Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[paul_e]

I have been relatively pleased with the direction we are heading and am getting more optimistic about our chances of promotion, but I have one nagging concern. It was something I mentioned a couple of months ago and not much of our business has done much to despell it. Many of our signings are good, solid pros with experience of promotion. However, these same players have shown they are not quite upto standard once in the PL. Elphick, De Laet, Chester, etc have all failed to cement a place in the PL once there for differing reasons. My worry is we get promoted then we will need another rebuild to survive as our squad will be full of players who are too good for the Championship but not quite good enough for the PL.

I wouldnt worry too much about this at the moment, there are so many contributing factors to each of those you have mentioned. The critical thing is that if we make it back up, we will be shopping in a completely different market with a different budget - lets not look at the finishing line with three fences to jump if you like. I dont think any of those mentioned have looked out of place in the premiership, if we have a squad with the right mentality and application and add to it with a couple of stand out star players, cementing a premiership  base to build from shouldnt be an issue.
De Laet played almost every game for Leicester before his loan move, chester was a regular for Hull before WBA but didnt have enough height for Pulis (5"9) and Elphick was bournemouths star man before his injury.
Im confident that if we do a job this year, the base of this squad will be good enough to not see a repeat of last years horor show

The important thing is that most of our signings this summer are going to have to be at least squad players for us if we go up so we need to be able to trust them to do a job.  Right now I don't think we've signed anyone who I'd be against staying in that situation (I do have some reservations about RM not being quick enough and Jedi might be a little too old by the time we get back) but Rhodes would be a step too far for me. Boro signed him 6 months ago and now they're promoted they happy for him to leave, that shouldn't be ignored, if he's the only option I'd rather go with what we have, give RHM some game time and look again in January.

[Matt Collins]

I'm reasonably relaxed but I do think it's a valid point. But then it may be that McCormack and Tshibola for example have a great impact.

Chester hasn't done it, but I think he's a good player

[ozzjim]

I think RM will be fine if we go up.  He's quality wherever he gets it and is intelligent with the ball.  Valencia has done a job for West Ham so we know he can play there.  Jedinak will be fine and still important to battle and lead and Chester was in the Hull side that went down but had a rant decent defence.  Wasn't their bigger issue not being able to score with Hernandez who we now want me than anyone else not being able to do it at all?

[KevinGage]

Di Matteo spoke about having to build two teams (might have even been three) in an interview with the Telegraph during pre season, when the talk switched to reestablishing ourselves in the Prem.

I had initially hoped that if we kept the likes of Veretout, Gana, Gill and Traore (know he is still here, but he might as well be away) they would have been far too good for this division, and a couple of astute purchases on top of that would get us firing.

For various reasons, we've had to go with practically a new starting XI from scratch.

It sounds like they are under no illusions that this squad will need  major surgery again if/when we get back up.

[mattjpa]

Ultimately, we are a championship team and whilst it wont affect many positions, getting a top drawer CF who will score shed loads in the prem to drop down a league is unrealistic. Thats why people like McCormack, Gestede, poss even someone like Rhodes are perfect for us as they can hammer this league and provide support if we make it back up. Unless we can unearth a Gem like Andre Gray we are doing the right thing I think.
I would expect the lions share of any promotion-resulting war chest to be spent on the attacking line

[paul_e]

Ultimately, we are a championship team and whilst it wont affect many positions, getting a top drawer CF who will score shed loads in the prem to drop down a league is unrealistic. Thats why people like McCormack, Gestede, poss even someone like Rhodes are perfect for us as they can hammer this league and provide support if we make it back up. Unless we can unearth a Gem like Andre Gray we are doing the right thing I think.
I would expect the lions share of any promotion-resulting war chest to be spent on the attacking line

I'd rather we try to find that gem than just go for someone we know can't do it.  Tshibola is a great example of the sort of signing I like, looks good enough for this league now but has the potential to get much better.  Gollini falls into the same category as would Diawara and Viviani.  A few more stable signings are fine but we already have RM and Gestede who have done it in te championship and give us that stability, now I want someone who can be much more than that but might not be quite so consistent to begin with.

[ozzjim]

Ultimately, we are a championship team and whilst it wont affect many positions, getting a top drawer CF who will score shed loads in the prem to drop down a league is unrealistic. Thats why people like McCormack, Gestede, poss even someone like Rhodes are perfect for us as they can hammer this league and provide support if we make it back up. Unless we can unearth a Gem like Andre Gray we are doing the right thing I think.
I would expect the lions share of any promotion-resulting war chest to be spent on the attacking line

I'd rather we try to find that gem than just go for someone we know can't do it.  Tshibola is a great example of the sort of signing I like, looks good enough for this league now but has the potential to get much better.  Gollini falls into the same category as would Diawara and Viviani.  A few more stable signings are fine but we already have RM and Gestede who have done it in te championship and give us that stability, now I want someone who can be much more than that but might not be quite so consistent to begin with.

I think it is a mixed bag though Paul. Valencia, for example could fly played down the middle in a different system to West Ham. I think there will be a couple more in yet. Some players will do fine in the prem. I think this side would be much more competitive already

[Holte L2]

I can't help thinking we are still looking at Jonathan Kodjia, maybe Bristol wont let him go until after they've played us.

Yeah my thoughts too.

[paul_e]

Ultimately, we are a championship team and whilst it wont affect many positions, getting a top drawer CF who will score shed loads in the prem to drop down a league is unrealistic. Thats why people like McCormack, Gestede, poss even someone like Rhodes are perfect for us as they can hammer this league and provide support if we make it back up. Unless we can unearth a Gem like Andre Gray we are doing the right thing I think.
I would expect the lions share of any promotion-resulting war chest to be spent on the attacking line

I'd rather we try to find that gem than just go for someone we know can't do it.  Tshibola is a great example of the sort of signing I like, looks good enough for this league now but has the potential to get much better.  Gollini falls into the same category as would Diawara and Viviani.  A few more stable signings are fine but we already have RM and Gestede who have done it in te championship and give us that stability, now I want someone who can be much more than that but might not be quite so consistent to begin with.

I think it is a mixed bag though Paul. Valencia, for example could fly played down the middle in a different system to West Ham. I think there will be a couple more in yet. Some players will do fine in the prem. I think this side would be much more competitive already

I agree, Valencia is one that could go either way, at the right price he's probably worth the gamble but that's not £12m.  I also think that everyone we've bought has got the potential to be at least a squad player in the premier league, I don't think Rhodes meets that criteria.

[villabear]

Bamford joining Burnley on season long loan tomorrow according to Guardian writer Stuart James on Twitter.  How many loans can one player want? He's the next Josh McEachran methinks.

[garyshawsknee]

Bit like Victor Moses. He's had so many loans, I actually forgot who is real club was.

[QuintonVilla]

Valencia came on at half time for West Ham. He looks absolute cack.

[danno]

Its almost frightening how much work RDM has had to do to make even our starting eleven competitive in the championship.
I'm very pleased with the business we've done so far.

If I was being greedy I'd want another body in midfield a striker and a wide option.

But signing six/seven players who are pretty much going straight into our starting eleven, is more than I could have hoped for.

[mallo]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Valencia is a smokescreen - it just doesn't make sense. To buy a struggling premiership player in poor form is nothing to do with who we've bought so far. It just doesn't fit the pattern.

[QuintonVilla]

I hope so because he's awful.