Summer transfer madness thread

[KevinGage]

Afobe being linked with a move back to Wolves in some papers today.  Would be a decent signing for us. 

Thought he'd struck up a reasonable partnership with King so would be surprised at that.

[RussellC]

John Percy (who's usually very reliable) is reporting that Jonathan Walters is on the verge of joining Burnley, so we can chalk that one off.

[KevinGage]

The more I seen of Hogan last year, the more I was puzzled that we sank so much £ on him.

The way we play, he wasn't the type of forward that was going to come in and get the 10-12 goals required to give us a serious chance of the play-offs. Particularly with the ground we had to make up.

Now it has left us seemingly short of funds this summer, when the likes of Afobe (potentially) or Assombalonga are available. 

Hogan has quality, and in a busy, slick passing side that creates plenty of chances you'd back him to get on the end of things more often than not.  But with the way we play, we need closer to a low rent Benteke who does a bit of everything (Afobe) or a monster who can hold the ball up well (Assombalonga).

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We could do with a younger Jedinak. Someone who will allow Hourihane and Lansbury to play further up the pitch. I like Jedinak a lot but fitness and age are question marks over him.

We already have Jordan Lyden ready to step up into that role. I'd hoped last season Bruce would have given him the chance to replace the tiring Jedinak with 20/15/10 minutes to go. Then again, I'd hoped for lots of things from Bruce last season. Lyden is "looking for a fresh, new start as the Gaffer hasn't seen much of him until now". After all the injuries he's suffered, nothing would make me happier than seeing the lad finally show what he can do.

[andyh]

I don't think that this coming season is one where we could/should rely on rookies.
It is far too important.

[MoetVillan]

Yeah. You will win nothing with kids

[paul_e]

Is using Lyden, who didn't look out of place in the premier league as an 18year old, as cover for Jedinak really 'relying on rookies'?

I think buying cover for positions where we have have good youngsters is just wasting money, it's how you get into a situation where you've got about 5 right backs in the squad.

[Ads]

There's plenty of goals in this side. They just need to play 10/15 yards higher up the park, such as Brighton where Hourihane and Lamsbury could have had 5 or 6.

Pace will make a difference and being bold enough to play 2 centrally and on the front foot.

We comfortably have the best squad in the league.

[Steve67]

Glenn Whelan may be 33 but he was as instrumental with Stoke last season as any of their other players.  He is still an ROI international and well thought of by the Stoke fans.  We need to shed this thought process that once they get to 32/33, their legs are shot.  I bet that John Terry is fitter than most posters on this board and for a footballer, he is ancient!! I'll take Whelan in a heart beat, just like many would take Gaz Baz back. Whelan has know how and is a dirty little so and so.  Just what we need.  I reckon Whelan and Johnstone will both be Villains by the end of July.  I hope for a marquee signing too (not, that was NOT John Terry!).

[RussellC]

Stoke had a pretty turgid season last year, so I'm not sure that being instrumental in that is much of an accolade.

As for his legs going, I would suggest that there's a reason why Stoke are selling in the first place.

[paul_e]

Glenn Whelan may be 33 but he was as instrumental with Stoke last season as any of their other players.  He is still an ROI international and well thought of by the Stoke fans.  We need to shed this thought process that once they get to 32/33, their legs are shot.  I bet that John Terry is fitter than most posters on this board and for a footballer, he is ancient!! I'll take Whelan in a heart beat, just like many would take Gaz Baz back. Whelan has know how and is a dirty little so and so.  Just what we need.  I reckon Whelan and Johnstone will both be Villains by the end of July.  I hope for a marquee signing too (not, that was NOT John Terry!).

Why is it what we need?  Our problem is that we can't pass the ball so how does a niggly fucker who can't pass help us improve?  The nonsense belief that we just need to fight a bit more and be a bit nastier to get promotion is years out of date, we need to use the ball better, it's really that simple.

[Matt Collins]

The more I seen of Hogan last year, the more I was puzzled that we sank so much £ on him.

The way we play, he wasn't the type of forward that was going to come in and get the 10-12 goals required to give us a serious chance of the play-offs. Particularly with the ground we had to make up.

Now it has left us seemingly short of funds this summer, when the likes of Afobe (potentially) or Assombalonga are available. 

Hogan has quality, and in a busy, slick passing side that creates plenty of chances you'd back him to get on the end of things more often than not.  But with the way we play, we need closer to a low rent Benteke who does a bit of everything (Afobe) or a monster who can hold the ball up well (Assombalonga).

Bruce's buys: hogan, hourihane, Lansbury, bree - all suggested he wanted to build a passing side. Performances suggested the opposite thus far. Let's see what work the can do in the summer. Unlike lambert or Gregory, Bruce has always been clear when he thinks we've not passed the ball well

[Dave]

I bet that John Terry is fitter than most posters on this board and for a footballer, he is ancient!!

I think you're almost certainly right.

Annoyingly though, he and Whelan will have to play football against a bunch of even fitter 23 year olds, not a bunch of tubby, middle-aged people off the internet.

[cheltenhamlion]

He can sign as many forward thinking players, who like to play an attractive passing game, as he wants. If he won't let them in the final third, we won't score enough goals to go up.

[tomd2103]

There's plenty of goals in this side. They just need to play 10/15 yards higher up the park, such as Brighton where Hourihane and Lamsbury could have had 5 or 6.

Agree, but that requires the back four holding a pretty high line which is something we won't be able to do with Terry in the side.