Hopkins

No idea if it has been mentioned but did anyone spot Harding retching for the majority of the second half? Looked like he was about to puke up for most of it and they had some guy feeding him water and reporting back to the dug out. Bit strange.

Both of those players are 27 and are not seen as players with potential any more. Beckford if is going to be sold will be on the cheap for a variety of reasons. 1) He's been pretty average for Everton. A gamble worth taking on a free that hasn't worked out. 2) If he's to be sold it will be because Everton need the cash and want rid to free up some money for someone better. Therefore are hardly in a position to be holding out for big fees. 3) As I said above, he's 27. If someone purchases him he's not got much a of a resale value. Further to that unlike Rodriguez he's never scored goals regularly higher than League One. Number 3 also goes for CMS. Unlike Beckford he was first choice at his selling club but any chance of using that as a bargaining tool in negotiations went when Fry revealed last season they had agreed with CMS that he's to be sold if they get promoted. Clubs knew that Peterborough couldn't keep hold of him therefore the price goes down. Rodriguez's is in a situation where he's not only first choice for his selling club but he's a local hero as well. The price therefore goes up. The selling club have to justify why they are selling him. Further to that he's 5 years younger than CMS and Beckford and he has a lot of resale value. A good couple of years for us and some pretty big clubs in the Prem will come knocking. Burnley have to bear this is mind and make sure that any club purchasing him are paying for his potential (or of course stick in a huge percentage of the sell on price clause in). All that is on top of the opinion that personally I think he is a better player than both of them already.

Am I the only one who doesn't think he is over priced? Goal scorers go for big money, especially young English ones. I claimed before the season started in this websites pre season predictions that he would be top scorer in this league and I fully believe that will be the case whether he comes to us or stays at Burnley. He's the most natural goal scorer I've seen in this league and can get all sorts of them, he's got good strength and good in the air to go with a pretty decent strike on him too. Check out his goals on you tube or something. **** the price. If we are willing to spend it, I don't think there is any better in this league. Certainly not Ishmael Miller.

Am I the only one who vaguely remembers Chaplow playing wide right against Leeds when he came on? I'm probably wrong to be fair. Don't think he'll change the side and if he does I doubt De Ridder will start. Think Chaplow or Morgan would come in and we'd switch to a diamond.

Depending on what it is I'll do it. I'm unable to PM you though so you can email me at 7hopkm12@solent.ac.uk

I'll disagree not on stats but on the fact that he is utter turd. Think many Championship fans will tell you how over rated he is.

Oh and I forgot Birmingham. Which pretty much sums them up. Boring squad, boring manager who succeeded with Newcastle because the squad was ridiculous and a boring club. Cameron Jerome ffs. They will struggle. And I thought that at the start of last season and way before any financial mess they have got themselves into this season.

Personally I'm the opposite. The more I look at the teams the more I fancy our chances. Leicester are being incredibly over rated imo. Strikers will get you out of this league, having goal scorers will fly you to the top and looking at Leicester I really am not envious of there striker options. If players like Becchio can come into this league and be one of the better strikers then I fancy our ability to score goals. West Ham have everything except strikers right now. I'm sure they will put that right, as will Leicester by signing a striker soon but until they do that and depending on who they get, I don't think they are going to run away with anything. Forest for me will be a danger. Pretty quiet summer so far but McClaren will have them set up properly and I fancy them to surprise some people. Cardiff have Earnshaw and Miller, two very average strikers imo. Won't be enough goals in them to get them out of trouble. Ipswich and Chopra...better than Cardiff but he hasn't been good enough to fire a team out of this league so far and I see no reason for him to do it now. Bowyer will be a top signing though. As for us...I'm obviously slightly bias but I do look at our players and see goals from everywhere. Lambert, Connolly, Guly, Barnard, Lallana, Chambo (if he stays), De Ridder, Cork, Hammond will get an important couple as will Chaplow and Fonte. Who knows how we will do, but the more I look at teams the more I see us springing a few shocks against some big clubs (In League One we certainly upped our game in the bigger ties) and I certainly don't fear anyone at home.

Squad numbers don't mean anything. Bilbao played 1-11 both games, irrespective of who was on the pitch and their actual squad numbers. Arguably a weaker team played against us. No Llorente or Ander Herrera for instance.

Frimpong is a holding midfielder.

Which podcast and how did you get that gig?

Anyone know the credibility of those websites?

Doesn't get much of a look in for Bolton any more. Doubt he features much in Coyle's plans for the future. Wouldn't have him over Lallana either. Therefore it's not a signing we should be worried about.

Really? Stupidly over rated when he was in his prime, let alone now he's past that.

In fairness as much as Turkish is pretty much the only one speaking sense in this thread, I'm pretty sure Lansbury is being touted as being given a chance at Arsenal this season and if not I think Norwich would be all over him as well as others in the Prem plus further to that Bruma joined Hamburger SV with Frank Arnesen quite a while ago.

Pretty much the same here and the majority of other clubs with a sensible structure in place. The days of leaving it to one man are over, which in reality is for the best.

He's looked anything but handy imo. Classic case of an English player being more physically developed than others his age, therefore tearing up youth leagues and being fast tracked through the system until everyone realises he is technically horrific.

Oh and of course we'll probably sign Sharp and not any other strikers which makes this even more pointless.

Is this sarcastic? Anyway, I came across this kid during some research for the U21 Championships. He was a must for any fantasy team and any goal scoring bets. I think he only scored once during the competition which was a bit annoying but he looked decent enough. Think he got a hat trick for the U21's in a friendly just before the competition which meant he pretty much nailed on his starting place for every game. As the OP says, a quick Nigerian born striker. The quote saying he doesn't want to leave pretty much makes this pointless though.

Just a few things wrong in this post. Firstly he was first choice at Chelsea before they got the best left back in the world Ashley Cole. Not a bad player to lose your place too. And secondly to slag off his defending and then claim he wasn't in the class of Bale is laughable.

Shaqiri has been player of the tournament for me. Belarus are incredibly organised as a team too. Anyway just been showed this, which i think sums up everything wrong with English football and it's mentality. Coach sets up a two-touch game on a small pitch, so what do england U-21's do? take a touch and shoot, basically. quite sad. One good goal at the start, the rest is just long range shooting and lobbing it into the box. http://www.thefa.com/video/England/Mens ... ---10-June

Bloke has a rape accusation hanging over his head as well as a court date for something else. He's well known for being a douche and has many friends who like to cause trouble while he is around. Am I right in thinking a lot of Rangers fans are fuming at the idea of him joining because they doubt very much moving to Glasgow will sort him out? No ta.

Who fancies a Keogh and Sharp reunion? Scored quite a few for Nigel together at S****horpe. Don't see it happening as it would leave us with a bit too much up top but you never know.

Sounds like a bitter agent to me. Especially when you consider last time the details came out we were quite high in giving out agent fees. Also the idea that clubs sell players and not agents is naive.

Nile Ranger is technically horrendous. Classic case of player scoring goals at youth level because of his phsyical attributes.