last few years. Malouda in his place perhaps? I admit I haven't seen that much of him since he signed for Chelski and I would prefer we went for Wright-Phillips.

Enrique regularly tries to play balls like that and while most aren't quite as sucessful as that one he does often find his man. He's by no means a hoof it up the pitch kind of player.

I'd only let Ameobi and Cacapa go in the summer. Geremi can go a year later. Owen, Beye and Harper are the priorities for tying down on longer deals. This. Although I think Viduka might fancy returning to Oz by this time next year and I would hope we will be able to find a replacement for him by then who is available for more games.

Good result and decent performance in the end. We had some very nice spells of passing and by the end we just held onto the ball and saw the game out. It's nice to see now that we don't always really need a big guy up front because we can play the ball through midfield rather than just humping up long balls to dwarves. We do need someone who can hold onto the ball and bring players in around him though. Coloccini continues to impress, always looking calm and assured in a way that I've only ever seen Woodgate looking previously in a black and white shirt. Bassong shows a lot of promise and Milner showed why he would be more usefull playing away from the wing. All in all I'm extremely happy with the start we've made and the start our new signings have made too. If we can bring 2 or 3 more in like them this week (although this is looking increasingly unlikely due to the time constraints) I think we will have the makings of a squad that can challenge Villa, Portsmouth, Everton, Citeh and Spurs (if they sign a striker or two) for a wafa spot.

I'm fairly comfortable blaming the ref tbh. Should have blown up long ago. Penalty loss now I fear.

What the fuck is the ref playing at!

I thought it was Ashely trying to prove his love when I first got there on Saturday.

I hear the Liverpool fans were singing the following to Andy Reid last week; A Pizza Hut A Pizza Hut Kentuckty Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut. I don't know if it's original but I thought it was pretty funny.

Close to signing Cisse on loan apparently. Never understood what anyone saw in him. Other than on Cham Man of course better than martins imo. Wrong. cisse can actually use his pace. also martins trying to run with the ball or trying to control the ball is a joke. I really dont know why hes rated so highly with so many newcastle supporters Anything to back that up? I think Martins has a better scoring record, gets injured less and has a lot more years left in him. Cisse never did anything with Liverpool (or anyone else since then). The types of clubs being linked with him now tells you all you need to know tbh.

Close to signing Cisse on loan apparently. Never understood what anyone saw in him. Other than on Cham Man of course

McCarthy would be a good signing for them as they have nothing up front if Jones is injured (and he seems to pick up quite a few knocks from iirc) but I've never rated Ferdininand and Ball is about the standard they are used to.

Stories like this really do suggest that the press haven't got a clue what's going on anymore. One week we're skint, putting a cap on wages and wanting Owen to take a £30k wage cut. Now we're offering him the same amount the other way. I notice the story makes no mention of of their previous stories the other way either. I suspect they may have got wind he's going to sign a new contract and have just come up with some bullshit around that. If there is any truth in this what so ever £140k will be based on all sorts of add ons based on games played, goals scored and achievements of the team. Probably something to do with marketing as well. No way will his basic be anything like that. Mind you whatever it ends up at will no doubt be obscene anyway.

Fair point.

How many of those do you think are comfortable enough on the ball to play it forward rather than humping it? What's the point in an expensive midfield wizard that Faye, Edgar or Cacapa hoofs the ball over the head of? I think Butt, Barton, Geremi, Guthrie and Gutierrez are all capable of getting the ball forward if they receive it to their feet. Well from what I've seen of them Colloccini and Bassong both look comfortable on the ball, and I have no problems with Taylor, Enrique and Beye (in particular). I wouldn't be too sure of Cacapa and Edgar but they are the backup and like I said it's the starting 11 we need to sort out first. Faye unfortunately is now a moot point of course. After yesterdays display I would agree with your coments on Gutherie and Guttierez although him being a winger makes it a bit irrelevent. Butt's passing however was shown up on a number of occasions yesterday and despite what I expected when he signed, Barton's passing last season was nothing short of horrific for the most part.

Louise Taylor loves him remember.... I think him being off was a big factor in the goal like. Mind you so was playing a winger at leftback.

I was wondering if Keegan's mom award to Gutherie has something to with him being Keegans signing while Jonas came from Wise and co. Conspiracytastic I know. Alternatively he could just be trying to big up a young lad (who looks like a right charva btw) who has come here without much anticipation from the fans.

Excellent result and performance. I expected a battering and would have took your hand off if offered the same as Reading got there last year but we did better than that and had a good go at them too. Yes overall they were the better team but you would expect that from the champions of Europe, but apart from the first ten minutes they never looked like they were going to give us another lesson like last year. For those first ten minutes or so we looked a bit disorganised, particularly at the back, but that passed and we grew into the game after that. By the second half we were very well set up and they never looked like scoring until Rooney's freekick in the last seconds. Overall it was a team performance but individually I was impressed with all three of the new lads. Colloccini came in and settled down after an (only to be expected) shakey opening and Gutherie showed better passing ability than we've seen in a long time. But for me the undoubted star of the show was Jonas. His work rate was phenomenal (and a major reason why N'Zogbia wasn't exposed down the flank), he showed he has good pace and the ability to beat top class players. I think he will prove a major asset this season where I expect him to really get at teams at home and help us be strong away. Whoever decided to bring him looks to have picked a peach. I know there were others who deserve the paise they have had too but I would mention Oba's role in the game too. Other than his goal, I thought he did an excellent job of leading the line and made much more intellegent runs than I have seen from him in the past. Hopefully this is a sign he's starting to mature as a player and work on the weaker aspects of his game. Can't wait for Saturday now.

shame. i rate him more than cacapa and taylor. keepgan obvioulsy doesn't see him ahead of the likes of those two plus the new argie bargie in the centre half pecking order. i hope this means we're getting a couple of new faces in before the window shuts. 3 first team centre halfs and 4 strikers isn't really going to be enough, plus there's the lack of talent in central midfield that needs to be addressed I don't think it's a case of Keegan not seeing him ahead of those two, it's just if he's got his heart set on moving then there's no point in keeping an unhappy player, I thought he was our best centre back last year but he's not someone who we should struggle to replace IMO. He does say he will replace them if they do go too tbf. Where does all of this heart set on move shit come from. He's made no noises about wanting to leave that I've heard and apparently told Diatta to come here. As far as I can see it, Stoke have made a bit and we've accepted it which if I were him would suggest to me that the club don't want him so he's gone with it. I suppose you could why he hasn't waited to see if someone better came in for him but I can't see anything which suggests he had his heart set on going to Stoke. Anyway, that's definitely three players we need now!