Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread

[paul_e]

For me you need to be looking at scoring about 45-50 goals to be secure in midtable. I'd back Hourihane, McGinn and Jack and the defenders to get about 20 so for me we need 25 goals from Wesley, El Ghazi, Jota and their backups/competitions. If Wesley can provide about half of that then he'll have done the job we need this season, 12-13 from him, with 5-6 each for the wide players and we're pretty much there. If we could get another goalscorer to play across that 3 then that'd be fantastic but if we play the way we did once our defence was sorted then we'll be fine.

I'm much more interested in getting a couple of centre backs and a defensive midfielder and then we can look further forward.

20 from midfield and defence? Feckin hell, I’ll have a pint of what your on.

Last season our defence and midfield (not including the wingers) scored 37 in the league, there's less games and it's a higher standard but getting a little more than half that really isn't a stretch.

Hourihane and McGinn will get significantly less opportunity to shoot from range in the PL as midfielders pushing forward are afforded significantly less time and space than in the Championship. I'd be surprised to see either of them score more than a couple each, to be honest. Grealish, on the flip side - simply by virtue of the fact that he'll hopefully play more games and continue to excel as the wonderful player he is - should score more than last year. Not enough to make up the deficit of the other two, however, so I suspect we'll fall short of your estimate.

We'll see how it pans out but Wesley will create a lot more chances to bring people into play and I think McGinn, in particular, will be able to adapt to that and find space and chances.

More importantly the overall point still stands, you need about 50 goals to finish mid-table and for most teams about 40% of them come from defence and midfield so that's what we should be aiming for. To be clear I don't count the wingers as midfielders because once the ball is in the opposition half they have total freedom to move and find space, the midfield have to be more balanced and ensure that there are numbers if we lose the ball.

[aj2k77]

Not enthused with signing 33 year old who have barely played in a year.

[oldtimernow]

Would you trust the current set up to get players like Vertout, Amavi and Gueye performing at this level?

I hope and think that they would.

Overpriced British or untried foreign players argument all over again.

[paul_e]

I could live with Cahill coming in because, if it happens, I suspect it's because we've been quoted silly numbers for the 2-3 options we had scouted and haven't got anyone else that we're completely confident in. A short contract for a very experienced player whilst we scout for a long term option is fine but I wouldn't expect us to get to that point for a few more weeks yet. Regardless I want 4 centre backs on the books by the end of the window and if that means a stopgap of Cahill then so be it.

[Steve67]

I was against Cahill coming back but can see the sense in this.  You can't buy experience and to have an England international back at his first club, to teach the likes of Hause.  It's free, we need shitloads of players, this makes sense. 

On another notes Bournemouth have had a bid for Luton defender, Jack Stacey rejected.  I know nothing about him but wonder if this helps us to buy Mings if they eventually succeed with the Luton signing.

[Rudy65]

I just don’t see how Cahill fits with the philosophy of buying younger talent that can have a long term future with the club.  I am not necessarily against the idea of getting him in, but I just can’t see it happening personally.

As a one off acquiring him would be fine

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

I was against Cahill coming back but can see the sense in this.  You can't buy experience and to have an England international back at his first club, to teach the likes of Hause.  It's free, we need shitloads of players, this makes sense. 

On another notes Bournemouth have had a bid for Luton defender, Jack Stacey rejected.  I know nothing about him but wonder if this helps us to buy Mings if they eventually succeed with the Luton signing.

Jack Stacey is used as a RB or DM so do not think it has much bearing on CH position …….

[Russ aka Big Nose]

I don't think Cahill will happen and I'm happy with that.

Clearly we have a different approach to recruitment and whilst an exception is possible and sometimes sensible, if it was happening with Cahill it would have happened. He offers experience and leadership but you don't get that if he is sat on the bench.

So if they wanted him in as a first choice option, it would have been done IMO.

You wouldn't sound out a deal for Mings, Webster etc. and have Cahill as a back-up - not when he is likely to become the highest earner (which in turn might bump up the wages of others - parity clauses etc.)

Last minute he might be a deal to do if we still need someone, but it wouldn't be an active option now, again, just my opinion. UTV

[mr underhill]

he's yesterday's man and we are now a club looking at tomorrow. This should be 'file under bullshit'.

[ozzjim]

I think we can't underestimate how much a bit of experience would be useful in the squad. Look at what Terry and Jedinak added. We have lost Whelan and Jedinak this summer, signing one older player to give us that bit of experience at the back is important IMO. Mings, Hause, Targett, Guilbert have collectively played what, 60 premier league games. We have to be smart and accept that Cahill would actually be a decent signing. In contrast to the Sherwood debacle, he is fitter than Lescott, and the other centre halves are better than we had then.

[Clampy]

I wouldn't be totally against it if it happened. I thought he was older than 33 as well.

[West Derby Villan]

Dependant on the wage, he would be a good one/two season experienced player. He and Terry could work in tandem coaching on and off the pitch bringing the defence up to "premiership speed." But, as others have said, I'm sure and trust our management team have the situation in hand

[Gareth]

Cahill would be a super signing - another first choice centre back ie Mings and would be happy with the pot in that position.  Would also expect unless Revan or another in the academy are good enough that Pitarch will be looking at 18-19 year olds home and abroad that can be brought in to learn off Terry/Cahill/Chester so we aren’t looking at 30m investments every summer.

The fact that there are very few of our youngsters in and around the England set up suggests to me that we are pretty weak in the academy so will be looking at signing rather than promoting for the foreseeable

[Damo70]

I would happily take Cahill for a season or two. Like Clough took Dave Mackay to Derby and Colin Todd to Forest for a year or two. Kenny Dalglish did the same when he took Tony Gale to Blackburn for a year and he helped them win the league. Just as Terry did so well for us in his last season as a player, albeit in the Championship. There is nothing wrong with having one or two veterans in your side so long as you don't have a team full of them.

[JUAN PABLO]

you cant have a team who most have never played any prem football , championship players and untried foreign players.

We need some experience and need to stay in this league next season.

He knows the club , he knows JT , hes won the lot and plenty of prem experience, its not going to hurt to get him in and cement our prem position for future. 

cahill on a free is a no brainer for me.