Chez

things just get better and better

No one knows if he has an appearance fee as part of his contract or if he does have one how high it is. I'd of thought there was little chance of getting him to reduce his wages.

Why is it 4pm on the Sunday? Is the game on the TV? If so isn't that the usual slot for Prem games?

can anyone tell me what the final result was for the vote for/against goal celebration music? When I voted it was about 65% against having the tacky load of rubbish, and as there has been no announcement on the OS as to a `winning tune', perhaps mabe just maybe they have listened to the fans and scrapped the whole concept?

Bring back Wednesday night fixtures....

if the transfer window closes I assume he can be loaned out afterwards?

I can't be bothered to waste my time on here arguing about the pace of Hleb. Lets take another wide player such as Krankjar. Next to no pace yet a class act in the Prem. Pace aint everything if you have genuine ability on the ball. IMO Surman is a geniune asset and should not be allowed to leave for peanuts. £2.5m is not enough.

you can add four substitute appearances to the two league cup starts. maybe like every club they have watched him in the reserves as well and followed his progress when out on loan? I hope he proves me wrong but my expectations a bloody low. Why do we need him anyway?

first of all you need to look again as Holmes has no pace, none at all. He looks average to me. As for Surman he can play wide or in the middle. Who says he has to have pace, quality is what is needed? I don't agree with this theory that Surman doesn't tackle, but even if he is a poor tackler that doesn't mean he can't play in the middle. Hleb was one of Arsenal's player of the seaon and he has neither pace nor great tackling ability yet he placed all across their midfield. Surman has a great first touch, is willing to ribble, is happy to receive the ball in all areas and has the ability to beat a man. I appreciate he is not world class, but in this league he is a quality player. If you have are willing to have a little patience Surman he will reward you. We are running out of players we can back at the club...

in your opinion. Other people including myself rate him. Still if you are happy with Holmes that's up to you.

we signed Forecast. How many more do we need? Actually scrub my comment about needin a right back as Cork can fill that role apparently. A striker would be good.

Yes my mistake, it was the season before he scored against us. A game where he was berated constantly I might add.

could we afford his wages?

If he rated him he'd have offered him a years contract. he didn't. I am very happy that he is not a target of ours. We need a full back that offers pace, doesn't ballwatch, is willing to put his head in and when he finds himself in the attackign third doesn't **** himself and cross into row z. These facets will do fine for now, but if he has a touch of class about him, is an athlete and can score the odd goal now and then we'll be laughing. We are in the second tier of English football. The `4th biggest league in the world'. You'd think even with our financial problems we'd be able to do better than playing two central midfielders there FFS. If we sign Pulis I will be fuming. We have Wotton, Schneiderlin, Gillett, Surman, James, Lallana already. What we need is a left back and a right back.

that was the plan, but sadly no one thinks Skacel is worth what we pay him (and they'd be spot there) so what choice does the club now have other than to listen to offers for the likes of Davis and Surman? The decision to place players like Skacel out in the cold (on the off chance we might find a club stupid enough to take them off our hands) was a very dubious one IMO and I don't think it takes too many guesses to know who came up with that plan.

Thanks but I understand clearly the financial situation we are in and I know that even if only a half decent offer comes in we will be forced to sell. However that same financial situation didn't stop us signing Cork did it? With money at a premium why sign Holmes when Surman can play there? We could have spent Holmes wages on a left back instead. We also should not have signed Holmes till we got Skacel off our books. The same applies to the Forcast signing with Davis still here. Its good to get free signings but not particulary prudent spending if you ask me. How has that helped the wage bill be reduced? Surman can play in he middle or on the left. He had some bad games last year. Suncthorpe away was a shocker, but his dip in form was just that, a dip. The guy is a decent footballer and completely wasted at left back.

but he did score in that game as well though. Fans can sing about him all they want, but I think they should recognise that he took the micky taking in good spirits acknowledging the songs with a smile on his face.

no reason why he can't stay for another season and then move on. Players like Lescott and Jagielka certainly didn't do their `short careers' any harm by biding their time, improving their game and getting the right move into the prem. Contrast their fortunes with that of Martin Cranie

could not agree more.

Surman is a quality player IMO and I bet every Premiership club has had a good long look at him. His poor form last season is all that is keeping him here. I suspect a serious offer will come in that is too good to refuse, just as it did for Jones, and we will be a worse side for it.

Surely they only brought Forecast in because they knew Davis was going at some point?

Reading need someone to buy Harper for £4-5m. Once that happens then they will obviously come in again. If he does go there he clearly is happy to play left back. If that is the case he might as well stay here. Mind you its esier to impress scouts if you are playing in a winning side.

thats supports my point. McArthy only rates him worthy of a month to month. Hardly a glowing endorsement is it?

if he couldn't get a deal at Wolves with his mate Mick at the helm then you have to doubt his credentials. The guy looked past it in his last few seasons at Leeds and that was how long ago? I'm all for signing a proper leftback to allow Surman to play instead of Holmes, but just not him.

not strictly the same, but Jan's comments on the OS in the potential Davies transfer article "...and we've made no secret of the financial pressures that have been placed on us by the bank" Baically they have made certain demands and in order to acheive these we must sell players right left and centre and that subsequently effects team selection - ie Skacel is not selected as they want to sell him.