January Transfer Speculation (or lack of) Thread

[Concrete John]

But Gabby's form has pretty much gone

Really?

Slight exaggeration, I'd say. He's looked excellent for most of the season. There's not a lot he can do in a match like yesterday when the other 10 men (or nearly 10) are doing next to nothing.

When asked to play wide, Gabby seems to do better on the left than right for me, which is also N'Zogbia's favoured side.  I think the latters form picked up when Marc came back into the side on the right, leaving him playing on the left.  AM left him there yesterday, meaning Gabby pulled wide right.  Super Marc seems to be his go to guy when someone needs dropping from the front line, but it's clear to me the balance of the side is served much better when he plays.     

[Risso]

The team just isn't set up properly.  Before Chelsea we'd really struggled for goals, so what do we do after we get things right and put three past the Cockneys?  Stick Gabby back out on the wing, that's what.  Unbelievable Jeff.

[john robsons sideburns]

INS

From the players that we're linked with

Robbie Keane = No ta
Steven Pienaar = Umm, not keen but not totally against it
Nico Kranjcar = YES PLEASE

A few players that I'd like to see us go for include Ashley Williams the Swansea full-back, been very very impressed with him this season, get him now before the big teams come sniffing at the end of the season.

Jimmy Kebe from Reading is a tricky winger and would offer us something that we don't have at the moment, a higher quality version of him is a lad playing in Russia who was at PSV last term who is an electric winger, Balazs Dzsudzsak, this boy can play and has the trickery and invention that we desperately lack.

OUTS

Emile Heskey = YES PLEASE
Habib Beye = I wish
Darren Bent = NO WAY
Stephen Warnock = No thanks, keep him
Carlos Cuellar = No thanks. keep him
Fabian Delph = Yes, get rid

The fact is we don't have many senior pro's as it is, so trying to cull more players from the wage bill is really going to be difficult.  I cannot believe that the wage bill right now is over where it needs to be.  We have less thanm 15 senior pro's (Given, Hutton, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Beye, Petrov, Delph, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Bent, Heskey) with the rest made of up lads through the youth ranks who although on good money, not the £40-£50k a week zone, probably half that (Guzan, Clark, Baker, Bannan, Albrighton, Gardner, Weimann, Delfouneso)  So I really cannot understand the need to further cull the wage bill.  If we cannot sustain our current wage bill then we really are in bother, and plenty of it.

[brontebilly]

Robbie Keane effectively retired from this standard of football about 5 years ago.  I can not think of a more depressing signing. If it's going to be one of the MLS players I would rather have Juan Pablo Angel back for a couple of months.

He was the top scorer in the EPL for the calendar year 2007 anyway. 23 goals for Spurs in 2007/08. 53 international goals.

I'm far from Keane's biggest fan. Despite his phenomenal record at international level he divides opinion among Irish fans like no other. But he still has buckets loads of ability. He hasn't been decent at club level for some time and (big if) he still has an appetite for playing club level to a decent standard he will score goals.

[VillaAlways]

Sky reporting Keane back training at Spurs prior to his imminent move to Aston villa

[Risso]

Sky reporting Keane back training at Spurs prior to his imminent move to Aston villa

Brilliant.....

[Whiney MacWhineface]

Of all the sticking plaster make-dos we're being linked with, I'd rather he worked on what we've got. At least we don't commit ourselves to any future wages...and in that regard Keane is at least temporary.

Sigh.

[Rick_avfc]

tbf, having thought about it a little more, the Robbie Keane signing cant be all that bad.  its only for 2 months plus he has experience at this level which is something we need to get us to the magic 40 point mark (cant see it being higher than this for survival).  With his experience, he might be able to help some of the younger players at the club i.e. Fonz and Weimann to help them improve?  just a thought....

[pedro25]

We do not have a creative forward who can score, an interesting option, but surely not Keane, he is past it.

[JJ-AV]

Pienaar would be a good signing.

Although if we're only after loans we can't get him due to the Jenas loan. Not allowed two from the same club, I believe.

[Mazrim]

I'd rather sign Keane than Pienaar any day of the week.

[serbentoflight]

Keane=10 years too late.

[Rick_avfc]

Keane=10 years too late.

maybe but he has a lot more experience since then.  Saying that, im still not 100% convinced but lets hope it turns out to be a good signing even though its only for 2 months

[Dante Lavelli]

Sign Keane.  Send the Fonz on loan.

[5ft811st2 Durham]

The proposed Keane loan just confirms what a pathetic state we're in. A totally pointless waste of time and money.