British Expatriate Network

So, now the transfers (and huge amounts of loans) are done with, who did what well and badly? Anyone buy someone excellent, or did someone buy someone vastly overrated - like Steve McManaman?

Why do Chelsea need so many goalkeepers? Is Roman hoping to buy off the FA and allow Chelsea to field Cudicini, Macho, Sullivan, Ambrosio, and Pidgeley all at the same time? And why the hell buy Smertin to loan him out? And quite simply - too many players especially in midfield?

Why didnt Newcastle buy anyone? If they werent quite good enough before, and everyone got older, why be thrifty?

Why does Gerrard Houllier insist on buying uknown untried teenage French strikers? Is Ian Rush going to be a good coach? Why buy a proven player like Kewell and play him out of position? And will Carragher finally get hacked off with Sven after still not getting picked and having crapola picked in front of him.

Have Tottenham sorted it out at last? Great strikers in Zamora, Kanoute, Keane, and Postiga - but they are all in the same position. Dalmat is decent, and Konchesky a good loan player. Spurs problem was defense and creating stuff - luckily they still have Thelwell and Toda to do all that!

Is Alex Ferguson the only person who doesnt realize that Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Wes Brown arent very good? Will Keane lose his place to Djemba Djemba (great player) or Kleberson? Is ickle-baby Ronaldo the next big thing? And if Alex has another tantrum will he get rid of anyone else?

Well done to Aston Villa on once again buying no one of interest at all. Luckily they bought another striker (Finish kid Aaritalo) - they were getting thin with only 8 other first team strikers.

Who's career will Keegan ruin next? He has the awesome ability to buy good/decent players and get them to hate him, and lose their quality. He's succefully pissed off Benarbia and Berkovic last year - his two better players before pointing out nicely that Fowler and Anelka "arent very good" last week. That after telling Dunne, Tiatto and Wanchope they have no future at the club during a sky interview- and then extending their contracts! And after buying Tarnat, Mcmanaman, Reyna, and Sinclair, he has some new blood to upset.

Strachan buys Le Saux for Bridge - I always remember him as the larged bottomed imp who was an angry midlfielder with foppish hair. Surely Beattie will kick Heskey out of the England front line now. Prutton is the wonder buy - oh dear.

Have Birmingham made a great deal in getting Forsell - who in my opinion is awesome?

Did Blackbrun buy the right Baggio? He usd to be great, but I havent heard of Dino in ages.

If Leeds dont have the money to keep their better players, why did they sell them and buy Domi, Camara, Roque junior, Morris, Sakho, Olembe, Pennant, and Chapuis?

Are Portsmouth gonna kick everyone's ass? They have some great signings in Sheringham, Berger (still one of the best IMO) Srnicek, Schemmel, Zivkovic, Stefanovic, Smertin, Sherwood, Aeyegbeni, and Pericard.

Is Jeffers admitting he aint good enough by going back to Everton?

Did Middlesboro buy right with Nash, Mills, Riggott, Zenden, and the once fantastic Mendieta?

Did Bolton buy Ibrahim Ba or not? Thnakfully they have more foreign defenders to stand next to Campo. Ballesta is a great buy though.

Fulham have dissapointed me by selling Ouaddou to PSG - no longer will we hear the great song "Ouddou like to be beside the seaside..."

And Wolves - boy have they sucked. Ince must be feeling great! It should be clear by now that if Nathan Blake is in your team, you are getting relegated.

If David Seaman was too old, why did Arsenal buy a 33 year old German keepr in Lehman? Is Wenger being stubborn by only buying a half decent wingback in Senderos, and 3 teenagers in Clichy, Karbassiyoon, and Papadopulos - and saying he only did so because he already knows Arsenal are better than everyone else?

Lastly, nobody bought David James - that should be reason enoughas to why he shouldnt be Englands No. 1.

Well!!?

Some good points. I'd like to see Richard Wright or Chris Kirkland playing for England rather than James.

I think Arsenal and Newcastle's problems are tightened purse strings rather than lack of a wish to sign anyone, and good goalkeepers are notoriously difficult to find, well at a reasonable price anyway.

Oh, and if the Nevilles and Wes brown are so bad, how come United had the best defence in the premiership last season, and that was with the mad frenchman behind them?! I expect a much better season now we seem to have a keeper who realises he should stand on the goal line, not the halfway line!

Wolves and Leicester do look doomed already though!

I actually thought the mad frenchman was a very good player still. And Rio is great for Man U (even if he is crap for England). And and you are right about tight purse strings. Maybe Arsene should realize that Sol was vastly overated and cut his 100 grand a week for a good defender instead.

So, now the transfers (and huge amounts of loans) are done with, who did what well and badly? Anyone buy someone excellent, or did someone buy someone vastly overrated - like Steve McManaman?

I remember when Man City used to have players like Ray Ransen, Terry Phelan, Kieth Curle. Believe me, them signing a half decent player from Real Madrid is a big deal. Whom they got for nowt. (George Weah played for City :o )

Why do Chelsea need so many goalkeepers? Is Roman hoping to buy off the FA and allow Chelsea to field Cudicini, Macho, Sullivan, Ambrosio, and Pidgeley all at the same time? And why the hell buy Smertin to loan him out? And quite simply - too many players especially in midfield?

Chelsea's apparent strategy for winning the premiership is to buy every player ever,

Why didnt Newcastle buy anyone? If they werent quite good enough before, and everyone got older, why be thrifty?

