londonkopite

Or we have bought players not much better than the ones we sold on? Or bought too players that aren't good enough or we have failed to improve to the next level e.g. Babel, Pennant etc? 10 players a season? Thats quite a few... I won't get through to you mate, so agree to disagree. You are free to carry on making excuses.

After 5 years, over 10 first team squad players bought every year on average, and more money spent than United and Arsenal why do we not have depth?

The point is many teams haven't spent money this summer - I haven't seen their players crying or moaning about not being able to buy players - they have got on with it. We have spent more than United and Arsenal in Rafa's time here and just this summer spent more than United and Arsenak and they lost exceptional players from their teams. It's game on, not time to be defeatist. Of course a few £20m players would have been nice but our rivals haven't done the same so we are still in with a chance... instead everybody including some fans have thrown the towel in and got their excuses in early. It wasn't lack of money that got us a kicking against Villa was it?

Rafa has had a lot of criticism for buying too many squad players, he has bought 54 players that got first team squad numbers in his time here. Thats over 10 a season.... So why is our "squad" so poor? Why is our bench today rivalling relegation team subs benches? Is that the owners fault? As I said, its too simplistic and easy to blame the yanks for everything.

Who would you have bought this summer to make a "difference" who would you have sold? David Silva? Maybe you are right, maybe we needed just that one player extra, but I am sure every manager would like that... the fact that our rivals didn't spend should mean that we just get on with it not moan through players and fans alike. We can't blame the owners for the defeat at home to Villa can we? Or the draws to s**** last year.. its just too simplistic and easy.

Not many teams in Europe spent a lot this summer. I seem to remember fans saying in 2004 that what Abramovich was doing was disgusting and that we had a manager who would do it for nothing. Well Rafa has spent more than United and Arsenal in his time here and has his own team in place. Looking at today's bench doesn't make his transfer acumen look very good does it? We got in a proper replacement for Alonso and added a new dimension at right back. United, Arsenal and Chelsea haven't done much - the playing field is even. It's time to step up and realise that we have a chance, not throw in the towel and make the same lame excuses we make every summer.

I am very suprised that a manager who got the job here on the back of winning leagues without spending much money has done nothing but moan about money in every season he has been here either through himself or the players. This despite spending more money than Arsenal and Manchester United in his time here (when you calculate incoming and outgoing expenditure). Just this summer they spent about £60m less than us in/out. Now we have Pepe crying in the papers, or should we say getting the excuses in early? Arsenal have spent f*** all too and bought nobody of any note, but I haven't heard Arshavin throw the towel in yet. We ran the champions close last term and were it not for silly draws at home we would have won it. Then they lose two of their best attackers - one of them the best goal scoring midfielder in the world and spend it on two who aren't fit to lace his boots. We on the other hand buy a world class right back and a midfield player the manger is confident will add a new dimension to our game - and all the fans and players are doing is moaning? What part of "we are stronger then last season and United are weaker", do people no understand?

The Spanish lads seem to hate him more than the English ones which is bizarre.

Given that we have spent 5 years buying mainly squad players I am disappointed that our "squad" is so poor these days.

What part of Rafa wanting to spend more money buying Barry than he was getting for Alonso don't you understand mate?

How is it about the cash when what Rafa mooted really was a straight swap with Xabi and Barry.... which given his form this past season and Barry's mercenary status - was a mistake.

How so? We were buying Barry for the same price if not more.... revisionism... can't beat it.

Sold to buy Gareth Bloody Barry - thats humiliation in itself. Rafa even wanted to pay more for Barry than we were selling Xabi for. It was bizarre.

I hope that was sarcasm!!

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_5530854,00.html

According to Purslow this week, Alonso is a player Rafa wanted to sell and we know he has been touted around Europe these past 2 years. Aquilani has also been hailed as a big player by Rafa, add that to us signing one of the most promising right backs in Europe for £17m - we can assume that we are atleast as strong as last season if not stronger with our main rival significantly weaker.

I think we should have got the pitch forks out for the owners after we lost to Spurs and Villa - in fact every wayward shot or hoofed clearence should be blamed on them too! Every fan I know hates the owners but people taking pressure off Rafa and using them as the reason are way off the mark.

They have lost Ronaldo - thats 35% of their goals and attacking threat. What bugs me is the constant crying about money when we have clearly spent a lot under Rafa especially these past 3 years. Its lucky the other top 3 haven't spent much money or else we wouldn't have heard the end of it from Rafa. There is no doubt that we are stronger than last season and our rivals are weaker so there can be no excuses really.

How much "budget" did Arsenal, United and Chelsea have this summer? I think Arsenal and United are actually in profit this summer. United have just lost one of the best players in the world and replaced him with Valencia! Its like replacing Gerrard with Kevin Nolan!

How many did he score in our thrashing of Newcastle when he played up front? I don't recall many games where has scored when played up front. Agree to disagree.

We have strengthened at right back and Rafa has sold the one player he has wanted to sell for near on 2 years for big money... so whats the problem? In the meantime our rivals have lost top quality players and haven't spent big in replacing them. We should be in a stronger position than we were last term - why can't you grasp that?

I think the general consensus is that Kuyt is anything but decent up front hence why he plays wide for club and country. Good back up but we are up s*** creek if we are relying on him to come in if Torres is out.

We finished 2nd last season, our competitors haven't strengthed more than we have, so it should be game on. Football is a game played against other teams, so although we can be pissed off that we didn't get more money, we still signed players and spent more than our nearest rivals - for that reason we should be in with a good shout. It seems like people are already getting their excuses in early just in case we don't challenge for the league.

I wouldn't go so far as to say "a lot" especially given the number of goals and important goals Garcia and Cisse scored. Do we really need a PR machine to tell us that a***, Chelsea and United have spent less than us this summer?

After 5 years of buying mainly squad players and large quantities of players this is a bizarre situation we find ourselves in. When Rafa joined his strikers were Cisse, Baros, Pongolle etc... bar Torres who was a massive signing I can't say N'Gog and Voronin are much better than Baros or Pongolle. The same goes for the wide areas, how much better than Garcia and Cisse are Kuyt and Riera? This seasons squad situation is down to our signings nothing else, its not as if Arsenal, United and Chelsea have been breaking the bank is it?