blueblood

I'd say we do need cover at LB as if Baines gets injured we'd have to move Lescott there and he is one half of our preffered centre back pairing with Jags. Yobo always looks shakey, squad player only for me from now on

Can't see him joining us but he would be a great signing, real step forward and definite starting XI player. Would like to see him here

I've posted on another thread exactly what I think of Feillani- basically he's a liability. Pienaar lacks pace big time, and was ran past by Morrison particularly, but he does add more than the other midfielders. Actually though Osman did well today when he come on. Today just showed how slow we are as a team, Feillani is a cart horse, means we can't break quickly and get hit on the counter too often. Thought we were poor today, looked to be lacking ideas going forward. I'll gleefully accept the 3 points but don't see any other teams allowing us to take 3 from them playing that poorly. All is not too bad though as I'm just watching Boro beat Liverpoo on MOTD

Feillani is an absolute liability. I have reserved judgement for 20+ games but he does not seem to have the mental ability to learn when not to foul. He persistently fouls the opposition, silly fouls for no apparent reason, and then looks surprised when he gets booked every game. His team mates need to have a word with him (via a translator!!) and tell him he's no use to the team when it looks as though he'll get send off every week. Add to that his first touch is woeful, he is embarrasingly slow and manages to give the ball away with every pass and I find myself constatly frustrated by the lad. Had I seen an improvement in temperament from the start of the season fair enough, but he's actually getting worse. Koren and Morrison ran past him as if he wasn't there on far too many occassions today. Pienaar was also shown as being too slow by their, somewhat limited midfield, but nowhere near as badly as Feillani. Jo was poor for me, Saha shown in one touch of class more than I think we will ever see from this guy (Bolton game aside). He looks slow, poor touch, lacks match fitness and practice. When Saha looks more match sharp than you it's a worry. Apart from the back 4/5, we really struggled today. I am increasingly concerned by the lack of chances created in open play and, Saha's moment of brilliance aside, there doesn't seem anyone capable of grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and gettinf a goal. Thank crunchie for Cahill and West Brom's defence being so poor. I'm concerned for Wednesday as can't see Blackburm and man mountain Samba giving Cahill free headers 10 yards out, and unsure how else we will score. Depressing viewing today, just glad we have the buffer over 7th place

He was 'quoted' at the time (which was all over SSN so is highly likely) that he didn't want to play for a club that was "only challenging for a UEFA Cup spot" and "wanted to play Champions League". Maybe the fact that no-one bigger has come in for him and he's unlikely to play for a club as big as us has made him seem the error of his ways. Seemed to want to use our interest to get a better contract. Big no from me, based purely on what has been reported about him, but nonetheless seems to be a trouble maker

Van Der Meyde will be gone soon so we need someone new to get our quota up

Jags (again) gets it from me- class apart. Surely he should be knocking on an England call up based on recent performances? Thought the decision to play Castillo above Rodwell was a poor one, Castillo- even allowing for lack of fitness- gave the ball away far too cheaply, missed plenty of passes and was well shy of being ready for this level of game. In contrast, Rodwell would run his heart out for the team. Mustn't grumble though, was a good defensive performance

Baines is playing fantastic at the moment so it's obvious that other sides will start to take a look, particularly as he has been out of the side mostly since he signed. However, since he has got into the side he's started to show what a good player he is, whereas previously he has giot into the side and not done himself justice. Other sides may look at Yobo coming back and presume that Lescott will move back into LB which will undoubtedly annoy Baines and prompt a move. I just hope this doesn't happen. Some of the play by Baines on Monday night, and in previous weeks has been fantastic, he is clearly a better left back than Lescott in terms of getting forward and whipping the crosses in. I just hope it's a fight of 3 into 2 CB positions with LB secured for Baines

Slightly off topic, but a funny bit of banter nonetheless. A few years back I was at the Everton v Arsenal game, just behind the goal. Jens Lehann went to take a goal kick when, through a hushed stadium someone shouted: "Don't mention the war!!!" Was comic timing to the extreme and everyone fell about laughing. Good times. As for anything else shouted, stear clear of racist and other xenophobic chants. If it's good humoured all the better, but at least try and keep it fresh, dragging the same old songs out makes us sound like Man Utd fans

Everton are waiting to take Jermaine Pennant from arch-rivals Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer. (Daily Mirror) Is this to replace VDM as team problem child and all around alecan? This guy turned down Real Madrid by all accounts so clearly has no ambition and prefers to spend his time getting splinters in his ar5e for the Red lot. Can't say I'd be impressed going off initial thoughts on his team work ethic Plus, if it's for free he'll want mega wages wihich will upset other, established squad players

biggingerdave@aintgotapottopissin.com That's the best thing I've ever heard, quality

Where would the money come from? If we have £15m (approx based on 1:1 exchange rates) then it's been the best guarded secret in history (not even DM knows!!!)

