Lighthouse

£16m for a bit part player is not 'on the cheap'. What do you think is a fair price for him?

I'm not the most politically clued up individual but since when did the UK suck up to Israel. I can't remember us having anything to do with them since we abandoned the place half a century ago. Even in Gulf War I the US convinced Israel not to get involved as they didn't want it becoming an Arab vs Jew conflict.

Actually I think the next generation of British born Muslims will be diluted by British culture. Most people who grow up in Islamic states in the ME have strong Muslim values beaten into them from birth. A British born Muslim, even with devout Muslim parents, will still be exposed to the overwhelming British apathy towards religion. Peer pressure is strong among children, many of them will lose interest in religion when all their friends are going out drinking, party and sleeping with each other.

I don't often agree with pap but I think he is spot on here. I've been lucky enough to have been working in Norway and Sweden for the last few months and my general impression is that they are years ahead of us in terms of quality of life. It helps that ugly people are euthanised at birth and fat people are immediately deported to Germany. Seriously, if anyone gets the chance to visit Oslo in summer go to the Lektern bar on the waterfront and watch a different super model walk past every minute. I think the UK is pretty good overall. Certainly compared to Italy or Spain. The vast majority of immigrants I've met are hard working and seem to be fully integrated into British society. I know a Muslim man who binge drinks and cheats on his wife, so he has taken our culture very much to heart. We need to maintain constant vigilance against excessive immigration and the problems with extremism but I don't think our small number of Islamists represents a pandemic.

Probably Lovren. I wouldn't have said Yoshi was at fault for either goal but I do think we would have been stronger as a unit with DL at the back.

Probably Lovren. I wouldn't have said Yoshi was at fault for either goal but I do think we would have been stronger as a unit with DL at the back.

I think the fault was more letting a midget have a free header in our own penalty area. It looked like Davis was closest but the marking was poor in the build up. Clyne could have done better but Sturridge is an excellent striker and just made that crucial yard of space in the right area. Overall I'm pretty pleased with the performance. I wouldn't expect anything from Anfield so I'd rather lose this narrowly with our new team, rather than wasting a winnable game because we have so many new players. If that makes sense. West Brom will be interesting and it reminds me very much of 2 years ago when we put in a great performance at The Etihad, then lost at home to Wigan. A few people started to panic but everything worked out alright eventually.***

I think the fault was more letting a midget have a free header in our own penalty area. It looked like Davis was closest but the marking was poor in the build up. Clyne could have done better but Sturridge is an excellent striker and just made that crucial yard of space in the right area. Overall I'm pretty pleased with the performance. I wouldn't expect anything from Anfield so I'd rather lose this narrowly with our new team, rather than wasting a winnable game because we have so many new players. If that makes sense. West Brom will be interesting and it reminds me very much of 2 years ago when we put in a great performance at The Etihad, then lost at home to Wigan. A few people started to panic but everything worked out alright eventually.***

I don't think either Jos or Yoshi are half as bad as people make out. In fact in Yoshi's first season many were talking about him as an absolute bargain, he put in some excellent performances. A lot of the negativity towards Jos stems from our first 10 games up when he made some terrible errors leading to o.g.s or penalties. Since then he has been much better. As you say, a lot of his poor performances came stood between Fox, Gazza, Fonte (who made just as many mistakes in our first season up) and a midfield lacking either Cork or Wanyama. For third and forth choice CB, they suit a midfield Premier League team pretty well. We certainly won't get anyone better to come and sit on the bench.

I don't think either Jos or Yoshi are half as bad as people make out. In fact in Yoshi's first season many were talking about him as an absolute bargain, he put in some excellent performances. A lot of the negativity towards Jos stems from our first 10 games up when he made some terrible errors leading to o.g.s or penalties. Since then he has been much better. As you say, a lot of his poor performances came stood between Fox, Gazza, Fonte (who made just as many mistakes in our first season up) and a midfield lacking either Cork or Wanyama. For third and forth choice CB, they suit a midfield Premier League team pretty well. We certainly won't get anyone better to come and sit on the bench.

I know quite a few Latvians and only one of them has any interest in football. However they were all going mental on Facebook during the Olympics whenever the ice golf was on. It's like a religion over there.

I'll f**k you up, innit mush!

That's not important any more. How hard would you say you are?

We have reserves?

I'll be in Kiruna in Northern Sweden f**king a reinde... I mean er... working.

Why? Neither are Premier League players, I am expecting to see both leave anyway.

Makes you wonder who the captain would be if Fonte is injured. Clyne is the second longest serving player in that line up.

The 2 goals against the Skates were well worth the transfer fee on their own. Good luck Billy.

I think 'Chewy Luis and the Blues' was the best headline I saw from the WC.

Crawley away please. Winnable game on my doorstep.

http://www.capitalonecup.co.uk/news/article/20140813r2drawdetailsrp-1825941.aspx Pompey are in there but I'm not sure I fancy that with a new team of mercenaries bodged together. Any away game at Crawley would be perfect, anything in London would do for me. Orient or Brentford would be new grounds. Will probably get something sh*t like a trip to Doncaster or Port Vale that nobody will bother with.

I would compare him to J Rod if anyone. He's not an old fashioned #9 but he's got skill, a bit of pace and has averaged 1 in 3 across his Kiev career and for Ukraine. I know who I'd rather spend £12m on personally.

Yes. I was trying to point out the flaw in saying X is better than Y because he has played more Premier League games. I don't care if Long has played 1000 games, it still wouldn't make this transfer good value for money.

Well the papers are talking about Stoke chasing Yarmolenko for £12m, who I regard to be a far better player than Long. Would he come here? I don't know, I'm not a Ukrainian football agent. That's just one name off the top of my head from my limited knowledge of football outside this country. Saints apparently have an extensive scouting network around Europe, so I would hope they are aware of a fair few players I've never heard of.

Kenwyne Jones has nearly 200, surely we are better going for him.