CanadaSaint

Indeed, Dave, and we've certainly felt the sour taste of the underlined bit. I'm not just concerned about the sky-high prices being quoted for relatively modest and unproven talent - at least for the level we're aiming at. I'm probably more concerned that sky-high wages normally accompany those transfers, and that this could damage the wage structure at the Club. Adkins seems to have built a rock-solid chemistry in the dressing room and the last thing we need is an over-inflated ego on structure-breaking wages. These things never stay secret for very long. That could kill so much that Adkins and his team have fought to achieve.

Fair enough but your question was "Were you expecting the championship to be harder?", not "Why did we struggle in Division One?" I think we did well last year despite the fact that we had players who weren't best-suited to that division. Better players tend to let good players play, if you know what I mean.

That. The test will come when the pitches get heavier but I think we can handle that because the surfaces should still be better than what we saw last year.

Absolutely right - and on better playing surfaces. Just as I think Nigel said - we'll see how they do against teams that are comfortable on the ball, or something like that. This side can clearly play with style - purposeful passing, moving off the ball, triangles and tons of width. But they have to do that on heavy pitches in December and January as well. Still, I'm loving the moment.

This was a team built to succeed not in Division One but higher. And perhaps much higher. Our players are looking better in the Championship than they did in Division One.

Given the prices being quoted for some others, Cork could be the steal of the season.

Dave's up to 17 arbso-loot-ly soop herbs already

Well, two straight wins to start the season could be a powerful attractor for players choosing between several options.

Great result at the sort of ground where we'd have dropped a point or three not long ago. We have to find a way of getting that second goal when we're on top. This division won't be as charitable as Division One.

Thanks guys.

Did they cut the feed at 5 p.m. or are some of you still hearing it?

Yeah, I liked that post, too. It does makes sense, when you think about it.

Yes, that is what forums are for and there's certainly "no harm in questioning some decisions" - far from it. However, you don't have to be a "rabid moron" to disagree with some of the criticisms - especially when they relate to trivia or when (in the poster's view) they're flat-out wrong. Cortese said from the outset that the Club needed to operate in a sustainable way and, after what we've been though, most people agreed with that. He's simply following through on what he said. Yes, he has some abrasive ways but many of his so-called faults are also real attributes when it comes to protecting the Club's longer term interests. I would suggest that he wouldn't be here - and we'd never have heard of Markus Liebherr - if things were going to just carry on as they were. It should have been abundantly clear from Day One that a key Cortese maxim was "If you want success you'll have to pay for it", and I've always felt that, sooner or later, some loyal fans would not be willing or able to do that.

I'm in two minds about Maynard. I haven't seen much of him but plenty of good minds on here rate him highly. My worry is that if he's to come here for the kind of fee being discussed, they have to negotiate a longer term contract with him. Here's where the Club's salary structure could be challenged, and that could create some resentments that could damage the great chemistry we seem to have in the dressing room. I guess that's going to happen sooner or later but it's still a rather worrying prospect.

Do you really think I'm remotely bothered by the opinion of a half wit who posted this about a 17 year-old kid? You're either too blind or too ignorant to see that the good far outweighs the bad when it comes to Cortese. I vote for ignorant.

When your argument is completely screwed and under attack from all angles, change the subject. LOL. No, I won't be at Barnsley, much as I'd like to be, but then (unlike you, uberfan) I won't be slagging off a guy that has us on a fast-track back to the Premier League. Are you out of posts now, Dan? I'm sure your rectum hopes so because it must be getting really tired.

I rest my case. LOL.

And I respect that, Shurlock. Treating him like any other opposition player is fine. What I have no time for is the booing and jeering that some see fit to direct at anyone who once played for us, even when they gave us good service. It's childish and immature and it makes us all look that way. It also probably motivates them to play well against us better than their manager ever could, so it's kind of self-defeating as well. Yes, I'm sorry AOC has gone but he was fun to watch, he helped us to get promoted, he brought greater respect to the Club and its Academy, and his time here has left us much better off. Damn right I wish him well. As for the "I hope he gets injured" brigade, they are people with a few screws loose.

Good for you. Sadly, I fear you might be in a minority because childish small-mindedness will win the day. God, we've even seen one half wit on here hoping he gets injured. I always admired how the Liverpool fans, for all their faults, would pay their respects to former players - and then rejoice in beating their teams.

When it comes to player personnel decisions there's a new imperative in the equation at SMS and I'm very glad to see it: Does he meet a known need? Is the asking price fair? Does he fit within our salary structure? and the new one - as important in NA's and NC's eyes as the others: Is he a "team first" guy who will contribute to team chemistry? That being the case I'd say Puncheon is a risk they're not willing to take.

I agree completely with that, Dave. My "rider" on this whole thing relates to what Cortese does with the money. We don't need to blow it all - we need to keep some up our sleeves. However, we certainly DO need to spend some of it if we want to challenge this year (which Saturday should have convinced us we can do). If we spend it wisely on the key areas (most agree on them) the AOC transfer would have been a brilliant piece of business. If we sit on the cash, if we get fleeced ourselves, or if we strengthen the wrong places, not so good. I'm looking at the squad rather than the finances.

Dave, I think he's a tremendous talent right now but admittedly only at the League 1 level. At 17 he was giving quite a run-around to some grown men, some of whom tried unsuccessfully to do little more than just clatter him. Whether he can take that to the next level (actually two levels up), and whether "he can learn the lessons he needs to learn" (I agree with you), remain to be seen but he certainly has a potential unlike any other English youngster I've seen recently. If he can make the transition he's potentially worth a lot more than fifteen million, and I think he can do it because he has that extra physique to help him. However, I worry that he's stepping into (or being pushed into, by his father) a cauldron at the Emirates. I just don't agree with the "we fleeced Arsenal" (we won't know for some time) and "Good riddance" (childish) comments.

Jesus Murphy, can't we leave the past in the past and move on? We're one step below the Premier league, and we have strong ownership, a good team, money to invest and a good chance of a strong season. Time to look forward with optimism rather than backward with anger, eh?

Did you even read the post? If you did you neither understood nor thought about about what it said. The whole point is that "the second one can't be proved yet."