I reckon that with just 2 signings, we have a good enough squad to survive this season: Snodgrass: going to cost $$$, would be great competition for Wes Hoolahan, plus I like the idea of him linking up with Bradley Johnson, young, clearly got the hunger, would jump at PL opportunity considering our position and stability at this club (financially, manager has pedigree of developing lower league talent and converting it into Premiership quality). BUY UNLESS ALTERNATIVE ARISES Rhodes: if Jackson ever gets injured, and with Vaughan's documented record of injuries, we will only have Morrison and Holt as our strikers, assuming Wilbraham leaves, this leaves us open to tactical exploitation by opposition, if we don't have a "quick, little man" option. Rhodes is clearly a brilliant prospect and I firmly believe that the money being talked about is worth it 100%, 2 years down the line, he is going to double or triple in price, and we can either sell him for huge profit or keep him as our main striker for 3-5 years time (if...as most suspect he is PL quality, then the £5-8m being touted, will seem insignificant to what we would pay for an established one) and it would be seen as a massive coup to all other Premier League teams, if we could attract this gem to us, and further demonstrate how far our club has come in the past 2.5 yrs. MUST BUY AT ALL COSTS --- To see how this would fit with the squad, consider this: Ruddy (Cover: Rudd) Tierney (Cover: Drury) Whitbread (Cover: Ward) Ayala (Cover: Barnett) R.Martin (Cover:Naughton) Johnson (Cover: Fox) Hoolahan (Cover: Crofts) Pilkington (Cover: Surman) Snodgrass (Cover: Bennett) Holt (Cover: Morrison) Rhodes (Cover: Jackson) ... Our essential 22...room for Lappin (utility-player), De-Laet (could send him back, and get another loanee?, useful back-up in the mean-time) and Vaughan (recovering from injury) So, with just 2 purchases (going to cost £5m RS and £6m JR), which would be sound investments for the future rather than panic buys, we would have a formidable squad in relation to Swansea and QPR. Don't forget that with Vaughan and Ward returning from injury-layoffs, these will be equivalent impacts to 2 new transfers...big confidence boost both in defence and further competition for the strike-force... --- Your Thoughts? One potential avenue would be, and I think this is quite a good "bait" for Bates , is that if we land Rhodes, he should go to Leeds for the rest of the season to get quality Championship experience...this would certainly lessen the blow of Snodgrass leaving, and perhaps lower the cost of buying the latter?
Would be ecstatic with those 2 signings but can't see it happening...11million? No chance IMO. Would take Maynard and Adomah from Brizzle though for a combined 5mil, Naughton for 2-3mil and McEachran in on loan from the space filled up by Naughton. Then I wake up...;-)
Agree the cost in mind-boggling but in the summer, if we stay, we will spend quite a lot, benefiting from the 2nd season PL TV money, so now is the time to take a decisive step forward now and spend to survive... McEachran is the only other midfielder I would want, perhaps as a replacement for De Laet on a loan Buying Naughton will cost more than that...unless the rumours of a contract run-down this summer are true...
would love both players. i do think we will get snodgrass but i suspect that transfer will have to wait till the summer, assuming leeds do not get promoted. i do think he wants to play premier league football sooner rather than later and it would be a good move for him. i think he is just way too expensive at the moment and he has appendicitis and is out for a while.
"Would jump at PL opportunity" no chance, has already stated many times that his ideal scenario is to get into the PL with Leeds, so why would he leave in January when he still has a realistic chance of achieving that goal this season?
that may well be his ideal scenario but if you don't go up this season then its inevitable he will move on. he is too good for the championship and it won't be just us looking to purchase him. it doesn't matter that you are leeds united - even your captain, a die hard leeds fan, is holding off on signing a new contract in case he gets a move to the top flight. agree however he won't leave in january
I'm sure I remember Alan Smith saying something like that a few years ago just before he jumped ship to Man Ure. Just sayin'
Be nice, maybe he didn't know that. I didn't. January transfer window can be difficult for the promoted clubs. Getting the right balance. Spend too much and risk getting relegated and lose loads of money or not spend enough and get relegated but prepared for future. But I think lambert will get it right.
Neither player will ever wear a norwich shirt... Would love to have rhodes here, but that is NEVER going to happen! More and more clubs want him, and west ham look like there going all out to get him! I dont think we shall see any new players come in over the next 3 weeks, it just seems way to quiet (which is a bit boring tbh)... We havent actually been directly linked with a player yet apart from naughton and gunter. Our name just gets bundled on to the end of lists of the most-wanted.
Simon, do you have any idea as to how long Snodgrass is out with his injury? It could be a major factor in any decision (from the Norwich end at least), as if he's out for 2 months I can't see us going for him before the summer.
what are you talking about? i don't agree with anything you've just said. there is a distinct possibility of snodgrass playing for norwich next season - lambert has chased him for ages. rhodes perhaps less so but to be honest, if a premier league club comes in for him then i think west ham may struggle to get, albeit they can still pay the wages. also, are you seriously basing your assumption that we won't sign players on lack of rumours? since when has lambert signed only players from rumours? he signs who he wants - they usually surprise us! i'm sure there will be a couple of additions at least but only if the price is right.
After going by what he had to say i just dont think we shall see anyone coming in, theyve obviously tried to get the players he wanted and have just been priced out of a move which is fair enough. I think with a player like snodgrass, money will talk and clubs in the prem (and if were here too) will be able to offer more than we do. I can see snodgrass end up at somewhere like newcastle or everton!
he'll have a list of players and its down to the club to go and sign them. if its not possible then i'm sure he's fine to go with what he has but its the 9th of january for heavens sake! most of the business seems to take place on the last bloody day once the merry-go-round gets fully into action! have some patience...
Never heard of keeping your cards close to your chest? Rum old do if you haven't as that's what Lambert has tried to do with pretty much all his signings thus far I'm with Supers on this (like I usually am!)
He's hoping to be back for the next league game, but I still don't see him moving until the summer if at all.
Smithy was pushed. He offered to take a severe cut to his wages to stay, but we needed the transfer fee, he even gave us his entire signing on fee.
O, i know how lambert goes about his transfer business... all im saying is i would like to see us linked with some players as i like a bit of transfer talk with fellow supporters
simon, how old is he now? 24/25? getting to that age where the 'premier league itchy feet' kick in for quality players outside the top flight. if you go up he'll stay i'm sure but if you don't go up i think that'll be that
