Rayvin

Right now maybe, but McCarthy has so much fight and enthusiasm in him that I think over time he'd be a better player. Probably not a lot of time either.

I like the idea of new people being discussed, but can we please get at least one transfer over the line...? I remember that week in January when we bought anything that moved...another of those please.

You really shouldn't post all that stuff online mate...especially as it's your mam's. Unless it isn't and you're faking, which I kinda hope you are?

Ok fair enough, I was exaggerating. Ultimately my point should have been that he has to be better than not bringing in a striker at all. You would hope.

Is this how all the fan meetings go?

Gomis has to be an improvement on the alternative - which is no one. If he scores one goal all season it's still better than where we're heading otherwise.

We aren't going to sell Cisse without a replacement, not even Kinnear is that mental. Especially now that we've 'resolved' the great Wonga dispute.

My missus doesn't like them either, and I just don't understand it...

18 but again quite a few kids books. Weird some that are on that list. The hungry caterpillar? Really? Also, Don Quixote is not on the list that I could see. That's supposed to be the best selling book of all time after the Bible... why wouldn't that be there? Or did I overlook it?

It's all very familiar isn't it though? We have such low hopes for the club to meet and it can't even manage those, simply faffing around pretending to sign people until transfer deadline day when we'll launch a £12m bid for someone who's already agreed terms with another club, and leave ourselves short changed for another season. I do miss Llambias, I really do. He wasn't batshit crazy.

Impressive, kudos to you. The raspberries, in particular, look really good.

I like hearing that sort of thing - Cisse has a few similar stories I think - I hope it's genuine rather than some form of point scoring (i.e. ahead of legal proceedings, as you say). I'm sure it is, the world can't be that cynical...

Sad but true. Kinda makes me aspirational to hear it laid that bear though... why should any of us continue to be slaves to wages so that other people can live their dreams?

That'll be great for morale. Isolate members of the team as a result of their personal beliefs.

I think we'll get 8th if the season turns out with the sort of good fortune we had the other year, and relegated if it doesn't. I don't see much wiggle room, the mid-table teams were really packed together this year, and we're either going to be surprisingly good or god awful.

I think it can now be officially considered 'concerning' that we haven't signed anyone. I actually miss Llambias - at least he'd have been out there looking for deals based on value rather than whether or not he's actually heard of the player. It's not actually that long until the season starts now. I think what some people here have been saying is 100% right; we'll end up with Darren Bent and that's about it. So that'll be two goal poachers, both equally frustrated that they have no strike partner to play off, and both getting into the same positions. Unless the plan is for only one to be playing, in which case we're ultimately no stronger than last year, except the team is more disillusioned. From where we are now, I would actually consider it satisfying if all we did this summer was buy two strikers, even if one was Bent. Could do with another central defender and perhaps some fullback support, but let's not push it. Do you reckon we can get Ba back? I saw he was being touted with a move to Villa today...

I agree with this. If we did this, we could also give Cabaye a more advanced role where he could actually perhaps provide some useful playmaking rather than the long balls.

We're never going to let go of Taylor, surely; while he isn't pivotal I'm not sure I'd recognise the club without him on the injury list...

I think we all know where the situation with Gazza is gonna end up. It's a real shame though.

I don't understand why the debt really matters in this context. So the club is highly geared, so what? Most businesses (and nation states) will tell you that this is a more profitable way to run than just using shareholder equity to get by. It's obviously riskier, especially in recessions, but it doesn't seem that the banks are about to pull the plug. Unless of course this £140m was a loan that was to be called in during Ashley's reign; in which case he's probably had to pay it, and is probably right to seek that money back. Unrealistic, but understandable.

Really??? Or is that tongue in cheek? That has to be tongue in cheek right? We could be top of the league at Christmas and I'd still think he was a buffoon.

Maybe that's his plan longer term, keep taking money out of the club until the amount he'd want for it is low enough that someone might actually pay for it, and subsequently he'll get the fuck out like he's wanted to for years. Would explain why he doesn't care about how well we do, seemingly only about bringing in players to sell at a profit. I guess the sooner this all happens, the sooner he's gone.

£18mil for Aubameyang seems pretty high... unless we're talking Euros. The kind of bid we'd put in if we were getting all that and more from the sale of someone else.

Had become my preferred choice to Tiote as well. Hope we're not banking on Tiote being awesome again...

Plan is apparently to then get Aubameyang and Zouma. And Bent probably. I dunno about Cabaye, he was poor last season and I think the argument is strong for getting rid. Whether you think he's poor because of Pardew or because he was depressed/whatever, the fact is that he's unlikely to be any better next year under the same people. Maybe other players would be.