They had their record EVER home crowd against us last season. It was less than our lowest crowd since return to the Championship which was close to yesterday ironically

To be fair their record crowd ever is 38,098 and their ground doeesn't even hold 13,000 now, but I take your point. But fans are fans. I think it would be galling to see players like Stead (who ain't that good IMO) to go to a team in a league below when they could play in the Premier League, but the truth is that City will pay higher wages. Oyston wouldn't bow to the agents' demands and I believe that they've put a £10,000 cap on salaries.

I know that Jay Simpson, who City were in for, ultimately went to Hull rather than us because we wouldn't pay £14,000 a week for an Arsenal reserve in teh Championship. Hull are on a suicide mission so would pay that. Time will tell who is right. 

 They had their record EVER home crowd against us last season. It was less than our lowest crowd since return to the Championship which was close to yesterday ironically

To be fair their record crowd ever is 38,098 and their ground doeesn't even hold 13,000 now, but I take your point. But fans are fans. I think it would be galling to see players like Stead (who ain't that good IMO) to go to a team in a league below when they could play in the Premier League, but the truth is that City will pay higher wages. Oyston wouldn't bow to the agents' demands and I believe that they've put a £10,000 cap on salaries.

I know that Jay Simpson, who City were in for, ultimately went to Hull rather than us because we wouldn't pay £14,000 a week for an Arsenal reserve in teh Championship. Hull are on a suicide mission so would pay that. Time will tell who is right. 

Quite. The problem with Hull is they are spending money whilst being already in a financial mess. A typical gamble with the parachute payments which will destroy them if they don't go back up. We can afford to pay the big wages due to a sound financial footing and a billionaire chairman who also happens to be a lifelong City supporter. Having said that he wont take the club into debt and has always said the club must support itself to a large degree. One of the countries most successful businessmen didn't get their by accident. I would imagine we are paying amongst the highest wages in the league. Maynard is now on £16k, James £15k and even Pitman - and unproven young talent - will be earning £9k per week. Probably 9 times more than he was ever likely to earn at Bournemouth at least.

Also agree about Stead. 7 goals in 40 appearances. I accept that there's more to a frontman than just goals, but none the less. More interested in Pitman. We took a similar gamble with Maynard and it payed off, although admittedly it was a gamble of nearly £3m rather than £800k. Far less to lose on this one if the results are not the same. Bear in mind these players are purely cover for our injury decimated squad, which would be extrememly good if we could field a fit first team. I guess we now have depth too when they all return

Stead and Pitman duly signed for a combined fee of £1m. Good business I think. When you add Maynard and Vokes (on their return) and Clarkson to that we have potentially a very good forward line indeed and with depth.

We are also attempting to secure a season long loan on Jonjo Shelvey from Liverpool. I know nothing about this guy. Anyone else?

Right then.... Defence

We've had the strange scenario of the Official Site confirming that we have had an offer accepted by Cardiff but that terms are to be agreed with the player. Normally we do our business and announce it. The agent did blab yesterday, so that might have something to do with it.

Judging by the Cardiff message boards he was never going to get a regular game behind Chopra, Bothroyd and Bellamy, so it's a case of poverty stricken Cardiff getting some money back to fund the Bellamy gamble. They also, on the whole, think he's a good player, which is encouraging.

Is there a doctor in the house?

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/7865/exclusive-brown-i-want-manage-england

Is there a doctor in the house?

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/7865/exclusive-brown-i-want-manage-england

we have (Bristol Rovers) signed John Akinde on loan 'till jan, from City another cross town import, seems like a good player seen a bit of him on local news etc, Matty give me the lo down whats your opinion of him? May go straight into team for tomorrow against Southampton, which is a really tough fixture although the saints have had a slow start this season. unfortunately Im in Devon this weekend and will miss the game, (mind you they didnt come and see me when I was bad)

The annoying thing bl00dy greedy sods sky have removed sky sports news from freeview so can no longer watch results come through

Well, Town won again.  Mind we were only playing some obscure no hopers.

Anyone seen Matty?

(now you know why we sold you Stead a pup and bought Scotland )

I liked Steads interview where he said he was looking forward to playing for a big club again.

I didn't realise he was planning a transfer to Accrington Stanley so soon

Southampton have sacked Alan Pardew after winning 4-0 at the weekend.
Well that seems very very strange, soomething major must have happened behind the scenes for this to have occured now.

Already he is the 4th manager to lose his job this season.

we have (Bristol Rovers) signed John Akinde on loan 'till jan, from City another cross town import, seems like a good player seen a bit of him on local news etc, Matty give me the lo down whats your opinion of him? May go straight into team for tomorrow against Southampton, which is a really tough fixture although the saints have had a slow start this season. unfortunately Im in Devon this weekend and will miss the game, (mind you they didnt come and see me when I was bad)

The annoying thing bl00dy greedy sods sky have removed sky sports news from freeview so can no longer watch results come through

Think Enoch Showumni  He's crap mate, although to be fair he has done ok when out on loan in League One so may do a job for you.

Southampton have sacked Alan Pardew after winning 4-0 at the weekend.
Well that seems very very strange, soomething major must have happened behind the scenes for this to have occured now.

Already he is the 4th manager to lose his job this season.

I can only conclude there is some kind of power struggle going on behind the scenes, given the owner (Markus Leibherr) died a couple of weeks back and was, as far as I can ascertain, highly thought of by fans. He certainly didn't appear to be the meddling type.

Mind you, after saying that, Southampton is, I think, the only club in the country where the press are banned from taking pix inside the ground. I'm not entirely sure the deceased owner was necessarily behind that, however.

Southampton have sacked Alan Pardew after winning 4-0 at the weekend.
Well that seems very very strange, soomething major must have happened behind the scenes for this to have occured now.

Already he is the 4th manager to lose his job this season.

I can only conclude there is some kind of power struggle going on behind the scenes, given the owner died a couple of weeks back and was, as far as I can ascertain, highly thought of by fans. He certainly didn't appear to be the meddling type.

Mind you, after saying that, Southampton is, I think, the only club in the country where the press are banned from taking pix inside the ground. I'm not entirely sure the deceased owner was necessarily behind that, however.

The writing was on the wall when they only managed to put 4 past Bristol Rovers

Either that or he's been taking undue interest in the youth team

Either way it's not for footballing reasons