Kitman

It's just wrong. Sounds like vomit. Between your chicken boxes, cheesy curries amd Micky Ds, I fear for your arteries Kevin. Good job you're young otherwise you'd be 25 stones and anchored to the sofa. Still, there's time yet.

What difference does a shooping list of strikers make? We didn't make it to the till, that's all that counts

Just had a look at the Sunday Sun footy articles using CT's link. Pathetic mixture of excuses and inane January transfer speculation, could have been propaganda written by the club. Football reporting for retards imo. "You ain't gonna get penny of that, Alan".....

What's the point, CT? We've as much reason to believe that the existence of alien lifeforms will be confirmed in January as getting signings in those positions. Seriously, what's the point? I'm completely fed up with this transfer speculation tbpfh

Repulsive on many levels....

1. Should Marathon have been renamed Snickers? 2. How does he feel about the colour yellow? 3. Does he swim in the sea in Britain? 4. Is it ever acceptable to fart in a lift? 5. Favourite season of the year? 6. Daylight saving - yes or no? 7. Favourite tipple? 8. Puppies or kittens? 9. Dream car? 10. Prefer tennis or cricket? 11. Favourite music? 12. Address, make of car, number plate, daily routine, security arrangements?

Or "transfers. Hey you do the math"?

He's a cunnterhead. I'll bet he's number 1 on your list, deadaz

It's a measure of how well he's doing that people are worried that he might get injured. That or it's a measure of how average Williamson is.

CT, in future don't let those feelings sneak around like furtive thieves in the night. Let them roam free, in plain sight, like might eagles soaring or rugged wolves roaming the steppes. If your feelings weren't so damned sneaky none of this would have happened

I've got a sneaky feeling CT wishes he'd never had a sneaky feeling in the first place

He would've if he'd offered to donate them to the SBR foundation. Mind you I doubt anybody would've offered to make up the difference if he didn't.....

It's funny you mention that CT. When I heard him say that my immediate reaction was we're not going to get new striker. And then I thought no, they couldn't be that stupid.

Happy birthday

two pints of harp and a packet of dates Jesus, do they still make that. Used to be the no 1 selling lager in Ireland iirc

Perhaps they’re right? Coming hot on heels of the fan pleasing end to the transfer window, I found myself thinking ‘replacing the club’s name on the east stand with a SD advert will surely be the last straw’ and other stupid thoughts like ‘this has to be the straw that finally stirs supporters in action' and ‘there’s no way we’ll carry on turning up like a bunch of compliant sheep who like getting shitted on after this’. Then I thought ‘but we’ve spent the best part of four years letting this bloke disrespect us and our club without ever trying to give him a metaphoric kick in the balls’ and ‘every time anyone suggests a serious protest the response is it’ll make no difference so let’s do fuck all’ Does this make us stupid or loyal? Answers on a postcard to GetOutOfOurClubUFatCockneyBastard@St James Park. Whether people like it or not FMA & co. will take continued ticket sales as tacit approval of their methods. There's a sizeable number of folks who are only interested in the team on a saturday (or any random day of the week these days) and don't give shit about the baordroom etc etc, they'll keep going no matter what, on top of that if (and I appreciate it's a highly dubious big fucking IF) the team keeps winning, however ugly, tickets will continue to sell, not perhaps as sold out season tickets but match to match. .................and wouldn't keeping on winning be a vindication of their methods, just a thought !! Yes, the same people who like to cheer the No 9

Perhaps they’re right? Coming hot on heels of the fan pleasing end to the transfer window, I found myself thinking ‘replacing the club’s name on the east stand with a SD advert will surely be the last straw’ and other stupid thoughts like ‘this has to be the straw that finally stirs supporters in action' and ‘there’s no way we’ll carry on turning up like a bunch of compliant sheep who like getting shitted on after this’. Then I thought ‘but we’ve spent the best part of four years letting this bloke disrespect us and our club without ever trying to give him a metaphoric kick in the balls’ and ‘every time anyone suggests a serious protest the response is it’ll make no difference so let’s do fuck all’ Does this make us stupid or loyal? Answers on a postcard to GetOutOfOurClubUFatCockneyBastard@St James Park. Whether people like it or not FMA & co. will take continued ticket sales as tacit approval of their methods. 10,000 empty seats? Might be the way of the future.....

