UpweySaint

I'd throw in that we could certainly produce some players capable of being in top six squads, how many and if they could be more then squad players is of course anyones guess. Either way I understand why Laudrup would say what he says and without doubt investment in the playing squad is a must for any rapid progression to be seen at Swansea or Soton.

Lambert has never been particularly mobile but his link up play is getting better, imo, even if he's asked to do a lot in our tactical set up. Could he do a job for england? Maybe, if he's fit. Only way anybody will ever know is if he gets a chance. Besides the lack of numbers in the squad if hes fit I cant see any harm in him going to brazil sunday!

Err what have you been watching this year? Ramirez's set pieces have been a nightmare, in fact they got him subbed off once im quite sure! Lallana's have been ok, he's not beckham but has set up a few decent chances and is often the best available option on the pitch.

Can passion coaching not be done alongside playing? I advocate giving him a large stick to motivate those players not showing enough passion!

Nope but i'd take Shawcross instead, think he'd make more difference.

Screw the kit I just want us to be sponsered by bimbo! Makes me smile on the Philadelphia kit

The gospel that is twitter ... in all probablity we will sell him on and accrington cant really afford him ... besides if he did go to there id fancy he'd hit more then easter would in the championship

I'l bet otherwise but entitled to that opinion. Sharp is a more proven player and is likely to go a club creating/scoring more as a team then millwall.

Absolutely shocking stuff! These kind of people should never be allowed near football clubs, best of luck for the future!

He was cracking on football manager From what I understand he was hyped as a future star for Argentina and had the bigger clubs, including Arsenal, circling however this year he's had off the field issues and has been a poor season for him so his mob may want to cash in. Might be a deal to be done but im personally more excited by the prospect of wanayama.

Thats why we're all glad your chief troll around here and not running a football club. But you're right, its chaos. Cortese has started a small fire in the dressing room to prove a point and Poch has accidently been learning Norwegian. I'd take half a pack of hobnobs for Shaw before his value is truly tainted!

We will trade them Stoke and half of either of the merseyside clubs, their pick.

It as staggering the difference in price, cant even be justified by the product half the time, I hear this "Bundesliga" aint half bad y'know I'd glady pay for some extra merch and a £200 season ticket and plenty of others would if they were available, the actual sums of would it be worthwhile are what it comes down to I suppose but, should we expand, I'd like to think we'd be looking at including safe standing and hopefully the football fans groups campaigning for limited prices on tickets will gain some momentum!

Fair point, if he came to us and had a couple of good seasons and a bigger club came in he may not want to stick around. The personality of a player is something our club is big on so I'd hope we'd only go for him if we thought he would want to be involved as a part of the club and would not disrupt team morale.

I actually think his wage demands may not be beyond us. Surely we could have some sort of performance related conditions to boost it up so that, should be be a roaring success, he's reward and, if not, we dont take such a hit? While we may not face massive competition for him. As a rule of thumb english players rarely consider moves abroad so that leaves premiership. I dont see many teams who would/can compete with us with the exception of Liverpool, who I think already have players with similar attributes (Borini, Sturridge), and possibly Spurs though AVB has eyes on the european market if rumours are the be believed. Swansea may make a bid to bring him back, should the fans welcome it, and the new managers at everton or stoke may have some money but I'd fancy the fee would be a significant sum out of eithers kitty. Surely there is a deal to be done should the lad be keen to play football in an attractive side moving in the right direction?

I think most things would mean prices go up, seems inevitable. Even if we went down I would not be surprised to see prices remain at the same level. Though I think significantly more seats would neccesitate, at least in the short term, a drop in prices to attract new fans. Once they're hooked up go the prices, many football fans resent absurd pricing but care about their team too much to stop turning up altogether

Im all for it but not sure how practical it would be in our stadium to make such changes. If, at some point down the line, we are looking at the expansion question and safe standing has been shown to work elsewhere it'd be fantastic to incorporate it. Hopefully it would also offer some sort of reduced pricing though im sceptical

Pulis did a good job, without question. But Stoke did not play attractive football, whether he himself could've changed that or a new man was in fact needed is questionable.

I do think goalkeeping has a lot to do with confidence perhaps more then any other position with a keeper assured of his decisions will have more conviction and inspire trust in the defence. Just for an example Bialkowski has had a pretty decent season at notts county, a good few clean sheets and has been well recieved I believe. Gazzaniga will hopefully go out on loan and progress, looks to have enough potential, and by heck aint he half tall!

The mail flogging the same dead horse since january I see ... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2328682/David-Moyes-wants-sign-Luke-Shaw.html "Reports suggested he would be lured away after playing few games last season" ... hmm, why let silly things like facts get in the way of a good story, just one more reason I never have, or will, buy the mail.

Fair point actually. Liverpool a possible destination. If Shawcross left too then it'd be time for the stokies to hit the panic button!

It really depends on who takes the reigns but Pulis tried to change a winning formula to appease fans and was caught out. Stoke dont have the personal to play like Arsenal and worked will with old school wingers, powerful strikers and an organised defence. Whoever comes in has stick or twist, play a particular style of football and grind out results or take a risk to change the style of play and the playing staff. If Rafa, bookies favourite, gets the job and Coates backs him I honestly think they'l surprise a few people. Despite whatever else they have one hell of a core with Begovic, Shawcross and Huth. Plenty of teams would kill for that!

Stadium expansion answer to our problems you say ... wonder why nobody has ever discussed this at length before No but seriously good point, the way they do things is admirable. 80,000 and reasonable prices. Not the time and place to debate it but I do wonder if such a thing would be possible elsewhere.

Well our bet is for lunch, bets for money between friends can often be awkward, though if he wants to find a bookmaker who'l give him a price he may well get some very long odds!

He's backing an all london top three of Chelsea, Arsenal then Spurs. Still cant bring himself to put them above Arsenal no matter what AVB could do well next year, spurs aint far from being a cracking side, and with the chopping and changing elsewhere they could have a good season but I just dont see the Manchester sides capitulating so easily, Chelski will throw money to bolster their already impressive squad and Arsenal may pip spurs to the post once more with Wengers rumoured £70mil kitty and this being the year all their budgeting comes to fruition (or so the talk goes!).