Mikey

Seems a little harsh this thread, compared to most of the ****s they've had playing for them the last 20 years he's always seemed a proper player to me. FFS, Crying about his fouls as well??? Goodbye to a good player unlucky with injuries, wish he'd signed for us instead. I'm not Norwegian.

I'm not either and things may change but at present he is at best 3rd choice striker, got 6 mins was it in the CL final when we needed 2 goals, and has had less playing time than all our other strikers in pre-season and so far this season including HK I would imagine. Doesn't seem like he's anywhere near Rafa's idea of our best striker and he would fetch well over £10M. Personally I'd have him over Kuyt any day.

I'm not getting into this PC rubbish but anyone that sets foot outside knows that isn't true!

Not half as much as young English black kids wearing Baseball caps on sideways, showing their arses because their trousers are so low, talking in a caribbean/L.A./Patois accent, and knowing all the words to 'Fiddy' Cents latest drivel will mate. No-one racially stereotypes young black males like young black males do.

I think he's still pure quality young Michael Owen, just think that Anelka has more of the qualities Rafa looks for in a striker, he holds the ball better and links with the other strikers better than Owen for me. But Owen is goals - GUARANTEED Personally I'd take either of them if we sold Crouchie.

The main point for me is that Crouchie looks like 3rd or 4th choice striker barring long term injuries, he aint getting any meaningful games and will want to go at Xmas if it doesn't change. If we got a good offer for him I'd sell him to City. And like Mike said I'd sell him and buy Anelka who is apparently available for £10M in a heartbeat.

The last two times we've played them he has had the better of Cole, and he's still a bloody good LB whether you like him or not. Pennant on the right is plenty good enough for now, its the other side that concerns me; it says a lot when I'm glad to see Riise's name down at LM - and HK's famed return from injury lasted a long time didn't it?????

Some of us wanted Torres all along and thought Tevez was overhyped because of his last 10 games for the Hammers. I'm F****** delighted we got Torres who was the best striker in the world who was available.

Special mentions for Finnan, Carragher and Arbeloa by all means.

Made up with the goal and with how he stood up to Terry's attempts at bullying him.

I think we'll go with the same back 4 as against Villa - Reina, Finnan, Carra, Agger, Arbeloa Pennant on the right and JAR on the left, Alonso and Gerrard in the middle with Torres up front and the decision will be to either play Kuyt up front or Masch/Momo in the middle to start with. As I said, had a dream about this 2-0 to us.

Its ridiculous to try and compare this current load of no-hoper's against the heroes of Italia 90. The whole back 5/6 would get in for a start, Shilton, Parker, Wright, Butcher, Pearce would all get into the current England team. Barnes was far better than any left winger since he played, Platt a great goalscorer FOR ENGLAND from midfield and was a far better International player than Lampard; and to suggest that Owen is beter for England than Lineker and that Rooney has done anywhere near as much as Beardsley did is indefensible. Gerrard would get in, Beckham at his best would and that might well be it. People suggesting Terry as better than Butcher, and Ferdinand as better than Wright need their heads looking at, they have both been given the run-around plenty for England.

Carlyon Bay and Trevose - excellent golf!

Typical pre-Henry French forward then!

If he's 6 foot then city must be a team of giants then because everyone congratulating him was taller than he was. Looked a good player on MOTD though!

Been away golfing in Cornwall for 4 days and come back to this dispute! Torres was the best striker available this summer for me and we got him - a big plus point for us. Voronin looks a better player than I thought he would and could push himself up there as Torres partner , Babel is class - he has it written all over him. Yossi offers us something different and HK will hopefully stay fit long enough to make an impact this season. Mascherano is her for the full season and not just a few games at the end. Anyone not thinking we are better off than last season in lots of ways is just wrong. I'm a little disappointed we never signed the 'star winger' we were expecting, out of the players available i think Ribery was the best option and who thought he would go to Bayern? Also read yesterday? that Rafa said to the Mirror that we may have too many players currently so although I'm sort of expecting one more signing after we qualify for the CL proper I'm also certain that at least one more player will be leaving and i don't mean the kids either. I'd sell Kuyt but we all know that aint gonna happen. United haven't strengthened more than us, there's only really Tevez that could get into their first team and if they play him and Rooney together then who misses out in midfield, Scholes, Carrick or £17M Hargreaves? Chelsea will be better with Alves but for the money its a ridiculous purchase that we couldn't make this Summer - maybe next year when we only need one or two players. Malouda aint better than Robben, Pizarro is worse than all our strikers, Sidwell signing is a joke and Ben Haim is a decent player who won't get a game hardly. I had a dream last night in Padstow that we beat Chelsea 2-0, so you heard it here first. Oh yeah, the lad from City looks a very good player but he isn't tall at all!

Made Heinze look silly in The Copa America, actually looked not bad at all - great going forward and fast as ****! How many Brazilian RB's does that sound like? He was also selected in front of Alves I think?

The Mirror has it as £2.5M for the year and Villa pay all his wages as well, don't see how we could possibly lose if it's true. I fully expect Villa to try and sign him in the January window for around £7-8M which would be fantastic business for us!

Their 3 CB's against Brazil were Ayala, Milito and Heinze and I wouldn't want any of them now to be honest.

Regardless of how Rafa sees him, Momo is most certainly a defensive midfielder - he just defends higher up the pitch than most. If he's an attacking midfielder then he's the worst one I've ever seen as he creates exactly nothing, Makalele still poses more goal threat than Momo.

Does that mean the home leg will be on the following Tuesday?

I agree it was over the line that's not my point, I think it's great when someone smacks one in from 20+ yards but that isn't what I would be looking for in my strikers. Whether that 'goal' counted or not it wouldn't disguise the fact that Kuyt doesn't score enough 'strikers' goals - tap-in's from saves from the keeper, getting in front of the defender like Crouch against The @rse last season, working the keeper more of the time - how many shots does Kuyt balloon over the bar, I'd imagine most of his misses are on the high side??? No 'knee-jerking' from me, I thought he was massively over-rated on here last season and i've seen nothing in his game to suggest he's ever going to be any different this season. Torres should be our furthest forward striker not Kuyt - and I'm starting to think that Stevie is better as 2nd striker than him as well.

For me it's all about who plays best with Torres because he will be our main striker this season without doubt. I'd play him with Crouch for a few games to see if they can gain an understanding, but I fear that Rafa is still indulging in his Kuyt fetish and will start with him instead. I'd imagine that Crouch has had less playing time than the other strikers this Summer. FWIW I said many times last season that I'd sell Kuyt if we could get our money back on him, and nothing has changed, he still lacks pace and a good 1st touch and no amount of running around is going to make up for that. His 'goal' against Feyenoord notwithstanding, I'm more interested in what Strikers can do inside the box and I'm never confident that he will score.

I didn't realise that he was so one footed to be honest, he's more right-footed than Riise is left-footed.

Your opinion not backed up with one fact, quote or accounting statistic, Its all based on what your brother tells you apparently mate and therefore not worth "the paper it's written on." People are bored with this, and as there are actually only a few of us who truly know the costs involved - and you're obviously not one of them - I suggest we let it go. I would like to say though that British men traditionally have their locals, pubs they have 'grown up' in, go into to meet their friends, people they have grown up with etc..... The fact that something as important as YOUR local is so changeable as to depend on whats on the TV in there makes me wonder who you supported last year and who it will be next year as well. Your loyalty seems to be affected by who has the best satellite package, does this extend to your football(Soccer) club as well?