The only place to be

Not True. What about the goal kicks and long balls that have been punted towards Ivanovic, who gets told to push forward on the right flank? What about the balls played out to either one of the centre-backs or Mikel (which is again, very reminiscent of Barcelona). Yes we've moved to more longer balls in recent weeks but we're talking about beyond just this season. And can you please tell us how much the Gazprom deal is worth?

'The system we use that Drogba played'. Utter bollocks. The system that we use and the one that Drogba played in are two different things. We're moving away from the one that Drogba played in and moving to one more based on possession and movement, a la Barca. And once again I'll point out that you don't have a fucking clue what we can and can't spend because you don't have a fucking clue about our income, sponsorship deals or the cuts to playing staff over the next 6 months. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what point you're trying to make. You say we shouldn't buy him because there are better options (like a 2004 vintage Drogba) and Falcao 'just scores goals'. I think we should sign him because he's the best option available in January and he 'just score goals'. We don't need someone who does other things because the team we're trying to be doesn't need what we had 8 years ago. People need to stop living in the past and look at what we're trying to build and who we're trying to get to build it. Look at our reserves and youths to see the type of team we're looking to be - that requires someone more like Falcao than Drogba.

Oh, now I get Choulo's point. We need to buy Didier Drogba again. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

And which £20 million striker can we sign in January? :banghead: And strikers who 'just score goals' actually don't just score goals. They are a constant threat that defences have to mind which keeps them honest and creates space for players in behind. And Sturridge also had a chance against West Brom. In fact he had two great chances to score and fluffed his lines. Top strikers can't do that I'm afraid.

Well that first point makes no sense - there's always a least man no matter where the line is. What he does is stop defenders from being able to step up which creates more space in midfield. There are also channels to be run even if you dominate possession. Look how many chances we've created from wide where Torres simply isn't in the right spot. He actually managed to do it against Sunderland for his first goal but that was the exception rather than the norm. If we had a guy who did that in every game, we'd be in a much stronger position. Look at Barcelona - they dominate possession yet this is how Messi scores goals His most common ‘method’ of scoring is to take possession within the 18-yard box, either by running onto a through ball, or by finding space to collect another type of pass or pounce onto a rebound. Of the 234 goals, 145 were scored this way, or 61.97 per cent. These 145 goals include all his 12 headed goals. That's what we need.

He's not played in as many big games. But in the Europa League at Porto, he scored the winner in the Final. For Madrid, he scored TWO in the final of the same competition and in the Super Cup he scored THREE.

Why doesn't he suit our style? We need someone who stretches the play by playing on the last man. We need a guy who can run the channels and finish chances. That is Falcao. He also seems available and willing to come, as well as being particularly admired by the guy who our owner wants as our manager in six months time.

There is the small matter of someone needing to buy him. There will be a bigger market for him in the Summer.

I believe there will be a clean slate. The amount of new players returning and established players moving on will see a big period of change, and hopefully that will be accompanied by a brand new manager. Lukaku's future here is secure for at least another season because of the money invested in him and the faith in his ability. If we get Falcao in January, then what's the point in bringing back a guy who's developing well just to sit on the bench, possibly behind Torres?

He's getting regular gametime, improving game to game and scoring goals. Short-term it might make sense but longer-term why not leave him there? He gets to experience a full season of first-team football and then come back in the summer ready to fight for a place with a clean slate under a new manager. Unless we miss out on Falcao, leave him with Clarkey.

I may not have made much sense to you, but if you found anything i said confusing I can try and help you work it out if you want? If United do win the title this year, I think there's a chance Fergie goes out on top. Plus Mancini gets sacked in all likelihood. Even you must be able to recognise that there aren't many top-level coaches in the world, and that we want as little competition for the ones who will be available in the summer.

Decent price for a player with an uncertain contract situation, although City get 15%.

I don't agree with this in the slightest. Given the choice of United or City winning the league, I'd go for City.

I feel like I'm becoming very one-note but has anyone raised the point that Guardiola is a big fan of Falcao? Considering he's the number one target to become our manager, surely that point is important.

A. Read beyond the headline. B. Rafa does have a point and Lamps would agree with it. Personally, I think he would have to take a significant wage cut and accept the fact that he's not a first-teamer anymore. Then you have to look at the younger players that he would be taking a spot ahead of, and you have to ask where he would actually play in the team.

His best position at Everton may well be just off the striker, but when we were first looking at him he was a DM. That's where he sees himself and that's where I think we see him too.

Who else is out there who might be available in January and would suit the style of football we're trying to play?

Exactly. Don't see anything wrong with what he said, and neither would Lamps.

Unless he moves Rooney into midfield. It's been on the cards for a while seemingly and if Scholes retires it would be a tempting proposition.

Do you mean Cavani would suit us perfectly 6 months ago as a replacement for Drogba, or suit us perfectly for where we're heading now? Because those are two different things. We're not going to be a 'target man' driven, power team in the future. I know that isn't all Cavani offers, but it's the main difference between him and Falcao. In fact Cavani has a tendency to drop off from the front position more than Cavani (when I've seen him) which would actually congest the spaces Hazard and Mata work in. What we need is a guy who knows how to play on the last man and run the channels. Falcao is the best around right now, and he's available at a price we're willing to pay. We'll have Lukaku as a 'Plan B' next season, and it will also be great for Feruz to train alongside a fairly similar player.

Our weakest spot is up-front. Having a striker who doesn't contribute to the team in meaningful ways greatly weakens us. Having a striker that defenders don't have to worry about puts more pressure on the midfield. Having a striker who doesn't run the channels properly doesn't create space for midfielders. Having a striker who can't hold the ball up or lay it off properly slows down attacks. Having a striker who doesn't score the 1 or 2 chances in tight games causes us to drop points. Right now we're not just playing with 10 men, but actually have a guy who negatively impacts on other people's performances.

Guardiola: "Falcao es el mejor jugador de área del mundo"

I think we could get four years out of Pep, but I think we have a better chance of establishing something sustainable with him. The club is geared towards taking that step now and whilst we'll always buy some expensive players, it's a strategy we'll use less and less and mainly for 'marquee signings'. Mourinho is a great manager but his speciality is taking teams close to the top and pushing them over, which is why i think he'd be ideal for Man City. What we're looking for is a coach to build something new and essentially take us away from the Mourinho team.

Sorry, but when you talk about players it's obvious that's an opinion. Largely it's a subjective view and there isn't always a definitive answer. But when you say 'we can't afford it', that appears to be based on actual knowledge. In future though, I'll make sure to note that you're simply pulling stuff out of your arse.