Celery1989

I was at Warwick Uni mate. Just about to graduate lived in Leamington for 2 years! Interestingly a fellow student of mine who I knew lived in the same building as RDM's family! She saw him there every once in a while I think too. Sadly I didn't see much of her otherwise I'd have gone there and given the man a massive hug.

Raynes Park to Wimbledon on the train, district line to Parsons Green. Get boozed up at the White Horse. Walk to the Bridge :)

I think my feelings have been summarised quite well by others. This definitely eases the pain, a lot in fact. But the horrors of Moscow and the injustice - Actually I'd go as far as to say it was a fix - of Barca '09 will remain with us. But I've always maintained that to win the Champions League you need luck. We had it this year big time even though this year's side was probably the weakest we've had in the CL under Roman. I guess in the past years things just conspired against us in whatever way. However, I don't think there's any doubt that we ought to have won it at least once before this year given how close we'd been and with the core that we've had in our team.

Both left very illustrious legacies in their own right and comparing them as players is impossible since they played the game so differently. I love both players in their own ways and for the immense contributions that they gave for the club in what were very different eras in its development. But I suppose I'd give the edge to Drogba because of the inextricable part he played in us winning sh*tloads of silverware in the last 8 years and his Herculean efforts in Cup Finals and of course Munich in particular. Granted Zola played the game in the purist sense and always gave it his all. There was never any petulance with him or diving etc. But I can't understand why some here are saying that its Zola by a distance?

I hope you're right about Kakuta but I don't see it. He couldn't even break into a Bolton team that hardly won a game in the 4/5 months he was there. In the starts that he got in Ancelotti's last season he did nothing. I agree that isn't a bad attacking midfield at all. But Sturridge is too egotistical to play out there. I'd rather we just have him as a striker to rotate in and out with Torres. Hulk would be a perfect fit in that position. Of course he'd have to acclimatise etc but I don't see why he can't.

Can't believe people are still talking about Kakuta. The guy quite clearly isn't good enough. He had one decent game against Wolves 3 years ago off the bench and since then did nothing for us in the appearances that he had. He was non existent at Bolton and did ok for a marginal French team last year. Hazard, Marin, KDB and Sturridge are all clearly better. Kakuta is as good as gone, especially if Hulk/Moses come.

Clarke's job was primarily that of an Assistant Manager - the guy that sets up the drills, the initial bridge between Squad and Manager etc - but he also received a lot of praise for organising the defence. He did the same thing at Liverpool under Dalglish where their defence was excellent much of the time. I see what you're saying about specialist coaches, but I think its essential to have somebody tasked with overseeing the defence - think about how many goals are conceded through poor marking at set pieces, someone not stepping up to play offside etc etc. Given how there will be a greater emphasis this year on playing attractive, expansive football, its imperative that someone constantly drills in the defensive fundamentals. You can argue this both ways for sure. Just look at was happened at Arsenal over the last 6 years, where very little emphasis has been given to defending whilst an attacking philosophy has been sustained. However, RDM seems to know how to set up a defence pretty well so perhaps Desailly would be an excessive appointment. But I'm personally a big fan of the pragmatic approach to the game and so would love for a defensive specialist to be brought in.

Just reading that article now. AVB really needs to be taugh the meaning of the word humility. Who the hell does he think he is? Particularly in light of what happened at Chelsea?

Good luck out there Didier! You will be missed. Hopefully he comes back in some capacity in the future.

More importantly to this thread, what the hell has happened to the Hulk transfer? 2 weeks ago multiple reports suggested that the deal was all but done. However it seems that 3rd party ownership and agent fees are complicating matters...still hope that this goes through.

I'd love for him to come back. I was really hoping we could get Steve Clarke back on board to coach the defense, but with him now managing WBA having Desailly in a similar role would be great! As others have said, adding another accomplished defensive mentor to what we already have in JT and to a lesser extent Ivanovic, A. Cole would be very valuable to our younger defenders.

I don't mind this as a sort of 'punt', in the same mould as the Marin signing. Having him as an impact sub to cover a number of positions could be good early on, and then if he develops in a first team regular all the better. However there's no way that he's ready to come in and start for us, and I hate for this signing to spell the end of Sturridge too. Moreover I still hope we're after Hulk. He's the guy that I'd want on the right. Moses to me is more of a left winger anyway who can also do a job upfront.

