Manager: Abdi (Somalia)
Twitter name: @abdinw1
Since: 2010
Last season: 4th
Trophy cabinet: Empty (best finish – last season)
Sympathies: Arsenal
Darts music: The Trumpet Hornpipe – The Captain Pugwash theme
Outlook: There were always concerns that the Mog manager’s haphazard approach to auction tactics would overshadow his campaign and, one or two players aside, they appear well founded. Midfield linchpin Luka Modric left for Spain hours after the Pirates signed him, leaving a dressing room bubbling with poor temperament, untested talent and indifferent previous.
Surprisingly, no Brambles.
| Reina, P | LIV | £0.5m |
| Evra, P | MUN | £15m |
| Shawcross, R | STO | £11m |
| Bramble, T | SUN | £0.5m |
| Riether, S | FUL | £0.5m |
| Lallana, A | SOT | £14m |
| Gosling, D (B) | NEW | £19.5m |
| Nolan, K | WHM | £5m |
| Taarabt, A | QPR | £1m |
| Lukaku, R | WBA | £14m |
| Benteke, C | AVL | £35m |
| Total | £116m |
Second transfer window – 1 February 2013
| Out | In | ||||
| Pollitt, M (B) | WIG | £11m | Reina, P | LIV | £0.5m |
| Shelvey, J | ARS | £11m | Gosling, D (B) | NEW | £19.5m |
| Ameobi, Shola | NEW | £0.5m | Benteke, C | AVL | £35m |
First transfer window – 26 October 2012
| Out | In | ||||
| Krul, T | NEW | £21m | Pollitt, M (B) | WIG | £11m |
| Koscielny, L | ARS | £17m | Bramble, T | SUN | £0.5m |
| Modric, L | RMA | £1m | Shelvey, J | LIV | £11m |
| Campbell, F | SUN | £0.5m | Ameobi, Shola | NEW | £0.5m |
