SNSUN

Have I been mugged off? I literally have no idea what the frick is going on...

This is a surprise if true. Well that's that then - either we're planning on bringing another AM in (Yay! Most likely I think...) or using Osvaldo or Lambert in a deeper role (they can't do that all season) or relying on youth players like Rowe and Isgrove to fill the gaps (Massive confidence in both if so.) From what I've seen of him, I'd take Banega in a heartbeat (but then yes, even De Ridder looked good in videos), but I would also think we're in the hunt for someone like Sinclair. Apparently he was due to sign for WBA but that still hasn't happened, so maybe he's still weighing up his options or waiting for a permanent move. Feel sorry for Punch. Ok he was a stubborn S.O.B before not wanting to play for us, but differences were resolved and he actually played quite well for us last season. Still Holloway must be a fan, he had him at Blackpool, and this way he gets more regular game time in the Premier League. Didn't he only sign a new contract last season though? Weird planning if so...

Cortese and Pochettino - persistant buggers aren't they!

Spurs close to signing Willian and Erik Lamela. My God they'll have a good team if those deals go through, and with or without Bale they'll almost definitely be top 4 material if not better this season. They're making their near neighbours look like mugs. Even our first team is close to being better than Arsenal's. Give it a couple of years... I still think another AM, CB and RB/LB would complete us as a team, and possibly another GK within a year, but if that were to happen it would stall the academy's chances of getting first team action. It'll be interesting to see if any business happens in this last 2 weeks.

It'll be one of the scousers, Carragher or Danny Murphy on MOTD. The Scouse accent should be kept in Liverpool, and as Carraghers is thicker, so should he.

I'm quite pleased we went for Osvaldo over Quagliarella. More "wow" factor, younger and a better goalscorer.

Rickie Lambert. Close the thread.

Still think Naughton would be a solid acquisition. Can't think of any English CB's we'd be interested in. Shawcross?

Arsenal in for Newcastle's Cabaye! 2 clubs in trouble. Bid only 10 million. Watch Geordies explode. That's a terrible offer from Arsenal. Do they actually want to sign anyone?

Gimme a P, P Gimme a D, D Gimme an O, O! What do you get? PDO! (Chant probably won't catch on.)

Not in my team! Captaincy gets given to Lambert. :-)

My missus likes Kelvin but then she has no taste, she chose me after all. Do we have any ugs? Mmm, Puncheon.

Currently: Boruc Clyne Yoshida Lovren Shaw Morgan Wanyama Osvaldo Ramirez JRod Lambert Thank God for squad rotation though as leaving out players like Lallana, Puncheon, Cork and co is hard.

"Southampton is a wise and holy place to go Daniel, for they have had God AND Jesus playing for them."

More Rickie than Fox...

Swap Arsenal to the Definitely category, and probably even Liverpool, move Swansea into the Possibly category, and you're about there.

CB does need a Lovren-status signing but until then we're covered with the others. For me, if we were going to bring in one more player, it's be a creative attacking midfielder. Improving our creativity would mean more chances for the strikers. Players we've been linked with this summer, Banega, Sinclair et al would help this.

Singularly, I'd rather lose Shaw than Morgan, as Morgan's the heartbeat and even with rose tinted specs on, Shaw is too good for us. However losing Morgan would leave us Wanyama and Cork, which is OK, whereas losing Shaw would leave us with Fox. OK, I'm glad we're keeping them both. I can't imagine what Everton fans would feel if they lost both. They'd be extremely weakened and would go on to be just another mid-table team.

Great options: Boruc/Gazzaniga/Davis/Cropper Clyne/Chambers Lovren/Fonte/Yoshida/Hooiveld/ Shaw/Fox Cork/Morgan/Wanyama/Ward-Prowse Puncheon/Ramirez/Lallana/JRod/Guly/Isgrove/Davis Osvaldo/Lambert/Mayuka. Not to mention the other academy prospects and even potential newcomers...

Newcastle: http://www.nufc-forum.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=50801.0 First reaction from some mates of mine as the same as some on there: Never heard of him. I had, but it's true he's not a name that many know in this country. I hope he soon will be though!

Ok so I'm greedy, but while we've signed a CB, DM and STR, I'd still like to see us actively looking for an attacking creative midfielder. With Fox still here and Chambers performing so well on his debut, we may be OK for a full back - unless we can sign someone like Naughton that could do both capably. I didn't put an amount but I'd have guessed £30-£40 million. If we top that we're really making a push for Europe.

Good links. So to sum up: West Ham fans: Shocked, bitter, and reckon they'll still do better than us. Stoke fans: Shock and trying to decide which of our players to buy next. Fulham fans: Shock and claiming we've overpaid and have got a better attack in Bent and Berbatov for a fraction of the cost. Mackem fans: Shock and worried they're falling behind othe clubs. Worried about playing us next. Cardiff fans: Complimentary.

Meh 1 out of 3. These kids are freaks though - I still look exactly as I did when I was 9!

He was Pablo, now he's Daniel, and he has hair like a spaniel... Yeah I'm crap at this.

Lescott said earlier in the summer that he'd take a pay cut to go somewhere else and play regular first team football. I would hope that Sinclair would do something as sensible too.