Shabado

That is as ridiculous as saying Cristiano Ronaldo is basically playing for the English equivalent of Rangers or Celtic. Comparing the SPL to the Bundesliga is really that stupid. Also, Villa. He'd cost less.

The reason Robben (VP didn't offer much for me other than the goal) made such a difference was that he took pressure off the defense, which Kuyt obviously doesn't offer. The Dutch weren't keeping the ball and Robben offered an outlet as much as anything, allowing them to get back in the game. When Holland were on the front foot Kuyt offered plenty for me. Edit: I reckon RVP shot was going wide if the keeper doesn't get a touch too :p

I can only imagine how excited we'd have been at signing him two years ago if he was half as good at the World Cup as he has been so far at the Euros.

He was quality last year when he wasn't crying or going mental.

I guess I just don't like players you can only count on for 20-30 games in a 60 game season. He'd be the new Kewell.

Hamburg turned down 9 million last year, you can easily add another 5 to that before they'd talk. It's also amusing to see people say we should have bought him when Hamburg did, as if you'd mentioned his name then the words "massive gamble" would have been attached. Reason he went to Hamburg is because he'd been absolutely shit for 2 years and had been a complete crock for his whole career. Ajax aren't a club who have a tendency to sell for peanuts now, are they? Wouldn't want him now, anyway. He's still a crock.

Is a fair point. Man Utd keep banging on about being the biggest club in the world, so it's a pretty major kick in the teeth if someone leaves because they want to play for the biggest club in the world.

I don't think he'll go. Hopefully they'll refuse to sell, he'll sulk for a year and they'll see him next summer for half the price.

You realise that saying NSFW in the thread iself doesn't actually work, because as soon as you open the picture is loaded onto your PC, whether you scroll down to it or not, right?

Gomez is an excellent player. Doubt we could afford him though, he's on a long contract and has been linked all over for the last year. On top of that, I have no idea if he is first choice for Germany (certainly should be on form) but there is every chance he'll bang a few in in the Euros and be one of the names on everyones lips after that.

Toni has suffered the "Germany effect" whereby any player in the Bundesliga is never given as much credit as they would be elsewhere. I still rate him as one of the top 4 or 5 strikers in Europe. Still, isn't important really. My initial reaction to the question was no, and I still hesitate to change it, although I think he has been the best striker over the past season, I don't think he is "the best". Can't think of anyone better though.

Appreciate the link, but my connection is dropping every 30 seconds at the moment which means doing anything that takes longer than that is an exercise in futility. Cheers anyway.

My first thought when he mentions buying is the MLS team he wants to set up, not Liverpool. Haven't listened to the interview though, internet is too busy pissing about for me to bother.

I won't debate Guiza anymore, I rate him and I think you under estimate his involvement in Mallorca's build up play out wide, but it's taking away from the point. Same with Diego, I think he's brilliant and has impressed me every time I've seen him, whereas Agüero has impressed my sporadically. My point isn't that we should buy some cheaper alternative, Guiza was just who came to mind as I saw he'd scored again and he was exceptional a couple of weeks back when I last watched him, the point I'm trying to make is people keep mentioning players (Diego, Pandev, Agüero) who are very, very good, but are not at all what we need. We need wide players who will be goal threats and can play in the system we have now. Agüero would struggle wide, and even if he did manage to excell it would be wasting some of his better talents. Vision and being able to pick a pass are less important when wide. We should be looking at top class wide attacking players, rather than central ones. Guiza is not top class, no, but I would still argue he'd be better as a wide attacker than Agüero. I see far too many posts saying "Buy Agüero/Diego/whoever, play them wide in an attacking 3" and to me it's nearly as silly as saying buy Lampard and do the same.

