I'm with everyone on wanting to win a trophy but the way the Europa is structured it penalizes teams that take it seriously.

Basel failed in the CL qualifiers, Chelsea and Benfica failed at the groups.. it's a thankless slog. We were lucky this time round we mostly had trips to Western Europe, but it could easily mean huge journeys for little or no benefit when a "sugar daddy" comes along.

If we're targeting a trophy we're better off with the FA IMO.

comment by sandy_brown (U13619)
He has still scored more prem goals in 2013 than Torres. So you obviously want him out of your club as well.

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Sandy - That is an odd comparison, I suppose not odd as in it suits your argument. Why compare exclusively league goals in 2013? Why not league goals during the season or goals through the season? Well we know why. Torres has scored more than Ade in the 2012-13 PL and he has been scoring in other competitions too, 23 goals isn't a bad total.

That said I'd be happy for Torres to leave, too many false dawns with him but unfortunately I doubt many clubs will pay his wages and I'd be surprised if he agreed a move to Russian where they might.

I'm not even sure what your point is? Do you want Ade to stay? I wasn't even having a go a Tottenham, just surprised you'd want Ade at the club.

The Arsenal Players reaction to coming 4th was a complete farce it seemed as if they had won the World Cup - what a load of bollox !!

Devonshire - Fair enough. Do you know what he earns a week? If he can get back to even close to his best for you great but he must be a highly frustrating player for you, surely this is last chance saloon for him?

Buedroog, the guy has Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Lampard behind him. He had better score the goals.

I think our next target will be getting hat level of creativity back into our midfield.

I'm loving Dembele, Sandro, Bale and Lennon but I would love to see a player with some guile added to this mix.

1. God no, imagine if we added to bale we have the funds to do so.

2. God no ade is a lazy good for nothing player who has shown a huge lack of respect for the fans with his African cup debacle. 110 grand a week, joke.

3. No a high calibre striker is more of a priority.

4. Benny will be sold. Kaboul is out until August and fryers is nowhere near the first team and is very lucky to have not been released. (He still might)

5. I reckon we will sell Parker he has been mooted about to clubs. I'm hearing back to west ham and we will get more than 2 million.

6. Yes,yes,yes great to have around the club and is a special player. Played in a proper formation huds could e brilliant.

7. Yes providing rose wants to return I'm not convinced he does.

8. Nope we should aim to win everything including the carling cup. Success is measured in trophies not too 4 finishes.

9. Livermore could be a brilliant centre back keep the boy

10. Bentley is due to be released along with gallas, Bostock, Parrett and a few other youngsters. All contracts expiring.

Good questions Devonshire

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

From 4th place it takes 15 games to go all the way in the CL.

This season if we had gone all the way in the Europa we would have played exactly 15 games.

So what's the bloody difference?

If we cannot compete in the El then we are not going to compete in the CL.

"So what's the bloody difference?"

The quality of opposition in the CL will require better teams fielded more often. No team can conduct a CL campaign playing the lineups Spurs did in the AC Milan away game.

Which means ...


"If we cannot compete in the El then we are not going to compete in the CL."

Exactly.

I thought Bentley had another year on his contract.

Looks_like. IMO we are not creating enough. I think we have had the most shots at goal from out side the box. We have probably scored the most from distance.

Our home scoring record is feeble. No coincidence that teams come and park the bus. We are not missing lots of good chances, we are generally failing to create them. This is why I think we need someone like Moutinho and JD/Ade would be a lot more effective with the bullets being loaded by a quality passer in the final third. How many times had Bale won us games with a thunderbolt? We barely tested the keeper at the weekend, a function of of inability to break down a resolute & organised defence. How many chances did Ade & JD miss....none. none were created. Antoher striker would just be another player to fail to receive any decent chances, unless you want to spend £40m and get a world beater!

1. Keep Bale...who could you buy with £60m that would be as much benefit to the team as Bale?

2. Not convinced its just a fitness thing, I got the impression he was only playing well to stay with us...thats nowhere near good enough

3. Totally agree, we've looked really poor when teams have parked the bus...someone like Moutinho would be a great addition

4. I reckon Benny is off, though I suspect AVB will bring in someone else and sell Rose too. Kaboul depends on his return, so we may still need to reinforce as Gallas is past his sell by date.

5. Parker could still be useful as a squad player but I think he'll be gone. Sandro, Holtby and one other should be enough

6. Huddlestone will be one of the first out of the door, he's too slow and inconsistent now. Shame as I used to be a big fan but his time to shine has gone.

