The Kraken

Would also be nice to see a Premier League club going for an English manager from the lower leagues rather than a foreign coach.

Has anyone actually said that we don't need any signings? The common consenus seems to be that we need at least 4 or 5 players. A right back clearly; maybe also a backup RB; a strong CM; Antonio or an adequate replacement; and a CF. That it hasn't happened yet is, in my eyes, not all that surprising. Ideally we would of course have all of our players right now, but transfers don't necessarily work that way. I and others have already pointed out that, if transfers haven't been made by 1st August, then will be the time for concern (despite the fact that the transfer window is open until the end of August). We certainly need a right back before we start playing friendlies, Harding can cover the position but is clearly just cover and not a long term option. And the more time/games that new signings can get with us, the better. I personally think we will sign an RB plus at least two other players by the start of the season, with the rest of the signings being made in mid to late August as long term loans and other players become more available.

Sounds like a Jeremy Kyle episode to me.

Antonio and Waigo were not "key" players. They were largely on the bench following the arrival of Puncheon. Puncheon started every league game following his arrival, Waigo and Puncheon between them did not manage half that many starts.

Sold. Where do I sign up?

I've heard a rumour that the catering staff have switched from Flora to I can't believe its not Butter. I don't believe it myself, but God help us if it is true.

I heard a rumour he's signing for Chelsea

I think AP's got a few metrosexual tendencies and is a fac 15 man myself

Exactly. News for news sake. Or maybe we should have a feature article on AP's summer holiday, how many Sangrias he necked and what factor sun cream he used.

Absolutely right; that's what normally happens when the chairman makes a few contentious decisions. I look back fondly when Rupert Lowe made his Start Trek analogies and I defected to watching Forest Green Rovers for 2 seasons in protest. Those were the days.

We know that AP wants to re-sign Antonio, and I really hope we do; but its also logical to think that if we can't get him we'll be looking to recruit someone similar. I won't miss Papa as much as others on here, I always thought he was far too frustrating and we could probably get a better player for the high wages he was sure to be on.

Why on earth would you "not be seen dead in one"? You don't buy into the myth that they're entirely populated by the prawn sandwich brigade who all know nothing about football, do you? Granted there are a good number of corporate goons who are there for the jolly and not the game. But there are also plenty of proper fans who have either saved up for a special day or are treating themselves to the more glamourous side of the game for a change. I hark back to my day in the Ambassadors Suite, which was as good as corporate entertainment goes. Champagne reception, fantastic food, pre-match speeches by Lawrie Mac and his guests who included Jim Steele, Nick Holmes and Glenn C ockerill, plus all the booze you can drink for free all day long. Then after the game a visit from the players who had a chat about the game and various other insights into the team. Oh, and a visit and speech from the manager. And I didn't even have to pay for my ticket. Yep, wouldn't be seen dead in there.

Effectively what you're looking for is (at least) 2 players in each position, with 3 keepers. Although you may have some types of players like we had in Lloyd James who can play in a number of positions (albeit not very well.....). So we're clearly missing a right back, and a back-up right back (although Harding has filled in there he's not ideal for the position). We're definitely missing one central midfielder, maybe 2 to give us real options if we go 451, although Wotton will suffice in times of desperation. Lallana and Puncheon would be our starting wingers but we're a touch short in backup there. I like Holmes but agree that AP clearly doesn't. Hopefully Antonio will be back, which leaves Holmes or AN Other as cover on the left. Mills hasn't looked the part there buy maybe deserves another chance to impress. And if Connolly signs we're also looking for one more up top to support Lambert and Barnard. One or two of the players needed my step up from the youth but I would expect the rest to come from new signings and loans.

Billy, we had no trouble attracting the likes of Harding, Jaidi, Connolly, Lambert, and Hammond last year when our prospects were much more bleak than this year. I've no reason to believe it will be significantly more difficult this term. If anything it should be easier. The phrase "now is not the time to worry" is key for me.

