El-Reacho

Randy's gone and got the best man available. Can't ask for any more. Good luck Gerard.

Anyone fancy Jeremy Toulalan in January?

If your talking french players or players within the french league

Flamini is more realistic can rule out Diarra because of his rediculous wage demands and is nothing more than a mercenary.

No to Nzogbia as well whinging clearing in the woods

if he's thinking about replacing warnock already with a french equivalent or someone within the french league taye taiwo might be a good shout

Didier Agathe anyone?

Wonder if he'd try and get Carragher in?

Randy's gone and got the best man available. Can't ask for any more. Good luck Gerard.

Anyone fancy Jeremy Toulalan in January?

So let me get this straight then. If Houllier and Thommo take over, the following is supposed to happen, according to some of the more "knowledgeable" folks on here:

Friedel will retire due to not liking the new management.

Warnock and Carew will either hand in transfer requests or be moved on because of the new management.

Heskey will be played on the wing but will score 20+ goals.

We will seemingly buy crap, foreign talent.

And, to top it all off, we will win 3 trophies and play CL football.

I have no idea why we would want that to happen to our club, I really don't!

And if Stan Staunton is part of the package Stephen Ireland will retire from club duty.

I would love it if Moyes came here as much for the assurances that Randy would have to have given him to come (lots and lots of cash for players), as actually having as good manager that Moyes clearly is. All very hypothetical though.

If things continue to go like this for Moyes and Everton it could suit all parties - I know they're traditionally bad starters - but this is their worst in 12 years. While he's doing a great job there overall, they're not really progressing - maybe Randy can give him some assurances he won't get from from Kenwright....

I think the club and KM both know he won't be taking the job. IMHO they're having difficulty getting who they want (or anyone at all for that matter) and are creating this 'will he / won't he' smokescreen to stop the players from just putting their feet up until the new man arrives. It's just that it's not really working.....

Newsarse's take on things:

http://shortlinks.co.uk/202l

Sure Andres Iniesta looks like he's in P4. He's done alright for himself.

was livley on sat...

Agreed - I spent the whole first half shouting a anyone to just shoot - they all seemed to take too many touches. He came on in the second half and was willing to have a few cracks first time.

Not sure what position he plays - but when he came inside he seemed to be very comfortable. He wasn't involved when he was on the right.

Gregory Van Der Wiel was mentioned a month ago - maybe him, though I haven't watched much other than WC games.

The guy is pure class, out of our league, will probably end up at Citeh as well.

Pretty sure I read that he signed for Bayern during the WC.

It's not chaos - these threads have a particular structure they follow each year. We start with the "when's the window open", then progress to the Miguel and Zigic links, followed by the "When is MON back from holidays". We are about to move on to the "all the good players will be gone if MON doesn't get a move on" phase.

You've forgotten the 'How many seats are around the conference table?' phase.

A friend of mine who works at the sh*tty city has told me that as a last resort they are prepared to offer......

£30 million plus onuoha, ireland and richards as they are that desperate for him. They think that is a £45 mill total, ohh yes to that!!!! Would still tell them to do one though as i think the boy is class!

ill have me some of that!

I seriously doubt this - as it would leave City with bugger all home grown players. If they subsequently had to go and buy players just to make up the quota then they're not going to get as good as those three.

Daniel Sturridge is an international forward in the making, and if you can't see it .........

How can i see it if he doesn't play?

In the Premier League this season he has started 2 games and come on as a sub for 11 games.... 1 goal. In the FA Cup, 3 starts and 1 sub appearance, 4 goals. Looks a bit more respectable. Goals against Cardiff, Preston North End, and Watford.

He's still unproven in the Premier League and imo we should be looking for the guy who has experience at the higher levels and who can take us to the next level.

I'd imagine Delf's stats are not far away from those. Would seem odd to spend a fair bit of cash for someone who may not be any better in a few years time. Especially since they'd both be fighting for the same place.

Kevin Doyle was reportedly linked with a £10M move to Arsenal last week. It was apprently in the News of the World.

First bit of ITK, a friend of mine has just received an enquiry from Villa for a large number of chairs. This can only mean one thing

press conference..... BUT FOR WHAT?!?!? HHMMMM

Did he happen to mention how many chairs exactly were needed?

Would love us to sign:

Doyle

Ireland

Parker

Kevin Prince Boateng

But I reckon we'd have to pay well over the odds to sign all four. But O'Neill has had no quams in doing that before.

