Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I wouldn’t give up on Samatta yet, anymore than I would Wesley. Players need, and deserve, some time to settle. In Samatta’s case parachuting into a club in free fall, in a new country, and then facing an unprecedented period of lockdown, it’s hardly surprising he struggled.

A bit of decent service wouldn't go amiss either. Samatta looked great when he first arrived then spent the rest of the season chasing shadows. Strikers more than any other position thrive on confidence.

[Toronto Villa]

I wouldn’t give up on Samatta yet, anymore than I would Wesley. Players need, and deserve, some time to settle. In Samatta’s case parachuting into a club in free fall, in a new country, and then facing an unprecedented period of lockdown, it’s hardly surprising he struggled.

A bit of decent service wouldn't go amiss either. Samatta looked great when he first arrived then spent the rest of the season chasing shadows. Strikers more than any other position thrive on confidence.

As much Jack created a lot of chances they often fell to other players. But we had nobody else really doing that and our service from wide positions was often dreadful. So as ever a combination of things. Poor service and in the case of our forwards poor movement, anticipation and finishing. Much of it quality, some of it chemistry and as the situation went on it, anxiety led to desperation and the play predictable.

[aj2k77]

Samatta looked better than having a winger up front. I can't remember him ever looking great. He looked like he had a natural Strikers hunger for goals in him, like the way he challenged the Bournemouth keeper for his goal. Technically, on the ball, he looks very average and his hold up play is poor.

[PaulWinch again]

Martinez starting today, ah well another to scrub off the list!

Why? He’s indicated he wants to leave. Just because he’s playing for the club that he belongs to doesn’t mean he will be there for the season.

I assume Arteta starting him today indicates he'll start the season as number one ahead of Leno. Would've been different if he'd been benched today after his excellent form last season.

He said he'd only leave Arsenal if he went back to the bench.

It won’t surprise me to see him leave and Arsenal getting a back up while they wait for Leno. What would be off for us is to be in for his with Heaton probably a month or so away and three years or so left on his contract. Why would Martinez come to us to be back up again? The news on Heaton looks very positive right now so he’d be the number one for sure.

I think we could offer a legitimate battle for the no.1 shirt, which is different. At Arsenal Leno is far and away the first choice and is fairly young. There’s no guarantee Heaton comes back at the level he was at, although obviously hopefully he does. Also at his age, and given how Martinez has hit an upward curve in development, it’s not impossible to see him being usurped.

[Goldie.7]

We need to be signing the next Sadio Mane, Patson Daka before another club does. A real talented striker with blistering pace. We all know RB Salzburg are a selling club, if the price is right.

Also, Matty Cash looks like poverty when you watch Denzel Dumfries, another player who I'd be going all out to sign. A lethal, international right-back who would cost double the fee, but is very highly skilled.

Players like Watkins, Benrahma and Edouard do not excite me in the slightest. We will get exactly what we pay for with those cheap signings.

[Sexual Ealing]

We need to be signing the next Sadio Mane, Patson Daka before another club does. A real talented striker with blistering pace. We all know RB Salzburg are a selling club, if the price is right.

Also, Matty Cash looks like poverty when you watch Denzel Dumfries, another player who I'd be going all out to sign. A lethal, international right-back who would cost double the fee, but is very highly skilled.

Players like Watkins, Benrahma and Edouard do not excite me in the slightest. We will get exactly what we pay for with those cheap signings.

Have you sent a burofax to the club containing a list of players that would excite you? I'm sure they'd be delighted.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Denzel Dumfries is going for €18m, pretty much the same price we paid for Targett. Convincing him to come here may be another matter, Goldie, the same with any ambitious player you can think of. We stayed up by the skin of our teeth and are already one of the favourites, rightly or wrongly, to be relegated this season. The most annoying thing is this window where most clubs are reluctant to spend big, we can't take advantage of our financial strength. Yes, money talks but most quality players want European football, something we're light years away from today.

[gpbarr]

We need to be signing the next Sadio Mane, Patson Daka before another club does. A real talented striker with blistering pace. We all know RB Salzburg are a selling club, if the price is right.

Also, Matty Cash looks like poverty when you watch Denzel Dumfries, another player who I'd be going all out to sign. A lethal, international right-back who would cost double the fee, but is very highly skilled.

Players like Watkins, Benrahma and Edouard do not excite me in the slightest. We will get exactly what we pay for with those cheap signings.

Have you sent a burofax to the club containing a list of players that would excite you? I'm sure they'd be delighted.

Witty. But his point is well made. How far we have fallen when we seem excited by signing two Championship players and a French striker who has done well in the Scottish equivalent of League Two! 

If we are going to kick on into mid table safety it’s going to take much more ambition than the rumors suggest.

[SheffieldVillain]

We need to be signing the next Sadio Mane, Patson Daka before another club does. A real talented striker with blistering pace. We all know RB Salzburg are a selling club, if the price is right.

