Window Cleaner

does it not explain the difficulties which lesser clubs face to sign the best players ?

but of course it has but when you don't have access to the very best players because of the status of your club then you risk spending a lot on not so much. I mean in theory we could have bought say Willan, would he want to sign for us...no he wouldn't so you're limited to good players who aren't sollicited by top clubs. It might be worth noting that Chelsea now have 7 of their players on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, that's 7 players (mostly youngsters I think) that are currently denied to their concurrents. Everton used to do it as well when they were a top club and funded by a Pools family (Vernons ? anyway one funded Everton, the other Liverpool) they just bought players to keep them off the market. Look at De Bruyne, paid a fortune but they don't play him going on loan to Europe, they bought Hazard's brother as well, no place for him in their side either so they loan him out to PSV or something. Chelsea's list is endless, Courtois one of the world's best young keepers and they're making sure that he doesn't play for anyone that can concurrence them..................

didn't we finish 8th in 2003 and get to the cup final though. doubt if we'll do any better than that this season despite massive investment, still massive investment now means absolutely sod all, it's what you spend it on that counts.

Sounds exactly as he was when Spurs scored their 3rd, he doesn't like losing very much methinks. I still think Mauricio is pretty close to the edge of the platform where he actually starts walking on the tightrope if you see what I mean. Everyone thinks he's doing a great job, well most people anyway, but the results just aren't there. If they don't start coming again soon things will change. Still a good win against west Brom should see him edging back towards the ladder.

was it not stated in some player interview or other recently that 8th is now the absolute minimum ? Could be wrong though.

Jos will step up for that then, not that he usually doesn't anyway.

yes it did but even then a half stunned Lovren has to be better than a prime conditioned Jos.

Liverpool did quite good business last summer I think, I mean they finally rooked West Ham for 15 million for Carroll after all. At a net spend of about 22 million they significantly improved their group of players and they could have spent as much as that on just replacing Carragher who retired. I guess PL clubs need to spend money every summer or else they'd end up paying tax on profits because of all the TV money that they receive.

Indeed, for what we'll get for him right now we might as well keep him, it's not as if were overflush with possible replacements is it.

well I mean prospective players of course. Now there was a rumour going round just the other day that even SRL no longer wanted to play with Jos on a particular day. I really do believe that several players in our effective and for whom we have no obvious replacement are holding us back, we need to get shot of them at whatever price it takes. Name me one other PL club who'd have Fox in their squad or Jos either for that matter.

12 million really isn't all that much money, top players are 20 million and upwards. At 12 million you're in the hit and hope section.

I will be amazed if we get 19K actually, the thought of the team that we're going to put out has turned me right off of this game because Burnley are a good side and we'll put out a bad one.

The thing is we wanted Coutinho, he didn't want to play for us because Liverpool were in for him as well. Until our league position and thus the club's status improves to a point where we can compete with "top clubs" for the services of the best players then money is only relative. No WC hopeful in his right mind would want to come to Saints and play with garbage like Fox and Hooiveld so it's just a vicious circle.

If we guaranteed that we'd put the first team out at 20£ a throw we would get a good crowd, we won't so we don't.

we won't be taking it seriously, unless of course you call a team with Lee,Fox,Jos and Maya and a few kids seriously.

Going to Newcastle now apparently, they've gazumped West Ham. Still if it's a choice between Heitinga and Dummett to replace Coloccini for a few games you can understand it I suppose.

Every country is looking for engineers, there just aren't enough to go round at this moment. A while back Germany was light on about 70000 engineers, if there were any spare in Roumania the Germans would have snaffled them up by now as the have with the Poles. I expect even the UK is looking for them, must be a shortage as half of the Unis seem to produce specialists in football marketing and golf course design these days.

well as we obviously do need players I think we can assume that he was being economic with the truth there. No-one ever needs any players in January, it's just what's said to try and get good deals on the cheap or good players on loan for 6 months, test and try before you buy. PSG's president said they didn't need any players this morning, probably whilst talking to Newcastle over Cabaye on another line. Mauricio said in any event he could find what he needs from the academy, which is obviously bollix because only a couple of weeks back he put 2 injured and virtually unplayable CBs on the bench instead of the 2 lads from the U21s. Everything that could be used from the academy for the first team at this time is already being used.

They're 4 points above 18th with a stack of bad injuries and Utd away next up.

He's very lightweight for a CB really, not all that tall for today's standards either, I mean not Chris Perry small but not 6ft4 either. Makes up for his lack of physique with some awful animal tackles at times.

And look at Swansea now, among my relegation favourites, no Vorm, no Michu, no Dyer, another key player pulled up with something nasty looking yesterday.

Lallana was trying too hard to impress Woy, if he hadn't been there we might even have played better.

Lovren played at Lyon though, anyway Olympique Lyonnais should never ever be used as a point of reference for anything sane or sensible in football, they'll do anything to make money and that means playing crap from the youth teams over experienced players who cost a lot. They played Umiti last season and believe me he's one of the worst footballers you've ever seen.

so why then would he be eulogising about Southampton in an intervew only 3 days ago. I mean to have said all that and then bugger off to West Ham for a few quid more would make him look like a real plastic knob wouldn't it. He'll go nowhere and end up in no mans land because he's fading fast.

If he was any good he'd be playing at Everton now wouldn't he, think he's a bit of a whack job.