Stefano

I don't even think there's any negotiations. All it is at the moment is them bleating in the press. According to one report we have ignored their highest offer, and they then faxed over a lower one. We don't sound like a club who are desperate to sit down and sort out a deal. I think Rafa will just blank it unless Alonso goes public.

Do I sense the end game? Typical of that circus though, there's an endless revolving door of quality players who have been frozen out, while they pillage every club for their next 'project'. Snieder is more than capable of slotting in and playing a similar role to Alonso. They should save their cash.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5433507,00.html Probably more tedious scare tactics.

Wouldn't suprise me. Rafa has got him rattled.

Who will need time to adjust to the our methods, league and culture like any player. I'm not even sure Rafa will be allowed to re-invest all of that money anyway.

Carrick?

I think even Stevie recognises that he's among the best in the world in that position now and to break up the telepathic partnership with Torres would be lunacy. That said, there's no reason why he can't slot back into CM when needed, especially at home against fodder. I thought he was immense at Goodison last season, for example. Sometimes you do need to shake things up a bit or there's a danger of becoming too predicatable.

I like Noble. Not the quickest but an intelligent player and uses the ball well. He'd be ideal to pick up on the cheap and slowly integrate him into the side, but like all English players he'd cost a premium.

I'd like us to sign that Mccarthy kid anyway. Apparently his club have turned down another bid from an unamed English club.

Disapointing that RSC went there for the cash. He must have known he'd be down the pecking order once they'd finished playing footy manager. He'd have been ideal for us.

Didn't Alonso snub a move to Madrid to come to us? This is about money I reckon. His interview regarding tax was very revealing. I'm sure his agent has already sanctioned a huge deal with Madrid but didn't bank on Rafa fighting to keep him. They'll be after Torres next summer, don't worry about that. It's the price we pay for building a spine of Spanish/latin types who are always going to attract interest from the Spanish 'big two' and want to go home at some point.

That was then. Things have changed, we're no nearer to a new stadium or likely to get one in the next 5 years, so whatever was ruled out on the past with regards to the existing footprint needs to be reviewed. We own the majority of the housing surrounding the ground, including those that were once an obstacle to any redevelopment of the Anny Rd stand, which have have been now demolished. The expansion of both the Main and Anny would include more than enough corporate facilites for our need. Any more is just to line the owners pockets.

60k, with updated corporate facilities, is more than enough. Start with the Anny Rd, they could re route the road through the top end of the park or even build over it. Then move onto the Main Stand. They need to at least go back and review it as an option. Problem is they don't care and are just hanging on for grim death.

I'd scrap their monstrosity completely and start seriously looking into redeveloping the existing footprint. I don't think we have the scope for their corporate business plan anyway. Even Arsenal are struggling to sell out their boxes for next season.

Wise words.

Lets hope Juve turn to Dosser. They should anyway as he's a lot younger than Grosso. I hope City sign Puyol. Fabiano would be a great signing for anyone.

I know he's played that deeper position before but Xabi is at his best in his current role, with a destroyer protecting the back four. He's not the archetypal, dynamic attacking midfielder, but he suits the tactical posession game Rafa employs. Masch does bring a lot to the team but it's a close call between who is the more important. Personally I'd opt for Xabi as I don't think we need a specialist defensive midfielder for the vast majority of games. But like I said, they're the ideal partnership and it's difficult to replace that, and we should stand firm and refuse to sell.

Masch is a specialist player but I think he'd be easier to replace than Xabi, who makes us tick. To be fair, they compliment each other perfectly, which is why we should pull out all the stops to keep them both for at least another season.

Munster signs for City.

Are they just collecting overrated strikers?

Jenas is truly awful.

Didn't Graeme Hunter, that oracle on Spanish football, say they had something like 300 million to spend? Might have been more.

I think Rafa defo wanted Barry as he was a like for like replacement and would have freed up money for other positions, but once that plan went t*** up he made the decision not to sell Xabi, hence the very public and bullish statments. I genuinely believe he won't sell him and he's doing to Madrid what O'Neil did to us last summer - setting an unrealistic fee to piss them off when they've probably had assurances from agents, etc, to the contrary. You can sense their panic in the press, and I think they know they're fighting a losing battle. The only chance they have now would be for Xabi to come out publically and burn his bridges with the club, but does he have it in him?

Just highlights how difficult it will be to replace him. I still think he'll stay. Once Barry went to City, Rafa's decision was made for him.

Well he is a fat f*****.