hypochondriac

Would of thought you would find that sort of thing fairly appealing. A shame for you that you are all the way in france.

Yes I agree. The problem is getting these deals over the line. We need to be decisive and soon because if we can stay in the Prem this year then we could set ourselves up for many years to come like Stoke for example.

Of course we don't ever know for sure, but it does appear that we are slightly inflexible when negotiating a deal. There were rumours that the Cork deal almost ended badly. We have signed Jay Rod though from another club so maybe not. It's possible that players expect clubs to be accommodating towards them in the prem and other clubs are better at that than we are. Anyway I hope we get in two or three this week. If we still see nothing by the start of next week then I may start getting a bit nervous...

Yep. I think we need to get a bit of a move on, especially with the defence. You would hope we would complete some this week.

I thought Doncaster wanted to keep gillet.

Unless these rangers fans were actually killing people then it's nothing than a stupid chant. The same as we sing about shooting pompey scum.

But TBF the Klitchkos would not have fought him so Haye had little alternative. Will be interesting to see if they fight him now or not. I reckon he could have a chance.

Absolutely none. What an overreaction from the OP.

Of course I am interested. It's sport, it involves Great Britain that I support. Better than that, it's a football competition and there is a possibility that we could win a medal in it.

The shirt would have been bought in large numbers no matter what they had done. I actually predicted that before it went on sale.

Fabulous post. Sums up the argument better than I ever could.

I am perfectly calm thanks. Not sure why people say calm down to someone who is typing something on a laptop. I am also fully aware of who Billy Beane is and what he did. You still won't convince me in any way that in this day and age and with the current setup that winning the league is possible without spending a fortune. There are a number of factors about the setup of the Premier League and football in general that mean that methods of this kind are different to those in baseball.

FFS we are not talking about Clough and Taylor. We are talking about the here and now. Do you think that if the setup of the league stayed the same as it is now that a team could win the premiership and not spend an obscene amount of money? If you think it could happen then frankly I think you are deluded. Name one instance n the last twenty years where anyone has got close, top three even! It doesn't happen and it won't happen.

Once again posters like yourself are failing to grasp what others are saying. It's about being realistic and looking at the available evidence (that no one has ever won the premier league without spending an absolute shedload). It's not negative to say that we won't win the league without an enormous increase in spending. Positivity and negativity doesn't come into it.

What do you mean by this? If you mean you feel that in a decade we could win the league by pursuing the tactic we are at the moment, then I would ask you what club has ever won the Premier League (or even got close) by doing that?

Don't think so. I think he knows Lallana or something.

Exactly. It's good that the club are aiming as high as possible. It doesn't mean they think it is in any way achievable though.

Which of course would never ever happen. You are right though, if football as a competition fundamentally changes then our chances of winning the league could increase.

Oh I have no problem with the club saying they want to win the league. What is irritating is when weird people on here actually believe that that is achievable. Nothing wrong with the club saying it but I'm certain that they don't actually think they will be winning the league in the next couple of decades without an enormous spending increase.

Precisely. I can certainly envisage a scenario where we established ourselves in the top flight and regularly challenged for Europe. I could even see us possibly getting into a position like Spurs at some time in the future. What I don't think we have any chance at is winning the league adopting the strategy we currently have. We won't win the league unless we change our spending policy drastically and basically become a new Chelsea or Man City.

A one off competition is very different from an entire season.

Not necessarily.

Only in print. He can hold it up to his face...

Yep could well be someone sniffing around now. I mean if Bournemouth can get someone then anyone can.

Didn't Adkins just say he couldn't see it happening?