jtooley

It's a YES for me at £2M Jason

Why the fuck was he playing left midfield in the 2nd half ?? Playing in front of Lescott will make anyone look shit !! Jason

Think he will be here by end of next week if we lock the deal down whilst the team are in USA. AJ will go this week as soon as we have the deal done for Moutinho. This will be an awesome signing for us !! Think we may try to get Moutinho, Milito and Fernandes plus maybe a surprise like Suchy to bolster the defence. Hopefully Milito will be able to play the 1 upfront role better than AJ was suited to it ! Don't really want to lose AJ but at 27 and lots of injuries last year, maybe now if the time to sell to improve the quality and get the maximum money for him. Maybe Moyes intends to go 4-4-1-1 whith the 4 across the middle being Arteta, Moutinho, Fernandes and Pienaar with Ossie, Rodwell in reserve. Cahill behind Yak when fit and until then maybe Ossie behind Yak. Maybe no dedicated defensive midfielder like Cars was but a different formation as Manny prefers to sit deeper whereas Moutinho can play middle of the park to pushed forward even in the behind the striker role. If he then plays Neville, Yobo, Lescott and Bainesy with Jags in reserve, he has a much pacier back four than previous. Just a thought, I like the dedicated defensive mid but if you cannot get the player to do what Cars did then why not relook at the formation and the players available. Jason

I say get him now. Saw him for Sporting last year - he's class !! Add Diego Milito and Manny as well and if there's money left, we need a defensive midfielder, only prob on this is the high price people are asking for decent players in this position. Topal is a prime example - worth about 3 priced at around 10, same for Michael Johnson worth about 5 biut priced at 8-10. Mountinho for 16-18 would be a stellar signing. Let's get him in as soon as we can. Quality is what counts !!

This is topic is fucking desparation !! Wait the signings will come and not from a piss poor mid table side Jason

Lots of rumours about Owen coming to Goodison. Even that he is booked for a medical next week. Any views on us moving AJ on at 12M and then spending about 7-8 on Owen ?? Prob will get more goals than AJ and seems to be over his injury problems whereas AJ had a lot of injuries last year and never got back on track after Metallist. In his first year he did well but maybe we could be getting top price for him if we sold at 12M ?? Personally don't want to see him go but seems to be a lot of momentum to the Owen IN stories and the AJ OUTones Jason

Alberto Zapater Arjol (born 13 June 1985 in Zaragoza, Aragon) is a Spanish footballer, currently playing for Real Zaragoza in La Liga. His position is defensive midfielder, or volante as the position is referred to in Spanish. Alberto Zapater Personal information Full name Alberto Zapater Arjol Date of birth 13 June 1985 (1985-06-13) (age 23) Place of birth Zaragoza, Spain Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Playing position Midfielder Club information Current club Real Zaragoza Number 21 Youth clubs 2000–2004 Real Zaragoza B Senior clubs1 Years Club App (Gls)* 2004– Real Zaragoza 138 (3) National team2 Spain U-21 1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 May 2008. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 2008. * Appearances (Goals) [edit] Playing career In 2004 Zapater was first recognised for being a promising young player, after compleing a successful season in the youth league with Real Zaragoza. He scored fourteen goals and was noted for being a very strong midfielder, as well as having great passing ability. The club's first team staff were informed of Zapater's huge potential, and the then manager Víctor Muñoz allowed him to join the first team in pre-season training. He impressed Muñoz so much that he was given his first-team début on Zaragoza's first game of the 2004/05 season against Valencia in the Spanish Super Cup. Although Zaragoza ended up losing the first-leg match at home 1-0, Zapater shone and impressed many Blanquillos on the night. So much so in fact, that he was once again selected in the holding role for the return leg at the Mestalla. Zaragoza beat Valencia 3-1 and won the Spanish Super Cup for the first time. In Zapater, the Zaragoza fans now had a new hero - a local, home-grown player that had a lot of talent. In the 2004/05 season he had earned himself a regular place in the first team at just nineteen years of age. This was a disappointing season for the club as they finished only 11th in the league, but nevertheless Zapater had been a revelation. He took part in thirty-one games, scoring once and impressing fans and pundits alike. He gained UEFA Cup experience as well as caps for Spain-under-21s. He also took part in the Under-20s World Youth Championship for Spain, where he once again impressed in a very strong Spanish side, including players such as Cesc Fàbregas and Sergio Ramos, both of whom have since gained full international caps for Spain and took part in World Cup 06. In the 2005/06 season, Zapater helped the club finish as runners-up in the Copa del Rey to RCD Espanyol. He is now regarded as one of the most important players at La Romareda and has certainly become a regular and a favourite amongst fans. He took part in more games this season, appearing in thirty-five games in total, although not scoring in any. His strong tackling and the amount of fouls he has committed earned him the nickname of 'The Bull', given to him by Argentine football legend Diego Maradona. On June 8, 2006, reports in Spain linked him with a move to Liverpool and also on 20 May 2007 he was linked with Arsenal.

