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

[paul_e]

Not every player has to be a dud for them not to be worth it, it’s about whether he represents value. It’s pretty clear Newcastle are prepared to offer him more in wages than we were, because we decided he wasn’t worth more he has gone there.

To reiterate my original point, you could say that Jonathan Kodjia wasn’t a dud - he scored plenty of goals in his first season and did a solid job for us. Problem is, he cost £17 million plus wages, money that just went out of the club with no return. Taking that approach nearly destroyed the club 2 years ago, I don’t want to go there again. And that is without worrying about FFP, which limits what we can spend anyway.

I don't know what us and Newcastle offered him wage wise so I can't say.  He may have just preferred them as a destination, baffling as that may be.  It's a fair point about Kodj but to be fair he was never the same after the injury.  Had that not happened, who knows.

I think there's a danger of getting too hung up on the value for money things.  Nobody wants to get astronomically ripped off but quality costs.

Agreed
if we think the answer is striker xyz pay the money and do the deal
Embaressing is we lose the deal for the haggaling, Calling DOUG to the table.

That depends on the difference in valuation, having a maximum fee we're willing to spend and sticking to it isn't a bad thing for the long term health of the club, even if it is frustrating. If we're willing to pay up to their asking price and we're dicking about trying to save money because we've been taking lessons from Levy then I agree with you.

[danno]

We have a few weeks left, I'll reserve judgement until then. I don't think many teams aside from Man City Everton and Chelsea have been THAT active. Have Leeds and West Brom really done enough so far to keep themselves up? I don't think they have.

Long way to go yet, lots of deals still to be struck.

And if we don't sign anybody we'll still stay up because we're spawny bastards.

[nigel]

Can't wait till October when we can burn this thread to the ground.

Yeah, but in the meantime. Is Davis any good, how badly do you want us to sign Watkins and how shit is Samatta?

I think he will be
Definitely
I don’t think he is
 

[Londonvilla]

What we know?

• High wage demand and long contacts are more of a problem for teams than high transfer fees 
  
  The Head coach has provided a list of the player based on our style of play (plan A.B. and C)
  
  If the transfer team can’t get the player they will look for someone with similar statistical/tactical abilities
  
  In an ideal World we would get our number on target and give them time to get a custom to the systems play by our Head coach
  
  If we can’t get our number one target then do we wait for the price to come down or do we switch to our number two target
  
  Its a seller market at the beginning of the window and it may be a buyers market at the end (covid effect)
  
  So the game of brinkmanship will start once the major football leagues start playing
  
  The Transfer window closes Monday, Oct. 5

So do we call clubs bluff and wait until the final week before looking to pick up the right players for the right price or do we get in plan B or plan C players now

It’s a game of poker

For me I would bring in a forward now and then wait unit the last week and try to pick up better player when European clubs in financial distress will be giving away players.

It’s a risk but at this point a risk I think we should consider.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The problem isn't that we haven't signed Callum Wilson, whatever the reason, it is that we've not done anything like the business we expected to.

We scraped over the line in the last few minutes of last season. Yeah, it was great when we made it, and well done anyone who thought we would with four games to go.

The problem is, we were then given indications that we were going to do what we needed to do to improve, that thought it was much better than going down, it wasn't good enough. Here we are, though, a week till the season starts and we're not showing any signs of seriously improving ourselves.

There just seem to be some things we can't get right. It's like the way we can't ever get enough kits in the shops for people to buy when they want to buy them. Every year we have the same discussions on here. "Yeah but the window doesn't close for another two weeks" blah blah blah.

And with the exception of a ten game run two years ago, we have had an entire decade of absolute uninterrupted shite, based largely around just about avoiding (most of the time) relegation.

Absolutely. Add to that the promises made to our top players about bringing in quality. Imagine Jack Grealish or Mings away with England and talking about the coming season and asked who we've brought in and where he expects us to finish the season. I really thought we'd go all out to bring in the necessary players and target the top 10. So far it hasn't happened but as you point out, it's nothing new. You talk about a decade but I'd double that.

Other fans talk about us being delusional in thinking we're a big club that should be competing but I'd counter that and say there's plenty that are happy with whatever we're served up and will defend the club/manager no matter what. This window looks like being a low spending one due to the closed stadiums and drop in revenue plus losing out on the Asia broadcast deal. We however appear to be one of the few clubs that can actually take advantage of the market as we have extremely wealthy owners willing to invest.

I hope our signings match both the ambition of our top players, our owners and hopefully the majority of fans. Everything crossed.

[PaulWinch again]

Perhaps Wilson just preferred Newcastle? Maybe it was about money, maybe it was ambition, maybe he thinks they're a safer bet. Who knows?

Newcastle is the sort of club I'd expect us to compete with for players - it's not as if he's opted for Albion, is it?

The problem isn't that we haven't signed Callum Wilson, whatever the reason, it is that we've not done anything like the business we expected to.

We scraped over the line in the last few minutes of last season. Yeah, it was great when we made it, and well done anyone who thought we would with four games to go.

The problem is, we were then given indications that we were going to do what we needed to do to improve, that thought it was much better than going down, it wasn't good enough. Here we are, though, a week till the season starts and we're not showing any signs of seriously improving ourselves.