Your been a tad harsh there Alex Deano was pounding the keyboard with clenched fists and tears of rage when he wrote that.....

I certainly think there's been a concerted effort to bring down the wage bill and sign players on the cheap or for free so they can be re-sold at a profit. Some aspects of it have made sense ie not offering long contracts to old knackers and not signing old knackers in the first place. Our injury list is better too. However, I can't understand the wilful neglect of the squad's needs. The absence of striking talent, the lack of cover in defence, forcing out top performers when the marginal cost of increasing their contract shouldn't exceed the signing fee of replacement players. Except they're not really replaced, and PL hardened players are replaced with unproven imports on lower wages as the OP says. It only makes sense if you take the view that the squad is being assessed from a financial rather than footballing point of view. As CT is fond of pointing out, you need a lot of money to compete with the top 6 so there's no point in trying. I think that's the club's philosophy. There's no point in trying so let's make sure we make money in the process. However the overall effect is corrosive. Nobody gets too excited because there's always disappointment, cynicism and apathy are the natural mindsets. Nobody supports a club to follow the balance sheet, the grinding down of excitement and enjoyment and the absence of ambition translates into empty seats and indifference. The club's heirarchy won't give two hoots of course as the money will continue to roll in. But I fear for the long term health of the club with this lot in charge, the best we can hope for is someone comes in with an offer that's too good to refuse.

So no striker signed, a bland self congratulatory statement is issued, and lo and behold a rash of stories appear about Ben Arfa's imminent return from injury. They must think we're fucking stupid.

Squidward They needn't have bothered with this statement. It doesn't explain anything or even apologise for the outcome. It's a waste of time.

All seems a bit unnecessary Deano.

Presumably with Ashley's debt the club has a bit less control over when it gets paid off. For instance if there was 35 mill lying around in a bank account, Ashley could demand the cash rather than it being used say to buy a new striker. Assuming his debt was repayable on demand of course. Nope, a bank could take all of the money at any time it liked (as Barclays all but did once in the late 80's) if Ashley increases the debt in the club to pay himself back all he would be doing is creating losses which he himself would be liable for or at least have to cover. Your statement forgets that Ashley as the single owner with no shareholders, to all intents and purposes, is the club. If he's recovering money, it would be by reducing the debt the club owes to him from the operating subsidies he's put in, which based upon the lack of spend this window, may be exactly what he's doing. Recovery of the £130-odd Million would come when and if the club is sold again. I'm sorry I don't understand this. If you have a loan agreement with a bank, and are honouring the terms of it, why can the bank take all of the money any time they like? And why would they want to? In addition, I never said anything about increasing debt to pay himself back. Your last point is exactly what I was saying - if the club is cash positive, and does not require subsidising anymore, then he can use surplus cash to repay all his debts. Which a bank couldn't demand if the terms of the bank loan are being honoured. Maybe I've got this wrong. Happy to be corrected, try not to be a patronising twat in the process, eh? I don't see what you are driving at in all honesty. There's a world of difference between owing money to yourself (through whatever vehicle) and owing the money to a third party. A bank can pull or reduce an overdraft or call in a loan any time it likes, or the security it has on said loan/overdraft. Why would a bank do that, probably if their risk team recommended the exposure was unwarranted. You see, this is the bit I don't understand. If I enter into a loan with a bank, and meet all the requirements regarding interest and loan repayments, they can still demand all of the principal is repaid at any time? So a bank can put a business under at any time if it wants its money back, even if the debtor is meeting all of its obligations?