Turkish

Why?

No point Les, they'd just be a rag tag collection of mercaneries you'd never heard of.

Huge luck, as was getting to the again 2 years later. Just like making Valencia la Liga champions twice, the only club to have won La Liga other than Barcelona or Real since 2000. All just because of a huge amount of luck.

Quite. Incredible that some are saying Benitez isn't good enough for us and wouldn't want him, truely incredible.

The same mirror journalist that was being stalked by many on here all summer for any sort of information. The same mirror journalist that many on here said clearly had some inside contacts at SMS. The same mirror journalist that called most of our deals way before anyone else. Naturally he'd be spot on with any positive new but completely wrong with anything remotely negative, wouldn't he Les?

Yep. Apparantly we failed to get the Olsen deal done in time, despite having the whole Summer to do it. The Buttner deal broke down at the beginning of August so f*ck knows what we were doing for a month.

I dont see how Cortese can be slightly less to blame than the others. Fans are happy to sing his name and tell everyone how ambitious he is so he is also responsible. It's been quite evident from Adkins and players comments Cortese is the man who sells the club and the vision to new players. We were bored sh*tless by the back slapping about challenging Man City when we failed to sign Buttner. Yes Adkins is responsible as well but a large percentage of the 14 goals we've conceded so have have come from individual errors from areas that he identified we need to strength and we didn't. I know this doesn't sit well with a lot of you but they are FACTs not negativity or speculation.

Raneri? Italian, good manager nice guy and a bit of a yes man. Seems to tick all the boxes.

Definitely bar med. I gave Mrs Turkish a black eye in there one night when I jumped in the air to celebrate Shearers goal v Germany in Euro 2000. My bottle of beer flew out of my hand totally by accident and hit her on the cheekbone, she was about 5 metres away. I'd never have done if I meant to do it. Didn't stop her getting loads of questions that Monday about 'if it was the first time he'd done that sort of thing'

Did they come out with similar statements about Pardew?

If a manger identifies positions that need strengthening and it doesn't happen then whose responsibility is it then?

Agree with most of that. As I've said many times, teams that stay up and do well have a solid back four and keeper. Who remembers our relegation season in 2005 when we could score but couldn't defend and failed to sign a centre half good enough. Lots of late and sloppy goals conceded then as well.

He said on a couple of occasions we will bring in one or two centre halves and one maybe two goal keepers. I can't be arsed to find the quote, it suggests he was after two in each position as well as the fact we loaned Martin and Jaidi retired and Seaborne not the man for the job as well as the left back we were clearly trying to get. The committee clearly agreed awe were linked with loads of defenders and keepers yet only managed to sign one. So for whatever reason the positions the manager identified as strengthening haven't been adequately.

So was Adkins lying then? He said what he wanted on numerous occasions, either lied to the media or he wasnt backedby the chairman with bringing in the players he wanted. It can't be finance because we spent £20m in the last two weeks of the window. Time has proven Adkins to be right, has it not? we do need a keeper, left back and another centre back and now were looking at free agents as a a sticky plaster because we've failed to address it in the window.

Cortese was also telling every new player (and making MLG jizz in his pants) that we'd be challenging for the champions league in three years and Nige was on about Europe. I'm sure they haven't factored in a relegation, likely rebuilding and another promotion into the equation to get there. All this nonsense about being ahead of schedule so relegation this season doesn't matter is ridiculous talk. We keep being told how ambitious Cortese is so if anyone thinks he is going to stand by and watch us be relegated they are mental.

I think we all know who is to blame If we are honest with ourselves. The manager has been saying all summer that he wanted two centre halves, 1 or 2 goalkeepers, I'm sure he wasnt referring to an under 20 for the development squad as his second and we were clearly trying to sign a left back. The fact we managed to get two of those five and spent a lot of time chasing strikers and marquee signings suggests that the managers requests were by and large ignored by those the club responsible for bringing gthe players in. Unless of course Nige was lying all summer and telling the media one thing whilst saying something different behind closed doors.

That was just to motivate him. He's a great man manager is Arry. It worked as well. And just look how he turned Spurs around.

Apologies, I miss read your post.

If he was out of his depth against Steveage, why would you play him against Villa?

* takes note of new excuse for not selling out *

Obviously waiting for the right time to bring him in.

It wasn't just him though was it. Appointing then sacking Sturrock, appointing then sacking Wigley, injuries to key players, lack of investment in quality players, an ageing team and no bottle all played a major part.

Don't forget it was him that made Gareth Bale what he is after converting him from a full back and gave Theo his debut.

I don't disagree with you, but I find him a very odd signing. In many ways what we were crying out for, with pace up front, but in the new formation I just can't see where he'll playor how he'll fit in. Lambert is, rightly so our first choice up top, with Rodriguez been signed as his long term successor IMO. There is nothing to suggest he can play wide, which with our formation and the need to provide protection for the full backs will involve lots of tracking back. So unless we are planning to start playing two up front again or are going to convert him into a wide player it seems an odd signing.

I seem to recall a lot of people saying he was a sh*t manager before our game up there last season.