GREAT_BEARD_OF_ZEUS

People who've seen him play say he's shite - wouldn't lose sleep over it if he doesn't come. Plus we're signing the league 2 Crouch so we don't need him :winkold:

Pah, I'm giving up. I've spent the last two weeks glued to my laptop taking it in turns between refreshing this thread and doing the same on Twitter in the vain hope that'll we'll pull some decent exciting signings out of the bag. I don't think I can sit and watch all the way through tomorrow only to be left with that feeling of complete and utter disappointment. Bollox to it, I'm out!

Agreed for the most part although I personally wouldn't like us to go near Dawson (high wages, no resale value and slow). We have Dunne who has these attributes. Also, the team you have outlined includes 5 signings! Yes, the only one I included who I questioned was Dawson - however, I think this is an area where we need someone with experience and proven in this league, especially if we're going to have young fullbacks who are used to the lower leagues.

Happy to finally see this spate of links to players, I think 4 good signings and we're looking a very solid unit. Of the many linked to us in the last 48 hours or so, i'm confident we could realistically get to a good first team and strong bench when all fit... --------------------- Guzan ------------------------- Lowton ------ Vlaar ----- Dawson ------ Bennett -------------- N’Zonzi ---El Ahmadi --------------- Holman ---------------------------------- Downing ------------- Benteke --- Bent --------------------- Subs 1. Given (only here as I think he needs a wake up call) 2. Dunne 3. Clark 4. Lichaj 5. Ireland 6. Nzogbia 7. Gabby Now that is a bench of players all of whom are capable of coming on and adding quality, not just make up the numbers. Lambert also likes to rotate - and again this group would alow him to do that as well as change formation if he wanted. Plus, you have a healthy set of squad players to move up to the subs bench when injuries mean our regular players are out... Baker Bannan Herd Weiman (unlucky to miss the bench) Fonz etc

Where have you heard this JM?

As someone who has seen a sport career (albeit a much lesser one) end through knee injury, I can totally sympathise. I know a lot has been done to improve the rehab on this kind of injury in the last few years, and he'll get the best treatment, but the knees are the most critical part of a sports persons body - they're the hardest to fix once they go and it completely dibilitates you. Stay strong GG, this will your biggest test of all.

McLeish may have had a negative effect, but you also need to remember that this is largely the same squad that has nearly got relegated for two years on the trot. Good players will get results to some extent under any manager - this lot have failed to for two seasons now and (at the moment at least) we're still counting...

Is he from a foreign league,or British based MM? (ooh I do like these games)

I remember us all wishing for Dunne to come back from injury at the end of last season to help stop the relegation slide! I'm no fan of his, and if we've got a replacement lined up then fine - but we simply CANNOT have one senior central defender at the club. Clark is good in my eyes, but perhaps a season off being 1st choice in the central pairing. And should (god help us) Vlaar get injured, We've got a horribly lightweight and inexperienced back 4 which for me will spell relegation!

Me and you both mate!

A tweet from Kenwyne Jones from yesterday... Which for me translates to... "I've just come to my senses, it's time to leave Stoke"

McCleish had aparently lined up Douglas and Haidara too. Crikey I'm beginning to wish he'd stayed now!

Haha me too, I've just pissed myself laughing at this page alone! 21 to go

It’s possible that from the outside we look like a club under achieving, a club suffering problems which are easy to put right – we do have some players with very good reputations. It’s plausable for PL to have seen our side and thought he’d got the following… Given –one of the best gks in the league Dunne - The current ROI captain Stephen Ireland – One time PFA young player of the season Charles Nzogbia – one man saviour of Wigan a season ago Darren Bent – England international striker Agbonlahor – One of the fastest strikers in the league and capped by England One of the best youth set ups in the league with lots of promising youngsters coming through to the 1st team Whereas in fact he got… Given – past his best and suffering a massive drop in confidence following an embarrassing Euros Dunne – Fat whale way past his best with an attitude problem to boot Stephen Ireland – Former nutcase getting back to his somewhere near the player he used to be but prone to disappearing in matches Charles Nzogbia – a sulky inconsistent player who is a shadow of the player he was at Wigan Darren Bent – England striker who contributes little other than goals and who no longer has the team mates capable of setting them up. Agbonlahor – Inconsistent and more often than not crocked And a youth set up devoid of confidence after a complete battering last term when they were over relied upon to perform above their years Pre-season probably failed to highlight this as some of these players no doubt upped themselves to stand out in front of a new manager, but we all know the real story. The fact that at the fans forum PL said that if he had to go the season with what he’d got, he be happy to – says to me he hasn’t evaluated the squad well enough to realise what we all see is painfully obvious – the side isn’t good enough. Whether that was said as a bluff to what’s really going on I don’t know – I certainly hope so!

OK this transfer fess argument is boring me to death – so let me pose a question. In the four positions we need additions the most, who would be your ideal choice from the players we’ve been linked to so far? Mine would be: Striker: Andy Carroll Winger: Yacinne Brahimi Midfielder: Antony Annan Left back: Massadio Haidara Think that would set us up quite nicely!

I don't think we could sign anyone wider than Huddlestone to be honest.

Last seasons Fa Cup final had Chelsea cruising to a 2-0 win, then they brought on Carroll and he completely changed the game. We're a soft touch as it is and we're shit at set pieces. We need a big bully of a striker no doubt.

Yup and that's without the now routine injury crisis we're bound to suffer in a few months! We need strength in depth more than a big marquee signing right now. Big £20m signings are reserved for the big boys – because they already have a solid squad and simply want to add top quality. If we go out and spunk our wod on Carroll or Johnson, as exciting as that will be, we’ll be doing things the wrong way round.

Fantastic - like the look of this fella, reminds me of Dirk Kuyt in terms of his work ethic.

John Carter - better than I thought it would be, quite enjoyed it actually. It's trying too hard to be the new star wars, but it didn't deserve the slating it's had.

Seriously, you think? I don't want to dampen the feel good factor of Lambert joining, but you have to admit IF we don't add any more faces this window, then it will have been a pretty shit set of transfers considering what we had hoped for/expected/need! I'm not taking away from who we've brought in (I actually think that they are all good aquistions) but it's not enough - neither from a quantity nor quality point of view.

Talking of bad films, has anyone had the pleasure of watching London Boulevard? Utter, utter garbage! I lasted a full 10 minutes before I tunred it off, ejected the DVD and burnt it.

With you there mate. When it ended I literally roared in displeasure at the screen - i was hoping that there was some kind of massive twist/end scene which was going to make up for that complete dross. Up there with 'No Country For Old Men' for most whimperishly shit endings!

Brilliant!!!

Two to rant about today… 1) The fact that my missus gets the milk out of the fridge before boiling the kettle! She’ll go to the fridge, get the milk out, then push the button on the kettle down, then walk away whilst it boils. Now I know the milk isn’t going to go off in the few minutes it takes to make a cuppa, but why not simply get it out at the point in time you actually need it? And 2) Popcorn in cinemas + fat people. Firstly food which makes a noise should be banned from the cinema… Ice-cream? Fine. Sweets? Fine (unless they’re in a rustly bag). Hotdogs – yes they smell, but fine. But POPCORN!!!??? Why not just shake a maraca in my ear all the way through the film!!! This is then accentuated by fat people who buy a bath size box of the stuff – the guy who sat next to me at the showing of TDKR went through his first box in the first half hour, then went out and bought another one!