Apparently we were never interested in Aimar but Moyes has been looking at another Real Zaragoza player - Zapater (23 yrs old, defensive midfielder) - sounds like it might be a plan. Jason

Looks like our previous £11M offer last year for Gonzalez may be back in play as he wants to leave Porto ??

What a great performance by Arshavin tonight. He is the best player at the Euros and against a quality team like the Dutch, he basically tore them to pieces. I would agree with some of the earlier notes - we needed to try to move quicker but let's be honest, if you were Zenit, you wouldn't be selling to anyone until after the Euros if at all !! I would blow the whole of the transfer budget to get him and Manny. Some thoughts on other players we have been rumoured with : Engelaar - Not good enough Arda Turam - Good player but how many Turks have been successful in the Prem Kallstrom - Couldn't even get a game for Sweden and they were poor Moutinho - good little player but not sure we need another little player. Arshavin is much better for prob similar money Veloso - Was very poor in his only game of the tournament Lewandowski - Not good enough Cmon Moyesy - pull a rabbit out of the hat and get Arshavin signed up. Jason

Daylight robbery yesterday. Pen when AJ was clearly fouled not given, goal disallowed for what ?, great missed chances by Manny and Ossie, Hit the post with Keeper beaten !, Dunn's handball - how do you not get a yellow and then red for 2 yellows for that. The ref and his linesman absolutely bottled it !! Good performance by the Blues in general esp at the back - Ossie and Cahill not at the races again which is worrying. I think giving Vaughan a chance in a 4-4-2 with AJ against Reading with Cahill dropping back in centre mid instead of Ossie who needs a bit more time to get over his injury. Cahill is more dangerous when coming late from midfield than how he is playing now as a striker just behind AJ. He's too easy to pick up in the current position. Manny will get better - he is with every game and the back four esp Jags and Joleon were fantastic again. Robbed of 2 extra points but very encouraging - we made a good side look very poor Jason

This would be fantastic news ! Get Manny back on loan with a proper 1st option to buy agreed and get Vogel in as well for Free. We would immediately have strengthened our midfield. I think we may still need another striker if McFadden goes as he def is going too. I wouldn't mind Ezequerro from Barca or even spend some of the McFadden money on Nugent as he has been showing signs of improvement and given time will come good. He would be another young option for us up front and is a different type of striker to Yak, AJ, Victor and Vaughaney. Pls offload VDM as well ! Waste of Money. 3 IN, 2 OUT (£4M IN and £3M OUT in transfer fees, wages is another different story !) Jason

Unbelieveable ! I could never see us defending as badly as that again. We dominated the first half and if we had been 2-0 up it would have been a fair reflection of the play. Their first goal was just a hopeful punt but Jag and Yobo were both marking Bendtner and Eduardo ran behind both and Lescott just let him go. Even when he could see the ball, Lescott didn't get close to Eduardo for some reason. Just a terrible mixup between all 3. The second goal was a handball but in fairness to Jag he got turned brilliantly and it was a good finish. Forget the fhirs, fuck knows what Joey and Tim were doing. The fourth was immaterial. Shocking 2nd half defending for the first goal especially, 2nd was handball and then a good piece of play and the third wouldn't happen again for 20 years. Crucial miss by the Yak at 1-1 with the header - this was a terrible miss, open header no marker 6 yrds out. Arteta's red wasn't justified, he raised his forearm not his elbow to Fabregas and glanced across his face, Faberagas looks to see where the ref is then falls down in a heap holding his face for 5 mins. No wonder Tim and other playrs were upset. The players know when a player has faked or dived and they knew he was bullshitting immediately. In general, I thought we outplayed them for long periods of the game and they didn't create any chances at all other than what we gave them. Their attitude stinks with all the timewasting, cynical challenges, complaining to ther ref etc. They aren't champions and I will be glad to see them finish below anybody else. I think we can live with the big four now and both Arsenal and Man U know it. A couple of good Jan signings and we could be setup to challenge. Jason

Matt Taylor at around 6m would be the best bet. Would fit well into the team and provide us with a true left sided player. Would like Nolan as well as when Tim isn't around - we are lightweight in attacking central midfield. 6 for Taylor, 5 for Nolan both would be great additions. Jason

Forget Yak get Manny for £8m. When Vaughan and Cahill are fit, we don't need Yak for £10m. Moyes likes him though and has been in for him at least 3 times before first time when he was at Pompey. If we want another striker, would rather get Gudjohnsen or even a backup like Forsell (if he could pass a medical). I might even take a chance on Luque (at the right price) as he will never do jack shit at the Barcodes. Even better would have been to spend £4.5 on Nugent (Fucking disgrace if he had waited 3 weeks and Moyes had tapped him up through the summer, he'd be here now - FUCK !!) Jason