alpine_saint

Erm, no I didnt. I said the whole pre-season was half-arsed. But it was 6 months ago, maybe I called them lazy at some point.

In fairness, I do too. Therefore I was pleased NA made "significant bids" comment because it fitted with my own opinion. As I said earlier, if they've done their best or dont see the real need to get players in (in contradiction to the "significant bids" comment), I can live with that; I just hope they can live with missing promotion if that becomes the case.

See, I dont share your pessimism on that. We've got money, and a damn good chance at promotion, more than we had when Fonte and Lambert signed on.

Excellent news !! Done well after a slow start.

I suspected his answer was in response to the thread title, not the content of my post.

So you dont rate our team that highly then....

Of course pre-season was the root evil that has caused everything since. I remember the ridicule I got about my complaints on here at the time. But pre-season caused a lot of the injuries that wrecked our form earlier on. If our best players had been available, we would have done better in those games, Wilkins or not. Seeing as the truth about Pardew's departure is still not in the public domain, there is no proof which direction it affected the team.

My opinion is, we should be good enough to bury a team languishing in 20th place one way or the other. So why all the anguishing at SMS ? Do they think it would affect the price for a replacement player if the injury status of a given player is in the public domain ?

No I am not; I quite clearly wrote "everything that is possible"

Remind me how well we did at the beginning of the season with those injuries.

Jesus, in what way is that relevant to the argument going on here ?

The injuries have already happend, my friend. No "if" about it.

Look, as long as everything that is possible to do is being done, I am satisfied, and we will go up or not. I can live with that. But thats not the point here. The point is that there is a (misguided, imo) body of opinion on here that we are strong enough and need to do NOTHING

If we are reacting to injuries, they are not going to be 4th choice. We are a League 1 side with a very strong chance of being in the NPC next season. With off-field management and ownership that is committed to returning us to the big time in a short period. I understand it is in your interest to put down our attractiveness for the sake of this argument. We managed to attract Lambert and Fonte last season, why shouldnt we be able to attract players of a similar calibre now ?

Absolutely astonishing complacency and hubris....

The company ownershop and financial background is COMPLETELY different. If NC wants to give us a financial shove over the finish line, and the Liebherrs agree, whats the problem FFS ?

And no-one has said we should buy journeyman, FFS. A fact you seem to be delibrately ignoring. But we also not demaning Ronaldos and Kakas, which is the other stupid sarcastic remark that you and your ilk come out with.

The SAS close in on the Taliban faster than we've been closing in on Austin....

For me that comment is completely ambiguous. It says nothing. It could mean anything from next week, compared to the end of the season -> beginning of next season, compared to career-ending

Giving it or taking it ?

Whats with the sarcasm ? If SFC and Adkins decide not to keep the fan base apprised of the status of certain injuries (do you know the result of Lallanas scan ? I dont), it hardly surprising that some will lean towards worst-case scenarios. For every person that accuses me of doom-mongering and embracing the worst-case, there are people like you who describe themselves as "optimists" (though in my opinion you frequently cross the line into denial). Your response to my listing our midfield illustrates this.

Thanks for proving my point about the sheer hypocrisy of you lecturing about worthwhile contributions. No doubt you raised a few titters amongst the happy-clappy brigade. Very well done.

Higher probability of him doing so than you.

Do we ?? Let's go through that super midfield line up one-by-one: Lallana - injured Oxo - could be sold Puncheon - could be sold Schneiderlin - quality midfielder when he turns up Hammond - injured Chaplow - injured Gobern - has potential, but spearheading a promotion drive ? Do leave it out Goolie - hasnt he been playing further forward than midfield ? Butterfield - hasnt set the world alight Dickson - also hasnt set the world alight So in theory our midfield could be Goolie, Schneiderlin, Gobern or Butterfield, Dickson come the end of the transfer window. Forgive me if I dont exactly wet myself in excitement. That midfield wont get us promoted.

The club should set a stupid price because 1. we dont want to sell him 2. The amount we get if the buying club persists would set us up for promotion this season and next.