Maldini

Everton had arranged a ridiculous deal whereby they bought him for ?5m, but Valencia could buy him back in 2 years time for the same price. It was effectively a 2 year loan deal.

I thought he'd already agreed to go to Atletico Madrid

He's probably signed more foreign players than any manager in any country the history of football

March/April I think

He still plays up front for Mali, I wonder if he's any good up there.

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Fiiiiiiiiiiiive gooo-ooold rings...

if Carvalho is signing for Benfica I'd say Simao is on his way

He's looking well on course for the 10 goals 15 assists target the consensus set him too. He and Gerrard link up brilliantly.

Carvalho is a left winger yeah, all left foot.

21st? proof that those rankings are a joke, the Concacaf region is ridiculously overrated.

He actually played pretty well yesterday

It's about the 5th time this season he's got away with that.

He looked pretty good alright, was really good in their first game, got a cracker. He looks a hell of a lot older than 21 though. I wonder if we'd get a permit for him, where are Costa Rica ranked?

Our movement off the ball is the best I've seen it, it used to be awful under GH, but Rafa has turned down around quickly. We pull defences all over the place and move the ball so quickly they haven't got time to react. We were brilliant today, could have given Newcastle a real battering.

Just looking at the fixtures there, we've a tough enough run over the next 6 weeks or so, Arsenal(h), United(a), Chelsea(a), Everton(a), Bolton(a) and Spurs(h) if we can keep our form through that period we should be in good position for a title challenge

Which games were rearranged, and when do we play them? I don't like us having played less games than everyone else, it gives them a kind of psychological advantage.

I know what he means, it's like people saying Friedel and James are better now than they were at Liverpool. It's a completely task playing in goal for a big team, you might only have to make one save a game, but you have to maintain your concentration. At smaller clubs more goals are expected to be conceded so you're not under the spotlight as much. Friedel and James are making just as many errors and playing just the same as they did with Liverpool but the expectations are lower and there are less people watching.

I agree, he's a bit dodgy on crosses and is crap at kicking too. He's very good, but he can be got at.

Didi gave him the old jedi-mind trick there

It was funny that he hadn't got the bottle to take off either Owen or Shearer after the sending-off so Shearer ended up in midfield.

I didn't realise we had so many Irish on this forum

2 or 3 years ago I'd have been delighted to sign him but he seems to have lost a good bit of pace since his last injury.

If it was anyone else there would be no debate about it. Good to see Crouchy shutting up his detractors again, I think the general population are starting to realise what he's all about, he was great again today

Can't believe anyone thinks Crouch should've gone for that, it was only handbags. It wasn't even his fault he went over, Bowyer fell over Finnan's foot.