Summer 2010 Transfer Thread: B*llsh*t, Rumours & Wishes

[enigma]

So I guess what I'm suggesting is that we have Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Carroll and a new "flagship" striker if you like. Or maybe somebody like Bellamy. In fact, thats what I'd like to see. Gabby, Fonz, Carroll, Bellamy and Weimann as a fifth choice.

On paper that line-up does sound appealing but if we're in the Champions League it is alarmingly inexperienced.  In fact it's quite inexperienced for the Premier League.

Bordeaux and CSKA don't have great experience in the Champions League either and they're doing OK.

[JUAN PABLO]

So I guess what I'm suggesting is that we have Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Carroll and a new "flagship" striker if you like. Or maybe somebody like Bellamy. In fact, thats what I'd like to see. Gabby, Fonz, Carroll, Bellamy and Weimann as a fifth choice.

On paper that line-up does sound appealing but if we're in the Champions League it is alarmingly inexperienced.  In fact it's quite inexperienced for the Premier League.

Bordeaux and CSKA don't have great experience in the Champions League either and they're doing OK.

Real Madrid are experienced and it hasnt done them much good...

[Mazrim]

So I guess what I'm suggesting is that we have Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Carroll and a new "flagship" striker if you like. Or maybe somebody like Bellamy. In fact, thats what I'd like to see. Gabby, Fonz, Carroll, Bellamy and Weimann as a fifth choice.

On paper that line-up does sound appealing but if we're in the Champions League it is alarmingly inexperienced.  In fact it's quite inexperienced for the Premier League.

I suppose so. There is something to be said for the exuberence of youth though. If they havent experienced the Champions League (and lets face it, if we did buy experienced champions league players they arent likely to be ones that have fared spectacularly in it) then they shouldn't really fear it.

[Chico Hamilton III]

So I guess what I'm suggesting is that we have Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Carroll and a new "flagship" striker if you like. Or maybe somebody like Bellamy. In fact, thats what I'd like to see. Gabby, Fonz, Carroll, Bellamy and Weimann as a fifth choice.

On paper that line-up does sound appealing but if we're in the Champions League it is alarmingly inexperienced.  In fact it's quite inexperienced for the Premier League.

I suppose so. There is something to be said for the exuberence of youth though. If they havent experienced the Champions League (and lets face it, if we did buy experienced champions league players they arent likely to be ones that have fared spectacularly in it) then they shouldn't really fear it.

Bellamy's got a fair bit of champs league experience - scored goals in it as well

[Matt C]

Our chances of landing ready-made Champions League experienced players is pretty slim I'd say - we've got to make them.

[hilts_coolerking]

So I guess what I'm suggesting is that we have Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Carroll and a new "flagship" striker if you like. Or maybe somebody like Bellamy. In fact, thats what I'd like to see. Gabby, Fonz, Carroll, Bellamy and Weimann as a fifth choice.

On paper that line-up does sound appealing but if we're in the Champions League it is alarmingly inexperienced.  In fact it's quite inexperienced for the Premier League.

Bordeaux and CSKA don't have great experience in the Champions League either and they're doing OK.

Which means what, that no-one ever needs experience?  Of course it's possible to point to isolated examples of sides with little experience doing well for a while.  But that doesn't mean it isn't generally better to have experience on your side.

I said before on this thread that if we were to qualify for the CL we would want to given ourselves the best possible chance of staying in it for as a long as possible.  And we would also want to give ourselves the best possible chance of qualifying for it again the following year.

A striking line-up of which only one has any significant European experience, and of which only two have any significant Premier League experience, is not in my view giving ourselves the best chance to do that.

What qualifying for the CL would mean for us is the potential ability to buy players of greater quality and experience than we can at the moment.  So it would seem perverse, in advance of what would be our first season in the CL, to not take advantage of that.

[hilts_coolerking]

Real Madrid are experienced and it hasnt done them much good...

Yes but it's not because they're experienced is it?  There are a number of other reasons why they have under-performed.

[Risso]

David O'Leary's "babbies" did OK as well.  

Sorry, I feel dirty now.

[LeeB]

Real Madrid are experienced and it hasnt done them much good...

Yes but it's not because they're experienced is it?  There are a number of other reasons why they have under-performed.

I heard it was a gypsie's curse.

[Mazrim]

Yeah but the only reason Gabby, for instance, isnt a champions league player is because he's never played in it. The fundamental traits that make him such a wepon in the Premier League would also be the case in Champions League.

I dont see much point in going out and buying some run of the mill or merely decent European player for the sake of it. If we're good enough to qualify for the competition, stick to what it is that makes us strong I say. Quick, direct, powerful, high tempo football. Get the players that match that ethos and let the results take care of themsleves. Or die by it.
Dont try and out Barcelona Barcelona. Try and out Aston Villa them.

Ha, what a load of bollocks! I know what I mean though.

[JUAN PABLO]

Real Madrid are experienced and it hasnt done them much good...

Yes but it's not because they're experienced is it?  There are a number of other reasons why they have under-performed.

my tongue was in cheek Hilts....  Mind, Id still have Ronaldo and Kaka , however crap they looked the other night..  

I think chelski are so over experienced its made them  old and finished.. Joe Cole could be a good signing but I bet he will go to Spurzzzzzz

[hilts_coolerking]

Yeah but the only reason Gabby, for instance, isnt a champions league player is because he's never played in it. The fundamental traits that make him such a wepon in the Premier League would also be the case in Champions League.

I dont see much point in going out and buying some run of the mill or merely decent European player for the sake of it. If we're good enough to qualify for the competition, stick to what it is that makes us strong I say. Quick, direct, powerful, high tempo football. Get the playuers that match that ethos and let the results take care of themsleves.
Dont try and out Barcelona Barcelona. Try and out Aston Villa them.

Ha, what a load of bollocks! I know what I mean though.

Play to our strengths, absolutely, but it's wrong to assume that the only alternative to callow youths are "run of the mill or merely decent European players".  Besides, Bellamy would fall into that latter category anyway.

I'm not saying that a striking line-up along the lines you suggest would be bound to fail.  More that such a line-up would not be giving ourselves the best possible chance of success.

[Mazrim]

O.K then Hilts, who would your targets be this summer?
I'm not trying to catch you out or anything. I'm just interested.

[hilts_coolerking]

Like I say, I would hope we have two different (but perhaps in places overlapping) lists of targets for the summer: one for CL qualification and one not.

My own view is that we two new midfielders (one creative, one defensive), a winger, and probably two new strikers.  I think the defence is okay, unless Luke Young leaves, in which case we will need a RB that Martin has confidence in.  Also need to keep half an eye open for any top goalkeepers that are gettable.

In the event of CL qualification, I think it would be extremely beneficial for us to have at least two or three players who have played in it for several years or significant International finals experience.

I'm not up enough on European and world football to put names to these roles I'm afraid.  But that's the checklist, so I guess it's a case of going through available players and seeing who ticks all the boxes.

Basically I think CL qualification represents a step-change for the club as well as a massive opportunity to put some distance between ourselves and our rivals due to the advantage we would gain over them in the transfer market.  We might even be able to prise one or two of their players off them, and if we could do that so much the better.

Torres, for instance, might well leave Liverpool.  It's doubtful he'd leave them for us but wherever he went - and it would be one of the very top clubs - there would almost certainly be a striker surplus to requirements.  So that calibre of player would be worth looking at.

[Chris Smith]

Our players don't have experience of playing in the CL, that's true, but we do have a lot of experience against sides that tend to do quite well in it. For example if our league games this season against Manu had been CL games we'd have knocked them out.