egg

Keep the issue to the fore to achieve what though? Aintforever has already said its pointless and won't achieve anything. Turkish has made the valid point that the issue was known already. Thus, what will this actually achieve other than division, such as that evident from this thread?

Yep. I'd be stag-gered if we signed him.

Dunno, but despite their stadium debt, they've found a big chunk for a player I suspect most people have never heard of. My gut feel is that they'll have to sell Kane for the money.

You're all over the place. Using your own words is the knee a) "pointless" and "won't solve anything" or b) "might make a bit of difference" It can only be a or b. What's your final answer? And dishing out abuse because your posts are getting pulled apart is not cool.

Alas, even Ray would help our squad at the moment. And he was shit.

I'm not sure he's the answer, but they wouldn't sell him to us unless the fee was massive.

I think you're right, and I like the look of him. I could see Obafemi involved, probably for an inflated fee, thus a lower fee for Armstrong to keep the sell on down. If Obafemi is involved, it'll slow things as there'll be his discussions and probably talks with Newcastle too as we won't want to sour relations with them, and nor will Blackburn.

The reports of £120k a week at Villa over 3 years, and £100k a week here over 4. I was lazy and x50 rather than x52 but the difference is still circa £2m, assuming those reports are correct.

There's no way he's got what he wanted by a) signing for Villa, and b) getting £18m in wages rather than the £20m in wages we had offered. I suspect he irritated us by refusing his deal and his willingness to run down his contract (and coast through it). He looked for other clubs, and we invited buyers. He either didn't get the offer he wanted from a big club, or he did, but we didn't get the fee we wanted. However, Villa offered us what we wanted, but perhaps Ings wanted to go where there was a better deal for him. He could then have threatened to run down his deal and walk next year. We said crack on, but everyone will be sorted by then so either take what we're willing to let you take (Villa) now or take your chances when you're another year older, and having had a lazy year, less attractive as a signing. I may be off beam, but nobody is persuading me that Ings has got what he wanted.

So cutting through all your posts on the issue, you "just think" that booing the knee is daft. Gotcha. We agree on that.

We were always selling him when he refused to sign. The issue was on who's terms. He never wanted Villa.

I think there's been a power play on both sides, and he's lost and ultimately had to go to Villa. How this has played out, the very canny Livramento deal, and the other business we've done this window, makes me confident that we now have some smart negotiators in the club.

@Matthew Le God, are you CollinsDic? Raging Bull is asking.

That's my experience too. In my diverse social group, race isn't a subject, we're just friends and our race, religion, or whatever is a non issue. If those subjects are topical though and come up, those better placed to understand the issue have views that we respect. What would never happen though is the white guys would try to speak for the black/asian guys on race issues as they simply can't. Bizarre that the white guys on here feel able to do that from a position of knowledge. Sure, we can seek to see things from their perspective, but in all honesty we can't speak from any position of real authority.

I think the rule is that it's not racist to have black friends, but it's racist to say that you have black friends, but if you say racism is rife and/or are otherwise pious, then it's not racist to say that you have black friends. I think. Someone will doubtless now tell me that I'm racist as I've now said I have black friends. It's very tough being white these days.

I think it's a very prominent and frequent poster, usually on the main board.

Ha!! Indeed...and I've also been told from black people how racism feels...but I'm not in any position to try to explain to anyone how childbirth, menopause or racism ACTUALLY feels.

Some black players experience some racism from some people. We all know and recognise that. Nobody - nobody whatsoever - on here has said otherwise. The problem is that people like you are getting all agitated because people have said a) that the knee won't solve the racism issue and b) that because some divs are racist, that doesn't mean that racism is rife in this country and c) that there is a systemic problem. What's weird to me is that white boys from leafy suburbs try to lecture other white boys from leafy suburbs on racism. What next, a lecture on how childbirth actually feels, or how bad hot flushes from the menopause are, or some other subject that you've no experience about thus know fuck all about? You pious idiots are irritating.

Christ no. Shocking player.

On that we agree. He's a very very good player. In my fantasy league team this year.

He's looked good when I've seen him. Pace, touch, finishing. If it's not him, my gut feeling is that we'll end that type of player, ie a young player from a big club who's not quite done it there.

Insane no, insane signing, yes.

How many starts Matthew? 16 goals in 17 England u21 games pretty impressive, yes?

Nketiah knows where the back of the net is though. Strikers attract a premium. None of that explains the price - people seem to pluck a figure from the air and believe that to be a players actual value. Quite odd.