We'll get him in a fire sale next year, after Gillett and Hicks put Liverpool into administration then flog the club to the highest bidder on EBay

Can they guarantee a number of first team games a season? Maybe they have, but I doubt it. Not saying we would win in a fight with the Reds, not saying I believe we've really missed out, but we can dress things up a little more for prospects. Besides, the point I was making was that we can't be jealous if other clubs take players we'd like.

He's 18!!! He knows he won't be going in the first team straight away, but he's going to develop more at Liverpool training with players like Gerrard and Torres and getting the odd game against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, etc. I'm sure he'd rather that than train with the likes of Deon Burton and Lloyd Sam and playing against League One or maybe Championship teams.

Name me the last player Liverpool developed? He wont get in the 1st team ever whilst Rafa is there.

With regards to the other comments above, I certainly wasnt suggesting we should have been competing with Liverpool I was merely stating that if I was a young player at the moment id maybe have a look at some other options before signing for Liverpool.

Of course on the face of it looks a fantastic move for him but long term and career wise maybe he should have had a chat with the likes of Ryan Babbel first before agreeing to it.

Danny Guthrie

They're not great at bringing their own talent through, but a young player is obviously going to learn a lot more at a club like Liverpool than he is at Charlton. Besides, it's not like Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal etc are lining up to sign him, only Liverpool are. Why would he turn that down just because he's not guarateed to start every week?

Of course he is going to learn more at Liverpool than Charlton and of course on the face of it it looks a fantastic move that would be hard to turn down - thats not my point.

I just think that if he actually stopped and thought about it in terms of his career he may be better waiting for another offer.

Ive never seen him play but if Liverpool are interested then im guessing other teams would have also been interested. Im not talking about Chelsea etc more the likes of Villa, Everton etc.

Whilst Liverpool looks a great move for a young lad I can just see him in 4 years time and 2 first team appearances later wishing he had gone somewhere where he would have got a fairer crack of the whip.

I could be totally wrong but I just cant see him ever getting a chance there especially under Rafa.

Agree completely mate

Anyone think the french striker on loan at pompey is worth a shout? Not Dindane the other one,Piquonne . Strong with pace and a decent finisher

TBH not seen much of him - from what I recall he was shit to start off with and got better as season went on, so looks as if he might have got used to Engish football. I think with all players we are going to be looking at - it will depend on price, unless we can loan him for the season.

I think Nolan's words give us an insight into Hughton's thinking as well as his own...

"You have to give your heart to this football because there is no point coming here if you’re not going to do that. The least the fans demand is effort and commitment and a passion about playing for this club.

"If you’re not up for that it's not worth bothering to come here. I think that’s why some players have found it difficult to come up here in the past, they didn’t fully understand that or appreciate it."

I'll to those words

Finallly somebody gets it, effort and commitment gets you a long way

Arf, arf.
Nolan, the born and bred geordie lad. I couldn't care less what they feel about the club as long as they are good players and good professionals. Let's be totally honest here, Nolan came to Newcastle because we were the best option for him at the time - and I'd hazard a guess that cash money was a slightly bigger factor than his love of black and white stripes.

Nolan got more credit for his finishing than for his effort and commitment this season...

I dont think hes talking about necessarily loving the club or any of that shite - I dont really care about that either. I think what hes talking about is simply players giving 110% for the cause whilst they are here rather than people coming here and seeing us as a last pay day.

I dont think Nolan is a top notch player but you can tell from watching him that he cares about the team winning for the 90 minutes hes on the pitch.

I certainly prefer watching players like that playing for my club.

Finally

Well, he said a passion about playing for the club, give your heart.... Being good and being professional is more than enough. They don't have to pretend to have a special bond with the club or some such thing. All that nonsense makes me cringe - the only time I take that kind of thing at face value is if it is a local lad and even then....

Im not so sure he was talking about players drinking Brown Ale and knowing all the words to the Blaydon Races.

Personally think hes simply talking about giving it all for the cause which at the end of the day is the club and the fans that pay their wages.

Fuck Me!! I doubt over half on here would know all the words to Blayden Races like.


I agree with you in the respect of the lad 'giving it all for the cause' but so he and every other fucker should!, for reasons you also stated; 'fans pay their wages'.


I also beleive what BIK said, in that couldn't care less where their loyalty lies, just earn your fucking wages, be professional! if they all do that, then we will have no complaints.

You don't even know how to fucking spell it!

Vagina

And with that Sir, I rest my case

Forgive me spelling; but here are the lyrics (courtsey of Google) for anyone in any doubt






