Chez

They did announce some sort of contracts exchanged, so if the price is right I actually can't see any reason why they won't come on down. And good for them.

Not being good enough or performing isn't always about a lack of passion for the shirt. Gerrard gives a ****, but when he's not scoring worldies right left and centre like he's given the opportunity to for Liverpool, then you start looking at the numer of times his hollywood balls go straight to the opposition or into touch. The same of Lampard. Reduce the ten chances to score from the edge of the box down to one and suddenly he looks a lot less clinical. Ask him to do what he does for Chelsea (finish off wonderful attacking moves) AND track runners (which he doesn't have to do at Chelsea) and then he starts to look a liability. Rooney cares, we just expect too much, especially when returning too soon from injury. He's not a two in a million Messi or Ronaldo, he's just a very very good footballer that tries too hard to drag average England players up a level or two.

I liked the Strachen celebration more. Mourinho eat your heart out. I have to say the goal looked better from the other side of the pitch

Amazing goal. What number cap was it for that goal in Rio? As his career progressed Barnes was the most frustrating England player ever. He was absolutely amazing for Liverpool, unplayable at times, but stick him in an England shirt and he seemed to just bottle it, preferring to pass it square or backwards than try and beat his man. Put the Liverpool shirt back on and he'd beat five and smash it into the top corner.

I don't watch friendlies. Total waste of time. Can you recall anyone else taking him apart?

if you are progressing up the ladder work wise, buy at the top end of your budget. If you are buying a house that needs work, don't underestimate how much this will cost and how much time it will take. Renovating can be enjoyable and satisfying, but with every floorboard you lift you can be sure you'll unearth another job that needs doing. Every job takes 5 times as long as you imagined and costs a lot more than you'd hope. Just so you know houses tend to bleed money and there is no landlord to sort it out for you. A couple of things when viewing: Run the tap/shower in the bathroom. Lack of water pressure will leave you without your dream shower. Have a good look at the boiler. A new one of these will cost you £2500 to buy and install. Don't be scared of signs of damp, but do understand exactly where it comes from and why. Usually a leak.

good point. Not a Cortese style signing though. Far too...English?

Bridge was a class act for us. I never saw anyone beat him. I'll never forget his goal at the Reebok. I was absolutely gutted when I read in a Sunday paper that he was off to Chelsea. He deserved pretty much all those caps. I think only when he came back after a long injury and was rushed back into the England side before fully fit was the cap not really deserved.

I'd have no problem singing his name at the Madjeski just before kick off, but once that is done it's all Southampton...

I'd have Richardson down as a Adkins/Reid signing myself.

he's fallen down the pecking order a little at Forest now that they are playing a big man small man combination.

One things for sure is if Adkins didn't rate them to play them in the championship (de Ridder, Butterfield, Martin) then he won't buy them for Reading.

not unless Bath has moved since the last time I visited.

another David in Sweden gem. very few players get second contracts these days, so the term settled is hard to define, but many players from London have settled fine and stayed with us so long as they are wanted and they don't get a better offer elsewhere - as Tommy Forecast proves. Londoners Jack Cork, Puncheon, Chris Perry, BWP, the Wallace Brothers, Reuben Agboola, Chicken George, Mark Dennis, Steve Williams, Steve Moran, Kevin Bond, Dave Beasant, and Neil Ruddock have all stayed a fair few years and left their mark if that is any indication.

suspect he knows Cork pretty well too. No that that means he'll sign for us of course.

as is "he is a luxury player we did not need when we knew we were going to have a relegation battle, an ego signing by Cortese nothing more nothing less."

left midfielder would be high on my list, just behind a striker if Mayuka does not fit into our plans. Seeing as Richardson is no longer trusted to ever play at right back it looks like that is another position we might try and fill. Not sure I agree with that though. What position is Reeves going to play and is he going to make it in the Prem? Would it be cost effective to buy and pay ****tu (and bring Radhi out of retirement) to just play in the two Stoke games?

dunno, but if you want to attract the top players the only way to do it these days is to offer them massive wages. Is he worth £70k a week to us? I double checked and I was wrong about Sinclair not getting into the side towards the end of last season. He started the last 6 games and most of the others as well. Not sure where I got that idea from. Personally I'd be happy to see some pace added to the side and wide left is a position we have been particularly weak when Lallana has been injured.

is there some correlation between then between weight, stupidity, scruffiness and drunkeness?

I'm amazed at some of the responses on here. The answer you are all looking for is no.

Competition out wide is certainly something we've not really had for a couple of seasons. A good place to strengthen. My concern about Sinclair is that he couldn't get in Swansea's side in the second half of last season. Mind you most players have dips in form, so perhaps I should focus on the first half as ManCity did.

Chamberlain went for more like £1om with add ons. Be worried. He left Palace for Prem football, why not leave Saints for CL football? The down side to all this interest is that we are going to have to pay bigger and bigger wages to keep our best players. Hopefully none will become millstones round our necks.

To paraphrase one of the comments from a Chelsea fan, Azpilicueta is only 23, the phrase 'long-term successor' therefore makes little sense. Also Chelsea has a great propsect coming through in Todd Kane. They also bought Wallace recently from Fluminense. That said, £7m is bobbins for Chelsea so if it will strengthen their squad next season there is no reason why they won't make an offer. Premiership survival is a must for us to keep these young talents.

er, NC hasn't put a penny of his own money into the cub, so he won't get any return on `his' investment. The Liebherrs might though.

love the fact the skates are represented by such a fool. Shame most of the football population will associate him with Arsenal and Villa.