Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[Tuscans]

While players are generally in better shape these days, unless your name is Gabby, there's still plenty whose legs go or have a noticeable decline in ability around that age. Lescott, Cole, Richardson are examples we know all too well.

Sure, I think it's a little different when you're playing up top. I think all your running comes in tiny bursts in a small area of the pitch whilst the 3 you mentioned probably have more to do in the areas they played, especially for us being on the back foot in almost every game.

[PeterWithesShin]

While players are generally in better shape these days, unless your name is Gabby, there's still plenty whose legs go or have a noticeable decline in ability around that age. Lescott, Cole, Richardson are examples we know all too well.

Sure, I think it's a little different when you're playing up top. I think all your running comes in tiny bursts in a small area of the pitch whilst the 3 you mentioned probably have more to do in the areas they played, especially for us being on the back foot in almost every game.

Carew was pretty much done at 31. Maybe even Bent, okay an injury contributed but after a 3 month injury he was done for. Heskey got slower and slower pretty quickly once he was in his early 30s.

[VillaAlways]

It's on the Sky Sports yellow ticker thingy that we've made a 12 million bid

[Tuscans]

While players are generally in better shape these days, unless your name is Gabby, there's still plenty whose legs go or have a noticeable decline in ability around that age. Lescott, Cole, Richardson are examples we know all too well.

Sure, I think it's a little different when you're playing up top. I think all your running comes in tiny bursts in a small area of the pitch whilst the 3 you mentioned probably have more to do in the areas they played, especially for us being on the back foot in almost every game.

Carew was pretty much done at 31. Maybe even Bent, okay an injury contributed but after a 3 month injury he was done for. Heskey got slower and slower pretty quickly once he was in his early 30s.

True but 2 of them were your so called big target men who were more battering rams. I suppose for everyone of them you have a Defoe at 33 still knocking them in.

[CT]

Defoe looks in incredibly good shape. He runs faster in his goal celebrations than anyone we have up front does during games!

[Mossie Hennebry]

We are on a hiding to nothing if we don't ship Lescott, Gabby, Bacuna and Richards. If it was up to me, I would pay up their contracts and give them road. The rebuilding can't start until the demolishing has been completed.

Seriously? just work out in your head how much that would cost us. It's not Monopoly money - it's real!

I have no idea how much that would cost. But, we have already paid a huge price in that we are missing the most lucrative season in Premier league history due to their performances. They are rotten, and if they remain around the club, they will cost us again. As someone has pointed out on the match thread, our current playing squad is much the same as last season, so we shouldn't expect anything different this season. Each time a different manager came in last season, each thought they could fix the problem players. Each failed. Let's stop fucking about and get rid, before it costs us again.

Somewhere between 15m and 20m which we don't have

I appreciate it that it is a large amount of money, but it is not extra money that we have to find. Pay them up, or do a deal. But if those guys remain around the club, our outlook will not be good.

[Tuscans]

Defoe looks in incredibly good shape. He runs faster in his goal celebrations than anyone we have up front does during games!

Yeah I don't think you can pigeon hole players at 30 anymore, well some of them. Vardy is 30 in 4-5 months time and he's just had the best season of his life and I'm sure if he doesn't score as many this season he will still get plenty.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

McCormack definitely scores goals, tho I think a fair few are from set pieces (not a bad thing)

He's mostly been playing behind the main striker - which is where ayew and grealish want to as well. Maybe you play him and ayew and they alternate?

£12m for a 29 year old is pretty alarming. But if it gets us up . .j
[/quote

he is 30 in a couple of weeks

[paul_e]

If I'm honest it's the "but if it gets us up" bit that I disagree with.  I don't mind us paying big money for a signing with no sell on if it means we go straight back up.  My real concern is that McCormack has been deified by some who were all calling for us to sign Gestede last season after he scored a few.  I don't see the same limitations in RM but I do see an alarming number of them and think we're looking at paying 2-3x what he's actually worth and he won't be enough to make any signficant difference to us.  I'm very worried that if this goes ahead we're making almost exactly the same mistake that Fulham did when they went down and it's largely a repeat of our striker signing last summer.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Agree with that, Paul_e. I also question whether we have the finances to drop him should we get promoted but that's another story.

[avfcpg]

McCormack, Jedinak, Morrison and Kodija would make such a difference to us...not world beaters but that's the aisle we are shopping in now.

[mr underhill]

no objection to RM as long as we get another younger striker in as well, improve our midfield options and replace Mutton

[Tuscans]

If I'm honest it's the "but if it gets us up" bit that I disagree with.  I don't mind us paying big money for a signing with no sell on if it means we go straight back up.  My real concern is that McCormack has been deified by some who were all calling for us to sign Gestede last season after he scored a few.  I don't see the same limitations in RM but I do see an alarming number of them and think we're looking at paying 2-3x what he's actually worth and he won't be enough to make any signficant difference to us.  I'm very worried that if this goes ahead we're making almost exactly the same mistake that Fulham did when they went down and it's largely a repeat of our striker signing last summer.

But you can see at Blackburn that Gestede was a one trick pony, even a one hit wonder, whilst McCormack does have a lot more going on in his game and has consistently scored at this level.

Personally I don't understand the fans consistent worry on how much is too much on a footballers value. It's not coming out of my wage nor part of my pension fund. If the money is there to be spent then spend it otherwise nothing will ever happen and it will only be the start of a new topic come the end of the season to why we didn't buy McCormack and newly promoted Norwich did.

[PaulWinch again]

Agree with that, Paul_e. I also question whether we have the finances to drop him should we get promoted but that's another story.

I agree. I didn't want to sign him for a number of reasons, but obviously if we do I'll obviously support him. Plus it might have the added bonus of shutting LTA up for 30 seconds.

Now that Gana has left and Clark is leaving we need a centre half, centre mid, creative player, striker and probably a right back.

[paul_e]

McCormack, Jedinak, Morrison and Kodija would make such a difference to us...not world beaters but that's the aisle we are shopping in now.

Ravel Morrison?

If so I'd take the last 3, Jedinak is cheap and experienced and the other 2 are talented and young enough to get better.

If I tohught we were going to get rid of Gestede, Gabby and Kozak I'd take RM to repalce 1 of them along with 2 more athletic options to give us some pace and a focal point, RM is just another striker who isn't very good at finding space in the box and doesn't hold the ball up very well.  Yes he can take a decent free kick and he's good at the edge of the box but he's really not the player we need right now, Kodija is a far better option.