Oz Canary

I think that''s a plausible view Pablo. The investment discussion just always seems to be clouded in mystery when it comes to NCFC. I also agree that you would like the current owners to do their own due diligence before any sale. We certainly wouldn''t like a situation like Blackburn''s where the owners are clearly clueless and the most important issue, have no cash to inject.I have no qualms with Delia on applying her own "proper fitness" test. But too continually state that no investment interest exists I think is a "furfy".

With the collapse of the Leeds takeover (which I think is funny, WACCOE must be going nuts) it again raises questions for me as to why lower league clubs like Leeds and Notts Forest can garner interest from wealthy investors and we continually state that nobody is interested. As we all know it takes alot of money to deliver a successful team in the PL and with our so called "global" search by EY being highly unsuccessful, although I bet EY made a pretty packet, it doesn''t seem true to me that there was absoluetly no interest. Surely, a one county team in the PL, with the stadium sold out each week, very small debt base, would be a more attractive proposition than Leeds in particular. Now before everybody jumps up and down about me "dissing" Delia and not wanting our club to be run by foreigners or run into the ground with debt, my question is purely around the fact that as fans we are continually told that there is no investment interest out there but that surely cannot be true as the two clubs above can testify.  

I have been reading all the posts over the past week or so concerned about our demise from the PL this year. Firstly, I totally understand where the angst and concern is coming from. We look at our squad and we quite rightly acknowledge it''s very talented and hungry for success but needs enhancing from the squad of last year. We have obviously bought in Snodgrass, Turner, Whittaker & Butterfield surely a massive boost to our midfield and defensive stocks. Turner is a good signing I feel and he will either partner young Bennett or RM. I think we also forget that Tierney was injured for two thirds of the season, Vaughan was injured for all but a handful of games and Howson joined us in January so this is his first full pre-season for him nad he will show the benefits of being with the lads during an off season.Those two lads coming back in will also add additional depth to the squad.  I think alot of the concern is also based around the fact that we still need additional players in particularly forwards and we all realise that season two is going to be more difficult than last year. Coupled with the fact that the increased TV revenue comes into effect at the end of this coming season makes it imperative that we survive. I think Holty and Moro did well last year but we will not have that element of surprise that we had last year and it will be tough for Holty and Moro but with the rest of the bunch of merry forwards I am sure they will do fine. Just because CH seems to have retained the perennially under-achieving Chris Martin does not spell us doom. He will be lucky to see the bench this year. Also, don''t forget our midfield will have some goals in it also. Just remember back to when CH''s appointment was made, the majority of us were saying how great a signing it was yet without a ball being kicked in anger so called fans on this site are tipping us for relegation because he hasn''t gone crazy in the transfer market. I, like all of you, would love to see CH bring in a Lukaku, Michael Owen or Curtis Davies but at the end of the day if he feels that he has all the tools he needs to begin the season then who are we to judge him. He is paid well to manage our great club so let''s let him do his job without all the vitriol. Now, if we start the season with defeats in our first 5 games and sitting botttom of the PL it will be a different discussion but IMO that time hopefully will not come so let''s all be positive, support our team and manager and maintain some perspective for know. OTBC 

Bookies have installed us as second favourites behind Stoke to sign Michael Owen. Interesting times...........

For me it''s also the three W''s - Wigan, West Ham and WBA, with one caveat. If Wigan pull off their annual great escape, I think Southampton could be the third.

I didn''t include Bent becuase he always seems to be injured or missing easy goals. But I did he that statistic also about him scoring the most goals apart from Rooney etc. Still think our squad looks stronger even with PL''s abilities being taken into consideration.

I tell you what also. You look across there squad and apart from Dunne, Herd, Agbonlahor and possibly Brett Holman I reckon our squad is heads and shoulders better than Villas.

[quote user="cityangel"]He''s already splashed loads of cash with Vlaar last week and Matt Lowton and Karim El Ahmadi a couple of weeks ago so I wouldn''t read too much into that [:D]   In addition to them hes got  a big enough decent enough squad, he just needs to get them motivated and playing as a close knit team and believing in themselves like he did us.  Given  Marshall Defenders  Hutton  Warnock Dunne  Collins  Clark  Stevens Lichaj  Baker Williams Midfielders  Ireland  N''Zogbia  Albrighton  Delph Petrov ( ill)  Bannan  Herd Johnson  Gardner  Carruthers Makoun Forwards  Bent  Agbonlahor  Delfouneso  Weimann  Burke Holman [/quote] Did Vlaar and El Ahmadi actually happen. I last heard that Vlaar put a cut-off time of last Friday (I think) and then the move was off. I thought to date all they have spent was the 3m for Lowton.

