The perfect pres-season. Team fired up and confident. No injuries. Everything looks good.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Now watch Chelsea knock the wind firmly out of our sails.

[Ashberto]

we failed to score any goals.

[Berni]

Remember us arse-raping United in the 98-99 won? How did that turn out?

Or us stuffing City last year?

I predict we'll win narrowly against Chelsea, somebody will use the phrases 'putting down a marker' and 'declaration of intent' and we will then lose tamely at home to West Ham.

[Rich]

be a career defining mistake if Arsene fails to bring in a big-money galactico.

[Berni]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

What is a Benzena and why would we want one?

[Mo Britain less Europe]

halves... Alexis, Ox, Rambo

[Mc Gooner]

[Rich]

We want one to win the league, basically.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Oblivious in the sense that I have not seen one second of it though of course I am aware we are the Emirates Cup champions again.

Few minor injuries I believe though none to be overly concerned about at this juncture.

And we have loads of money to spend. Which is nice.

[Berni]

I seem to remember we needed one this time last year as well. Then we got one and now we need another one.

It's all rather confusing, tbh. Or it might just be that football fans are spoilt children who always want another shiny, expensive thing, regardless of whether it's right for the side or not.

[Peter]

[Peter]

Seemingly regardless of whether we need one and purely because we can afford it.

Is this the sense of entitlement you are always banging on about?

[Rich]

I predict the former. Shad out.

[Peter]

Clutching his ankle. He went off soon afterwards.

[Rich]

We have 200million to spend ffs.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Or Rambo to have another great season.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

As long as he is fit for West Ham I could not care less if he was stood in the centre circle with a woodbine in his left hand and a small beer in the other.

[Berni]

If we were to sign another Gilberto these days, people would complain about us signing an unknown, unspectacular journeyman rather than 'a marquee signing' - not 'shiny' enough, see? :shrug:

[Berni]

can offload him to City for silly money in January.

[Ben.]

he spends a fair amount of time laughing at himself

[Red N White Army]

[Berni]

And you are taking the word of a carpet salesman that we have 200 million to spend.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

What a remarkably thick man he must be though one has to admire how he managed to make just so much money from floor coverings.

[PSRB]

and all with out Sanchez

Particular highlights include
Cech looks a find, where's he been hiding?
Ozil was just magnificent. No idea what Keown was blathering on about, clearly celebrated his birthday a bit hard
Ramsey, very tidy
Adelaide, quality long-term prospect
Walcott, looked very sharp

Many others that I can't be bothered to type

[Luis Anaconda]

[Berni]

Based on his moronic utterances the other day, one must assume he told the Indian manufacturers that he had absolute f**kloads of spare cash hanging about and was in the market to spend it all, at which point they all shifted the decimal point on their prices one digit to the right.

[The Tony]

It's going to be third and another FA cup innit

[Berni]

I'm hoping it's just a way of getting him to re-sign and then we can stick him back out wide.

[Luis Anaconda]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Drinking pints at 3pm not the example to set the kids.

[Luis Anaconda]

[redgunamo]

[Red N White Army]

[Berni]

[PSRB]

personally, I think he should stay at least 1 more season, as banker 1st choice CB against being either 3rd or 4th at Chelsea. Not likely that his stock will decrease either

Not seen or spoken to PJ since end of season so I have no inside knowledge on this

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

not to have enough money to pay very much; one negotiates based on what works for the deal. His Indian suppliers didn't undercharge him because they thought he was skint, nor overcharge him because they thought he was loaded. It's about the price making sense for both parties, not how much money is theoretically available.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

We can walk away from any deal that doesn't suit because we can afford to go elsewhere.

[PSRB]

was offside virtually everytime we went forward when he was through the middle

[Ashberto]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

[redgunamo]

It's the difference between necessary prudence and prudence through choice. Clearly we've done enough of the former for now.

[PSRB]

but Stones is still very young for a CB and very little experience of European footy

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Can’t be doing that again so they need another.

There is a genuine lack of top level English talent there and Mourinho must rate him very highly to spend that. Similarities to how he took Varane to Madrid, another young relatively inexperienced player (at that level, CL etc).

Stones goes there now and he is their centre-half for the next 10 years. Their equivalent of Rio Ferdinand, their new Terry or whatever label the media want to give him.

[Ashberto]

"So what's your budget?"

etc.

Harris Out!

[Berni]

Being able to walk away from a deal for Benzema or whoever is only a good thing if one can then go and purchase another Benzema elsewhere, surely?

[redgunamo]

Something along the lines of "we can afford anyone except Messi and Ronaldo."

[Ashberto]

Not for nothing does He like to keep his cards close to his chest. No point in flashing it around. Attracts all sorts of varmints.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

'We'll take Benzema; the deal works for us at 35 mill. If that doesn't work for you we can spunk 200 mill on Ronaldo.'

We have the power, see?

[redgunamo]

Either way, playing poverty isn't going to get us anywhere anymore so we may as well start swinging the big financial dick.

[Berni]

[redgunamo]

[redgunamo]

And, as already pointed out, if we don't want to afford it, we and the players can look elsewhere.

['Neg]

[PSRB]

[Ashberto]

b2b rates are invariably higher than b2c rates because business have more money.

I realise that some people might not know this as they only do business with the cold, dead hand of the state, but there you go. ;-)

[redgunamo]

[redgunamo]