Also, Matty Cash looks like poverty when you watch Denzel Dumfries, another player who I'd be going all out to sign. A lethal, international right-back who would cost double the fee, but is very highly skilled.

Players like Watkins, Benrahma and Edouard do not excite me in the slightest. We will get exactly what we pay for with those cheap signings.

Have you sent a burofax to the club containing a list of players that would excite you? I'm sure they'd be delighted.

Also, how at £30m-£40m would Eduaord be a cheap signing whereas Denzel Dumfries wouldn't at £20-24m (your valuation)? They both play in second tier standard leagues, both have champions league experience and are of a similar age.  You've pretty much described Eduoard in your opening sentence as the type of player we need to sign then said he doesn't excite you.

[PaulWinch again]

Well other than, as per the point made earlier in this thread, if you are judicious you can pick up some excellent players from the Championship or Scotland (see McGinn!). A player playing at a lower level doesn’t mean they can’t be a brilliant top flight player.

[SheffieldVillain]

We need to be signing the next Sadio Mane, Patson Daka before another club does. A real talented striker with blistering pace. We all know RB Salzburg are a selling club, if the price is right.

Also, Matty Cash looks like poverty when you watch Denzel Dumfries, another player who I'd be going all out to sign. A lethal, international right-back who would cost double the fee, but is very highly skilled.

Players like Watkins, Benrahma and Edouard do not excite me in the slightest. We will get exactly what we pay for with those cheap signings.

Have you sent a burofax to the club containing a list of players that would excite you? I'm sure they'd be delighted.

Witty. But his point is well made. How far we have fallen when we seem excited by signing two Championship players and a French striker who has done well in the Scottish equivalent of League Two! 

If we are going to kick on into mid table safety it’s going to take much more ambition than the rumors suggest.

It's a well made point that we should be signing the next Sadio Mane from a club in Austria and a full-back from the Dutch league, but we should turn up our noses at Edouard because he plays in Scotland. How does that work?

In another point, the last French striker to do well for Celtic in the 'Scottish Division 2' standard was Mousa Dembele who then went on to fire his next team to the CL semis and is a bloody good player. Using your logic we shouldn't have been excited by the idea of going in for him either.

[gpbarr]

Well other than, as per the point made earlier in this thread, if you are judicious you can pick up some excellent players from the Championship or Scotland (see McGinn!). A player playing at a lower level doesn’t mean they can’t be a brilliant top flight player.

Not arguing they may be excellent players. But when one steps back, we have two players arguably who'd get into the first 11 of a top 10 PL club ... the rest IMO are players who will help us compete in the lower half of the PL. Watkins, Cash, Edouard are all players who would help us compete in that half of the table but none of them would get close to the first 11 of the top 8 (let alone 6) in the PL.

Its about ambition. What do we want to be in the PL? And if the rumors are true, then our expectations for the upcoming season should be guarded because we are not linked with the type of players who will drive us to much better in 20/21.   

[mcgrath_85]

Well other than, as per the point made earlier in this thread, if you are judicious you can pick up some excellent players from the Championship or Scotland (see McGinn!). A player playing at a lower level doesn’t mean they can’t be a brilliant top flight player.

Not arguing they may be excellent players. But when one steps back, we have two players arguably who'd get into the first 11 of a top 10 PL club ... the rest IMO are players who will help us compete in the lower half of the PL. Watkins, Cash, Edouard are all players who would help us compete in that half of the table but none of them would get close to the first 11 of the top 8 (let alone 6) in the PL.

Its about ambition. What do we want to be in the PL? And if the rumors are true, then our expectations for the upcoming season should be guarded because we are not linked with the type of players who will drive us to much better in 20/21.   

Agreed. It’s all just seems very underwhelming after surviving last season by the skin of our teeth. Hopefully they’ll be some nice surprises soon.

[SheffieldVillain]

Well other than, as per the point made earlier in this thread, if you are judicious you can pick up some excellent players from the Championship or Scotland (see McGinn!). A player playing at a lower level doesn’t mean they can’t be a brilliant top flight player.

Not arguing they may be excellent players. But when one steps back, we have two players arguably who'd get into the first 11 of a top 10 PL club ... the rest IMO are players who will help us compete in the lower half of the PL. Watkins, Cash, Edouard are all players who would help us compete in that half of the table but none of them would get close to the first 11 of the top 8 (let alone 6) in the PL.

One of whom we signed from Hibs.

[PaulWinch again]

Well you don’t know that though. I’d imagine when Leicester signed Jamie Vardy or N’Golo Kante people didn’t think they’d be world beaters. As it happens they are and they helped them win the title. Point is Watkins, Eduoard, Cash could all have huge development potential, or they may not. That’s the point of scouting and it’s not fool proof, but you’re speculating about ability. The key bit is that a player can develop and improve, they are not always defined by what or where they are at 18 or 20 years old. Best recent example - Serge Gnabry.