I saw this rumour as well BBB. But I would agree with Nexus as he looks like a beast and looks real rugged, alot of bookings could be the real enforcer you need in this league occassionly especially against the likes of Stoke, Villa and Gareth Bale. Just ask Charlie!!!

Apparently Randy Lerner is just about to sell his 70% stake in the Cleveleand Browns NFL team which should net him a cool 600 million USD. He has told Lambert though not to expect any new cash injection for players. Sorry for another Lambert & Villa thread but I just think this is hilarious. Looks like Lambo has made a glaring error is choosing these idiots. Oh well, you make your own bed........as they say!!!!!! All the way with Chrissy H OTBC

IMPO, I think Holty will retain the captain''s armband but not too sure whether he deserves too after his and his agent''s petulant behaviour at the end of last season. If Hughton is seriously considering making a change my vote would be for Jonny Howson.

Take it from me, Brad Jones is a very good keeper. He has EPL and International experience and is light years ahead of Theo and would be a great addition for us. CH knows what he is doing and if he is thinking of bringing in another keeper to challenge Ruddy then that can only be good for us as a team. 

I thought the Open Ceremony was brilliant and an absolute credit to Danny Boyle and you all should feel immensly proud today. For me it had everything that was great about the UK.   Everybody I have spoken to over the past couple of days have stated how much they liked it. Everything from Brunel to Bean and Beckham. Only the best could meld all that history,inspiration with satire and come up with the triumph we witnessed. Yankee Canary, giving that 5/10 is a disgrace and would suggest that you also didn''t understand most of it. I am a born and bred Australian but my paternal grandfather was British (from Northampton) and I spent three fantastic years living in Norwich in the early 90''s and after witnessing that spectacular Opening Ceremony I was even filled with a sense of pride. I was also chuffed to see that my maternal grandmother''s home country of Scotland(Fife) was represented. IMO, anybody that didn''t find that enjoyable is kidding themselves. I would like to say congratulations to you all it was fantastic and you should all be proud and enjoy the next two weeks I wish I was there to share in the excitement. 

Howson''s got a new hairdo as well. Is it just me or.... do Holty and Butterfield have some pot belly''s under that new Black strip 

Yes apologies I misread the article and I assumed we had gone back in a second time and that was also rejected. But as its stated above, if we offered 1.75m, no wonder it was rejected. If we really want him they we should pay the reason price and in my mind no more than 3m would be the figure.

Apparently, not since they declined the second offer over the weekend.

ELF, P!sswich

Jas, understand what you were trying to depict with your post however lighten up mate. The game was nothing more than a friendly and hopefully another string the to burgeoning friendship between our two great clubs. Relax !!!

They really are a bunch of tw@ts aren''t they.

At least he will be cleaned up by then.........

Wouldn''t he be arrested for doing that in public

I would like to see us bring in: 1. Snodgrass 2. Naughton 3. Vlaar - would be a fantastic pick up and affordable at 3.2m. 4. Lukaku - on loan  

I certainly haven''t seen anything where Warnock has come out and knocked back the second improved offer. I agree with you Smithy, the fact that staff had been told not to talk about it was the thing that I took away from my mates email. CH has come out and said we have to be patient with the Snodgrass deal but actually no one has said it''s been knocked back. Maybe it''s more like Warnock trying to have one last ditch attempt at changing Snoddy''s mind. Once that fails, he will sanction the deal???????

Thanks Pricey, that''s great information and well done to the 75 that turned up great effort.  

Howie, they were message board postings and if you are like me I take those postings with a grain of salt. After reading them, I emailed a friend of mine who is now living back in London whose is a lifelong Leeds supporter. He has a brother who actually works for the football club (not sure doing what though). In my email I was giving him a hard time about the fact that we had had our second offer for Snodgrass accepted and that they were our feeder club etc etc. He responded a few hours later and said he telephoned his brother who told him that last Friday afternoon all internal staff had been told not to speak about Snodgrass at all to anybody in any capacity (either staying or going). I thought this was an interesting piece of unsolicited information and then I started thinking about it and came up with my thoughts as in the original post. It sounds all fantastic but it really just started with trying to find an update of what was happening with the second offer and it unfolded like this.  I''m probably way off the mark but you never know.