To be fair DellDays, I don't see too much difference between the negativity on here towards Cortese from DBP, and yours and others previous negativity and criticism on match threads and beyond with regards to Pardew and team selections, tactics, substitutions etc. Previously you've been afforded the opportunity, many times, to air a number of grievances you've had with the manager of the club, so criticism of the chairman should be no different surely? Message boards exist for the very purpose of fans to air their collective grievances; sometimes the local media will even pick up a groundsway of opinion and run with it, and it can have the effect of change, but most of the time its just an online oppoortunity for people to share opinions. People have the right to discussion, even if you don't agree with the sentiments.

I think Weston is right, aside from this. The picture of The New Carvery on the OS is, I'm pretty sure, the former Ambassadors club. When ML and NC arrived they said they would be doing away with the idea of a free lunch for ex players etc, and the ethos of the Ambassadors Club was to sell spaces alongside that of Lawrie as host and a selection of ex players. I think its a real shame if this has been done away with; I was in the Ambassadors Club for the Sheffield United survival last say of the season, and it was the most enjoyable day of football I've had, eclispsing the Wembley days. But that's business, I suppose.

"Why are people so worried about us not signing anyone, what is wrong with people?" said Holloway, who has been linked with a move for Arsenal's Danny Simpson, in The Blackpool Gazette. "We will get it sorted, just calm down. "Trust the people I brought in last year. So if you're worried about the people I'll bring in this year, don't." "If you think we are going to go into this season with what we've got, which is 16 players, then they must be crazy. "Now is not the time to worry." Maybe Alpine should have a word with Ian Holloway and tell him he's doing it all wrong.

As someone who spent the day in the Ambassadors Club for the Sheffield United "we are staying up" day, I can say that if it's true they've ditched that then it is a huge loss to the club. That day will still go down as the most enjoyable day of football I've ever had, which includes Wembley finals. And the renaming of the suites seems to be a very Lowe-esque move.

The BBC news link below quotes Sky as saying the channel will go from "later this year", so earlier than 2011 I'm afraid. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10346894.stm

As with the season ticket prices, home and now away kit, and pre-season tour there seems to be a method of operating by the club where all announcements seem to have to have a build-up to them, and then a special launch of sorts. Its as if they want customers clamouring at the OS for an announcement, any announcement. The membership scheme is another one, surely the club knew weeks ago what the benefits would entail but instead we get a statement "details of the membership scheme will be announced next month". All a bit odd.

Can you take this into PM? Believe it or not, some of us don't have any time for your petty grudge.

John, labelling someone as "talking bollix" kind of trivialises your own response, but I'll respond nonetheless.... I've agreed that we need players; that is not in dispute by anyone. However, the current nucleus of the squad that we have is plenty good enough to hit the ground running. It's pretty much the same squad that finished the last 3/4 of the season with championship winning form, minus a couple of impact subs (Antonio and Waigo), a first choice RB and has been shorn of a load of dead wood. Apart from said RB spot (where Harding could feasibly cover) we have a very strong first team already in place. Add in the likes of Mills, Seaborne, Martin, Connolly etc and you have a number of players who can step up and do a perfectly good job in the team. Yes, we're short of proper depth in a number of areas; however, I'm not going to start crying about the fact that players haven't been signed. Not yet. The nucleus of the side is there and so the "gelling" argument from last year just isn't relevant in my opinion. Fonte didn't need any time to gel when he arrived; neither did Puncheon, they just fitted into what was already a well balanced and cohesive squad. That's what will happen with the signings that I expect us to make in the next few weeks, and fully in time to have a very strong squad come kick off in August. But then I'm probably just talking "bollix"

Sorry John, but I disagree with you. There has been very little personal invective in this thread towards the OP, in fact pretty much everyone has agreed that the club needs to bring in new players for the campaign ahead. However, the majority agreement seems to be that, while it would be nice to know which players we are signing/have signed, it is not yet of the overwhelming concern that Alpine portrays that we have not yet signed those players before we have even started to think about pre-season games, let alone the full season. The time for worrying that we haven't signed anyone is August; publicly crying about it now is completely premature and the whole content of the thread seems to be yet another "look at me" polarisation of fans opinions to attempt to fit an "I told you so" argument.

And there you are polarising opinion again just to suit your argument. Not one person on this thread has disagreed with the fact that we need a number of players to boost the squad. The majority just aren't quite as bed-wettingly uppity as you about the fact that they haven't been signed before we've actually played a pre-season game.