Isco

[PeterParker]

I have to say it's a disappointing outcome i thought his relationship with Pellegrini might just swing it for us.It's the first time in quite a while i have been really excited about a potential signing, oh well i suppose we will have to move on to the next target.

I think he is like Hazard, great player but shit character. Isco is what he is because of our manager and let"s not forget, he said he is antimadrilista, or what the hell it"s called.

I am a bit dissapointed, but we don"t need players like him in our squad. Let"s have a go on Walcott or Cazorla.

[Wooders]

Cant help but think our attempt at wheeling and dealing cost us this transfer

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I didn't want him anyway, he's rubbish.

Agreed, shit cunt

This.

Useless pile of shite. Said it all along!

[Lee_R]

Cant see Real Madrid getting a Christmas card from me now tbh. Quite gutted about Isco. Got his name tattooed on my 8 year olds head and everything :(

[sandman]

Fair play to the lad, he is staying in his home country, joining one of the worlds best sides and if he manages to cement a starting place he will put himself in the spotlight for international caps.

I would have made the same decision in his situation.

[Ted Hughes]

Cant help but think our attempt at wheeling and dealing cost us this transfer

As opposed to the other team being Real Madrid, & the player being Spanish & living in Spain, with his Spanish family & friends & having a much better chance of getting to the World Cup as part of the Spanish team by getting maximum exposure, in Spain ?

Interesting theory but I'll stick with the 'it's Real Madrid' one.

[Hazy2]

Cant help but think our attempt at wheeling and dealing cost us this transfer

As opposed to the other team being Real Madrid, & the player being Spanish & living in Spain, with his Spanish family & friends & having a much better chance of getting to the World Cup as part of the Spanish team by getting maximum exposure, in Spain ?

Interesting theory but I'll stick with the 'it's Real Madrid' one.

I think the club thought they had him. RM came with up something late. I do stand bye the Txiki with be gutted. It was a big chance to show us why he is so well thought of.

[Ted Hughes]

Cant help but think our attempt at wheeling and dealing cost us this transfer

As opposed to the other team being Real Madrid, & the player being Spanish & living in Spain, with his Spanish family & friends & having a much better chance of getting to the World Cup as part of the Spanish team by getting maximum exposure, in Spain ?

Interesting theory but I'll stick with the 'it's Real Madrid' one.

I think the club thought they had him. RM came with up something late. I do stand bye the Txiki with be gutted. It was a big chance to show us why he is so well thought of.

Why didn't we just offer some more money then ?

[Hazy2]

Cant help but think our attempt at wheeling and dealing cost us this transfer

As opposed to the other team being Real Madrid, & the player being Spanish & living in Spain, with his Spanish family & friends & having a much better chance of getting to the World Cup as part of the Spanish team by getting maximum exposure, in Spain ?

Interesting theory but I'll stick with the 'it's Real Madrid' one.

I think the club thought they had him. RM came with up something late. I do stand bye the Txiki with be gutted. It was a big chance to show us why he is so well thought of.

Why didn't we just offer some more money then ?

That is possibly where our club hope to set some sort of standard, as you have said RM is the draw and despite thinking we had him in the bag, which I think we did he has his head turned and we had to bow out gracefully or look stupid upping the anti and still lose out, I happen to think Barca or BM were watching it develop, but as they do they demand nothing is leaked to show them as losers to MD, imho BM have learned the hard way and now nail a target in and out. That where we have to get to ASAP or do a PSG and blow all away with mad offers.

[trueblue64]

Isco's dad who is now is agent, want and received 10 million from RM. Maybe we told him to fuck off.

[Chinners]

Jeez, no wonder rags call us bitters judging by some of these comments today ... Oh well he went to Real, no need to cry or slag him off ... move on to the next target

[CTID Hants]

I think the club thought they had him. RM came with up something late. I do stand bye the Txiki with be gutted. It was a big chance to show us why he is so well thought of.

RM were always in the running, there were plenty of reports back December / January that they wanted him. Our only chance really was the Falcon, but the lure of the whole package from RM was just too much as Ted and others have said.

RM probably the biggest club side in the world, bit of a no brainier really.

[Hazy2]

I think the club thought they had him. RM came with up something late. I do stand bye the Txiki with be gutted. It was a big chance to show us why he is so well thought of.

RM were always in the running, there were plenty of reports back December / January that they wanted him. Our only chance really was the Falcon, but the lure of the whole package from RM was just too much as Ted and others have said.

RM probably the biggest club side in the world, bit of a no brainier really.

With the MF they have, I did not see him as a priority signing for them as you say RM big draw, why so public from us when it is a no brainer. onwards we go.

[john@staustell]

[Clowncrete]

I think the club thought they had him. RM came with up something late. I do stand bye the Txiki with be gutted. It was a big chance to show us why he is so well thought of.