We've been linked with this guy in the summer but failed to agree a fee (£7m+) before we signed Fellaini. Anyhows, he was all over SSN earler this week saying how he snubbed us and did not want to play for a team "challenging for fourth place". Today, Newcastle have bid £4m for him which is being considered. It will serve him right if he ends up there with that load of underachievers!!!! Shame about his attitude though as by all accounts he has the potential to be some player

Would happily have taken a chance on this lad but certainly not in a swap deal for one of our starting XI and definitely not in exchange for Baines. Just when he has broken into the team, playing well and showing what an asset he could be for many years to come. Hopefully this is just paper nonsense and the club have no interest in letting go of anyone, particularly Baines.

In terms of price this would be a good signing In terms of quality this would be a good signing In terms of strengthening the squad this would be a good signing So why am I still unsure? Definitely a class act, but for me has never consistently proven his ability over the course of a full season or more. Always seems to have little injuries. Saying that £3.5m for an England international, even a fringe player, who is still young with arguably his best years ahead of his represents good business. We still need a recognised striker but maybe we're converting Tim Cahill into the role. It's no coincidence that since reverting to 4-5-1 we've played lots better, conceded far fewer goals, started winning games and the overall morale seems to have improved. Glad to see we've gone back to what works, I just hope we retain this formation when we have a striker (or 2) fit again.

We were linked with him in the summer and I thought then he'd be a good purchase. Scored loads for a bad Spurs side early on this season and I'd definitely take him. Bags of pace, proven in the Prem, we've got no cash so loan is as good as we could hope for but I'd give this a yes. Possible likelihood to this too considering Spurs have Defoe and Pavlyuchenko up top and by all accounts Bent is unhappy at them buying Defoe back. If it is going to happen though, any chance of it being done before 5 minutes before deadline do you reckon...?

"Just spoke to my friend who is a celtic fan. He tells me that Berra is class (daily post says he wont go for anything less than 10 mill) and Driver is lined up to be Aiden McGeady successor at Celtic" So, I'd take that as we're not signing them? That is unless Hearts are willing to turn their nose up at £10m+ so that we can have them on loan and pay in installments over the next 1000 years?! There are loads of teams, with money, that are linked with Berra at least so I don't think this is happening. Let's just get a striker in on loan asap, it really annoys me when we wait all month and I have to sit on here until midnight waiting to see we've not signed anyone!! (at least it's only lunchtime this year)

"He won't leave for less than 10 million..." unless it's 10 million bags of air we're not signing him!!! What currency are they operating on that has 10 million to the £ to bring this lad within our price range?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_4763619,00.html Chicagoblue, maybe someone at the club read your tip about Altidore as we're linked with him on SSN today

My mistake! Still knocked us back, and it's even worse if it was for Newcastle. He's off to City if anywhere and I personally don't think we need him anyway

We can get Leroy Lita for £350k... think I'd rather take a chance on this fella being able to play as I already know that Lita isn't top six Premiership quality. Let's just hope the jet lag doesn't take until May to clear up like it has with a few other players acquired from that part of the world

We seem to have been linked with the Sheff Wed lad for the past year to 18 months, along with other clubs, yet no-one has taken the plunge and gone for him... ?

He went to Leeds for about £18m and Man U for about £30m... I'd take £30m!!!!! The problem is attracting replacements. We have the Liege forward on other threads saying we're not a big club, rubbish or not that will get picked up across the continent and with us not throwing money at players it makes finding replacements difficult. We need to keep what players we have as the squad is miniscule as it is. We may have to continue the policy of recruiting the best from the Championship, however, I for one are uncomfortable with this as, although we've had great success so far, that won't always be the case. I suppose every transfer is a gamble though, regardless of which level you sign them from (think Seba Veron!!!)

I said I was wary of players coming straight from the French league, I did not dismiss them out of hand. As pointed out, Essien and Drogba have been successful acquisitions. As for the list of every French players that's ever played in the French league how many of them played their best football at their first club over here/ immediately? Also, quite a lot of names on that list I would not say have shone at all over here. From that list; Cantona played his best football at Man U after playing at Leeds (granted he was great there also), most of the other highlighted names came from other leagues, not straight from the French league. Regardless of the fact, we don't have any dollar anyway so it's not going to happen unless on loan. Which I personally would far prefer as that way if he turns out to be more Bakayoko than Drogba they can have him back. As for not buying players based on YouTube clips... it's happened before, maybe if we saved the EasyJet flights to go and see him we could afford to pay him for an extra 5 minutes?!?!?!?

Parker is Billy Big time, has turned us down in the past and I wouldn't want him here. He preferred to sit on the bench at Chelski than come to us a few years back so stuff him. Granted, if he was likely to get a game at Chelski fair play but realistically that was never on the cards so he can do one. Upson would command big wages- bigger than our structure would allow and we wouldn't get him for much less than we would sell Lescott for so we'd lose Lescott's versatility for a net profit of approx £2m which wouldn't buy you anyone. I was critical of Lescott earlier in the season as he spent all summer complaining about how he wanted to play CB, yet had managed to get into the England squad on the back of his LB displays. Add to that he was sh!te at CB early in the season and had this question been asked on November I'd have given a resounding YES! However, he seems to have come through that spell now and is playing a lot better and concentrating on football and not giving interviews telling people how good he is at CB so now I'd like to keep him (until the end of the season at least) Alternately, if we were offered £12m for Cahill now would you accept? Lot of money for a player approaching 30... but pivotal and would we be able to bring anyone in as replacement???