Fitzhugh Fella

I hope he doesn't take pens like that for us - give me heart failure

Your post is one massive contradiction. You slag the "bed wetters" (a term you use in virtually every post) and yet your first sentence is classic bed wetting

Spot on

When Morgan goes (he will) at least Rogers can's big up the academy.

I was actually attempting a stab at black humour - guess it didn't quite work, my fault.

He looked pretty good to me in the FA cup-tie at SMS, but is the premiership a step too far. Worth a punt but don't expect him to hit the ground running. I can see Sharp and Osvaldo starting at Anfield:?

I really don't believe loyalty exists any more. Sometimes a player will stay for whatever reason ie no one elsewhere will pay them more and then dress it up as loyalty but money talks and even the uber loyal MLT signed for Spurs before his wife pulled the plug.

OK I recognise there have been some valid points raised against my view, but I guess it comes down to how important it is to put trophies in cabinets. (sorry the JPT can't count when the country's top teams don't even enter it). For me I like to watch good attractive football (last year was something to be proud of) but I prefer to win (I think). And, given the choice, I would like to see my club actually lift a trophy once in a while (not once in over a century). I know we can never compete with the really big clubs but just recently we have had access to funds (thank you the Liebherr family - we are always going to be grateful) but also we have built on the good work of McMenemy, Lowe, Prost etc etc to have a world acclaimed academy. All this is well and good but we need to have something to tangible show for it all other than a healthy bank balance otherwise just what is the point? West Ham (the last club to build such a reputation for bringing through the youth) at least won a few more trophies than us and were successful in Europe.

A very valid post

Yes Benjii but I am talking about the last 20 years. Yes we won promotions but not recognised silverware. It's now 38 years since we won anything recognisably significant and yet we have had the best academy going back to LM's days. Surely we are either under achieving or failing to capitalise on the youth we uncover.

that was a great day but a club of our standing shouldn't really be shouting from the roof tops about the JPT.

Should the club who has long dined out on the fact it has the best academy in the land, have won some silverware by now? Sorry to be slightly critical here but can't see the point of continually feeding other clubs so they can win trophies if we don't get to at least win one ourselves, even if it is the FA Youth Cup. Maybe last season was our best chance which should have been taken. No doubt many on here will take my post as being deeply sacrilegious but flame away anyway.

Absolutely spot on

Minty I accept the potential wisdom of waiting until the window is closed before we criticise the close season as a whole, but along the way, we surely are free to vent our spleen at being patronised by Gareth Rogers on a day when we sell our two England WC stars. I am pretty sure all the kids who lashed out on Shaw and Lallana shirts last season are absolutely delighted our academy is doing so well financially. Come the end of the window no doubt you will be saying "but wait until Xmas until you judge" and then "wait until the end of the season". Me I prefer to judge each action the club is involved with on the day. I may get it wrong (Pochettino) or right (Steve Wigley) but at least I am not living in the future never never land you seem to expect us to wait for before commenting.

The trouble is even with money in the bank it is not easy to replace players with the calibre of the ones departing. If it was, L'pool and United would have circumnavigated us and bought the ones we presumably are eyeing up?

But Minty you are just as extreme the other way ie never ever criticise. Always looking for a silver lining may well be an attractive trait in a personality but as far as raw passion goes you come over a bit sterile and sanctimoniously unemotional in some of your posts. You have to surely concede fans have the right to be disappointed by the fact a team that finished 8th in the Premiership can't hold onto an 18 year old for just a bit longer. I also think Rogers statement to be a bit crass, we really do not need to be reminded that our academy is just a production line to feed bigger fatter clubs who are too idol or rich to nurture their own youngsters. Yes we may have loadsa money in the bank but if that was all I was bothered about I would get a season ticket at the LSE.

Anyone remember where a fair share of the Shearer money went?

I remember everyone raving about the money we got for Shearer until Branfoot spent most of it on Dixon and Speedie

You make it sound so easy. Good proven players at £10m apiece do not grow on trees

No I confess I haven't but weren't they sacked for non-footballing reasons?

I was impressed with Ralph's personality, openness and desire to build bridges. As for his capabilities to make good footballing decisions I have no idea. I am more concerned with Reed mainly from things I have heard re the Dodd and Williams dismissals. He flopped badly at Charlton and considering the importance of his position at SMS it is crucial he gets some very big decisions coming his way, spot on. I am crossing my fingers.

Whatever the rights and wrongs or the pluses and minuses of Shaw's transfer, the truth remains the very good side of last year is no more and a rebuilding we must go and quickly. We need at least 3 forwards for example to replace Lambert, Osvaldo and Rodriguez and now a full-back. I am sure Lallana and Lovren are on their way too, so RK (himself a new boy on the block) is going to have to buy a lot of players in a short period of time and then gel them into a team capable of competing in the toughest league in the world. No easy task. Money in the bank is no substitute for proven quality players who have already cut it in the Prem. I am apprehensive to say the least and Reed is yet to convince me he is the right man in an increasingly important position.

Whatever the rights and wrongs or the pluses and minuses of this transfer the truth remains the very good side of last year is no more and a rebuilding we must go. We need at least 3 forwards for example to replace Lambert, Osvaldo and Rodriguez and now a full-back. I am sure Lallana and Lovren are on their way too, so RK (himself a new boy on the block) is going to have to buy a lot of players in a short period of time and then gel them into a team capable of competing in the toughest league in the world. No easy task. Money in the bank is no substitute for proven quality players who have already cut it in in the Prem. I am apprehensive to say the least and Reed is yet to convince me he is the right man in an increasingly important position.

So if we had held on to Rickie until after the WC we could well off eked out another half million from the Scousers?

flogging you a horse dead are or straws dead at clutching will leave you to work out my gist +