Aw went to Blaydon Races, 'twas on the ninth of Joon,
Eiteen hundred an' sixty-two, on a summer's efternoon;
Aw tyuk the 'bus frae Balmbra's, an' she wis heavy laden,
Away we went alang Collingwood Street, that's on the road to Blaydon.
(chorus)
Ah me lads, ye shud only seen us gannin',
We pass'd the foaks upon the road just as they wor stannin';
Thor wes lots o' lads an' lasses there, all wi' smiling faces,
Gawn alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races.
We flew past Airmstrang's factory, and up to the "Robin Adair",
Just gannin' doon te the railway bridge, the 'bus wheel flew off there.
The lasses lost their crinolines off, an' the veils that hide their faces,
An' aw got two black eyes an' a broken nose in gan te Blaydon Races.
(chorus)
When we gat the wheel put on away we went agyen,
But them that had their noses broke they cam back ower hyem;
Sum went to the Dispensary an' uthers to Doctor Gibbs,
An' sum sought out the Infirmary to mend their broken ribs.
(chorus)
Noo when we gat to Paradise thor wes bonny gam begun;
Thor was fower-an-twenty on the 'bus, man, hoo they danced an' sung;
They called on me to sing a sang, aw sung them "Paddy Fagan",
Aw danced a jig an' swung my twig that day aw went to Blaydon.
(chorus)
We flew across the Chain Bridge reet into Blaydon toon,
The bellman he was callin' there, they call him Jackie Brown;
Aw saw him talkin' to sum cheps, an' them he was pursuadin'
To gan an' see Geordy Ridley's concert in the Mechanics' Hall at Blaydon.
(chorus)
The rain it poor'd aw the day an' myed the groons quite muddy,
Coffy Johnny had a white hat on - they war shootin' "Whe stole the cuddy."
There wes spice stalls an' munkey shows an' aud wives selling ciders,
An' a chep wiv a hapenny roond aboot, shootin' "Noo, me boys, for riders."
(chorus)
The song is now usually sung with more modern language but retaining the tyneside dialect. For example the chorus might be sung:
Oh! me lads, ye shud a' seen us gannin,
Passin' the folks upon the road just as they were stannin'.
Thor wis lots o' lads and lasses there, all wi' smiling faces
Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road to see the Blaydon Races.

The lines in bold are the ones which fuck me off when we sing this at the match. Both are replaced by the majority of fans by "Gannin along the Scotswood Road.....".

Shame the masses do not know 'Cushie Butt-a-field' A knaa that one like

Gannin' to see the races in County Durham.

Neither scans, nor rhymes, although that comes as no surprise from a bunch of illiterate, workshy tosspots with neither the wit nor wisdom to come up with anything more imaginative than a cheap and tawdry copy of someone else’s heritage

Hmmm Indeed, I portrayed a moving and most praised depiction of the role of Billy Grey in our school production of the afore mentioned work of local based drama.

I was most convincing as a shit shoveller.

Fuck off the lot of you!

Shoveller you say? And I had you down as a shite hawk

Just seen Paul Sharner is to be released... worth a shout? Can play CB and in midfield, also remember Jewell chucking him up front a few times when he first came to England and did well..

Can see where you are coming from but don't think he really adds much to what we already have

Huw Roland, reckon there's any truth in your local rag carrying stories we are after Gylfi Sigurdsson? I wouldn't grumble tbh think he's got the class to step up to the prem

Probably right, but I reckon he is the type of signing we'll be going for. Free, not a huge name, proven and going to get stuck in.

He's always played well against us...we had to half kill him last time at SJP to beat them I seem to remember. He seems like an ideal "Ashley" signing for the reasons stated above.

Could see him being of interest from experience viewpoint, but at 30 a bit too old IMHO, decent squad player but won't want to drop his wages i expect

Read today that he is wanting to go somewhere where he can play regularly in midfield.

Id have him on a free, could obviously fill in at the back and pops up with a few goals although probably wouldnt improve the midfield area a great deal but good squad player.

I agree, Scharner would be a good freebie, not on Sibierski levels of freebie greatness but still like you say, a good squad player

But why would we add a "good squad player" to a midfield full of good squad players?

Personally I want somebody who adds to what we have not gives us more of the same!

Looks like the race to sign Torres is heating up with Chelsea opening the bidding at £70m.

Expect Man City to come in an topple anything Chelsea bid.

Confirmed that Pancrate has been released and gone back to France now.

This would be a cracking signing, in my opinion. Utterly instrumental in the Reading turnaround from the turn of the year, and if you consider the stats of 20 goals in around 38 appearances good, you should remember that this was achieved in a side who were in freefall from around October to January.

Will we get him? He's highly regarded and a firm favourite with the fans, but the Royals are a humble bunch and wouldn't blame him for going. In my opinion, I reckon there's truth in the rumour, he's bang on the money for what we need.

Edit: You know, there's not half some decent players who either won't come up or who are on their way down. If we played our cards right, we could have quite a nifty squad coming into the new season, one who could easily survive and play a part for a few years to come yet. If Colo can adjust, we've got years out of him, Taylor (should he stay/grow up), Enrique, Jonas, Barton, Carroll and Routledge. Our 'experience', which everyone needs, is in their mid to late 20's, so we're not working with an ageing squad. Add a few lads like Gylfi, Adam, Ashley Williams, Dan Fox, or whoever and we could have a hard working and talented squad to really consolidate the league position.

Potayto, potahto.

I couldn't disagree with any of that

How can you pay £70m for a player who's that injury prone?

Is this bid official? It hasn't appeared as a headline on the Beeb's news, yet it featured in a BBC article on Liverpool.

I guess these solvency rules of UEFA's still have a few months to be enforced, as there's no fucking way Chelsea could outlay £70m + contracts on one player with their revenues.

Well it was on tbe back of the Daily Mail yesterday, is that official enough?

He won't go to City after last night.

What he toasted

The wife's Dad supports Reading now after living down there for 15 years and goes to every game, she was on the phone to him last night and I asked her to ask him what he thought of Gylfi, he sounded pissed off we were interested and declared he was far too good for the Toon, to which I replied, definately far too good for Reading then? Oh feck we are staying there next week, thats my tea getting tampered with.

Good that he values him highly though, I was talking to a Coventry fan when we played them in February who was glad they had sold us Best, not a great indication of how well he was liked down there, although sour grapes may have contributed towards this.

Adam and Fox would be canny purchases I reckon also