Wardy

Gerrard - Mascherano - Barry Keane - Torres - Babel That's still behind Torres!

You're not a winger on the right or left of a front three though, not in my book. It's a forward role suited to a second striker, yes on occasion you would need to provide width but doesn't a striker have to do that anyway? Robbie Keane started his career as a winger at Wolves anyway so I don't think it's unfamiliar to him or unrealistic to expect him to play there. I think he'll be a great signing - Gerrard and Torres can't play every game either and we won't always play 4-5-1/4-3-3 either. He's also been amongst the top goalscorers in the league for the last seven seasons so I would say £20 million is a realistic price for a proven premiership goalscorer. Put it this way if we lined up 4-5-1/4-3-3 with the front six like this and attacking fullbacks do you think we'd lack width or crosses? Babel--Torres--Keane Barry--Mascherano--Gerrard

Sorry but that's just utter b******s. Keane could play anywhere across our front four. We were playing 4-4-2 when Cisse and Diouf were tried on the right, this formation is very different.

Not as long as the Barry one.

I have it from a well informed source with links to both clubs that there has been absolutely no expression of interest in Milner from Liverpool.

There's so many people who just can't grasp what actually happens in modern football. If the team sheet looks like this: Reina Arbeloa Carragher Agger Aurelio Mascherano Gerrard----Barry Keane---------Babel Torres It doesn't mean that Keane is only playing on the right, he'll interchange with the other players around him, drift wide if the balls played out to the right (he started as a winger at Wolves) or coming inside to support Torres if the ball gets played out to the left. Just because he gets named on the right side of a three in a lineup doesn't mean he'll spend the entire game playing there. Look at the mancs last season, both Rooney and Tevez played wide at times, maybe it's not their natural position but it worked because they're intelligent players who interchange well with their team mates. Another thing Keane gives us is a player who's been consistently amongst the top goalscorers in the league for the last six or seven years and another matchwinner. He'd get around 15 a season for us I'm certain of it.

That must be why we're getting £10 million for him.............

Football is a simple game, complicated only by people like you.

Far from it, see above. Prongsy reminds me of a Newcastle fan when they sold Andy Cole.

http://www.sportsline.com/soccer/story/10845020

Another way at looking at it is the manager doesn't fancy him much anymore so he's moving him on while he can get a decent fee. Much like Wenger did with Viera and Henry.

I reckon Barry's easily on a par with Carrick and Hargreaves.

Or you might find that Barry actually fits into our side better than Alonso..........

At £9 million is he any more of a risk than Babel, I'd be surprised if it's not under consideration. Wouldn't touch Ronaldhino with a s***ty stick, has he even trained this season?

All I'm saying is that I doubt that revenue would make much difference to us in the long term, something could easily be worked out for the hotel anyway - i.e. bookings made through the official website means the profit comes to us. A similar model could be adopted for hospitality. I'm just playing Devils Advocate here, I'm not arsed what the Bluenoses do to be honest they're inconsequential to me apart from Derby days. The fact is that the cost of building the stadium isn't going down. The mancs haven't got a hotel either.

Museums would obviously be seperate though. which leaves conference centre, function rooms and the 'hotel'. Is the hotel still included in the plans? Revenue from those would be small fry anyway, arses on seats is where it's at!

Ta!

What's the approximate date to get your renewall in by at the reduced rate?

Maybe he's grooming likes you, remember the girl you secretly liked in school who's pigtails you used to pull.......

No particular axe to grind here but I've never fully accepted that argument which has been trotted out since the stadium was supposed to be costing £80 million. They'd keep their match day revenue, we'd keep ours. Someone mentioned Hotel revenue would have to be split - is a Hotel still part of the plans? I can't see it being a big money spinner regardless.

Well there is really - winning the ball is valid, are they counting attempted tackles? Are interceptions included in the figures, there is some overlap?

I'd be interested to know what constitutes a tackle in actim stats.

There's some truth in there but really you're just making excuses by blaming other players for Alonso being caught in possession. Maybe the change of system doesn't suit his game now which is the reason Rafa is thinking of moving him on. I've always liked Alonso but if it comes down to him being the sacrificial lamb for the team to progress then so be it, he's not irreplaceable. How cutting...... You've always been slow on the uptake haven't you, I remember arguing with you over Gerrard playing on the right and you weren't having a bar of it until the following season when he got moved back into the middle to the detriment of the team and you soon changed your tune. Maybe, given time, you'll remove your head from your own a*** and see the wood for the trees.

He is the best passer of the ball we've got bar none but he just doesn't play the first time ball often enough, he's wanting time on the ball he's not getting and that's far from b******s because there's too many people saying exactly the same thing.

There's a difference, Barry can cope with the pace of the game when playing for a side that shifts the ball around quickly and that's where Alonso struggles. It's not about how fast he can run. Alonso wants an age on the ball before deciding what he's going to do with it and he's been found out, it's got nothing to do with the players around him.