Pwoite

Does anyone else suspect that Davis was brought in, not only as a key midfielder able to do much of what was missing last year, such as get box to box, score goals, add some bite and experience and so on, but also to be the on the field captain? It seems to be one area where we are missing, on field leadership.... Of course, if he is fighting with JWP for a starting position, then that's that theory blown.....

Does anyone else reckon that the club are trying really hard to give the youngsters every opportunity in pre-season, with the hope that at least one will do enough to make it onto the bench if not the starting eleven? If the club is serious in developing half its team from the youth ranks, then we need to prove that we can bring players through. I know we did that with Oxlade Chamberlain, but that was in the third tier, which is somewhat different. Potentially, Ward-Prowse and Shaw look like having potential, so maybe the Buttner deal, now we have Clyne and Shaw appears to have impressed in the last two games, isn't as important as it might have been a week ago.

Palace Teamtalk says deal is done, though what that is worth, who knows. Palace fans seem to think he'll be wearing red and white stripes this season, er, oh, well, perhaps not..... If it is £1.5m, even if only the up front sum, and being out of contract, it is a hell of a good deal....

Celtic can't say 'we want' or 'we need' to sell. Hooper can't say 'I want to go'. Lennon needs to make it look as though they are fighting it, and that the price is rising. Hooper's agent wants to get the best deal possible - for himself! That's why trousers is spot on. It's like a mating ritual. We're still in the courtship.

There is something about this Hooper story that makes me believe it will happen. I have no inside line, but Adkins has a clear idea of what he is going for, we have the cash available, and it is out in the open and we appear to be pursuing the deal. This backing out is purely 'the next stage'. If we had been given a clear '@***' off from either Celtic or the player, I doubt we'd have made the second offer. Someone in Scotland wants this to happen - the club, the player or the agent, so it will! My only concern would be another club going in, but at this asking price there aren't too match, even in the Prem, who could match this offer. I'd guess Celtic want the cash, and that the player wants the pay rise, but Celtic don't want to have to match the salary increase. As for the agent.... I'm sure this one will happen.

Great thread. Started seriously, a few views, opinions, thoughts and ideas, and then degenerated into **** taking and abuse. Great, that's what I signed up for ;-)) No Dalek slagging , though, so slipping a bit. Sandwiches were a nice touch. And just to be boring - we will finish 9th with the current squad, 15th without Oxo and third with some decent signings.

Agree. Speedie. Complete tossa.

It may be crazy money, but getting £10m or £12m for Chamberlain sugars any pill. That enables us to buy three or four overpriced prima donnas in the hope that two might come off. And if they do, we're laughing. If we want to play with the supposed big boys, then we play by their rules or we get told to feck off!

Trouble is, if we keep Connolly, Harding, Butterfield, Gobern, Hammond, Martin an thecrest, then we have more than two players for every position, and who or where do we bring in new players who are expected to be better? Therefore, the knife has to be but through some. I'd start with Seaborne, and reluctantly, Holmes. Butterfield and Connolly must be in doubt if better is available. we don't need three right backs, for instance. As for strikers, any chance of Mackail-Smith joining? I don't really rate Bannard, and certainly seen nothing in Forte. Wouldn't weep buckets if either was replaced by someone better. At the end of the day, we need 22 good players...so any surplus is, well, surplus!!

Bearing in mind the huge deep divisions in Ireland, and the significance of the sash out there, and these words, we should keep a million miles away from it. Mind you, Liverpool have adapted Fields of Athenry, and no-one complains...... I'll go back to lurking.....

Bloody hell, this new forum has taken my post quota down to '1', so think I need to double it. Great moustache on the banner, though. Reckon all the team should have them for the squad photo...... Would **** off NC!!

Was there any sell on deal? Can't say I saw much future for him at SMS. Couldn't see him getting a start ahead of P-H-S-L in midfield, and would he have wanted to keep a bench warm?