Right, of course I did. Agüero would, as stated, require Gerrard being shifted out to the right, which even if it resulted in a better shape and performance from the team would drive me fucking crazy whenever I watched TV because even Country File would feel the need to tell me that he isn't happy there, he's less effective, that it makes new born babies cry and he doesn't like getting white on his boots. Guiza drifts wide more, crosses better and would be far more comfortable as a wide attacker. He is also equally as involved in build up play, but would likely pose more of a goal threat. Agüero is not a wide player and would be completely wasted there. He is not a Messi or even a Zidane. He also has a habit of going missing for periods of games. Guiza is not a better player by any means, I would never say that. He'd cost a damn sight less though, rather than pretty much the same amount (Bent vs Torres). Diego is a better player than Agüero anyway so if we were going to blow £30 million on a player that we don't need I'd rather it were him, and he would almost certainly have less trouble adapting given he is already kicked to fuck every week in Germany. And I say this having watched all three numerous times already this season. Guiza is very, very good and if you'd taken the time to watch him you'd know that. Comparing him as Bent to Agüero's Torres is laughable. But of course, I haven't learnt...what I have failed to learn I don't know. Not to form my opinions based on watching players and deciding how they might fit into our current squad and just going with whoever is popular at the moment, regardless of whether or not I've actually seen them for more than 15 minutes or on some Youtube complilation. I'm only sorry that I apparently will be miss understood if my point isn't put across in essay format with Harvard referencing. Jesus.

Almeria have been excellent so far this year and there is no great shame in a draw there. Rather have Guiza than Augero, think he'd be more comfortable playing as a wide attacker, and signing Augero would mean moving Gerrard deeper or to the right. Besides, Diego is better than Augero anyway, and might just be available if Bremen fail to qualify for the CL. Not that either player is what we need.

We'd batter Schalke, they're really not that good. Well, actually we'd lose because they're really not that good.

I watched that match (was excellent, actually, and I usually hate italian football) and I know it looks bad, and it even misses out that rather than leaving down the tunnel, he stood at the tunnel entrance hurling abuse, and then came onto the pitch at the end in tears, so I guess it simply is bad...that said! The first yellow was very hard I thought, and Cassano gave so much during the match. He clearly cares a lot and is hugely passionate. He has mental issues clearly, but I couldn't fault his commitment at least. It's nice that a player cares given the number you see who don't give a shit or are just John Salako's picking up a pay cheque.s He was always trying to get the crowd going, and was still on the pitch about 5 minutes after full time applauding the fans. He's very italian. I bet the Samp fans love him.

In recent years we haven't sold anyone who has actually been any good though. The Mancs and Arsenal have sold the likes of Stam, RVN, Viera and Henry, but if you look at the players a tier bellow who've left they've been just as shite as ours.

Rafa has got rid of his mistakes, and usually got a fair price. Things like Josemi for Kromkamp, who was then sold for about what we paid for Josemi. The only player I can remember him making a considerable loss on was Morientes (3 million wasn't a huge loss, but it was still only half what we paid for him) and possibly Gonzales, depending on which reports you believe. If you consider players he's made a profit on, or sold for a good price (and compare that to Ged, aside Baros I can't think of a single player he bought that profit was made on, and the depreciation of some of his buys was astounding). Rafa has my support in the transfer market because he doesn't seem to show much sentimentality with regards to selling players which haven't settled or aren't good enough, and for the most part has bought well. People question Sissoko, Pennant and Crouch, but for the prices paid they were good buys. Kuyt is the only massive question mark I have over price paid, and

Was watching the game today and saw their had been some trouble and it was delayed a little bit (only 5 minutes or so) but I don't understand Italian so had no idea what had gone on. Shocking really, something has to be done. Italian stadiums are half empty every week, they have a serious problem and they need to sort if out now. Would you want your family at a match in Italy every week? Can't blame people for not turning up.

Kaka Kaladze.

I was a kid when Evans was boss, but I still appreciate the fact that it was an era where I believed we could win the league at the start of every season. For whatever reason, I haven't really felt it since. Maybe it's growing up, maybe it's because I'm a cynical fucker now, but I still look back fondly on the Evans era simply because of that.

I think he'll show everyone just what a joke Leeds are. He'd have scored for fun in the Championship if they'd actually played him upfront.

Was signed for around 1.5 million in the end, wasn't he? In fairness to Rafa, we've got decent fees for the players he's bought in and then shifted out, aside arguably Morientes. I think people would have been far more forgiving of Ged's transfer mistakes if he'd managed to sell a few of them on for decent fees.