Rocheteau

Transitional period a tough start and unrest in the boardroom makes it difficult for Hodgson to get early momentum which these days seem increasingly important before pressure starts to work against you I think 5th is probably a level headed assessment of where we stand this season. i wouldn't rule out a higher placing but would be dissappointed with anything less. Last thing I want is a good run in the Europa but I can see us muddling through to the final stages depending on Hodgsons commitment. Success in the FA Cup would be nice but basically its a lottery Summary League 5th possibly 4th if one of the other fancied teams have a nightmare season Europa Semi's FA cup Semi's Carling cup Quarter Finals The main business is the stabilisation of the club, investment in the stadium, and the feeling that we are building for the future

His name would be a start or hers if applicable

er excuse me but no! the statement reads that there are proposed bids not formal bids so the article is actually correct and tonights statement is perfectly consistent with it, despite what the ITKs say to the contrary

alternatively, and more likely, it means that none of the parties who expressed interest in the process have submitted formal bids but none have formerly ended their interest either. So the assumption is that the process is still alive but nothing has actually happened

or perhaps, October maybe for what its worth, and I'm not sure he'll appreciate the support, but NYR is one of the few posters of late who has had his head screwed on as for Bambi, well...

9 point deduction making qualification for Europe next year impossible rest of the season effectively ripped up exit Torres exit Gerrard untold commercial damage in terms of sponsorships for year to come - who will want to sponsor a bankrupt no guarantee that RBS will find a buyer for a club in administration potential firesale of remaining key players potential receivership You think you want to start down that route You think thats preferable I think we want to avoid administration if at all possible

You are so wrong Believe you me going into administration would be the worst of all outcomes, short term, medium term and long term

Obviously I agree with the comments about Huang and Kirdi but is it established that the quieter bids are definitely from Rhone and al Kharifa Rhone was originally only in for a 40% stake and arent they synonymous with Hedge funds - not a promising option long term The Arabs then

They did and they have had the piss taken out of them ever since. Its actually a good site if you have a thick skin. Interestingly Liverpool dominate the articles and although they are frequently critical for the most part I think its out of genuine frustration. I think many of their journalists 'lean' our way - Barry Glendinning though being an exception

This is what concerns me, his sudden departure is odd, he has had his disagreements with his club's owner but there's been nothing of late which would have suggested this as such, he knew he wasn't going to keep Milner so its hard to see that being the trigger Maybe he fancies the city job - but if any of our bidders have sounded him out, i'll want them taken out and shot

Fair enough...its not the impression I have but at the end of the day its down to Broughton and the one thing I am confident of is that he has the capacity to make the best decision so whatever happens at least we are not reliant on the personal judgement of Moores or Parry

I agree, there probably is a campaign against him, I dont doubt it, if its the only one on the table i'll take it if it avoids administration but jesus is it a gamble

ridiculous question course I havent other than whats been reported in the press but from day one when it first broke there has been concerns a) The very public conduct of his business despite the requests from broughton and his initial insistence that everything is tied up before the close of the transfer window b) The claim of investment from CIC which then had to be qualified and which is still significantly confused c) The apparent denial from sources within CIC of any knowledge of the businessman d) The incorrect statements from his camp of the involvement of Templeton e) The latest disclosures about being linked with embezzlement proven or not proven The point is we harrangued Parry for not googling Hick's dodgy past when the s*** hit the fan last time round, yet we seem to be quite happy to bend over backwards for this guy despite scant knowledge of the facts or who the individual is He might be ok, he's probably a better option than the syrian, but do we have to behave like a bird on the rebound

Not necessarily, he gets kudos just by being associated with such a high profile transaction. Personally I dont doubt he may have some capacity to make a deal work but what i'm not convinced of is whether he is not biting off more than he can chew at this level

I happen to agree with you and a chancer I would add, I think he is being smeared, but the bid and the way it has been conducted is riddled with inconsistencies and confusion. If its him or the syrian or administration I'd go with Huang but its a classic hobsons choice. Maybe one of the quieter bids is more credible

He went on a bosman which kind of implies that we did let him go I dont think you could lay the blame for his leaving on either party. Sami was definitely slowing up towards the end of the season before last and you could see why Benitez was probably reluctant at the time to renew his contract on the terms that would have suited the player The problem was not that we let him go, more that he was never adequately replaced. Though i've been a staunch critic of Benitez and his philosophy, this one was a direct result of the restrictions placed on him from above and the need to gamble on squad priority In terms of the then managers tactical approach, I think we missed Hyypia's solidity and commanding back four presence more than we missed Alonso's vision and distribution

China is only Communist in name, it has a growing middle class and a financial elite who I could well imagine getting a little pissed off if they felt their govt was investing inappropriately What I find odd, after all we have been through, is an attitude that puts down the negative press as propaganda. Whilst I appreciate there is going to be an element of that from the american camp, I think its right to regard all bidders and their propositions with a degree of healthy suspicion because I dont want to come out of 3 years of hell only to walk straight back into another f*** up I'm not opposed to the idea of a bid from the Chinese consortium but at this moment it and from the scant factual detail available it looks pretty shambolic. The good news is that despite the unfair criticism Broughton's had from some forums (he was here only to sell our players etc), he's played an absolute blinder so far and given the apparent chaos of Huangs public courting of the media, his advice to keep the process underwraps is probably the right thing to do, even if I find it immensely frustrating The silence from other bidders is intriguing, apart from the completely discredited syrian bid, no one seems to know for sure who else has declared an interest.

f*** off cretin

This is a competition we could do without, too many games and modest revenues. I don't agree with the idea of playing the kids because I dont think its fair on them, but its squad fodder if we must compete. I can see why Hodgson wants board clarification on how seriously it gets treated

The Chinese bid is unravelling, I'm hoping Broughton is good with rabbits and top hats

I vaguely vaguely recall Broughton ruling out a leverage buy out as being acceptable in one of his earlier interviews

Sorry i may be thick but isnt that just stockbroker geek speak for a deal which sees hicks and gillett making a profit out of the sale

Where as last season with the "immortals" we did ever so well Perhaps we are getting too hung up on the need to sign players with great reputations. There is more to football and players not fancied at some clubs can do well at others in different circumstances with different managers. Take Mr Forlan for example, crap with Mr Ferguson but one of the few players who come out of the World Cup with credit To quote an ex manager when I want to buy a leg for a table I don't buy the best leg I buy the one that fits We aren't in the market for £20m plus players, but then in the current economic circumstances very few other clubs are

Can we please wait until we actually know whether Torres has decided to go is it too much to ask

Whoa there for a minute, lets not flame the lad yet eh. He's a good lad not one of the prima donna's so lets just see how it pans out