Official Premier League 2010/11 thread

[Colly]

Steve McClarens available!

[Pesci]

Fining Diego £84,000 on his way out...

[TheGreatJ]

Since I had the near-death-experience on Sunday afternoon of seeing Di Matteo had been released, Houghton has been my favourite for the job. I quite like the guy, see him as a good lower-half manager who can grind out good results against poor teams (what we have ultimately lacked), and he wouldn't try and get us to change our play up too much, considering we play in the formation I think he favoured at Newcastle and have similar players in each position, bar a large target man.

[Colly]

Hughton. Ray Houghtons been out of footie for ages...

[Lineker]

Keys and Gray to join talkSPORT. We all saw that one coming.

[ONO]

No surprise there at all.

[brenchill]

West Brom could do a lot worse than getting Steve McClaren. He may not be the most fashionable choice for any job in England after his efforts with the National side but McClaren has a great record in club football. However, I think Big Sam would be better suited to the job at The Hawthorns. He was brought up in the local area and spent two years at West Brom earlier in his managerial career so it wouldn't take him long to settle in.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Ugh. Ahhh man they're replacing Parry and Graham 10am-1pm weekdays - I find their stuff quite entertaining and it's what's normally on when I get home from work so gutted it's THAT show. I'd rather they'd replaced Adrian Durham or just did some kind of random show on a Saturday afternoon when I'm away doing something else.

Meh. The 10-1 show actually wasn't all sport either - it was just good old fashioned trashy tabloid news for a few hours. I guess THAT will become sport too now.

[brenchill]

10 - 1am weekdays? Sounds like a bit of a graveyard shift. But then again, I only really hear the radio in the car.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Yeah 10-1 is basically for housewives, the unemployed and those who can listen to radio at work like taxi drivers and labourers.....So it caters for them. Though that's 7-10pm for me so I normally catch a bit when I get home. Bah, I already get annoyed with Alan Brazil in the breakfast show. I doubt Keys and Gray can carry three hours every day.

[brenchill]

Richard Keys, Andy Gray and an audience of house wives.

Something has got to give.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

...and their first show is on Valentines Day.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Mike Parry has left talksport. Ugh.

[DavidMarrio]

Newcastle are trying to sign Kuqi on a free transfer after leaving Swansea

[brenchill]

Given the time given to find a replacement for Carrol, what other viable options are there for Newcastle? I'm sure he will be just a squad number rather than a sign of Newcastle's intent.

[DavidMarrio]

I think as a short term option it makes sense as they could do with backup as isn't Ameobi injured?

[Lineker]

West Ham have won the backing of Olympic bosses in the battle for the 2012 stadium, BBC London has learned.

Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) executives have decided the offer from the club is a better solution than the rival bid from Tottenham.

The OPLC board will be asked to support the view and announce the Hammers as preferred bidder on Friday.

The government and London's mayor, Boris Johnson will then take a final decision in the coming weeks.

It would be a surprise if ministers and the mayor overturn OPLC executives, who have spent the last few months discussing the various plans with both clubs in detail.

West Ham are happy for the athletics track to be kept in the stadium and for the venue to be used for a variety of sports and concerts.

Tottenham's plans were to dismantle the stadium in Stratford and build a new football ground in its place.

The Spurs proposal has faced huge criticism from the athletics world, MPs and the public.

A recent BBC London poll suggested 81% of Londoners were against the proposals to rip up the athletics track.

The ComRes phone poll, carried out between 21 and 23 January, also suggested 72% of people in London wanted West Ham to get the stadium, with only 13% supporting Tottenham.

Ministers and the mayor are understood to be well aware that the Tottenham option would have been a "hard sell" to taxpayers.

Fucking ecstatic.

[Adam]

Kuqi's a poor signing really but it is really only for cover you'd imagine. I never thought Luke Varney would do anything at this level and he's been pretty good for Blackpool this season.

That said Newcastle really need to rely on the midfield now because I just can't see the likes of Best and Lovenkrands becoming regular goal scorers.

[9 to 5]

Shefki Kuqi. A player whom when he played for us, I tried to pretend he simply didn't exist. >_>

Awesome celebration he has mind you.

[R.W.]

Kuqi was awesome for us! I still remember going to Stamford Bridge and watching him batter John Terry around and generally terrify the Chelsea defence.

And WBA should get Allardyce in. Unless they want to be one of those teams who play pretty football but get relegated anyway.