um pahars

Maybe our start has led to a rethink???? Imagine initially the plan would be consolidation, then push on over next couple of seasons, but perhaps Norwich's performance and our fantastic start has led to a change of heart. The next few hours (particularly if some big rumours are coming off) might give us a steer.

Not sure many are actively booing him or getting on his back, just being honest in their assessments that he is one of the weaker players in our set up. It's a pivotal position and I think if we have desires to push on then we probably need someone a bit better at this stage. He's not a bad player and also one I think who will progress as he matures. He'll also get chances this season through injury, suspensions, squad rotation etc, just think he needs to be a back up rather than a first teamer. I think as we progress up the divisions (fingers crossed), there will be quite a few players who have served us well, but who may well struggle at a higher standard (although as in Seabourne's case, time is on his side to develop).

I'd like to share a pint with Dune or Manji, but only if it was during a quiz and they were on my team.

Rewind a couple of years and people were being slaughtered for suggesting Pardew and Cortese had fallen out!!!! They were right though!!! I wouldn't say great, but decent enough considering what he inherited. There's no doubt that some of the foundations that we are successfully building on were laid down by Pardew.

Have to be honest and say I wasn't overly enamoured with the timing, but thought Pardew had to go as things just weren't right behind the scenes. Remember when Fitzhugh Fella first posted that things weren't good behind the scenes and Pardews days were numbered before that season even started and thought in which case let's get rid, because it's not going to work if CEO and manager are at each others throats. Duncan certainly took some flak for that bit of info and can remember the usual bedwetters having a hissy fit, but it was pretty obvious that things weren't au fait behind the scenes and something had to give and it wasn't going to be Cortese!

He most defintiely did (15 apps as well according to wiki, but a bit like Paine in reality we shifted him out)

Not getting in to an argument, just interested who else you could/would deem as worthy to put along Brittania Road??? Channon (top scorer, 600+ appearances, but left for a couple of years and also played elsewhere) Paine (800+ appearances, almost 200 goals, but played elsewhere - mind you we released him) Davies (250+ appearances, 150 goals, great player but only here 6 years) Sydenham (400+ appearances, only played for us and Aldershot in the League) Benali (350 apps, one team man, but not the most talented) Holmes (500+ apps, one club man, solid but not spectacular) Rodrigues (Cup winning skipper, but only here a couple of years) Stokes (Cup Final goalscorer, 200+ appps) All worthy of "legend" status in their own way (and I'm sure there are many others), but not sure any of them match Matty when you take in apps, goals, contribution, one team man etc. Some get very close (Channon & Paine), but think Matty edges it. Personally would love to see him honoured and don't think we have to wait 40 years+ until he finally gets a transfer and leaves us!!

Agreed, we're certainly not shy in either spreading our net wide or picking up players already linked with clubs.

After being hammered 8-2, I very much doubt that the Gooner forums are full of rounded assessments this morning!!!!! As for the OPs question, then I think one drubbing and even a couple of seasons rebuilding won't mean it was a poor move. He's wedged up for life, playing in the top flight with a club that with a good record with young players (even if they poach some of them) and so is at One of the best clubs he could be with regards developing his potential. From a Saints point if view he's gone and we've moved in.

TBH I'm amazed, but wonderfully pleased, that no one has come in for AL. I'm sure he could hack it in the top flight!!!! Just pray we get to test that out when he is wearing a Saints shirt!! Maybe some clubs were waiting to see what he can do this season, so fingers crossed that he continues to want to stay here. Our best signing last year was renewing his contract.

