Calico

. . . Wow. Just wow. lol

I'm not sure any team can guarantee top six other than 'the big four'. But that is another issue. This is just like the idea of Emanuelson for me - if we can get him as cheap as 8-12m then we have done well. He's probably at the right age to bring over and not just be a player with potential, plus his ability to cover CB makes him a real asset for that depleted part of the squad. I don't expect us to get him but, as said with Emanuelson, if we can we definitely should.

Only in my wet dreams do I think we could get Emanuelson lol Edgar Davids reportedly told him to avoid Spurs because they're not a big club and as much as I would always consider us to be bigger than Spurs in terms of stature I reckon that this lad is on the way to a title-challenging side. That being said, if he is willing to play for us then yeah take him! I mean, he can cover Baines - as was questioned - and he has very high technical levels. With Baines, Bily and this lad as our lefty's I reckon it would be Everton going in the right direction.

Agreed ^. I think Villa would probably up their offers to what would be silly money for Distin since they still *need* two starting CB's so I reckon Moyes will steer clear.

We have a ton of forwards and adding another African player wouldn't be sensible this season. I hope we get another forward to cover Yak and Anichebe going in January though we will still have three left barring injuries. It's all very risky when looking at the injury records of two of the three forwards we'll have left at that time.

I agree with the sentiment of playing youngsters, how I wish we could! But I think Sigma are going to come out at us like a raging bull so we'll need a strong line-up.

Hey! So I was on the site before the changes were made and left due to commitments to a couple of other websites which I have now closed. Damn I miss talking about football with other Blues . . . So ya, good to be back.

Cheers I'm just desperate to see Mikel in the middle.

Whenever he plays for South Africa he has the number 10, 'floating role' so pretty much goes where he wants. I think he is so useful on the left and doesn't complain because he is so good using the outside of his favoured right foot as well has having a not-bad left foot. At Ajax he played centrally either in a three or up front as one of two players behind a single striker so I think he's fine going forward on either flank. I do wonder if playing on the right side will be better for his fitness levels though, what with him playing mostly against left-footed players thus matching his preferred right foot more and so he could be able to make more nippy interceptions rather than the slog of tracking back so much on the left side of the pitch. It would be awesome to see! lol - Mike beat me to it! heh, I reckon you are right in saying he was one of the best players at the tournament.

Agree with ^. I can see this one falling through, sadly. For me, what tenaciousj said about having a different type of player like Banega is entirely correct; remember Manny Fernandes' first time with us? With that in mind I think it is very obvious that these kinds of players always carry a risk of inconsistency and sometimes displaying a lack of hard work so that they look like the games in the Prem are just passing them by - Castillo anyone? - but very often these players are worth the hard work to get them up to speed. The lad was chosen to replace Gago when he went to Real Madrid and is of a long line of Argentinian deep-lying play-makers so if we can get him permanent and then Moyes can get anywhere near the quality of play worth the 18 million Euros Valencia shelled out for him I reckon he would be a very good addition to the squad.

Pienaar has played centrally earlier in his career so I wonder if he is already equipped to deal with having Hibbert behind him. What I mean is that his defensive levels are probably good enough to help maintain his attacking levels IMO. I dearly hope Moyes has got the b*lls to put Arteta in the midfield with a holding player and give the team more of a creative edge so that players like Pienaar won't really suffer too much, if at all.

I like the look of the above post here. I do hope you're right about Neville going to full back because for me he is never a holding midfield player. Even with that, though, we still need a better right back but that probably won't happen until next summer. Also, just thought I'd point this out though you may be going off how serious his injury is - there is no Mikel in that line-up! lol For me, when he is fit Arteta *has* to go into centre-mid with a holding player then with Peanuts and Bily on the wings then a combo up-front of either two strikers (pick from Yak, Jo, Saha and Vaughan) or one of those boys with either Cahil, Felli or possibly Arteta if Moyes isn't comfortable with him in the centre. In terms of cover for left back I do agree wholly with the first post. The thing is that there doesn't seem to be anybody at the club right now who can cover there with a half decent left foot; I'm not usually one for this whole symmetry thing that some fans have but it is such a specialist position that I think we need more than we have for there. Apart from anything else, I think Moyes has the ambition to actually win something so our squad *needs* to be better.

Uh, which Taylor are we talking about, Ryan or Steven? lol I reckon Hangeland would be just right for the defence. Yes, both he and Yobo are on the older side of things when it comes to Premiership footballers these days but the kind of experience they have is what we're going to need if Moyes' ambitions for trophies is to be fulfilled IMO

I think if McFadden is worth the money we got for him then Hunt is worth what Reading want. However, having said that, paying that much for a player from the Championship is basically us getting done out of money, especially when you consider the cost of Pienaar.

Then there is also Giggs and Nani, whilst Manucho (more of an out and out striker like Berba, I think) has been given a permit to play for them, which is effectively a free signing since he was playing in Greece on loan last season.

Hahaha!

Yeah, I did think Castillo was the defensive one between the pair of our new midfielder players, especially after what Moyes said about seeing Fellaini as more than just a destructive player. I mean, Fellaini is huge and if we're lucky enough this kid could dominate in a box-to-box role.... no pressure, though <_<

Could have sworn I was told on here that he turned down Randy Lerner before the yank got Villa.

Fellaini will shine the brightest, of course Heh, gotta agree with the comments on Deco. Class is class and no denying it. I also think the Ruski's have done well getting Bosingwa.

Hey. I stopped lurking around here a matter of months ago, can't remember when exactly. But yeah, I think I'll be lurking around again.

I was about to post that Hm. Not sure if his recklessness could be curbed, but if anyone can do it it's Moyes. He certainly has enough quality to be a useful squad member from what I've seen, though. Always nice to have a lefty with a bit of pace.

Hm. I dunno, I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable about how Cahill would be an automatic choice over Ossie when he plays nowhere near as much and so has become somewhat unreliable. Then I see Ossie play most games for us, giving as much effort as Cahill and improving all the while. Just my feeling on it. My team for this year... -----------------------------------Howard---------------------------------- Jacobsen------------Lescott---------------------Yobo----------------Baines -----------------------------------Castillo----------------------------------- Arteta--------------------------------------------------------------Pienaar -----------------Fellaini--------------------------Osman--------------------- ---------------------------------Yakubu-------------------------------------

Bitter indeed...

It has boosted ARSEnals income significantly, apparently. *sigh* We need a new stadium.

Well, Blatter did