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

[mozza]

Transfer window clock is ticking folks...............

What's happening behind the scenes ? Hopefully deals for a defensive midfielder
and proven striker are in full swing and just need ratifying

If not ..........why not ? Even the boys & girls selling the pies and pop at half
time know what we need

In the dark days of McNeil and more recently O'Leary I used to grumble about
the season ending the first week in January ............even a doom and gloom
merchant like me couldn't foresee a mess like this unfolding before our eyes     

[Monty]

Even the proven striker is less of a problem than the defensive midfielder, as Carew can be good and we still have Gabby. We have NRC who can be good, now we need someone as reliable as Gabby in the defensive position.

[hilts_coolerking]

Even the proven striker is less of a problem than the defensive midfielder, as Carew can be good and we still have Gabby. We have NRC who can be good, now we need someone as reliable as Gabby in the defensive position.

I think that's part of the problem though: Carew and NRC can be good but they can just as easily be bad.  They're hot and cold players or, to use the cricketing expression, 'daisies'.  And they're not the only ones.

[Monty]

Exactly Hilts. There are very few players in the squad we can rely on - and we've just lost the most reliable of them in Milner. Trouble is, consistency is a hard virtue to sign as it's only really assured by buying first-teamers from the same league, which MON's experience showed leads to over-paying for players. This means we have to take a gamble whoever we sign for that position (if we do sign anyone, which I doubt we will in all honesty), not only in terms of experience but also in terms of price.

[hilts_coolerking]

I don't know.  Even with Martin's policy of buying exclusively British-based players, most of whom were familiar with the Premier League, we ended up with a good few crappers.  So doing it that way is no more a guarantee than buying players from overseas leagues.  The risk might be higher but the trade off is that, if it does work, you get more for your money. 

I'm pretty certain that whoever replaces Martin won't be using the same transfer strategy.

[Monty]

Oh absolutely, I was hardly recommending MON's transfer policy, but it's no great deduction that if we signed, say, Scott Parker, it's less of a gamble than signing Blaise Matuidi, however consistent he's been in France. However, if we're going to get value we simply have to assess players as vigorously as possible from abroad.

[JJ-AV]

We need a centre midfielder who can tackle and a centre forward who can put goals in the next on a semi-consistant basis as opposed to being a form player.

That has not changed since the start of the window.

I was one for the signing of Ireland, he's a quality player. But I'm worried.

Carew, Heskey and Gabby are all earning big wages. If we signed a new centre forward - the likes of Ashley, Ireland and Downing being guarenteed first teamers means we need to play 1 upfront.

Which means those three on the bench.

We can't afford to do it. We need Gabby back and him to carry our frontline again.

5 years into the new regime and we're still relying on Gabby. We miss him so much.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Toivonen is a new one on me.

A striker who plays for PSV all I know is that he had/has scored 5 in there first couple of games. Could be a Van Nistelrooy or Alfonso Alves.

[ozzjim]

I think Gabby being out will always hit us much harder away from home. At home Albrighton, Ireland, Downing, Young in the same side will be ok, as the onus is on us to attack, and Carew is the ideal focal point as defensive sides will drop deep against Gabby and nullify the threat.

Away though, as others come onto us, 2 holding players and Gabby up top are vital. Young can float still, but I would play a narrow midfield with 3 centrally minded players and 1 wider wither being Downing or Albrighton. Downing doesn't cover his fullback well enough to be in a 4-4-2 away from home. Both Luke Young and Warnock have looked in big trouble with Downing ahead of them. Almost tempting to play 4-5-1 with Petrov, Ireland and Downing central with Young wide left, as he does track back and Downing has a decent shot on him from a central position.

Anyhow, we have to get a couple of loans in at least. A Gabby type forward who can get in behind and a proper tackling midfielder are musts.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Agreed. Flamini is the man for me. Get him in on loan for the season or simply buy him for the 5m they want. Sit him in behind Ireland and Petrov, giving us Sidwell and Reo Coker back up for them. Then play Albrighton right and Ashley left, Gabby up top and feck Downing off to the highest bidder. No coincidence that Warnock was a super full back till Downing was fit, and since he has been over run and generally looked lost. Ashley Young for all his talent, covers his full back better than most wingers in football.

Agree on everything OJ.
Flamini likes a tackle or two, something our midfield wimps run away from.

[OCD]

MON's biggest mistake was buying Heskey when Darren Bent was going begging.

[tarzansbrother]

My fear is Downing will be his biggest mistake. To think we paid his wages for 6 months as well while he was injured. All Milners profit pissed on him I recon

[TheSandman]

We need more steel in that midfield. Almost certainly. I've been saying that for ages.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

All players that have moved clubs this summer that would have been more than useful members of our squad. (All pretty realistic signings too)

William Gallas
Eduardo
Ben Foster
Martin Petrov
Benayoun
Christian Poulsen
Dan Gosling
Kenwyn Jones
Nedum Onuaha (loan)
Thomas Hitzlesperger
Frederic Piquionne - He's better than Heskey!
Paul Sharner (released....but to who??)

Not everyone's cup of tea granted, but certainly better than some of the shit in our squad, and definitely an improvement!

[villa for life]

More depressing is you could probably make another list of managers who were available and aren't now!