RM were always in the running, there were plenty of reports back December / January that they wanted him. Our only chance really was the Falcon, but the lure of the whole package from RM was just too much as Ted and others have said.

RM probably the biggest club side in the world, bit of a no brainier really.

With the MF they have, I did not see him as a priority signing for them as you say RM big draw, why so public from us when it is a no brainer. onwards we go.

Real Madrid, particularly under Perez, have a habit of stocking up players. They are definitely after one of Suarez or Cavani or both. I am pretty sure that it is RM who is trying to unsettle Mata at Chelsea, since I think it was Marca which first said that Mou wants to sell him and they might consider it a matter of pride to bring him back like Barca brought back Fabregas. If they think that a player will sell shirts, they will buy him whether they need him or not.

I would wish Isco luck but Madrid can go to the gutter. They will survive FFP by just selling their assets at inflated prices to the govt. or siphoning of the TV revenue and twatini won't bat an eyelid. Blatant corruption. Why did we sign a "pact" with a club like this?

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

I think the club thought they had him. RM came with up something late. I do stand bye the Txiki with be gutted. It was a big chance to show us why he is so well thought of.

RM were always in the running, there were plenty of reports back December / January that they wanted him. Our only chance really was the Falcon, but the lure of the whole package from RM was just too much as Ted and others have said.

RM probably the biggest club side in the world, bit of a no brainier really.

With the MF they have, I did not see him as a priority signing for them as you say RM big draw, why so public from us when it is a no brainer. onwards we go.

Real Madrid, particularly under Perez, have a habit of stocking up players. They are definitely after one of Suarez or Cavani or both. I am pretty sure that it is RM who is trying to unsettle Mata at Chelsea, since I think it was Marca which first said that Mou wants to sell him and they might consider it a matter of pride to bring him back like Barca brought back Fabregas. If they think that a player will sell shirts, they will buy him whether they need him or not.

I would wish Isco luck but Madrid can go to the gutter. They will survive FFP by just selling their assets at inflated prices to the govt. or siphoning of the TV revenue and twatini won't bat an eyelid. Blatant corruption. Why did we sign a "pact" with a club like this?

Where is the evidence for this?

[Tokyo Blue]

So hang on a minute. Since these Spaniards have come to the club, we have sold two world class strikers and brought no replacements in and we have sacked the manager who won us the League and Cup.

And this is a good thing because....?

[blues-clues]

Real Madrid, particularly under Perez, have a habit of stocking up players. They are definitely after one of Suarez or Cavani or both. I am pretty sure that it is RM who is trying to unsettle Mata at Chelsea, since I think it was Marca which first said that Mou wants to sell him and they might consider it a matter of pride to bring him back like Barca brought back Fabregas. If they think that a player will sell shirts, they will buy him whether they need him or not.

I would wish Isco luck but Madrid can go to the gutter. They will survive FFP by just selling their assets at inflated prices to the govt. or siphoning of the TV revenue and twatini won't bat an eyelid. Blatant corruption. Why did we sign a "pact" with a club like this?

You forgot Bale!!

[Benjay]

Cant see Real Madrid getting a Christmas card from me now tbh. Quite gutted about Isco. Got his name tattooed on my 8 year olds head and everything :(

How times have changed. In the dark old days when Lee Crooks and Tony Grant were strutting their stuff around Maine Road I rather admired Madrid. But now they are irritating because they are nicking our targets. We've come a long way.

[PrezIke]

So hang on a minute. Since these Spaniards have come to the club, we have sold two world class strikers and brought no replacements in and we have sacked the manager who won us the League and Cup.

And this is a good thing because....?

a) the manager lost the team/the team went backwards/had a very poor showing in the chumps league
b) the summer transfer window is not closed yet

however, i am not so sure we will make another huge move. i've heard that one "just wait, the other shoe will drop because what we have been doing makes no sense..." before with other clubs in different sports. in fairness, with international football the ability to simply buy whoever you can get/willing to pay for is different, but we could very well go into next season mostly as is.

there are versions of a 4-3-3 that one could see with the players we have currently (where you have maybe two versions of each that involves rotating players like dzeko, nasri and navas, (who all could be more permanent features in the lineup based on their form) with some respite here and there for silva, aguero, yaya and perhaps fernandinho with the likes of milner, barry, garcia and rodwell filling in.

if we do go with a two striker lineup then one could foresee some issues with cover. i haven't really seen guidetti much, but he hasn't really made the team, so i can hardly expect him to get time on the pitch, when someone like sinclair -- already a premiership caliber player -- couldn't smell the grass last season.

i'd say we could go for another striker to help here, a backup winger, and backup centre half, but none are necessarily to be expected to get into the 11.

meanwhile, i am hoping for that other shoe to drop...just won't assume we are to expect something 'big' in the remaining months of the window.