The Kraken

Jacob Mellis Neal Trotman Papa Waigo Michail Antonio Guly do Prado Richard Chaplow Nicolas Bignall Dany N'guessan James Shea Dale Stephens Jos Hooiveld Iago Falque

Perhaps, but as the countdown to August 19th ticks down it becomes more and more apparent that we're not yet set up for what we need for the season. Especially so at CB, where even the manager has stated we need to bring in one or two players to strengthen. RM/RW, I'd say we're "ok" there for now, even though we could with strengthening its not really a weak area. We simply can't say that about CB, and the longer it goes without addressing the problem the more nervous people will get about it. There's nearly a month of the window to go of course, but its the age old debate about preferring to get players in earlier rather than later. I still think we'll hear about a new CB this week or next week, although the general lack of news of potential signings is slightly strange given the press leaks about our signings to date this summer.

We've done ok so far, but I wouldn't write off West Ham. And they've definitely signed more than 3 players. Jaaskelainen should be decent for them, and he's still only 37 which for a keeper is fine. I rate him as better than Kelvin. George McCartney and James Collins are solid signings for relatively low cost. I'm not a fan of Diame, and Newcastle agreed a £7M fee for Maiga before he failed a medical with them. I think the Hammers have added well, and I think their squad (man for man) was slightly better than ours to start with.

[TABLE=class: wikitable, width: 80%] [TR] [TH]# [/TH] [TH]Pos [/TH] [TH]Player [/TH] [TH]From [/TH] [TH]Fee [/TH] [TH]Date [/TH] [TH]Notes [/TH] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]GK [/TD] [TD] Stephen Henderson [/TD] [TD] Portsmouth [/TD] [TD]Undisclosed [/TD] [TD]21 May 2012 [/TD] [TD][1] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]GK [/TD] [TD] Jussi Jääskeläinen [/TD] [TD] Bolton Wanderers [/TD] [TD]Free [/TD] [TD]1 July 2012 [/TD] [TD][3] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]MF [/TD] [TD] Mohamed Diamé [/TD] [TD] Wigan Athletic [/TD] [TD]Free [/TD] [TD]1 July 2012 [/TD] [TD][4] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]DF [/TD] [TD] George McCartney [/TD] [TD] Sunderland [/TD] [TD]Free [/TD] [TD]1 July 2012 [/TD] [TD][6] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]FW [/TD] [TD] Modibo Maïga [/TD] [TD] FC Sochaux [/TD] [TD]Undisclosed [/TD] [TD]18 July 2012 [/TD] [TD][7] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]GK [/TD] [TD] Raphael Spiegel [/TD] [TD] Grasshopper Club Zürich [/TD] [TD]Undisclosed [/TD] [TD]23 July 2012 [/TD] [TD][8] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]DF [/TD] [TD] James Collins [/TD] [TD] Aston Villa [/TD] [TD]Undisclosed [/TD] [TD]01 August 2012 [/TD] [TD][9] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

Sorry but I don't buy your excuse for the staff not seeming to know what they're doing. I have an iota of sympathy for them as there are simply not enough of them, but there's no excuse at all to not know how to do a very simple job. The system doesn't work either; as I say there's not enough staff, but it should be better structured with dedicated staff for pouring, serving, getting beers, and on the till. There needs to be more pay points, I think the bar in the Chapel only has two tills, so you get two huge lines forming. Its so simple to fix, you only have to look at it for 10 seconds to realise there's a huge bottle neck at the counter, yet consistently nothing gets done about it. And the situation is made worse when you get staff who don't know what they're doing. I end up avoiding the queue by coming down a few minutes early, there's no way I'd queue up in the lines after the whistle has gone. I've said we should have the old separate bottle bars, which are really quick, but in addition to the stalls with draughts. Its an easy problem to fix, it seems like the club is just going for the cheapest option and to hell with the quality of service. They'd actually sell more beer if they got it right, so I struggle to see why they don't do anything about it.

There's delays and there's a shambles. The system just doesn't work at St. Mary's. Take a look at Reading, when we played there. Much more kiosks, much more staff, and the mobile backpack fellas too. Hardly any delays, i think i waited 1 minute for a hlaf time pint. Please don't try and tell me we can't replicate that.

Well its not as if they don't charge a premium price for what they're selling. £3.80 for a bottle of Carling FFS. They really should bring back the bottle bars they used to have. Or get loads of the mobile backpack sellers like they had at Reading.

Getting some staff who actually know what they're doing would be a start. Can't believe its such a mission to serve pints, the system just doesn't work. Get more staff, get them trained properly, and get a system of service that actually works. The queues for beer are a complete disgrace.

That's not quite what Brian Mcdermott has said. Here's what he actually said:

Good God, Andy Murray is as dull as sh*te. Great player, but oh my goodness.

I actually met Gaffney in a club in Ibiza about 15 years ago. Wellard wasn't there though. He seemed like a nice enough chap, although we were both completely off our faces so who knows.

She's done great. I'm not at all denying that. But she won't be remembered as world class, say in the class of Michael Johnson or her victor tonight, Sanya Richards. She's been very good but at pretty much every point in her career she has been below the level of the absolute best, which is why she's always be seen as having done fantastically well to overachieve. In any case, whatever you think and whether you agree or not, we should be proud of what she did tonight. Brilliant running from a superb athlete.

Aw c'mon, you must have know that one was ironic surely? I like you June, you're in my top ten.

I'm not even that good looking John Boy, it's all an illusion.

I'm just amazed people put up with this complete try-hard. Dull.

Hilarious stuff again. Keep it coming.

How d'you fell about it now June? Good, wasn't it? Or a bit like this?

Don't f*ck with me JohnBoy. I'm wellard.

Why are you trying to be Deppo? Because he was as equally awful as your insipid efforts.

That's like saying Greece are top class and better than all of Europe because they won the Euros. She's very decent and consistent, capable of upping her perfomances when it counts.

The feature on BBC and Michael Jonhson's commentary said it. She'd only run under 50 seconds twice in her life, both in major champs. Way less than her rivals. Sanya Richards who took gold had run under 50 seconds more than 40 times in her career. Michael Johnson says Ohuruogu's skill is peaking at majors and coming in when other main challengers don't quite peak.

Wow. Thats the funniest thing I've ever seen.

I'm not sure he's good enough for top Championship level; though he has proved he's very good at League 1. If he's settled here then Bournemouth is a decent enough move, especially so as they seem to have a bit of cash now. Good luck to him.

Fair play to Ohuruogu; not properly world class but turns it on in the major championships. Great silver.

I'm 4 weeks off the fags now; jut found that I'd had enough of smoking and stopped. Not missing it either. Although I've "quit" a couple of times before (once for 5 years) before starting up again so we'll what happens this time round.