Tonto

That's the one thing Aimar doesn't do with any great regularity: score goals (he usually chips in with about 4 or 5 a season). Although he might help get the best out of Kuyt by allowing him to play as an out-and-out striker.

I agree. He's experienced in the Premiership as a second striker which is what we want. His goal scoring record is consistent with that role, closer to 1 in 3 than 1 in 2. He's certainly much more of a goal threat than our current non-Torres options, is creative, strong, aggressive, reasonably quick and would be a good stop-gap until the summer.

I payed for my eSeason ticket with a one-off payment last September. How do I cancel it? Do I get a pro-rated refund?

If the other youth players aren't too enamelled of him he might gum up the works.

Can't say I blame him having been behind Stephen Carr and then played at left back in order to allow (the utterly useless and left-footed) John O'Shea to play right back.

Which of them is significantly better, on form, as a striker, than Kuyt? I'd bet if Kuyt was played bang up front for Blackburn he'd have scored as many as Santa Cruz. Only Berbatov out of that list has the potential to be significantly better.

Most of those players, apart from Johnson, would be improvements on Kuyt in his current form and most of them were likely available for similar money at the time. But none of them is top class or has gone on to nail down a place at a top club. Some of them never will because they're simply not good enough (Johnson, Yakubu), some of them were moved on from at least one top club having not quite made the grade (Martins, Anelka) while Berbatov and Santa Cruz still have to prove they can cope with the sort of pressure Kuyt is under at a big club. How many of them would get into the Arsenal, Man Utd or Chelsea teams? The point I was making was that we were shopping in the second or third tier of European football given the money available to spend. Your list is a good one and points to the fact that Rafa could have done a bit better with the Kuyt money but you simply don't pick up top quality at that price range and the Kuyt that showed up for his first 20 or so games for us was well worth the money we spent and probably better than any of the players in your list.

Agree that he should be played up front, but could we have got better for the 10miliion we spent on Kuyt? I think the Kuyt that we saw at first: clever, strong, direct, if a bit lacking in flair and subtlety, and with signs of a goal threat as well as the workrate; was good value for what we spent. You won't get much better for that money in a world where Darren Bent costs 17 million. The Kuyt that has turned out this season is a whole other ball game granted.

Rooney also missed a sitter in the second half of the Man Utd game from what was probably the game's clearest opening.

He had no reason to go for that ball. It had passed the Luton forward and there was no one else behind.

Voronin should have left that to Yossi who was coming onto it from a much better angle.

Would like to see Masch on for Xabi. Lucas has shown some touches of quality but he needs help if we're to gain some control in midfield and unfortunately Xabi is struggling in this game.

Yep, it wasn't unlike the opening for the goal against Wigan except this time Finnan just stopped.

Did Andy Gray just say our set up for defending corners is 'risky'? ...great save from Itandje

Does anyone know of any pubs within walking distance of Euston Station in London which will be showing the game? Cheers.

I agree, he's been fine. I seem to remember when he arrived at first he seemed a bit quicker, at least over the first few yards. He seems to accelerate like Sami now.

I think Kewell meant that ball for Kuyt. Kuyt's run was perfect for it and half the team seemed to run to Kewell to celebrate. If it was intentionally for Kuyt, it was genius.

Yep I agree, but that plan doesn't take into account our wastefulness in front of goal. For it to work you need strikers who'll put away at least one of the few chances you're going to create if you only play for the last 20 mins.

There's a late goal in this...for either team

Crouch on soon....

Kewell coming on

haha...oops

'Saved by the woodwork' Is there a more idiotic thing to say in football commentary?

Early days but I think 'good' Momo has turned up today

I'm working in Holland and work with a few Ajax fans. I've asked about Babbel a few times and they are all quite indifferent about him. I think they see him as the sort of player that Ajax (used to) produce on a regular basis and so weren't too upset when he left as they think they'll have another Babbel clone along soon enough. I think they always expected him to move on sooner or later as well. Also, his departure was overshadowed by Sneijder's move to Real, which they are still really shocked and upset over. By the way, Ajax are pretty poor this season. Attendances are falling and there is a major inquest into how the club has lost its way. They're not bringing through quality young players anymore and have fallen into the trap of importing mediocre or past-it players like Rommedahl and Luque.