Lets be aving you!

Boycott, he''s absolute rubbish (said in an annoying know-it-all Yorkshire accent).    

Dunno, LDC, there''s a definite Pink Un link, what with Henry Blofeld waxing lyrically about Norwich City or the deployment of the odd very silly point.   We just need an "Umpire Watch" thread to complete the parallel universe.          

Thick edge or what?   And that''s just the umpire!

"otherwise, the next / younger generation will never get to follow the Club away from home, a right that some fans presently seem to regard with an "air of superority" or "badge of honour" over some fellow fans"   The tickets are generally freely available (other than for Arsenal away last year), including for the next/younger generation.   The issue is with the design of the system. In the rare cases that allocations are limited, why someone with a season ticket but no away games should rank higher in the system than someone without a ST but who has been to all 19 away games seems, to me, ludicrous.   If the design is deliberate, rather than unintended, I can only think that the club cares much more about ST holders than, say, Norwich fans living on the other side of the country who go regularly to away games near where they live but who for practical reasons do not get to Carrow Road.   I wonder whether this redesign is being used as another way of encouraging "borderline non-ST holders" to sign up to the season ticket waiting list, as it''s another clear benefit of being a ST holder.    

I went to the Plough Lane game.   All I now remember the game for - must be about our shortest ever career. Poor chap.

A link to Nana''s video, where this quaggy guy looks so poor:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCrRpHgZU0Q

Yup, that bicycle kick was shocking.

frogus, I''ve often wondered what happened in the Championship when you had such a great midfield.   When player as an attacking midfielder, which has not happened too much so far, Howson can sometimes look real class. I''m hoping that this is the season he emerges as a real star.  

"Why, when ordinary people in the streets of foreign countries can often speak better English than you or i, is Google Translate so crap?"   Because, contrary to widely held beliefs, translation does not involve simply transposing words or phrases from one language to another but depends on context.   To be able to understand context, you need intelligence.   And computers don''t have intelligence.   (Just think of how many different meanings the word "set" has in English (setting sun, set the table, set of clubs, game set & match, set homework, set off, set up, ...) , and then think how a mindless machine could possible every differentiate between them).  

"I went to 10 away games last season. I''m not sure its fair that I''m graded as half as loyal as a Norwich based fan that has a season ticket, just like I don''t think a fan that traveled the length and breadth of the country to see all 20 games should have the same 1000 points as a season ticket holder who could travel 10 mins to see a huum gaame.Plus, I think there should be some points (maybe 25?) given to tickets purchased for home games from non-season ticket holders."   I quite agree, Spencer! While offering the club the advantage of simplicity, this new system over-rewards ST holders.   For practical purposes, this won''t matter for most away games.   But when we draw a plum away tie in the FA Cup quarterfinals and Hughton actually puts out a team instructed to win, woe betide away-game regulars if they don''t have a season ticket.  

That''s really interesting, Bethnal. I''d never considered the difficulty of getting back to a continental club as a factor.

"I think our club is unique in the premiership. We are pretty much debt free, don''t have a money is no object wealthy benefactor, have a good team ethos and a good footballing set up. That is of value in itself and players that recognise that will realize that even if we are offering slightly less than other clubs in wages, the reasons to move here are sound ones."   No, not unique. West Brom have no debt and no wealthy benefactor.   Their "model" is apparently to pay a lot more in wages than us (e.g. Shane Long, Jonas Olsson allegedly on 40k+), but to spend less on transfer fees (they were apparently initially interested in Hughton to replace Hodgson but baulked at paying the compo that Birmingham wanted for Hughton & co).   They have also spent big on loans (Lukaku) and are supposed to be paying free-transfer signing Anelka 5 million over 2 years (that''s 50 k/week). Not that I think the Anelka deal is good value, because he''s getting on now in age.   West Brom have also been interested in Toivonen. It might be interesting if the Swede ended up going there.  

Normally my undies are bone dry but after some intially promising sounding moves for players some of our mooted transfers are going a bit quiet.   Before Olsson signed, I saw a couple of reports saying that he was coming to "thrash out terms" (possibly journalese for not being overimpressed with the wages on offer).   Maybe Toivonen is the same, and feels that he''d be better offer staying put and signing a new contract with PSV rather than getting out of bed for our measly pay packet.   Quite what''s happened to Fer is anyone''s guess. Maybe everthing''s hunky dory, or perhaps he''s realised he won''t be able to buy so many horses as he could in Holland.   And Alderwiereld now seems to be playing a waiting game, reportedly saying he''s not even sure he wants to leave Ajax.   So is a pattern emerging of a player initially being interested, coming over for talks, going back and then deciding against it? Is it because we are wanting to spend big on transfers but not enough on wages to get the players we are targeting? Or am I just being naive, and the players concerned would have known what was on offer way in advance?   No doubt I''ll look very stupid later today when Fer puts pen to paper ...

The telegraaf article I''ve seen quotes 8 million euros.   The two clubs have reached agreement, but there''s the small matter of personal terms (especially wages) to agree with the player.

Massively over-rewards season ticket holders (not that I''m complaining because I am one).   Seems very unfair on non-ST holders who go mainly to away games, especially the Stokes, Sunderlands & West Broms.

So, my 5-year-old daughter, who has so far attended just one League Cup game and the home game against Wigan, but who has recently been allocated a heavily discounted season ticket, now automatically gets 1000 points.   But a non-ST holder who attended every single away league game last season gets only 950 points.   Back of the net!

Rudd''s on a season-long loan to Preston so won''t be on the bench.  

Fer''s girlfriend said there weren''t any stables in the middle of Enschede.   Wonder where Steve Maclaren thought he should sthtick hisss horshh.

Thanks for clearing that up, Bethnal.   Sound like a very stable character, and the ideal replacement now that Horse has gone:   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2243205/Dutch-star-Leroy-Fer-splashes-22k-pet-horse-impress-girlfriend-lives-flat.html  

Good find, Haisbrocker.   Wonder whether he prefers Dutch cake and coffee to the Yellows variety.

Of the players we''ve been linked to this summer, this one has me the most excited.   Sounds a bit of a snip at the 5-8 million euros quoted.

"It was a first day to prove to the doubters that cricket can be exciting."   Ha ha, you''re right there! Excited Canary was going today and will certainly have got his money''s worth.

Wiz, when Fer no doubt signs tomorrow and replaces Fox (1 PL game last season), or when Hooper signs and replaces Jackson (barely any game time last season), etc. etc. you don''t get the idea that the fringe players are being steadily displaced by tangible upgrades?   And the argument about the speed of it all simply does not stand up as last summer we brought in NINE players: Bunn, Garrido, Whittaker, Bassong, Turner, Snoddy, Butterfield, Kane and Tetty.   A non-argument if ever there was one.

Poor application by the batsmen of both sides today, especially as a lot of the bowling was not too searching.   At this rate, it''ll be all over by Friday.   England must be clear favourites, what with Australia batting last and facing Swann.  

Fox, Ayala and Barnett to be sold or, failing that, loaned out.   Four to come in: Fer, Toivonen & Hooper + a central defender (don''t know who but can''t honestly see us getting Alderweireld).   Also maybe a cheap young loanee - Nick Powell seems a good bet, especially if we don''t get Toivonen.   Olsson will double as a left winger so think that''s us done on wingers.