Speaking in the News of the World, Robson added: "We have bid for a number of top players already this summer and we are confident of clinching a big-name signing in the next couple of days. "The transfer market is going crazy at the moment but I am confident we will have at least one more new player on show when the new season kicks off."

Robson also said that he had tried to sign a top English player but the cluib in question wanted Dyer as part of the deal.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Answers

Interestingly, DB, he also said that the club wanted to go into the InterToto and that he couldn't say "no".

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

I should hope not, if Bobby's not realistic, at least someone in the club is, the only chance of any excitent this year is through the UEFA cup.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Man Utd: Campbell, Jeffers, Van Bronckhorst, Wright

Arsenal: Veron, Van Nistlerooy, current players signing long-term extensions

Us: Bellamy, Elliott, A.N.Other [possibly]

Is one more signing going to make a real difference? Prepare for another season of mediocrity as we fall further behind the elite.

"Count to three, make a wish..."

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

One, two, three.....I wish Min could tell his Arse from his Moan Yew.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

In fairness, we have secured contract extensions from good players like Griffin and Harper. Oh, and Gary Speed...

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

We had an unacceptably weak and thin first team squad last season which was unable to cope with injuries & suspensions.
We start the season without YKD, AS, and perhaps CC. In addition, we have lost - Glass, Gallagher, and Cordone from that squad (plus Disco Des, who I don't count).
We have added Bellamy & Elliott.
Nuff said?

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

It's also still basically teh same squad that played so well during YBR's first season with us. So if we really aren't going to get any 'top' signings, perhaps it's better if we concentrate on 'top' coaching and support staff to get this lot playing better as a unit than they are doing individually. I still maintain that one big problem last season was psychological. The players were just not as motivated as they had been the year before. Talking about 'wanting to play well for the fans' isn't the same as actually doing it.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

I disagree Ciara! It is not the same squad. YBR added Acuna, Bassedas as well as Cort last summer/early season, not to mention star signings like O'Brien and Quinn. Actually, apart from Quinn, the others probably do increase the squad, replacing the likes of Gallacher (good squaddie, works his socks off but didn't score enough for me), Cordone, Disco Des etc. Glass was never in contention as far as I can see from the way YBR treated him. But none of the above are top-notch players. I'm not sure if Bellamy or Elliot are either, tho again good additions to the squad.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

......you're also fogetting the sale of Howey, Goma, Domi and Charvet from the squad BR inherited - all decent defenders - replaced by only O'Brien and Quinn.
The only point I'm trying to make is that outside of the perennial questions about the quality of the squad, it is also numerically thin - especially with the addition of the unexpected UEFA games.
For instance, in the first InterTwoBob game we will only have two fit strikers - Ameobi and Bellamy (assuming his achilles injury is OK!). What then happens for the 2nd game if one or indeed both get injured?

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Imagine if Speed's suspension hadn't been lifted! The thought of going into Sept. with our reserve side making up 90% of the first side is scary enough.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Come on Clarky. Only 12 or so months ago we all felt we were over-staffed with CBs. We had Goma, Farcelino (yes!), Howey, Dabizas and Hughes, not to mention the Caldwells on the way thru. Should we really have kept Goma (who wanted away) and Howey (who needed to go for career reasons? I think not. Sadly, Farcelino had a terrible time with injuries (!) and didn't figure and Dabs also had an injury for most of the season. But Hughes did a decent job, as did Steve Caldwell when called on. Pruning the squad of two CBs wasn't a bad thing at the time, and buying O'Brien when avaialbe/needed was the right thing to do, especially with Farcie's perfromance (or lack thereof).

As for Domi and Charvet, well I think I'd have kept Charvet. He was a useful player who could cover as both FB and CB. Domi was away with the fairies and had lost the plot entirely. My only criticism of that episode was the quality of his replacement. We did well to get (most of?) our money back on DD. Quinn may have been all we were prepared to fork out on at the time with Hughes also able to cover there and Bernard coming thru from the Resorves.

IMHO, we are not lacking numbers in defence - tho perhaps a tad in quality. I am more concerned about m/f and attack. We appear to have the numbers in m/f but definitely not the quality demanded. Whether Elliot will make a difference to the left side remains to be seen. To be honest, I haven't seen enough of Bellamy to comment. But if Markus Stewart can come up fromthe 1st div and do it at Ipswich (one season wonder???) and Phillips at SoL (ditto??) then perhaps Bellamy can as well.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Unless we sign another striker I feel quite sure AS will be rushing back before he's ready - despite everything that's been said to the contrary.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Whether we sign another striker or not, I feel it is in the nature of the beast that he will push himself forward too soon. It will require a strong manager and another signing to prevent it ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Screacher,
I seem to be pathologically incapable of explaining myself clearly! I wasn't criticising the sale of Domi, Goma, Howey and Charvet - I was simply trying to point out the relative current weakness of the squad numerically.
I feel we ideally need to get another 3-4 senior players in before the start of the season. I'd like to see a commanding CB - eg Matt Elliott - a left-sided m/f player, a central m/f player and a striker.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Well...other than those few minor changes, it's still the same squad...

Right, off to cook up a new theory.... ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Dream on bonny lad! Four more senior players?? ROTFLMAO ;-) I think Robbie Elliott will be the one for the left berth. Whether Zenden arrives - well don't hold wor breaths, eh?

I know what you mean about a commanding CH. Nobody seems capable of organising the bliddy defence, hence the paucity of clean sheets last term. Colin Hendry would have been a good acquisition a few years back. I wouldn't complain if Matt Elliott arrived, but I can't see it happening. We may well have to stick with the Spanish Sh!ttie (© Screacher).

To be honest, I don't know how big the squad is now. But I do remember not so long ago that we had far, far too many players in the first team squad. Mind you, a few were not worthy of the term "first team" - Disco Des, Formica, Sylvia etc etc. If we are to supplement those we have right now to add more quality, I still think we will have to cut back on the quantity. I thjink we all don;t want to see the likes of Hughes or the Caldwells go, but a club can only justify a number of players in each area of the park, and I think we are numerically heavy in the middle at the back.

Apart from Spanish Sh!tty ©, would you sell any more? Dabs is the only one who springs to mind if you believe O'Brien was bought for the future. Trouble is, nobody seems to want to buy any of wor lot. At leasat those who reached the end of their contracts freed up a few pegs in the changing rooms.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Matt Elliott?????????? are you haveing a bit of a joke, truely, i can play better, I'm comanding in the air & am hard in the tackle. I'm also very slow, I could be matt Elliot.

I saw Robbie Elliott play centre half in a friendly once, he was class.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Dave,
We don't have a Centre Half who can consistently win the ball in the air and organise the defence. Until we fill this hole, or perhaps until Steve Caldwell matures a bit, we will struggle defensively.
Dabz, Hughes and O'Brien will not solve this problem. So, we either buy someone now or wait a couple of years for Steve C. to fully grow into that role - meantime, we will continue to concede buckets of goals from crosses and set-pieces.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

Clarky, comment re CB, totally agree with all your comments, we tend to get it the wrong way round, height and strength up front, promise you will not mention lack of mobility this season Buff - I promise

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2001

isn't matt elliot the wrong side of 30 ? i'm sure he turns 33 or 34 this yr.

-- Anonymous, July 09, 2001