Out:

Harewood

Heskey

Sidwell

Bouma

Beye

Will be gutted if we sell NRC. Should also keep Shorey as deputy for Warnock. Luke Young and Cuellar covering right back. Davies and Dunne should start together I think with Collins as cover.

I'd like HTC, the mobile phone manufacturer to sponsor us for a few years. They are really making a mark in the mobile market, taking on Apple's iPhone. Think they may have some money to throw around and could develop into a massive company!

Here's their logo if anyonw wants to add it to a shirt design.

I'm sure there's probably a joke there some where about our squad and smart mobility!

They sponsor Mark Cavendish's Columbia Cycling team - wouldn't be out of the question - would like them over some internet gambling site.

Agent Ridgewell!!

^ Don't think Milner's leaving the first time would have been his fault -was just part of the loan deal. I think Newcastle wouldn't sell him to us IIRC.

The UEFA Cup thing last year was a big mistake - it seemed to allow an attitude that only some games are really important which must have had an effect on the squad.

Not sure if this has mentioned before in the post but I think people sometimes forget ( myself included ) how different it is playing full back compared to centre back.

Defensively, i had no problem with him at right back as he won a lot of headers at the back post and didnt get skinned often but his passing and forward play wasnt very good at all. At full back, you generally see less of the pitch and have fewer passing options than at centre back and i think this was one of the issues with him.

If you look at other decent centre backs who have been made to play fullback they never look as comfortable, I seem to remember Liverpool playing Skrtel at right back last season and Downing took him to the cleaners. I also didnt think Mellberg was ever that good at right back either.

Think you're bang on here - playing at fullback requires much more 'football' than playing at centre half which is probably why central midfielders and fullbacks seem to be quite interchangeable.

Not sure if this has mentioned before in the post but I think people sometimes forget ( myself included ) how different it is playing full back compared to centre back.

Defensively, i had no problem with him at right back as he won a lot of headers at the back post and didnt get skinned often but his passing and forward play wasnt very good at all. At full back, you generally see less of the pitch and have fewer passing options than at centre back and i think this was one of the issues with him.

If you look at other decent centre backs who have been made to play fullback they never look as comfortable, I seem to remember Liverpool playing Skrtel at right back last season and Downing took him to the cleaners. I also didnt think Mellberg was ever that good at right back either.

Think you're bang on here - playing at fullback requires much more 'football' than playing at centre half which is probably why central midfielders and fullbacks seem to be quite interchangeable.

Uncomfortable rusty seats in the dugout.

In the passage leading to the pitch some nice old prints over on the opposition side of players being stretchered off with a coat over their head after a butchering by Frank Barson, George Curtis or Andy Lochhead.

Something like 'This is Anfield' but much more macabre and threatening.

Dear old Albert, the 88-year-old Visitors' Dressing Room Attendant, snot streaming from his nose, nice clean white coat already soiled by the afternoon's first three attacks of diarrhea. No, change that to dear old Douglas, well it'd give the old duffer something to do.

His young protege Noel Blake looking after their belongings during the match.

A dressing Room Ghost.

A personal handshake and smile from Craig Gardner.

Loud Black Sabbath music as they come out on to the pitch.

Make Villa Park a fortress. The dugout is already in place.

Like it. Should have a chapel in the away dressing room, a la Camp Nou. Maybe even a priest to hear confessions before our guests step onto the pitch.

Gaby, Petrov, Gardner and NRC have all spent time there over the last three seasons. Leonhardsen was right midfield too a few years back maybe? Did Carbone play down the right or was that too long ago?

Milner for me though, no question.

Hi General,

I hope you're back to your best.

Just wondered, and this may come slightly close to the transfer questions rule so ignore if needs be, but does MON enjoy the transfer window and the wheeling and dealing that goes with it, or is he desperate for for it to end, so he can get on with the season?

Looking forward to the season ahead,

UTV.

I would imagine MON is currently planning his squad around him not being here, so it would be good if we got De La Red or Johnson in, had a great squad, and then come deadline day it turns out he stays. He would then be a bonus player - probably not guaranteed a starting place let alone captaincy. I think things are beyond repair between him and O'Neill, however to prevent Liverpool getting him, even if he were to sit here losing value would be a good outcome for us IMHO. Besides if he can't get his move he'll bust a gut for us for his England place if nothing else.