Gribz

Couldnt blame him for the money move nor the players at this level. Its double and treble wages even 5 fold. Its not as if its Eden Hazard weighing up a footballing decision with 200k a week with Chelsea or 210k with Real Madrid - those figures are when it can come down to other decisions. But when a player is maybe on 2k a week and offered 6k or even 10k a week going to the Championship they arent going to refuse. McInnes could have a free swing at Sunderland, the fans their know the club needs sorted internally and have struggled with big name managers. I wouldnt mind seeing a few ore successful Scottish managers again down south.

This is potentially great. A lot to heed but behind the scenes must be busy. A mix of unknown and known is good. The Known are certainly improvements. Alves no-brainer. Dorrans fits in and Jack is surely better than Halliday. But Dorrans, Jack, Candeias, Dalcio, Cardoso and Pena following Alves would be good business. If Kranjcar gets fit then its all about PC piecing it altogether. A few faces need to head out the exit though.

Great first signing. A truely European Class level player. 86 caps for the current European Champions and a title winner in 3 countries - and all decent countries (Russia, Turkey and Portugal). All he needs to be advised is ignore the worrying media in Scotland who just put negativity on everything. Thats 1 in the bag...who's next?

Two cup finals and a second place finishes - he wont match this so will probably be thinking about having another crack in England.

Why am i worried about the conferations cup this summer!

I actually think Lambert is a decent manager but he has been moving around and leaving clubs in bad terms a few times now which wont do his reputation any good. Wolves are another club with huge potential but with crazy owners who seem to run it like a computer game. Lambert did a god job there last season, they were in a relegation battle and he took them to mid table.

Im quite glad he is staying but he needs to wind the clock back. I thought on Saturday he had a swagger about him that was vintage Wenger. At half time he went up the tunnel in similar fashion to how he used to walk down the Old Trafford touchline and win there regularly. Arsenal fans will demand quality signings and that they play most games like they did last weekend. Wenger himself must know this of the boo boys will be out in force this coming season. Man City arent messing about, they are already doing business and the others will also. Man U and Chelsea already being linked with big players. There is a lot of dead wood to get out. Dubuchy, Jenkinson, Chambers, Gibbs, Coquelin, Sanogo, Szczesny. Then there is players who havent really cut it recently like Wilshire, Walcott and Ramsay - these 3 only perform in flashes. The latter are two good honest pro's yet these 3 have spend more time in the treatment room that played. They need some quality in the wide areas. Not signing Draxler was a mistake. So it will be interesting to see who he signs. He cant afford not to make some decent signings with their injury record. Mertesacker is made for a back 3 in the same way Luis is at Chelsea. The latter is a bombscare in a 2 due to errors. But for Mertsacker its his pace. He reads the game so well and relies on that but in a 2 if he is second to the ball then its an open chance. So if they stick with a back 3 then Mertesacker, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal and Holding are good options to start with. Agree with Craig that Gabriel is a worry. Bellerin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck and Xhaka are musts to stay. The first 3 have drive and pace to burn. Xhaka is just coming onto a game after adapting to the league and will be some player next season with a full summers break. If Cazorla recovers 100% he is super key to the team and should start ahead of Ozil. Sanchez staying is a must even if he doesnt sign. He is peaking right now and will start to go down hill in a year or so with burn out. Its worth keeping him for a year rather than taking the money as he is irreplaceable at the moment. Will be an interesting summer.

Yup but im looking forward to read it officially from the club, its always reassuring once things are done. It would be nice if Alves retired from international duty also

Good to see another new club, they have earned their right to be there. A draw after 90 mins was the right bet.

The Italians arent 4 times World Cup winners for no reason. They do produce. The last 10 years they havent been at the races club wise but Juventus are turning that around. Roma and Napoli have good sides but the league really needs the Milan duo to pick up. Always loves watching Channel 4 Italian football earlier 90s. Of the top of my head a team that consists of this are awesome. Buffon Maldini Cannavaro Costacurta Baresi Pirlo D Baggio R Baggio Del piero Vieri Inzaghi

Agreed. Ive barely been commenting on the hearsay. I prefer when we just get things done quietly and over the line. But the so called media need papers to fill at the moment. Id take Dorrans first, a sensible signing.