7. Agree with both, but suspect Rose will be gone as he doesn't appear to want to stay and AVB isn't exactly drooling over him coming back either

8. Agree, any trophy open to losers of another competition is automatically devalued...plus its a ridiculous number of games to add onto an already busy fixture list

9. Disagree, I still think he could be a useful squad player, but in the right position, with the right formation and the right players round him

10. Bentleys time is surely up, along with a few others

1. we are better off with Bale than say £60m to spend?

DEPENDS SOLELY ON WHAT WE'D DO WITH IT. IF WE WERE GUARANTEED TO BUY A GOOD #10, #9, LM AND A WIDE-RIGHT-FORWARD WITH IT, THEN I THINK I'D CONSIDER IT. MUCH BETTER BALANCED SQUAD AT THE EXPENSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

2. Ade should stay and with a good pre-season he will more likely be the Ade of 11/12 than of 12/13

100% ADE SHOULD STAY. IF MONACO OFFERED US BIG MONEY FOR HIM I'D PROBABLY ACCEPT IT BUT I WLILDNT WANT HIM OUT AT ANY COST.

3. a creative midfielder is our priority transfer

A GOOD #10 IN THE MOULD OF RAFA FOR ME, RATHER THAN A CM. WE MISS THAT LINK BETWEEN THE TWO.

4. we can probably get away with making no further changes to the defence, hoping that a fit BAE & Kaboul, plus a returning Rose & a developing Fryers is probably enough to get by

AS LONG AS BENNY STAYS AND ROSE COMES BACK, I THINK WE ARE FINE. IF BENNY GOES OR ROSE DIESNT COME BACK THEN DIGNINGS WILL BE NEEDED.

5. If we got an offer of £2-3m for Parker we should sell him

ALL DAY LONG.

6. Huddlestone should stay

EARNED HIMSELF A SQUAD PLACE FOR ME, NOT FIRST CHOICE BUT OFFERS SOMETHING NONE OF OUR OTHER MIDFIELDERS DO.

7. Townsend & Rose should be re-intergrated into the squad

100% YES. PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR AT THEIR RESPECTIVE CLUBS. A GOOD SPELL AT PREM LEVEL AND THEY HAVE THRIVED.

8. Next season the Europa League should not be a massive priority

THE CURRENT SECOND XI, PLAYERS NEED OF GAMES FOR FITNESS, AND THE BEST OF THE YOUNGSTERS UNTIL THE GROUP STAGE HAS FINISHED.

9. Livermore must be sold

I SEE NO PLACE FOR HIM IN THE SQUAD. HAS HUDD AND PARKER AHEAD OF HIM AND EVEN THEY ARE DIVISIVE PLAYERS AS TO WHETHER WE KEEP/SELL

10. Bentley must be given away. Even if we pay half his wages for 1 year

WHAT IS A BENTLEY?

Looks like modric,

Interesting thoughts about Livermore being a centre back. I have not seen enough of him but he needs to get loaned out to see if he is really a centre back. I know he looks like Caulker physically but not convinced he can play like him.

"Interesting thoughts about Livermore being a centre back. I have not seen enough of him but he needs to get loaned out to see if he is really a centre back."

Seen it tried a couple of times this season with the U21s.
Nothing conclusive either way on whether he could adapt or not.

Our first order of business must surely be to get that leech Ade of our wage bill

I think Parker and Livermore should be kept in the squad...

I'm not really bothered what we do with Hudd... He's been around for a long time, so I'm more than happy for him to stay but won't loose any sleep if he was sold tomorrow. He's no longer up to scratch as a PL footballer

And oh, I'd keep Bale over 60M but if the player shows the slightest desire to leave WHL... then off with his head

Kaboul is out until August
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where do you get this from ?

" where do you get this from ?"

looklike.
The muscle strain he picked up from that silly attempted run at Man Utd, might have put his rehab back seriously.

I said in December this was looking like another Woodgate job.

unbefakinlievable.

if that is true about kaboul then cash in. he is a crock

comment by Ginger_Beard_Man (U15929)
posted 2 hours, 43 minutes ago
Our first order of business must surely be to get that leech Ade of our wage bill

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harsh.








also, i cant believe that bostock is still about. what a facking waste of time he was.

comment by Ginger_Beard_Man (U15929)
posted 2 hours, 43 minutes ago
Our first order of business must surely be to get that leech Ade of our wage bill

=========================

agreed