ArteSuave

He was behind the ball.

And like I asked before, how do you know that the likes of Given, Ireland and N'Zogbia are (or were in Ireland's case) high-earners? How do we know Wayne Rooney is on £300k per week? If Gabby is forced to take a significant pay-cut, it won't go unmentioned. I don't have a clue how much N'Zogbia is on. I don't really have a clue how much Given or Ireland earn either but they came from a team whose wage bill is triple ours so its probably a lot. None of those things has any relevance or sets any precedent for what Lambert would offer Agbonlahor with a new contract. Maybe he'd offer the same, maybe less. Judging by his transfer fee claims PL will just say any old shit to fob off the media and some will believe him some won't. Even a fabled ITK is unlikely to get any info on what he earns.

But you'll never know if he is or isn't with his new deal. It's not in anyone's interest to disclose how much he would be earning and if we make any sales / purchases it will be almost impossible to work it out from the accounts. What will you base your opinion of his new salary on? It will be undisclosed and there is no precedent from Lambert for offering established PL players contracts so he could either be scrooge McDuck or MON. If he gets a new contract will you be happy because of the paycut he might have taken or disappointed because of the paycut he might have not taken?

So if the same standards are applied should you not take any reports of GA's proposed new contract talks lightly (or even dismiss them out of hand) until back-up by reports of an actual contract being offered or confirmation of the wages being offered by the club or player involved?

The reports? THE REPORTS? I thought you'd just dismissed such reports as tenuous and hearsay. Basic logic would also tell us a player who came 3rd in the PFA YPOTS would be coveted by other clubs but you just scoffed at the reports supporting that.

You don't know what he earns now and wouldn't know what he earned on a new contract. All that you'll know is our total wage bill and who is under contract. So what are you so unhappy about?

What kind of stupid shit to say is that? You said you couldn't care less about local club supporting players, his bluenose hatred was just an illustration of the kind of thing that endears him to fans. You're advocating not offering a contract at all AFAIK. He doesn't have to be offered the wages of a key first team player if he isn't going to be one. Anyway, he's the most experienced member of our squad, he's been at the club his entire career, he's capable of winning big games single-handedly, he's a (match attending) fan favourite. Luckily the people in charge realise this and aren't just going to bin him off at the first opportunity.

It looks like a man in a baggy jumper to me. Some of the assessments of the physical attributes of our squad confuse the shit out of me. If he is "fat" you can't tell from that picture. At least it's a more credible argument though than those saying Agbonlahor is fat.

I think a large majority of local fans that I know prefer to see local academy graduates in the side. I agree with you that the most important thing is ability and performance but the fact Gabby clearly hates blues fans (with good reason) and they all hate him isn't something I couldn't care less about. I'm all for having a bunch of high quality mercenaries who wouldn't piss on me if I was on fire that fly up from London in their helicopters every game if it meant we were challenging for / winning stuff but what the **** is the point if we're nowhere near? We'd be shipping out a guy who has put in some great performances in the games most important to the fans and has become one of the senior pros at the club for the sake of what? Hoping to get someone better in within our budget when we have far more pressing requirements? Yes he needs competition and yes I'd prefer it if he wasn't an automatic starter regardless of form but why the **** are people so keen to let him go for free without a better alternative for his position in the squad?

RIP Bro. You'll be sadly missed.

Bulgarian immigrants? Animal race? Never go full retard.

Eddie killed it! Best Metamoris match yet and it was a 43 year old and a 48 year old. I've gotta find a good instructional video on that electric chair thing.

Unbelievable. The only place that notion exists is in the straw man you've created to try and defeat. Yeah, so many bargain buys in the big clubs' lineups. I sure wish we could have spotted some of them International regulars and brought them in for meagre fees of barely more than £20m.

I've seen him score the winner at OT and in that shithole down the road. He's put in good performances in big games and local derbies loads of times and he's been the only academy graduate that's any cop for ages. I wouldn't go as far as Gentleman, but I think he deserves a new contract. **** this season being his 'final chance'. He's not had a great season but he's still got 7 assists and he won the game at the Emirates (and was great at Anfield).

The way tony describes it is as though there was lots of personal items from passengers found which makes it sound plausible. I'd always assumed everything in the plane was destroyed and if that was the case but the passport was the only thing to survive that would be unbelievable. Either way, what would be the point of planting the passport?

Do you believe his passport was thrown clear of the plane on impact? Can I show you a lovely bridge I have for sale? Who claims his passport was thrown clear on impact? I don't remember that bit at all.

I actually thought he was taller than that. Pictures of Vlaar in a team line up: Most of the people standing next to him are 6'+

He's bigger than that isn't he? Edit - Maybe Heitinga is just a midget CB.

What on Earth are you talking about?

Nobody at all whatsoever expects him to come in and be a mix of God and Laursen. He just has to be better than Baker. I'm sure he can manage that. As Samjp says, he's a prospect and people are hopeful he can start to fulfil his potential.

**** hell, where do you live?

Oh I'm sorry I didn't realise Dzeko was in your fantasy team. There is nothing to discuss if you think Bacuna is one of the worst in the division. You think he "cannot defend at all". What the **** kind of position is that to argue against?

Absolute load of bollocks. I know you're devastated because your beloved United lost again but that doesn't mean Bacuna isn't worth £3.2m. One of the weakest in the league? Yeah OK then.

Well for a start he could've give Donacien a chance when we had three centre-backs injured and were facing League Two opposition. He could've perhaps have given Callum Robinson a run-out when we were 4-1 up against Norwich rather than Grant Holt. He could've also have not given Carruthers absolutely no first-team action whatsoever last season when he was happy to even give the likes of Jordan Bowery some. But then again, he won't even give his own signings like Helenius and Tonev a proper chance so I won't hold my breath for the likes of Grealish next season. It might have been nice to see a few token appearances like you've mentioned but that wouldn't do much more than pacify us lot. Southampton have put their youngsters like Shaw (and recently Chambers) in for extended spells in the league. I don't think I've seen any evidence that any of ours are good enough for that at the minute. That is the kind of level of ability that is required to get a run in a PL side with top half ambitions.

And it probably never will be now EPPP is doing its thing.