Newcastle, sleeping giants, great attacking team, you score 3, we'll score 4..........garbage. They continue to be a one man team and the one man continues to get older and slower (even though he WAS great) the previous additions of Cort, Dyer, Lua Lua go to prove that in order to try and keep up with the big guns they just can't hack it.

Why does Gerrard Houllier insist on buying uknown untried teenage French strikers? Is Ian Rush going to be a good coach? Why buy a proven player like Kewell and play him out of position?

a 3 year plan that turned into a 5 year plan. This is Gerrards fifth year. The success of a team down the East Lancs road continues to get under the fans skin. Also no disrespect to Anfield, Shankley Gates, Kop, Hillsborough memorial et al, but the place is too small. It is very sad that Liverpool's attendance is closer to Southamptons than Man U's. Time to move to a bigger better place. They were looking at a site (with Everton) near the Albert Dock, what happened to that?

Have Tottenham sorted it out at last? Great strikers in Zamora, Kanoute, Keane, and Postiga - but they are all in the same position. Dalmat is decent, and Konchesky a good loan player. Spurs problem was defense and creating stuff - luckily they still have Thelwell and Toda to do all that!

3 - nil at home to Fulham.......shocking.

Is Alex Ferguson the only person who doesnt realize that Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Wes Brown arent very good? Will Keane lose his place to Djemba Djemba (great player) or Kleberson? Is ickle-baby Ronaldo the next big thing? And if Alex has another tantrum will he get rid of anyone else?

Alex Ferguson was the only one to see that Ole Gunnar Solksjaer played at Norwegian outfit Molde and scored 31 in 42 games in the Norwegian second division. He is a wiley old sod. Trouble with Alex is I feel he is more interested in his own legacy than Man United's. Despite all the great things he did at the club, I feel Matt Busby is a monkey on his back.

Well done to Aston Villa on once again buying no one of interest at all. Luckily they bought another striker (Finish kid Aaritalo) - they were getting thin with only 8 other first team strikers.


Have Birmingham made a great deal in getting Forsell - who in my opinion is awesome?

Birmingham City are a better outfit than Aston Villa. Says more about the demise of Villa under the rotating door policy of that arse Ellis than the stewardship of Birmingham under Britain's Larry Flynt.

Did Blackbrun buy the right Baggio? He usd to be great, but I havent heard of Dino in ages.

Baggio? holy cow, he must be well into his late 30's by now. Souness, can the man not calm down? he is the same age as my dad, fitter than my dad yet is about to have 2 more heart attacks than my dad. Andy Cole is still a great finisher, his goals will keep them in the premiership, but not by much

If Leeds dont have the money to keep their better players, why did they sell them and buy Domi, Camara, Roque junior, Morris, Sakho, Olembe, Pennant, and Chapuis?

Leeds United............you know, for that lack of another major team in the city, this club should be HUGE. Their potential fan base is immense, sadly instead of building a decent foundation Ridsdale raped the club, shame I liked his attitude after those two fans died in Turkey.

Are Portsmouth gonna kick everyone's ass? They have some great signings in Sheringham, Berger (still one of the best IMO) Srnicek, Schemmel, Zivkovic, Stefanovic, Smertin, Sherwood, Aeyegbeni, and Pericard.

Portsmouth will be fine this year it appears.

Is Jeffers admitting he aint good enough by going back to Everton?

He shouldn't have gone to Arsenal in the first place.

Did Middlesboro buy right with Nash, Mills, Riggott, Zenden, and the once fantastic Mendieta?

Carlo Nash is a fantastic goalkeeper and would be better if he were 3 inches taller. his reflex saves are top rate. He played for Stockport after we signed him from Crystal Palace

Did Bolton buy Ibrahim Ba or not? Thnakfully they have more foreign defenders to stand next to Campo. Ballesta is a great buy though.

Fulham have dissapointed me by selling Ouaddou to PSG - no longer will we hear the great song "Ouddou like to be beside the seaside..."

And Wolves - boy have they sucked. Ince must be feeling great! It should be clear by now that if Nathan Blake is in your team, you are getting relegated.

I like Wolves, but don't like their fans. "We're a big club we are" erm, no your not, your in the same league as Bradford, Reading, Barnsley and Sheffield United.

If David Seaman was too old, why did Arsenal buy a 33 year old German keepr in Lehman? Is Wenger being stubborn by only buying a half decent wingback in Senderos, and 3 teenagers in Clichy, Karbassiyoon, and Papadopulos - and saying he only did so because he already knows Arsenal are better than everyone else?

I hadn't heard of Nicklas Anelka, Thierry Henry, Petit, Viera either and they turned out to be dynamite too. His transfers for the most part have come good.

Can't read those awful colours on the standard background, Manc.

Think McManaman was a good deal on a free transfer.

Yeah I know, I was just being silly. I hope he does well - he can hold his head high and say to any critics "F you all, I played a won it all with Real Madrid."

My shame for the year is no Todorov for Portsmouth - he would have been in my fantasy footy team.

Chelsea are supposed to have bought Smertin as a favour to one of Abram's mates who owns a team in Moscow, the guy wouldn't go back to France

I like the fact that he's 'one for the future' at 28 years old....

Gives pensioners a glimpse of hope anyway.

Chelsea Pensioners?

sorry.......that was crap.