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

[Dante Lavelli]

If he's here for 3 yrs he will be be our top scorer each season- I have no doubts about that.

Even if he is our penalty taker the evidence of past seasons suggest 15 goals or so. That is a respectable total I would be happy with. However, it is the same as Gabby got last season. Now Gab has improved each season so I would bet that Gabby would score more.

Sorry, I did not make my point very clearly.  People have been debating robbie keane's statistics for the past umpteen season saying that he is a proven goal scorer.  My point is that if you ignore the penalties then he is not that prolific.  I cannot be arsed to check all his season but 4 of his 16 Celtic goals were penalties.  

I think he is a good player but I very much doubt he'll score 15 goals a season for us.  Especially if he is not our penalty taker.

For what it is worth, my preference would be to change the way we play, to either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.  I'm not sure Keane can fit into that system.  Playing that system also reduces our need for another striker (I'd still like one but...).

[TheSandman]

No I'm agreeing with your point but arguing with east19's that Keane will score shedloads.

I think he'll get a reasonable total should he sign but not as many as Gabby.

[SoccerHQ]

He'll score more than Heskey that's the crucial part.

We need three forwards who can score 10 + in the league. With Gabby and Carew we have two. With Keane we should have three with hopefully Fonz chipping in with a few.

If we sign Ireland aswell I'd expect him to score more from open play than Milner who's tally was boosted quite a bit from taking the penalties last season.

[Dante Lavelli]

I suppose my frustration with the signing (should it happen) is two fold:

1. It reduces the chances of us playing in a more dynamic/flexible 4-2-3-1

2.  It smacks of a short term signing.  In two years time we'll be looking to replace him with limited chance of us recovering our costs.

[TheSandman]

He'll score more than Heskey that's the crucial part.

We need three forwards who can score 10 + in the league. With Gabby and Carew we have two. With Keane we should have three with hopefully Fonz chipping in with a few.

If we sign Ireland aswell I'd expect him to score more from open play than Milner who's tally was boosted quite a bit from taking the penalties last season.

I'm hoping for at least 40 goals from strikers next season. With 15 each from the two regulars and about 10 from the sub. Also hope Delfouneso gets the odd chance and bags a couple.

[Legion]

He'll score more than Heskey that's the crucial part.

We need three forwards who can score 10 + in the league. With Gabby and Carew we have two. With Keane we should have three with hopefully Fonz chipping in with a few.

If we sign Ireland aswell I'd expect him to score more from open play than Milner who's tally was boosted quite a bit from taking the penalties last season.

I'm hoping for at least 40 goals from strikers next season. With 15 each from the two regulars and about 10 from the sub. Also hope Delfouneso gets the odd chance and bags a couple.

We'd probably win the league.

[eastie]

I personally think keane will score more than gabby but hopefully we will find out next season.

[SoccerHQ]

Well our 4 strikers contributed 28 league goals last season. When you consider one of those strikers was Heskey and Fonz got very few chances, I don't think it's unreasonable to aim for the 35-40 goal range.

Young's always good for 7-8 league goals a season and Ireland if he comes would chip in with at least 5. Don't expect much from Downing as he's a crap finisher and well 1 goal between Petrov and NRC would be a miracle.

The lads at the back will chip in with goals from set pieces from time to time so all in all would expect 60 + league goals next season.

[Legion]

We'd definitely win the league.

[TheSandman]

We scored over 70 a couple of seasons back and still finished sixth.

[Toronto Villa]

I've stated before I have doubts over Keane. His motivation is my main stumbling block. However, I think we wouldn't see that in his first season. What I think would be a huge plus is movement around the box which would be better than our entire current forward line combined. That in itself helps create chances and openings. The other plus is his fit wife, which is neither here nor there but I felt was worth throwing in (or into as the situation requires)

[paul_e]

To repeat, I'd be happy with 3-4 more so long as they were in games where we'd have drawn for the last few years.  If the defence does the same as last year but without the a nightmare game in March that'd be 8-10+ on the goal difference which would be fine.

As for playing 433 (or similar) that only works if you have the goals in midfield which i just don't think we have in us, so unless we sign a goal getter in there we won't see that too often.

More likely we'll see a neat and tidy ball winner alongside petrov so we can have the 2 deep central players and we'll rely on the wings and 1 forward to create the spark.  If we can get right back sorted to add the overlap like warnock does we'd actually have the shape of the great south american teams, it's just very reliant on the midfielders being solid and reliable and the fullbacks being true athletes (this is where Shorey let himself down I think, probably ditto Luke Young).

[Rudy Can't Fail]

It's a "no" from me.  I think he's past his best personally and will basically just mean we'll be looking for another striker in 1, maybe 2 seasons.

My thoughts entirely.

If Villa were not to sign Keane, where would he end up?

I reckon Jol would take him to Fulham and he'd end up being a "why weren't we in for him!?" type signing.

Fulham? Maybe Sunderland, newly promoted Newcastle (if they had the cash), Celtic (see Newcastle) and that's about it. Redknapp and Keane must be pissing themselves laughing all the way to the bank.

I wonder if the Spurs boards have a 'deadwood' thread too?

[atomicjam]

This may have been posted elsewhere tonight but its good to hear Ash being positive (from SSN) :-

Young's omission from England's World Cup squad and Villa's failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League has led to speculation that the 2009 PFA Young Player of the Year may be unsettled as he enters the last two years of his current deal.

But the 25-year-old has spoken of a commitment to Villa and manager Martin O'Neill, who paid Watford £9.6million for the wide-man in the January transfer window of 2007.

Young told Sky Sports News after scoring in Villa's 3-2 pre-season friendly victory over Peterborough United on Monday night: "If the contract talks are put forward to me, then of course I will sit down and talk.

"I have enjoyed my time here (at Villa), I have learnt a lot and I think I have a lot more learning to do under the manager.

"They are the club that gave me my chance. Hopefully I can build on that and we will see what happens."

[pauliewalnuts]

Joe Cole is a good player, but I've never quite understood why the media treat him as the second coming of Diego Maradona.