The so called richest game in football - thats always confused me considering whenever a team gets relegated from the Premier they say the financial hits are huge, yet for a team like Huddersfield just to go up for 1 year would keep them going for 5 years so long as they dont start doing a Leeds. I said Reading before the play offs despite hoping for Sheff Wed. I will stick by that although I hope Huddersfield can win. The odds were worth a bet earlier. Huddersfield 2.3 Draw 3.0 Reading 3.1 (sorry for the decimals as its done like that here despite me preferring fractions). but Reading more than 2/1 is a good price. Ive taken a draw though. I can see this going all the way to pens.

Definitely not. Acted the goat too much and was in the injury room far too often. He had half decent talent on his day but those days were few and far between. Plus he is 32 now and must be losing pace. Ex players need to get it into their heads that we are not a retirement home.

Great player. not the best Italy have produced but still quality. His appearance and goalscoring record is top notch.

And there isnt any meaningless games now? Playing teams 4 times. Kilmarnock v Ross County 4 times with 1 being at the end of the season when both are mid table isnt meaningless? Every league will have that regardless. Southampton v Stoke in the richest league in the world on the final day was meaningless.

Thats the overall major problem. No ambition. Everyone still trying to squeeze as much as they can with current set up "hoping" for some huge investment somewhere rather than trying to start afresh and produce a new product that will bring in funds. As long as we have this mentality the spiral downwards will continue.

The response - fair play to him! And he has union jack bedsheets - good lad.

Hilarious 'looks like a meatball'

The solution to that is play league cup games on the weekends but revamp it so the 'group stages (stop laughing at the back) isnt just for lower tier teams. But increase it to 18 teams then its 34 games although they would still come up with a baffling split.

It certainly is a lot of hearsay. Im looking forward to an official signings thread.

Taking the Dundee Utd thing out of it the play off set up for the Premiership is a joke. But thats down to the likes of Thompson. If they had played it fairly like the lower divisions then Hamilton would have had to play Morton first and Dundee Utd only play Falkirk. As such a few extra games are thrown in. Id fancy Falkirk to go on an win the league outright next season. Utd will struggle to keep their squad together if financially hit. Dunfermline could also be a bit stronger. But the balloons running the game just need to scrap one tier and make it a 16 team top flight. Have 6 go up and 2 down for 1 season to get the numbers sorted.

Forbidden city and Tiananmen Square - both joined onto each other. Impressing stuff! But ignore the tour guides. Great wall also - but get up super early and go and you will be back in town by evening. Beijing traffic is ridiculous. Not done Winter Palace but I did Jinci Temple in Taiyuan which was one of the best places Ive been to so I think Winter Palace would be great.

No I cant agree with Warburton and Weir, they were working their ticket out and didnt want to finish the job IMO. Their agent resigned on behalf of them and tried to cut a deal. That has been the final chapter on this.

I wonder how long this is on for. Im up to HK on Wednesday. Will go along if still on

A joke club like Arsenal is a poor comment and should be ignored. Englands 3rd best side of all time and not by blinkered Man City and Chelsea fans who think football started in the last 10 years. You and all Chelsea fans would have had it as very meaningful if Chelsea had the double. A league and cup double is a huge achievement. It would have been bigger than Man Utds double this season which they are getting credit for. The FA Cup's value has been brought back a bit this year for me. A few good small clubs going on runs, 4 top teams in the semi finals and the best final Ive seen at the New Wembley. I just wish they would switch the semi finals to neutral grounds again (not Wembley) and the final moved back to 3pm. Wenger should be given another year (not 2) to see if he can keep this form 9 wins in 10 and that level of performance. He has to put in a title challenge, sign 2 world class players and get to the last 8 of the CL then review it. EDIT - Oops I forgot Arsenal arent in the CL. So use to them being in it. So make that last 4 of the Europa depending on what teams are in it after the first 34 rounds and who drops into the cup from the CL. Alternatively play the second string in the Europa and give the Premier League a right good going.