When Cortese attempted to take on the media with his ban on photographers I could totally see the logic. He wanted to control distribution and generate revenue from them. Coming at it from that angle it made total sense to open up a new revenue stream. However, what Cortese didn't bank [sic] on was the media standing firm together and closing ranks on us. They "hardballed" us back, refused to buy the pictures and went on the offensive in their papers, and quite rightly highlighted that club sponsors and advertisers were being denied much needed publicity. So what started out as a well intentioned business idea turned in to a bit of a football faux pas. The reason I highlight this is that maybe the situation with agents is similar, in as much as I have no problem with Cortese alledgedly trying to shake up the system and playing hardball with agents fees, I just hope we're not prejudiced as a result of taking on such vested interests. The football transfer market is a nightmare, certainly full of sharks, and with £££££'s (hopefully) burning a hole in our pockets we probably seem a good target for those who want to make a fast buck, so I'm not knocking those who are working hard in the best interests of the club. Ultimately he'll be judged on results, and to date he is doing very well indeed (but don't see anything wrong with speculating or offering up opinions on an internet message board).

Best not or I'll quote this from a piece that predates our occupation of Gibraltar by about a century: "And as when bats, amid the far recess Of some great cave, flit gibbering and squeak low"

The word and meaining of Gibberish/Jabberish/Geberish predates our occupation of Gibraltar in the early 1700's (sounds a nice story though). You might not like it but it probably has its origins in either an Irish dialect or an Islamic Scientist.

And even though I risk the wrath of Chin Strain, has anyone seen the way TalkSport reported the Baldock move to West Ham (in my defence, Granty was peddling this filth on Twitter last night)??? "West Ham have signed MK Dons striker Sam Baldock after beating Southampton to the forward’s signature. Mk Dons preferred to do business with the Hammers, in what will be seen as a coup over their Championship leading rivals, and accepted their £2m bid ahead of Southampton’s offer for the 22-year-old." As Mr grant said, an interesting choice of words.

Shilton, world class.

You're spot on and what makes it worse is that other clubs probably see us as being flush with cash, either due to them thinking we're being massively bankrolled or the Oxo money is burning a hole in our pocket, or a combination of both. I'd imagine it's been a tough window trying to dampen down others expectations of what we can afford to pay.

So if you've criticised NC in the past you are not allowed to post links to any articles with a hint of negativity. So by the same token anyone who has praised NC should not be allowed to post links to positive articles???? Had he put a slant on the story then you might have a point, but instead he even went out of his way to call Warnock an ar5e with no other padding around the link. I do hope you're going to chastise the other poster on the Gorkss thread who also posted the link (I think a third poster posted it somewhere else as well).

But not a bad place to spend a day. The siege tunnels were impressive as were the old town fortifications. Good for history buffs, but wasn't impressed with much else.

Found it a rather strange place when I went there a couple of weeks ago. Obviously read, heard and seen much about it, but it turned out to be nothing like I was expecting. Some parts of it looked British, whilst other parts continental (particulalry the newer buildings), they drove on the right and it certainly wasn't like the Little England I was expecting. Although the first language was supposed to be English, the majority of conservations between people were undertaken in Spanish (a few in a hybrid dialect). I also got a sense that those who I met weren't British nor did they have any desire to be British, but instead referred to themselves as Gibraltarians or Llanitos. When I spoke to some the overwhelming reason for remaining "British" didn't seem to be a sense of history, loyalty or love of the Mother Country, but instead a desire to benefit from economic success of the enclave and they were constantly referring to the fact that right across the border unemployment was a major problem. I certainly interpreted it as being a flag of economic convenience.

30 years ago one of the key factors in deciding on whether you went to University or not was not intelligence, but instead social status. One of the reasons it was elitist, was not due to ability, but due to the lack of social mobility. Fortunately this has changed in recent years (although I fear recent developments might take us back a few decades) and access and ability to attend University has been widened. I certainly don't think degrees have got "easier", just more accessible to a large section of the population.

He's said nothing apart from highlighting the piece and putting up a link, so I didn't interpret it as a dig. Methinks you might be the one tilting at windmills.

Given some of his hysterical bedwetting posts about dark forces at play, I sometimes struggle to know what he means LOL.

A few more people read The Echo than this website. So what you're suggesting is a blanket ban on any potential "bad news" from every being reproduced on here. Welcome to North Korea!!!!

They must have good memories or stuck in a Manji time warp if they think we still have the Walcott money still burning a hole in our pockets. #clueless