In my experience the Season Review DVD's aren't ever particularly good. The Chelsea TV commentators are crap compared to Sky, although at least you get some passion out of Jason Cundy on the rare occasion that he does it. I wish Sky would produce a DVD of our CL run. I reckon they would do a fantastic job with that judging by all the awesome montages they do throughout the year in the buildup to big games. Not to mention that their broadcasting of football games is pretty good all in all.

I defended AVB for a long, long while and had a great deal of sympathy for him initially. However he was such an arrogant pr*ck that I lost patience with him, and given the way he treated the players its no surprise that hardly any of them wanted to play for him. Was overjoyed when he was sacked tbh, couldn't stand listening to his wordy Press Conference any more whilst he systematically sunk my football club down the sh*tter. I think he'll do better at Tottenham than he did with us, but I still think his lack of man management skills will prove his downfall. Couple that with what could be a lot of upheaval in the squad (Modric, Adebayor, Bale, Van Der Vaart) and AVB's "project" will require a lot of time. Levy has shown that he's not the most patient of Chairman either, so pressure's on for AVB big time. On a side note, does anybody think that AVB's purported move to Spurs might have anything to do with the hold up over Hulk? Hulk holds AVB in very high regard apparently and perhaps he'd want to follow his old manager?

Fantastic news, Congratulations Roberto! Glad to see Roman and co. come to their senses.

Precisely. Well said. That 'Sieg Heil' lot can go f*ck themselves.

Getting back into the Top 4 is paramount. I also think that, with the players we've signed already and with a couple more, the board will probably demand a decent title challenge, but I would expect us to fade away as we're not quite as strong as City or United. They'll want us to put up a decent fist of defending both cups, but they can't possibly expect the team to retain the CL as its never been done before. I presume Roman will want us to play with more flair to, and to perhaps - and I hope - blood some more youngsters, in particular Bertrand, and maybe even Lukaku, McEachran if they don't go out on loan (although I'd expect that they will).

Fair enough, but I don't think anyone needs Uefa's coaching badges to see that there are better holding midfielders than JOM.

Just reading this thread as Jamie Carragher tries his hardest to speak intelligible English on ITV. Can't say that Liverpool are a historic rival (there's that word that they all worship again), but given all the games in the Abramovich era they're up there in terms of our most important games.

Top post mate, you make a great point. I don't condone football violence myself but I can see what the appeal would be.

Regardless of how significant they may or may not have been in the 80's and 90's, I'm glad that hooliganism is largely on the decline. Nevertheless it still gets on my nerves a bit when you hear people singing National Front/BNP songs at the away games. Sorry if this offends any one but I think its pretty low when people try to celebrate their own cultural and political ignorance at a football game. If people want to hold those stupid, backward views then so be it, but trying to make supporting a football club into some sort of pseudo-political expression is simply wrong.

The home and away strips of the '97 Cup winning season. I also love the '05-'06 home strip with the gold trim. Worst kit by far was the home shirt that we won the double in - cycling top!

So following your logic Stewart Downing should still be in the England squad despite his awful season? I realise that all our managers have played him a lot but then what choice have they had? Essien has spent about half of the duration of Mikel's tenure in the treatment room! Sorry but Mikel simply hasn't been anywhere near as good as advertised over the 5 years he's been with us. Need I remind you that we paid £16 Million for him which is a ludicrous amount of money to pay for any 18 year old who's only ever played in the Norwegian league. He was dubbed as the heir apparent to Makelele who, quite frankly, was in another universe compared to JOM. We were lucky to have the best holding midfielder of this century in our side and therefore comparison seems unfair. But the fact of the matter is that there are better holding players out there who offer more than Mikel's limited repertoire of skills. Yes, he was excellent under RDM, and hopefully that continues. If it does, great and we're all happy. Hopefully this could be the season that Mikel emerges and can become of greater use going forward. If he could add a killer through ball to his game and greater consistency then I'd be sold on the guy. Until that's the case, he deserves to be scrutinised, IMO.

I rate Fellaini, would be a good signing. I'd rather Tiote though to honest. I hate to say this because he used to be awesome, but Essien has to go. He's virtually lost it since all the knee injuries, seems to be no more than a passenger in games nowadays. Lampard, Mikel, Romeu, Meireles and one more for the CM positions. Josh out on loan somewhere he will actually play this year (Cheers Swansea). I'd also like a "deep lying creative midfielder" in the Modric mould but willing to leave that acquisition until next summer.

Not sold yet on Mikel. He was fantastic under RDM, but was rather mediocre under every other manager before. If he can kick on next season where he left off this year then great, but given his history I'm a little skeptical. Happy to give him next season to prove me wrong though for good.