Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[Aston Manor]

I'd be happy with a summer's return of Given, N,Zogbia, Kebe, Michael Johnson (Man City), Dann, Parker, and I wouldn't be adverse to see Wright-Phillips in. I'd prefer Jarvis but doubt Wolves would sell. Never been a huge fan but I don't think Bendtner would be too bad for us at the moment. And for all the talk of re-sale I'd  be happy  to make money on him and then go and buy the next level up if we get there again.

[hartman_1982]

Has anyone noticed a daily pattern emerging, where the National Press post rumours in the early morning about us bidding for players left, right & centre, only for Matt Kendrick to come and piss on our chips around lunchtime?

It's almost like the Nationals, who have always portayed us as 'small-time' and unambitious, have actually been caught out by the sheer speed of the Club's plummeting ambition, such that perversely they now see us as bigger players than we've now become. Leaving Kendrick as the lone purveyor of the sobering reality.

Or Kendrick has been slow on the up take. He was with the Downing, N'Zogbia and now it would seem Given bid.

[Smoke]

If Kendrick is correct we're planning to play 'hardball' over the fee, thus leaving the door open for Sunderland to come in and nick him.

Really clever that, pretending we're not desperate for a wide player and telling them to 'take it or leave it'. Cos there are other targets out there (Faulkner knows this), quality ones too, like Sean Wrong Phillips and Aiden McGeady, yeah, "so you better accept that offer Mr Whelan or we'll take our money elsewhere".

Sunderland will never be able to pull off a bluff like that, what with them having signed 9 players already, whilst we've signed no f*cker.

Genius, Faulkner. F*cking genius.

And if we pull off deals for Given, Nzogbia and Parker will you be singing Faulkners praises or will that all have been down to Randy?

[Concrete John]

Were Wigan not openly courting Wright-Phillips? Might well be why we've suggested that he's a 'target' for us.

I tend not to buy into all these conspiracy theories around transfers.  More likely scenario is that we've bid for N'Zogbia and the SWP link is just your usual lazy/made up journalism.

[mazrimsbruv]

If Kendrick is correct we're planning to play 'hardball' over the fee, thus leaving the door open for Sunderland to come in and nick him.

Really clever that, pretending we're not desperate for a wide player and telling them to 'take it or leave it'. Cos there are other targets out there (Faulkner knows this), quality ones too, like Sean Wrong Phillips and Aiden McGeady, yeah, "so you better accept that offer Mr Whelan or we'll take our money elsewhere".

Sunderland will never be able to pull off a bluff like that, what with them having signed 9 players already, whilst we've signed no f*cker.

Genius, Faulkner. F*cking genius.

And if we pull off deals for Given, Nzogbia and Parker will you be singing Faulkners praises or will that all have been down to Randy?

I will be happy if we sign these three, as a start, but as you can probably tell, I no longer trust this board to get it done. Everything I've seen from Faulkner is amateurish and smacks of someone completely out of his depth. A bloke with no football experience trying to apply his 'big business' skills in the football arena and failing on a regular basis.

He's just sold two of our three best players, seemingly without replacements lined up and now he appears to be fannying around playing 'poker style' mind games with deals that need tying up right now.

So no, he doesn't deserve to be cut some slack and he certainly doesn't deserve to have his praises sung by anyone.

[Concrete John]

I will be happy if we sign these three, as a start, but as you can probably tell, I no longer trust this board to get it done. Everything I've seen from Faulkner is amateurish and smacks of someone completely out of his depth. A bloke with no football experience trying to apply his 'big business' skills in the football arena and failing on a regular basis.

He's just sold two of our three best players, seemingly without replacements lined up and now he appears to be fannying around playing 'poker style' mind games with deals that need tying up right now.

So no, he doesn't deserve to be cut some slack and he certainly doesn't deserve to have his praises sung by anyone.

But if they did get it done, would your opinion change?

And to say "He's sold two of our best players" makes it sound like he was hawking them around trying to get shot.  These players wanted to leave and what he, or whoever it was in the club, did was get very good prices for them.

[Smoke]

The Darren Bent & Makoun deals were far from amaturish. OR was that all GH's work?


Whilst I don't really want to stick up for the guy, I think it's a little unfair that all bad things that happen are perceieved as Faulker being useless

[PeterWithe]

I think the worry about resale value is a false one, what is concerning is that going into his last two years of his contract he may be well past his prime but we are still comitted to paying him £3m a year for the privilege.

That said, fuck it, let get it done.

[midnite]

I think the "selling our two best players this season" is a little unfair on Faulkner. Not that I'm sticking up for him but one player had 12 months on his contract and would go for free next year. The money we got for him with only 12 moths left was good business in my view. The other is downing wanting to leave. Not much Faulkner can do there either. But again £20 million for him is good business. We've all said as much. So maybe he isn't as stupid as we make out. I would ideally like someone on the board with a football background but I get the feeling Faulkner is becoming the scape goat for all things wrong with the club. Just someone to point the finger at.

