Can't wait for supposed 'financial fair play' to kick in, if it ever does. The fact that West Ham are able to offer £85k per week to a 31 year old striker is unfortunate on us in the short term, but I'm not sure it will do them any favours 2 years down the line.

Look at Bolton, Leeds, Portsmouth. Once you drop, it's very hard to come back. But at least we'd go down stronger. The league will be more competitive once teams work within sensible budgets. When Manchester United struggle to compete in the market, what chance have we got?!

For what it's worth, I actually think we can survive as we are. A couple of reinforcements would be great, but not essential.

I don't understand who or what this post is aimed at at all. I've read back through all four pages, and can find very few posts (only three or so) complaining about the lack of incoming players so far in the window. Most of the thread has discussed the relationship between the board, Moody and Pulis and whether or not the board should discuss transfer policy in the media. Both perfectly reasonable subjects to discuss.

With regard to playing the media game (your first point) the fact that you do it does not make you savvy. Mourinho is media savvy and so, for that matter, is TP. Extremely so. Oddly, our board (who include a media-relations professional) are surprisingly not. They could learn from any number of clubs that you can't go wrong when you don't open your mouth.

It’s all a wonderful story but based on fantasy. Hull were as desperate to buy Shane Long as WBA were not to sell him. They have been after him for months and their agreement to buy him in the summer fell through at the last minute when WBA pulled out of the deal so it was hardly a case of them wanting him off the books.

You claim that “We as a club are not willing to just throw money away” which implies that other clubs are. Of course we want value for money and only want to buy players that improve the squad but outside of the big six so does everyone else.

You also claim that our owners have “excellent ability to negotiate a good deal just look at there businesses to see this” The fact that all four directors have had successful business careers doesn’t imply a) that they have any ability to negotiate at all and b) that they know anything about running a football club. One of the directors has a background in motor insurance another is a vintner whilst the most vocal of all has a background in brand management which in plain English means convincing people that products are wonderful when perhaps they are anything but.

Perhaps we should install you as chairman as you have a vast knowledge of every subject (thank goodness for google eh ) and will always pinpoint where our owners are going wrong, in fact you are probably the ceo of a top 100 company no doubt.

I would be very surprised if you get that successful without an ability to negotiate. And considering the great deal we got for Wilf, I would say that is pretty good evidence that they do.

Also, what makes you think you know anything about running a ootball club?! Surely they are much MUCH better placed than you or I in any of this. Obviously doesn't mean they are immune to criticism, but they clearly want to be careful with their money, and you can't say Cardiff, Hull, QPR, Bolton etc have done the same.

If you think they are not trying to bring players in you are deluded. It's pretty damn difficult, of course Pulis 'hoped' we would have signed players early, but for whatever reason we haven't been able to. I, for one, do not think it for lack of trying. Name some signings our rivals have made in Jan that we should have got. Go on.

1. Becoming a successful CEO is largely a matter of a). hiring expert people, and b). getting out of their way so they can do what's made them successful. All CEOs come from one area of the business (sales, marketing, product design, technology, recruitment, or whatever) and have one primary skill-set. The good ones continue to influence their area of expertise while letting other C-level executives they've hired run theirs. Thus, it would make sense for Steve Parish to influence our marketing. It would make sense for Martin Long to make decisions about the club's insurance. It would make sense for Steve Browett to be involved in the bars and catering. It would make no sense for any of them to be remotely involved in player recruitment. That's why they've hired Iain Moody. Their contribution should be to agree the budget and let Moody (and TP) get on with the rest, including communicating with the press. This way, they can be careful with their money while also focusing on areas where they can actually add value.

2. Why does Ian, or me, pointing this out lead to the accusation that we know how to run a football club? I, for one, don't (though I do know how to run a business and I have run a profitable one for the last two years.)

3. I think we all know that we are trying to bring in players. But some of us feel that if the experts (IM, TP) were left alone to do it (with strict budget guidelines in place) then we might be getting further than we are with various vintners and ad agency executives spouting off in the press.

Cue brickbats...