Summer Transfer Thread: Speculation, Lies, Absolute Cr*p and Bosman Rumours

[Ryu]

Still need a striker, GH brought Bent because he knew we'd get relegated if we didn't buy a decent forward, now he and Gabby ain't fit where are goals coming from? Fonz isn't good enough and weimen is a rookie.

Lambert was saying today that Bent is likely to be fit to face Forrest on saturday.
Personally I’d risk going into the season with what we have, especially as there is the option to play 1 up front (a la Bent at Charlton).

I reckon that bent on his own up front will be how we'll usually line up. So I'd be surprised if we signed a striker to go straight into the first team. I'd like us to sign a wide player if we're going to bring in another attacker. We were linked with that one from rennes but no ither real winger links I can remember.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I still think we need another

[eastie]

We have 4 good strikers. Just because one of them is out for the first two weeks of the season doesn't mean we need to splurge out on a new one. When the left back position is sorted only then would I consider a new striker.

When bent was out injured the goals dried up- neither gabby , fonz or weimann can be relied on to produce the goals needed, weimann may eventually go on to become a decent scorer but neither gabby or fonz are natural finishers .

[Ads]

I think we need another central player as a priority. Then I would be looking at another centre half and a left back. In fact a wideman would be preferable, but I would not disagree that a third senior forward was necessary.

We need options and quality. I think we'll get them.

[Matt Collins]

Still need a striker, GH brought Bent because he knew we'd get relegated if we didn't buy a decent forward, now he and Gabby ain't fit where are goals coming from? Fonz isn't good enough and weimen is a rookie.

Lambert was saying today that Bent is likely to be fit to face Forrest on saturday.
Personally I’d risk going into the season with what we have, especially as there is the option to play 1 up front (a la Bent at Charlton).

I reckon that bent on his own up front will be how we'll usually line up. So I'd be surprised if we signed a striker to go straight into the first team. I'd like us to sign a wide player if we're going to bring in another attacker. We were linked with that one from rennes but no ither real winger links I can remember.

We've played two up top in every friendly and I think Norwich did for the most part of last season. That doesn't mean CNZ or Holman may not play there; but I don't think we'll see Ireland in that role too often, nor a genuine 433.

[Dante Lavelli]

I think we need another central player as a priority. Then I would be looking at another centre half and a left back. In fact a wideman would be preferable, but I would not disagree that a third senior forward was necessary.

We need options and quality. I think we'll get them.

A striker will cost 10m and would be on 40k a week for 3 years and there’s no guarantee they’d be a success.  That’s about 16m over the duration of the contract when the club is making a loss each season.  Personally I’d trust Weimann or the Fonz to fill the void, or crucially at least be given the chance to fail. 

Remember there is another transfer window in four months time, where we may have deeper problems to solve.

[N'ZMAV]

The Fonz?... Not convinced.

[Des Little]

Sorry, but Fonz isn't up to it.  He's been 'on the fringes' for about 4 years now, and if he was ever going to do it, last season with Bent out was his chance to step up.  Weimann is now ahead of him and yet he's not ready to be a regular starter yet.  Personally I'd move Fonz on and bring in another striker.

[Dave]

I don't know if it has been said but why not give Berbatov a shout?

Because he wouldn't come to us and we wouldn't pay his wages.

He's about to join QPR for £5m, what are you talking about? He's played in the lower table sides before and staying on England is better than ending up in the Turkish League.

QPR are about to start two seasons or so of O'Neill style spending and will happily throw £100,000 per week at Berbatov.

How well does that sit with our current aim to reduce the overall wage bill?

[villaparkb6]

Sorry, but Fonz isn't up to it.  He's been 'on the fringes' for about 4 years now, and if he was ever going to do it, last season with Bent out was his chance to step up.  Weimann is now ahead of him and yet he's not ready to be a regular starter yet.  Personally I'd move Fonz on and bring in another striker.

thats about the top an bottom of it, well said

[villastikz]

I'm sorry but those saying we can rely on Delfouneso and Weimann to get the goals are talking shite and not being realistic. Do you have any idea how many goals they have got in competitive football as a senior??

Between them they have scored 12 goals in 94 games (both starts and subs), some of which are at lower level than the EPL, that is not good enough to be relied on to get us goals in the new season. Don't get me wrong I like both these lads and think they have good futures but saying they can be relied on to get us the goals we need now is ridiculous.

