So, Mark Burchill then. Any Dunfermline Athletic fans on here?

He's played for you before. Albeit for about 3 matches on loan.

So I gather. But I never saw him...

And back to Gera briefly, before I refuse to ever mention his name again, I do feel we'll struggle without him. I was fairly confident of us staying up next season. Now, pessisimism is really beginning to sink in.

Whoa, hold on. First off, to concentrate on Gera alone is to ignore the abilities and input of the entire team and the way Mowbray melded them together. It wasn't just Gera who got us up. He had a major input in many games, sure, but then so did Brunt, Phillips, Greening et al.

And as for signings, well, we aren't exactly hot off the starting line, but then Gera's the only top-flight move that's happened so far. So far, all talk, no action.

Don't get so downhearted, Jon.

Thanks for the pep talk, Ian. It’s funny – you’re usually the pessimistic one and I’m the optimistic one in our online double act.

I don’t know though, I never really warmed to Gera until this season. I thought he never had done enough to justify all the adulation Albion fans gave him. He's one of those players who only has to warm up on the touchline to get the fans going. Added to that he was injured for quite long spells of his career at the Hawthorns. But he won me over this year with some sublime play and he also seemed to be really enjoying his football and his time at the club.

I agree, we are not a one man team at all. But a lot of our team are unproven in the Premiership so to lose one of our most experienced and skillful players, coupled with the fact that we haven't signed anyone yet is more than a tad worrying.

Anyway, new signings do appear to be fairly close - it's a long shot but anyone know anything of Paddy McCourt of Derry City or Radoslaw Majewski of Groklin Dyskobolia?

Your Gera comments tally with quite a few other Albion fans' impressions I've seen: excellent last season, but a curate's egg in previous ones (but also allowing for those long stretches where he was indeed injured). Anyhoo, he's at the Bernabeau of Stevenage Road now and there's nowt that can be fuggin' done about it.

Anyway, new signings do appear to be fairly close - it's a long shot but anyone know anything of Paddy McCourt of Derry City or Radoslaw Majewski of Groklin Dyskobolia?

To be completely honest, both names are a mystery to me - McCourt's a totally leftfield choice and has, from what I've seen, hair you could hide a car in, but he's attracted interest apart from us and is reportedly formidable in ability. Majewski is young (21, I think) and is said to be highly effective in a playmaker role (sounds quite Gera-ish), he's good enough for Leo Beenhakker to urge him not to sign for us as he thinks we're a 'simple, direct side', which, unless he's been to all our games last season, sounds and is complete, utter bullshit.

And the Shola Ameobi to Ipswich deal has collapsed, because he's waiting for a Premier club to come in for him.

Phew.

the main question down here is that, is the evil genius( ferrie bodde )going to sign or not for the rams , this one is going to run and run probably until monday but we can probably expect a few spanish replacements

I assumed the latest offer would have clinched Bodde's move, but it seems it's not a straight cash bid.

I'm sure I remember him being fairly rubbish. Burchill, I mean. Plus I assume this means Boulding will be off to Lincoln now they've got pennies to spare seeing as Forrester's left.

Mark Burchill hasn't been any use since 2001.

But he will probably go to his grave as the holder of the quickest ever hat-trick in European club competitions, scored in four minutes against Jeunesse d'Esch in the opening weeks of Martin O'Neill's first season at Celtic.

QUOTE:
I don’t know though, I never really warmed to Gera until this season. I thought he never had done enough to justify all the adulation Albion fans gave him. He's one of those players who only has to warm up on the touchline to get the fans going. Added to that he was injured for quite long spells of his career at the Hawthorns. But he won me over this year with some sublime play and he also seemed to be really enjoying his football and his time at the club.

Really? I didn't see him last season, but h3e must have been out of this world, and your standards astonishingly high. From what I saw in previous years he wouldn't have been out of place in any squad in the premiership.

Reserve team has been axed, so I'm not convinced that sends out encouraging signals for the new campaign.

Burchill hasn't been any use since 2000, because we had him on loan at the start of 2001, and he was rubbish for Ipswich too. And tiny. His only goal for Ipswich was a header mind. From a yard out, deflecting someone else's shot in.

47 goals in the last eight and a half years, apprently. Up front.

Any of our Spanish watchers know anything about José Emilio Guerra? 16 goals last season in the Tercera Division (regionalised fourth?). Presumably the £1m tag is because he plays for Barcelona B, rather than a non-Primera Liga B side. What is standard of that division like? He's also played for Palamós CF, CD Linares, CE Sabadell and Granada CF. Are any of those any good?

Barcelona B play in the same division as Balaguer where Swansea City sent two of their youth team players on loan last season.
Make of that what you will!

Any of the Brentford contingent care to share their views on Ricky Shakes? Apparently we're close to signing him.

Sad to see Agogo leaving Forest.