Another Boro rookie now Nice lad, fit straight in, friendly agents etc etc wow what an ambitious forward thinking set of guys we have in charge. Warnock hunts for a proper keeper meanwhile.....

Marquee signings making a statement. Clown tactics on the pitch.

He had the edge of Raya in that dept which is what was needed unfortunately lacked the cat like reflexes and had similar number of clangers and concentration lapses. That was evident early on but it looked like he'd settled in well at one point so it was odd how he went right off the boil post lockdown.

15 million on 3 forwards in 2 summers, million pound loan fees last season, Downing about a million for one season - all to finish midtable ! Need a keeper, a poxy million quid, nah we'll stick a plaster on that one again. I don't know why some fans choose to ignore this when they are hailing the midtable messiah.

He's the decent name chucked about whilst they wait to be offered something cheap from the c list. Like the 'defenders are coming' scenario Mowbrays rep hangs on this. A good one in or lucky loan or it's a very black mark Tony not the sign of building a team or a gaffer who knows what he's doing. Just more finger in the dyke hope for the best stuff.

That sounds like Kevin Keegan.

It'll come down to which agents push the hardest as usual.

What happened the last time we heard that about a Charlton player we were after ? Either sign Philips and stump up the cash if they really want him otherwise move on. It's the dithering that ends up costing more in the long run.

Ill fated signings him and Agnew although i remember the fanfare, then the flop. Dawson was another yet i don't recall seeing him play yet do recall the tales of regular sightings of him and Andy Kennedy on the piss everywhere.

But they've already stretched the rules if they did it the way the reports say so how does he give some of his billions to Charlie buoy without breaking them ? It's still bunging money in to fund signings so they might as well just let him get paid normally.

So if Mulgrew is on 12 grand per week here ( it's probably more ) then they can only pay 1.5pwk. The rest is allowed to be covered in a loan fee. A) Already clubs finding loopholes B ) How do Pompey come up with over half a million quid in one go for a 34 year old ? And surely if that's in installments it's just like paying him directly anyway ? Chip paper !

As usual it gets 'broke' after it's broke ? Means nothing unless it's actually concrete in as far as bids and talks but fills the pages i suppose.

Is that the invasion game ? About 4-2 to them ?

Do Indian lads like doughnuts and table tennis ?

It seems the TM way is to make early enquries to decent players but just half hearted ones. Then sit back and see if that player doesn't get any better offers and we are able we'll jump in late on and do something. 9 times out of ten they do or we just outright can't afford it anyway so that leaves us scrabbling around from list c or d. The same kind of non urgent laid back plodding approach we see and hear week in week out. If we can do it we'll do it, if we can't then fine no big deal. This might be way off the mark but i think we've been through enough windows now to gauge how they work. Horses for courses first and foremost is definitely not in the script.

To go backwards like that so quickly no i wouldn't tough him with a barge pole now. It was another experiment, its failed. Next.

Dalglish carved himself out a lower league career i think. Miles kickaball isn't even non league standard.

Where does that leave the Lee Williamsons of the world and the other dross we signed on thousands per week under embargo ? Guys way down the food chain earning 6 - 8k per week at the likes of Salford is nearly as bad as the top guys earning 50k pwk. Some realism needed all the way through the pyramid. They aren't all going to fit onto the Chelseas of the worlds books nor will they get poached by Dutch and Belgian second tier clubs.

There's someone sat in a PR office somewhere being paid to post in there and other places.

I guess it just shows you how desperate the then owners were to get rid. I'm sure the wheels were well greased all along the chain. Often wondered if Williams reluctance to get involved after he'd gone and it was all going to shit was down to a bit of a guilt trip. His fingerprints were on it if he hired Anderson and ok'd the Venkys although in truth the big decisions then were higher up the food chain.

He can take all the training and pick the team for me, Tony can sit upstairs and watch ?

They hired Anderson to find a buyer not run the club himself but essentially that's what happened.

Oh he was limited alright but surprisingly a 110 goals in 388 appearances. Just a B side Kevin Davies really, Allardyce would've loved him.

They probably did, Trust/Walkers really really wanted rid and they or rather one of them really wanted a football club. He was the ultimate middleman it seems but we are just dealing with it on face value. How it all came about may be far more interesting yet it seems the twohat stayed one step ahead of any potential recourse.

He put himself about, was quite physical and tried to get on the end of stuff. Not much more you can ask of a limited forward. The fact he barely resembled an actual footballer with the ball not withstanding.