[Smoke]

Faulkner has been in charge for us to Sell 3 top players Milner, Young & Downing All of which wanted to leave and All of which we made a healthy profit on.

Sold :

Milner - £18M
Young - £18-20M
Downing - £20M

Bought

Bent - £18-24M
Makoun - £6.5M?
Ireland - £0M

Potentially Will Buy

Given - £3.5M
N'Zogbia - £10M

Plus I should think others to come.

I don't really see where he's going that far wrong in 'running' our club.

[mazrimsbruv]

The Darren Bent & Makoun deals were far from amaturish. OR was that all GH's work?


Whilst I don't really want to stick up for the guy, I think it's a little unfair that all bad things that happen are perceieved as Faulker being useless

Oh I don't just blame Faulkner. Lerner appointed him and has stuck by him, even though anyone can see that the club has gone downhill rapidly since he was taken on.

I doubt he makes any big decisions without Lerner's approval so, if anything, Lerner is the more culpable. Unfortunately, Lerner has no previous football experience either, so I doubt he can see many of his shortcomings.

[UsualSuspect]

I'd be happy with a summer's return of Given, N,Zogbia, Kebe, Michael Johnson (Man City), Dann, Parker, and I wouldn't be adverse to see Wright-Phillips in. I'd prefer Jarvis but doubt Wolves would sell. Never been a huge fan but I don't think Bendtner would be too bad for us at the moment. And for all the talk of re-sale I'd  be happy  to make money on him and then go and buy the next level up if we get there again.

And I'd be happy with that lot as soon as my rocket bought me back to earth after living on the moon!!!

[mazrimsbruv]

I will be happy if we sign these three, as a start, but as you can probably tell, I no longer trust this board to get it done. Everything I've seen from Faulkner is amateurish and smacks of someone completely out of his depth. A bloke with no football experience trying to apply his 'big business' skills in the football arena and failing on a regular basis.

He's just sold two of our three best players, seemingly without replacements lined up and now he appears to be fannying around playing 'poker style' mind games with deals that need tying up right now.

So no, he doesn't deserve to be cut some slack and he certainly doesn't deserve to have his praises sung by anyone.

But if they did get it done, would your opinion change?

And to say "He's sold two of our best players" makes it sound like he was hawking them around trying to get shot.  These players wanted to leave and what he, or whoever it was in the club, did was get very good prices for them.

No, my opinion would not change. These signings are the minmum I would expect if they even serious about fending off relegation next season.

And I don't care if Downing wanted to leave. He had two years left and his transfer request could have been refused if the Club were serious about keeping him. I would even bet they told him to submit a transfer request, once their valuation had been met, so that they saved a bit of face and didn't have to pay his bonus. Spurs have told Modric that there's no point in him submitting one.

They've sold Downing because they don't want to give the Manager any transfer funds.

And are you saying that he had lined up replacements before selling Ash & Downing?

[Concrete John]

Faulkner has been in charge for us to Sell 3 top players Milner, Young & Downing All of which wanted to leave and All of which we made a healthy profit on.

Sold :

Milner - £18M
Young - £18-20M
Downing - £20M

Bought

Bent - £18-24M
Makoun - £6.5M?
Ireland - £0M

Potentially Will Buy

Given - £3.5M
N'Zogbia - £10M

Plus I should think others to come.

I don't really see where he's going that far wrong in 'running' our club.

If you accept that the players who left wanted to go and we could do nothing to keep them, then that looks half decent.  However, people will always point to the large incoming fees and say 'sell to buy'. 

[eastie]

West Ham believe a £7million Aston Villa bid for Scott Parker is imminent.

Villa owner Randy Lerner has balanced the club's books by selling England wingers Ashley Young and Stewart Downing to Manchester United and Liverpool this summer.

And Upton Park chiefs David Sullivan and David Gold reckon new Villa manager Alex McLeish - who they appointed at Birmingham when they were in charge at St Andrew's -  now wants Parker.

With Villa soon to be flush from Downing’s £20m switch to Liverpool, West Ham believe they will firm up their initial interest in Parker.


McLeish is looking for a leader in the mould of midfield dynamo Parker to build his side around.

The Scot, who is close to snapping up Manchester City keeper Shay Given, also wants Spurs defender Alan Hutton, Wigan winger Charles N’Zogbia and Fiorentina’s Peruvian wide-man Juan Manuel Vargas.

N’Zogbia, 25, is a priority for Villa, but Latics supremo Dave Whelan is putting up N’Zogbia’s initial £9m price-tag as he knows both the midlanders and Everton want him.

N’Zogbia is keen on a move to either club and is fuming about the hold-up.

But he is entering the last year of his contract and could yet sit tight and leave for nothing next summer.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/West-Ham-expect-Aston-Villa-make-7m-Scott-Parker-bid-using-cash-from-Stewart-Downing-sale-article768408.html#ixzz1SAsgzqwz