TRANSFERS...

[YF Dan]

There cannot be a single person in the footballing world who would look at our current squad and suggest that what we need was an 18-year-old who makes videos of his skills for youtube and "who can play a variety of positions including the number 10 role".

We are playing on a cabbage patch, against a load of teams who are full of hardmen who are fighting for their lives, at the bottom end of a league where flair is soon kicked out of you. Fuck bloody "number 10s". What we need is a number 4 and a number 8 in the mould of a mobile Andy Whing to kick lumps out of the oppo and protect our talented players.

The clubs around us must be rubbing their hands with glee as we sign yet another pretty boy loanee to drift into the squad, unsettle the few remaining full time squad members, then drift back the their parent club once they've fallen from favour.

We have the very real threat of relegation from the football league (and financial armageddon) screaming warning signals at us. Yet the manager and chairman continue to make ludicrous signings (22 and counting), and surround themselves with non-execs whose knowledge of football comes from reading an autocue and chatting to Jamie bloody Redknapp.

This is a bizarre and highly dangerous vanity project at best.

Doomed.

[neilw]

Spot on there, Dan. My thoughts exactly. The project's failed, regardless of season outcomes; over spent and underperformed.

[Eric Pollard]

Writing off a player before you've seen him play is simply wrong.
Give him a chance before pissing on everyone's chips.

Oh and the willingness for some 'supporters' to consign us to the Hellenic League is so dispiriting

We've just been beaten by the league leaders away from home - who hadn't lost since November - and all of a sudden we're 'doomed'.

Disappointing , yes. Very disappointing, Maybe.

'Doomed'?

Arrant cobblers.

[Snake]

Bet you think the word “doomed” is going to pop up in this clip...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr_v_SqJNjA

[Kernow Yellow]

However if we stay up we could have a talented young team next year who won't have cost us much and will will fetch a lot of money in the transfer market.

Really? How many of these signings are ours and in contract beyond the end of the season? Some players we don't even know if they're ours or not! Whether we stay up or go down there will be another rebuilding job to do next year. And this is what gets me - at the beginning of the season the clear message coming out of the club was that we shouldn't worry about our poor start because by the end of the January transfer window Appleton's 'real' team would be in place and they'd be much better than what we were cobbling together in August. In fact nothing could be further from the truth - we're still scrabbling around for players, hardly anyone's come in on a long-term deal and results have barely improved.

Regarding this new kid I'm certainly not writing him off, but a young player who can play attacking midfield or as a 'number 10' (whatever that means in League 2) - isn't that exactly how Balmy was described when he signed last week? And Kemar Roofe? Do we really need three of them? When we've just signed 'attacking midfielder' Macdonald? I know Appleton says he wants 'options from the bench' but how happy are they all going to be taking it in turns to even get into the matchday squad? I'll certainly be surprised if they're all still here at the end of the season.

[neilw]

New kid might be great, so might Roofe and Balmy. They could make a difference. However, the point is, we don't know, we and MApp really have no idea. So, they're a risk. This is no time for trialing potential talent. This is survival, a time to cut the crap and face up to reality.

Hello, time to wake up, relegation battle ahead!

[amershamwrighty]

Excellent post by YF Dan.

Overoptimistic reply from 'Eric Pollard'.

Reminiscent of Emperor Hirohito in his broadcast to the Japanese people in August 1945 - "The war situation has developed, not necessarily to our advantage.".

[Hog]

Well Tim Eric I guess we'll all have to be happy with a Top 22 finish (if we get it).

[Werthers Original]

I love YF Dan's articulate rage and contempt but really hope he's wrong. I am generally too positive.

[Eric Pollard]

Yeah , cheers for aligning me with a war criminal. 'Overoptimistic reply'? What are you on about?

I merely said:

1. watch the said signing play before concluding anything.
2. we are not doomed.

Christ on a bike.

Hello Hog aka Dave. Up the City. My brother remembers you well.

[Hog]

Well he has the advantage over me Tim. Yes, Up the City! Right up 'em eh?

[Eric Pollard]

Well he has the advantage over me Tim. Yes, Up the City! Right up 'em eh?

Sorry, I forgot you were senile.

[Snake]

Well he has the advantage over me Tim. Yes, Up the City! Right up 'em eh?

Sorry, I forgot you were senile.

FFS, how many internet handles do you need? And why keep changing them?

Forget Frazer, this situation reminds me of Jones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR6wok7g7do

Can someone please be Sgt Wilson and take a proper leadership role?

[Hog]

Well he has the advantage over me Tim. Yes, Up the City! Right up 'em eh?

Sorry, I forgot you were senile.

Sorry for appearing to be mentally ill. I remember your father and another family member who I thought was your uncle but that's it.

[tomoufc]

Good luck Giogrio Rasulo, who instantly makes his way into OUFC's all time list of best named players. Prove the doubters wrong, but understand cynicism is running high for some very sound reasons.

Now we just need OUFC4ever to get Google Image searching, in time-honored fashion.