JawD

At the Roeder talk in at Kinky Park he was asked about the quality of our academy and who might look like coming through. He said alot of work still needed to be done and that none of the players were really ready to step up.

I agree that we cannot complain about the amount spend from a financial point of view. BUT, tell me this. Why let Boumsong go with no cover coming in when we also let Elliot go? Why let Chopra go when we were so short up front? Why not bring in someone like Hasslebaink who fit our financial scenario? If Butt is back in from the cold, he will fill the void (?) left by Faye - why bring this guy from city in? why why why why? I am not banging on saying we should have bought this player and that - but that our thin squad last season just got smaller and what we needed to strengthen has barley been touched.

While I think it is good that we have given another £16M to the manager, what I cannot get my head around - I mean, maybe its me but - - We needed defenders desparately. Robbie Elliot now at sunderland, Boumsong now at Juve. Thats two players who played for us last season. Not only did we not strengthen an already poor back four, its now considerably weaker. - The James Milner farce. Though to me its clear what happened. GR was told he needed to sell to buy more. That is fair enough in a way. He reluctantly agreed to sell Milner to Villa, but then the player (s) he wanted fell through so he didnt need to sell anymore. - Up front we were weak last season with Owen being injured. Luque not being interested. We also knew Shearer was coming to the end of his time. So we knew we needed at least one forward. Then we let chopra go who we had used & Owen is injured again. So surely, we needed to bring in one more at least? Even just to get where we were last season? - The the midfield. Thats defence and forwards bollocks up so what about midfield? We get Duff. Now, dont get me weong he looks a cracking signing for us and at £5M I can see what the attraction was. But how can we afford such luxury? We has Milner, Solano and NZogbia who between them done a very good job on the wings. Zog seems to be getting sacrificed to make way and yet is one of our most creative, threatening players. We are already stuffed to the brim across the centre. Dyer will be back, we have Emre, Parker, Butt. So then to cap off our signings we bring in a guy who cant get in the City team? After all of this Im now still wondering, why didnt we go for Hasslebaink? Why did we appear to go in for players at the last minute? Huth, Woodgate etc. Smacks of being unorganised. Who do I blame? I blame both chairman and manager. The manager HAD to realise. He must have known what we wanted. Why wait until after the world cup? Martins wasnt at the world cup? Yet he was his no1? Why didnt we start work on this at the end of last season and at the start of the summer? We left it late and its bit us on the arse. As for the Chairman, he negotiates the signings. Last I heard we were in "pole" position for 2 signings possibly 3. I doubt very much our friend from City was one of them. So we have failed on 3. Why? Yes I look at some of the moves that have been makde and think, why not us? Though Im not foolish to think we could have got them all or a few. But one? Some quality players have moved, so I will not accept that players were not available. Bah.

I switched off for the last hous last night. I gave myself false hope that we would have brought at least one other in. got up this morning, turned on sky sports and all I keep hearing about is the suprise move we made for the city midfielder. Get in. Top 6 must be crapping themselves about us now...

Dont worry so did i. Hysterically.

No

189522[/snapback] I suppose - and I know Im pushing it here - we shouldnt judge until the window is closed. Lost it havent i....

My point exactly

In fairness to GR, I doubt this bloke was top of his list. I reckon he's given his list to FS who has to sign them, and time after time came back and said "nope, cant get him". Sounds more like he's rang the agents and asked who they can get. Scraping barrel like. Seems we have no cash left and whatever Milner was moving for (to generate money for) has falled through. So I reckon thats prob it for us now, unless we get another load deal and some 2p signing. Or, suddently give Rangers £1M for bernard .... *sigh*

Hey, you aint getting of that lightly.

Our lass just asked what Im looking so "bemused" at. I tried to explain and she said she hadnt heard of him. She might not know football, but she's bang on the nail there. Bemused indeed.

another year wont hurt I guess eh....

I cannot think of one possible reason why this move was made. We keep milner, Butt is still here? He said himself that he wanted one or two forwards and a couple for the back. Where the hell did this come from? If people were saying the FA might look at the west ham deal, I reckon this one will be next to it Duff £5M Sibiwhoski £? Right.

Oh aye, Studio after Tiffneys I think

Well he did say he wanted to lower the average age of the team ... Guess Martins must be 103 after all then if this guy is lowering it...

So.. its not a wind up then? wibble.....

Though, the paper thin squad that GS had is now several players lighter. We're so thin that we stick to the bog wall when you wet us...

189312[/snapback] Yes, that paragraph alone shouts "come and get me"

Erm, or older ... and yes - assuming we mean the same bloke. City? Nah, wind up, got to be man.

Wind up right? right?

Apparantly Steve Gibson has said Viduka will not be leaving the club.

I think you have to discount Dyer, Milner, NZogbia as striking options. While they can "do a job" there, its the same as Ramage can do a job at LB. We need forwards, not make shift ones, "proper" ones. So for me, Viduka would be a decent short term option. Then with him, Martins & shola (to a lesser extent Luque) and Rossi - we have decent cover up front until Jan. Then Rossi goes, we have an updated picture on Owen, and we have the chance to act again in the new window. Milner leaving is a different matter all together. While Id like him to stay, I think we may be reluctant sellers and £5M for him might be used elsewhere in the squad maybe in the winter.

I'll have one pint, or a couple o shandies When I go to the game, if Im driving Ill had 2 before the game but nothing at half time. Other than that, no way. Im also wary the next day if Ive been out and have often thought about getting one of them personal breath things, never got around to it and dont know if they are any good. Though, when I used to go clubbing alot from my days in Planet Earth (Walkers) and later Riverside (shindig) the amount of cars outside and the amount of gear you know people were taking was alarming. As Alex says, I see the drug thing as more of a problem almost as it cannot be as easily detected. Wor lass doesnt really drink though, so when we go out now she usually drivers. Result!

Fish Finger Sarnies tbf (cracking munchie grub ) 188598[/snapback] great with peas!