Ginu

here's a question, why not just use Sopcast?

i guess it's not only the players who are going through pre-season

he uses blue toilet paper

It's the dumbest argument I've heard by people who don't have anything better to do than whine and complain.

After adding Torres, Lucas, Benayoun and Babel as forward options this summer, I feel we're still going to lack in goals from midfield this season. Torres is self-explanable, but Benayoun is more of a playmaker who gets assists, while Lucas and Babel may add to the tally from midfield but, in my opinion, wouldn't close the gap between us and the other top teams goals-wise this season. With Luis gone, we have Stevie, Lucas, Babel and to an extent Xabi and Benayoun. 4 out of 5 of those players aren't regular goal scorers (or at least at this stage in their development as the players we've brought in would show). I feel we need another contributor from midfield before the end of the summer.

Since Abramovich arrived spending countless amounts of money, Man Utd got Hargreaves for more than we will with Mascherano, and they subsequently bought Nani for 17m, I'd say the more you spend, now, doesn't necessarily mean you're buying a better player. Even you would spend more if you have more money to spend. It's a stupid argument. So would Abramovich. Move on.

I trust Rafa's judgement on which players he needs, thank you very much. If we spend 20m on Torres and he is Rafa's first target, I'd rather take Torres than Tevez at 25-35m, because again, he's Rafa's first choice, also considering the headache the Mancs are having with that whole affair. Price doesn't have a direct correlation to quality, it's time you realize it.

I think you need to spend more time in a Barbershop

This is the last time I want to hear this nonsense. Net spend is purchases - sales. If you have to sell players because your squad is too large and you want to get rid because certain players aren't in your plans, the net spend will GO DOWN. It's not an indication of spending power. We have Torres, Crouch, Voronin and Kuyt. Would you like to keep Cisse and Bellamy in our squad just for the sake of it? We sold them because they wouldn't play here, that's it. Garcia left because he wants to raise his family in Spain and he proved himself in England while he was here. You need to keep it real and get off this net spend bulsh*t.

Lucas is captain of the Brazil U20s.

While I agree to some extent, Babel is a great signing and adding Benayoun is nice for the right wing, we aren't as strong in wide areas yet as Chelsea and Man Utd. You need a really top quality player on the right wing to match up with them. I'd say we have better wing depth at the moment though.

Rafa's building a very deep squad. I think the fact that he's not been given more pre-season matches is because Rafa wants us to come out of the gate flying this season and so wants everybody to be ready. Thus, some of the youngsters won't figure in these friendlies and have been sent out on loan.

If Heinze is brought in at left back, I think he's the perfect tutor for "Emi". I don't see where Aurelio or Riise would play though if Heinze was brought in.

Playing center back for Argentina doesn't hurt.

What he misses in skill, he makes up for in heart. He did have a good second half but just bullied his way to the goal.

I don't think Leto is ready for the first team yet.

Haha the scouts were so shocked at his performance they left early.

Positive. I clarified it was pounds because I was shocked myself.

I watched Insua Friday night in the Argentina vs. Korea match. He played surprisingly in a center back position in a 3-4-3 and did very well. Very composed on the ball, good tackler and very good anticipation. Would do very well at our left back position. Got my jersey signed by him during the second match, Brazil vs. USA, when the Argentina team came in the stands to watch the match. Great kid. He seemed so thrilled that there were Liverpool fans in Canada and he was so proud to be signing a Liverpool jersey. He definitely has a great character. He even posed for a picture in which he seemed so happy at getting recognized by a Liverpool fan. Some other notes from the Brazil vs. USA match where I sat beside an Arsenal scout: -The scout mentioned that Alexandre Pato is close to a 35M pound move to Chelsea. He played very poorly but he got very few quality balls. -I hung out with Freddy Adu's brother during the USA match and Freddy single-handedly created two goals. His family was having a ball. Great player, but according to the scout, isn't tall enough to be a success in Europe. -Arsenal is scouting the Brazilian #9 Jo. I'm shocked because he played a lot like Adebayor but his first touch was horrible.

You just proved my point

You can't tell me that the stick Owen got was anywhere near what Djibril got. Come on. Do you know how many Owen supporters still lurk on this board and would give the world to see him back? The criticism of Djibril goes far beyond that.

I think you're assuming that both players have been treated the same, no? IMO they haven't. They both complain, throw their hands in the air, etc. and, while Cisse is an out-and-out goalscorer, Bellamy is more like Kuyt in that way. Do you see Owen running around like Kuyt and Bellamy? I don't think so and he never got criticized for it. It's fine if that's the type of striker you want because Owen is no longer here, but criticizing a player for being an out-and-out goalscorer isn't right IMO. Different players play differently. Also being thrown on the wing and suffering two leg breaks would make anyone fed up wouldn't it? We're getting rid. To me it appears that Rafa wants strikers that close down higher up the pitch - that's fine. But the stick Djibril gets sometimes isn't right. Mods please don't delete this post it has to do with Cisse's departure.

What if he was played on the right wing? How would Bellamy have reacted? Just playing devil's advocate.

With the way Bellamy was always fiery with the refs, I'm surprised people's opinions of him are better than Cisse's. If it's just the way he plays, couldn't the same be said about Djibril? Just a thought.

In Canada at the FIFA U-20s, rumour is he's already signed for Chelsea. Ancelloti of Milan was here to talk to him directly but was rebuffed by the news.