Gabby is also a big unknown, he has the capability to get goals but he has had 2 bad seasons and we don't know yet if he is going to find his form again, pre-season was the chance to judge him but he picked up the injury so now we won't know until he is fit and playing again.

We saw last season what happened when we lost Bent and we can't risk that again, we need another striker with a proven track record of getting goals otherwise we are relying on Bent and 3 strikers who could or could not get goals for us this season and even if they do they won't be getting any where near the amount of goals Bent can get

Bent has already picked up an injury in pre-season and that don't bode well for the coming season that a player injured for a good part of last season has also picked up an injury in pre-season, we have to bear this in mind and remeber anyone can get injured at any time.

We need to ensure we have the strength and depth in attack, something I don't think we have at the moment. Our younger players need the next couple seasons to grow and develop and during that time we need proven seniors to get our goals but to also help mentor and develop our youngsters.

I expect Lambert will have all this in his mind and will be looking to fill the gaps, as he has/is, in midfield and defense, before he looks at how much money he has left to be able to buy another striker as he won't want a repeat of last season when we lost Bent and the goals dried up - I do expect another striker to arrive before the start of the season.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'm sorry but those saying we can rely on Delfouneso and Weimann to get the goals are talking shite and not being realistic. Do you have any idea how many goals they have got in competitive football as a senior??

We wouldn’t be replying on them though.  We’re relying on Bent and to a lesser extent Gabby.

[Dave]

Sorry, but Fonz isn't up to it.  He's been 'on the fringes' for about 4 years now, and if he was ever going to do it, last season with Bent out was his chance to step up

He's been on the fringes since he was 17 and he is now 21 years old.

There really aren't many strikers around who have done much more by that age. At the age of 22 Didier Drogba had a record of a goal every six games in the French second division and nothing more.

I'm less confident now than I was a couple of years ago that he'll make it with us, but for the financial benefit we would see in getting rid of him I can't really why we would at the moment.

[N'Zimidy]

I'm sorry but those saying we can rely on Delfouneso and Weimann to get the goals are talking shite and not being realistic. Do you have any idea how many goals they have got in competitive football as a senior??

Between them they have scored 12 goals in 94 games (both starts and subs), some of which are at lower level than the EPL, that is not good enough to be relied on to get us goals in the new season. Don't get me wrong I like both these lads and think they have good futures but saying they can be relied on to get us the goals we need now is ridiculous.

Gabby is also a big unknown, he has the capability to get goals but he has had 2 bad seasons and we don't know yet if he is going to find his form again, pre-season was the chance to judge him but he picked up the injury so now we won't know until he is fit and playing again.

We saw last season what happened when we lost Bent and we can't risk that again, we need another striker with a proven track record of getting goals otherwise we are relying on Bent and 3 strikers who could or could not get goals for us this season and even if they do they won't be getting any where near the amount of goals Bent can get

Bent has already picked up an injury in pre-season and that don't bode well for the coming season that a player injured for a good part of last season has also picked up an injury in pre-season, we have to bear this in mind and remeber anyone can get injured at any time.

We need to ensure we have the strength and depth in attack, something I don't think we have at the moment. Our younger players need the next couple seasons to grow and develop and during that time we need proven seniors to get our goals but to also help mentor and develop our youngsters.

I expect Lambert will have all this in his mind and will be looking to fill the gaps, as he has/is, in midfield and defense, before he looks at how much money he has left to be able to buy another striker as he won't want a repeat of last season when we lost Bent and the goals dried up - I do expect another striker to arrive before the start of the season.

Disagree completely. Pulling stats like 12 goals in 94 appearances out is ridiculous when they're both youngsters and most of those are run-outs consisting of about 5 minutes.

When you're basing our strikers on last season with he who shall not be named in charge you're being extremely unfair. You could have put RVP in the team and he would have struggled just as much as Weimann and Gabby did at the end of last season. We have two quality strikers and two very promising strikers to fill 1 possibly 2 spots in the first XI. Another striker just is not necessary.

[villastikz]

I'm sorry but those saying we can rely on Delfouneso and Weimann to get the goals are talking shite and not being realistic. Do you have any idea how many goals they have got in competitive football as a senior??

We wouldn’t be replying on them though.  We’re relying on Bent and to a lesser extent Gabby.

Exactly, were relying on a player who has been injured twice in 6 months and another who completely lost his form.