There just seem to be some things we can't get right. It's like the way we can't ever get enough kits in the shops for people to buy when they want to buy them. Every year we have the same discussions on here. "Yeah but the window doesn't close for another two weeks" blah blah blah.

And with the exception of a ten game run two years ago, we have had an entire decade of absolute uninterrupted shite, based largely around just about avoiding (most of the time) relegation.

Coincidental?

Completely agree and whichever end of the spectrum you sit on I think it’s hard to argue that it’s not exactly been a stellar window so far. We should have more players in by now, because the longer it goes the greater risk there is to the team gelling quickly. Given how slow were were in January, and the players we ultimately ended up with, I was hoping for  more by now.

[Lastfootstamper]

Not every player has to be a dud for them not to be worth it, it’s about whether he represents value. It’s pretty clear Newcastle are prepared to offer him more in wages than we were, because we decided he wasn’t worth more he has gone there.

To reiterate my original point, you could say that Jonathan Kodjia wasn’t a dud - he scored plenty of goals in his first season and did a solid job for us. Problem is, he cost £17 million plus wages, money that just went out of the club with no return. Taking that approach nearly destroyed the club 2 years ago, I don’t want to go there again. And that is without worrying about FFP, which limits what we can spend anyway.

I don't know what us and Newcastle offered him wage wise so I can't say.  He may have just preferred them as a destination, baffling as that may be. It's a fair point about Kodj but to be fair he was never the same after the injury.  Had that not happened, who knows.

I think there's a danger of getting too hung up on the value for money things.  Nobody wants to get astronomically ripped off but quality costs.

If spurs were in for him too, and it looks like we'd all matched Bournemouth's modestly payable valuation, it can only be the barcodes offering wayyyyy over the top wages, surely? We could well have made him an offer that meant we had to redraft Grealish's new contract again, then because they're desperate to sign any striker they've gazumped us, and not only with their tales of how the fair maidens of South Shields out-scantily clad those of Broad Street. Maybe they've given Bruce control of the cheque book like we gave it to O'Neill.

[Dave]

If spurs were in for him too, and it looks like we'd all matched Bournemouth's modestly payable valuation, it can only be the barcodes offering wayyyyy over the top wages, surely

Why? Maybe playing for Bruce is more of a draw than playing for Smith. Maybe he's been told he's first choice and we said we're buying him and someone else. Maybe he's got people he's close to him who are there already. Maybe what he's been told about how Bruce wants the team to set up appeals more than what Smith has said. Maybe it's none of those.

It could be any number of things.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Where is Lange and he`s list of european/world players, who he is supposed be monitoring ?? We have recognised our last scouts failure to produce players of a high standard and pre requisite. Is the strategy to wait to the end of the window to get better deals and clubs who are in financial crisis to accept lower offers ??

PS is there any footage of the Arsenal friendly anywhere ?

[Mister E]

If spurs were in for him too, and it looks like we'd all matched Bournemouth's modestly payable valuation, it can only be the barcodes offering wayyyyy over the top wages, surely? We could well have made him an offer that meant we had to redraft Grealish's new contract again, then because they're desperate to sign any striker they've gazumped us, and not only with their tales of how the fair maidens of South Shields out-scantily clad those of Broad Street. Maybe they've given Bruce control of the cheque book like we gave it to O'Neill.

As a club in the throes of being sold, I'd be amazed if the last bit were true.

[mike]

Just wondering, if our team is so bad, how come we stayed up?

We will be miles ahead of last season in Smith knowing his best team etc (admittedly it took him far too long)

We stayed up because we had a sensational end to the season which just redeemed what had until then been mostly dismal.  That end of season improvement reflects very well on Smith but as for knowing his best team I think that as things stand about a third of his best team hasn't even been signed yet. 

“Sensational”. Christ. We beat Crystal Palace and Arsenal and a couple of draws.

Would you rather we had lost and gone down?

That's a non sequitur. I was delirious that we stayed up. I cycled to a pub that did take aways and got so pished I broke the jug that was worth five pounds and spilt some of the beer too. I also thought we were fucking lucky.

[KevinGage]

I actually think we'll be fine striker-wise by the close of the window.

It'll either be one of the recent links (Watkins, Edouard, Origi) or a pleasant surprise. Even better if we finally  see movement on that this week. Smith has also mentioned pace in a wide areas as a priority and I expect at least one incoming there.

My concern is we don't seem to be linked to any centre halves or central midfielders. They were both areas where we looked short of top flight nous last season and I hope Smudger isn't content with his current centre back options.

[Shrek]

I can't believe i'm suggesting this but what about Batshuayi? 26, 1 year left on his contract.. scored 17 goals in ligue 1, 7 in 10 for Dortmund, 5 in 11 for palace,


*runs off*

I’d have him in a heart beat.

[Mister E]

I actually think we'll be fine striker-wise by the close of the window.

It'll either be one of the recent links (Watkins, Edouard, Origi) or a pleasant surprise. Even better if we finally  see movement on that this week. Smith has also mentioned pace in a wide areas as a priority and I expect at least one incoming there.

My concern is we don't seem to be linked to any centre halves or central midfielders. They were both areas where we looked short of top flight nous last season and I hope Smudger isn't content with his current centre back options.

Get L-Cheek in!!

[Lastfootstamper]

... Add to that the promises made to our top players about bringing in quality.

What promises made by whom?