Never was a fan of Bruce but i believe if he was still in charge he would be getting all kinds of abuse for not signing anyone,funny how the ability to walk on water still works ??.Long may it continue.
But if he was still here we would have 15pts now and be in a real need to sign players. It is not that MON is non-stick. It is that the difference he has made is like signing five new plays with out spending a penny.
Where would we have got the 4 points from?!!! That's the difference parka - had we still had Steve Bruce in charge, the side would've probably slumped and we'd may even have been bottom of the table by now. The players were playing with no heart, belief or anything like the ability they have - that coupled with the fact that he couldn't get the best out of players (look at Cattermole since O'Neill took over!!) I think Sessegnon would've left by now if Bruce had still been here but he was beaming with joy when he scored at the weekend! That's why we're not bothered if we sign anyone or not Edit: Thought I'd add these Stats: This season: Under Bruce/Black (1 game): P 14 W 2 D 5 L 6 F 16 A 17 GD -1 Pts 11 Pos 17th Under O'Neill: P 8 W 5 D 1 L 2 F 13 A 7 GD +6 Pts 16 Pos (over those 8 games) 3rd So since O'Neill took over we have been the 3rd best side in the country and prior to that we were the 4th worst. Stats may be able to tell a lot of Bullshit but these stats speak for themselves - and belief is all we needed imo
I think the Bendtner injury may force MON's hand in the transfer market, this would depend on how long the lad might be out. If it is going to be more than a couple of weeks I think we will see a new face coming in , in the shape of a target man.
The OP is spot on and I dont buy all this assessing the squad crap. Let me assess it for you.. Strikers Wickham........young lad with potential Ji..................young lad with potential Campbell........been out a year Bendtner........Injured and not prolific anyway Sess..............Mudfielder After assessing that I think we need a striker and we have done for a long time.
leaving aside the "do we need a striker" debate for a second, I think there is a more general point about our involvement in recent transfer windows that should be made. I read somewhere that we'd signed more players than any other EPL club in the last 4 years and yet we never really achieved our main objective of being a genuinely established prem outfit. I remember for example an article in "Legion of light" entitled "Keane's six pack", a reference to the six players he'd just bought in the January window. Clearly bonkers. Whether it's football or any other business, that level of staff turnover is neither sensible or sustainable. At some point it's got to be about organisation, good coaching and team spirit. I don't see how you get that if you keep making wholesale changes every six months, especially if you bring in mercenaries like chimbonda and El hadj diouf. I hope those days are behind us, and if our new manager wants to keep his money in the bank till summer, I'm OK with that.
Some good points there mate. We do need a left back and a striker, but i'm happy with everywhere else. Haven't said that in a while. If i'm greedy, i'd like a tall quick, dominant CB cough SAMBA cough, but the defence is doing fine, not conceding, and more importantly, not really looking like conceding.
We should only get players in better than we already have. How about Torres? I bet if he came here he would start scoring again for fun. Is it so unrealistic? Probably yes, but a £20 million bid! could it happen? He's playing in the wrong team at chelsea. Even on loan he would (I reckon) score hatfuls for us.
Results have dictated that panic buying isn't required now. We do still need players, of course we do and no one is seriously saying otherwise but Mon will have more time to get the right ones in and not more Tore Andre Flos. That suits me fine.
Last Torres left in this year's FA Cup used to work in Boots Published 23:00 11/01/11 By Mike Walters (1)Recommend (5) . He used to stack shelves at Boots and even worked at his father’s brick factory, but Sergio Torres has lasted longer in this season's FA Cup than his multi-millionare Anfield namesake. As Crawley hero Sergio Torres basked in the glory of his last-gasp strike against Derby, back home in his native South America they were celebrating one of the most famous FA Cup goals by an Argentinian midfielder since Ricky Villa’s Wembley winner for Tottenham 30 years ago. At £100,000, the transfer fee Crawley paid Peterborough for Torres on a two-year contract last summer would not even cover a week’s wages of his misfiring Anfield namesake. But Torres, 27, has no regrets about dipping into the Conference to help the affluent Red Devils chase their dream of breaking into the Football League and reaching the fourth round of the Cup for the first time in their history.
Yet again Syd and I are in agreement. Also I do accept the fact that as results have improved has meant the urgency for a striker has decrease, but IMHO is still needed, I thought young Mr Wickham on saturday looked just that, young and in need of a few games probably in the fizzy pop league, but as we have paid £8m for him and we are short of strikers he is unlikely to get the opportunity. Who it should be and has MoN had time to get onto a target, I do not know, it may be useful to know where the CEO Margret Byrne(?) and SNQ are as that may be a clue.
I see the word panic has again cropped up, who mentioned panic. My opinion of panic is..... agree deal for Cisse, Short pulls plug go for Crouch, he joins Stoke panic sets in, take Bendy on loan, all that is left. None painic Bent leaves, everyone including chairman says we need striker 6 months later Gyan leaves, now have 6 months to find new striker new manager starts, knows we need striker, has 6 week to find one without panic. Lets hope the club are working on none panic option
I'm sure if the right player at the right price becomes available then we will be interested... Going back to the OP, how on earth could anyone criticise MON considering the results we have achieved since he arrived?
The point is we do not HAVE to buy in this window. If the right player is available at the right price yes do the deal. This should help us get a good deal as well. Selling clubs can always smell the fear of team who have to sign to stay up or get into the top 4 andwill push the price up. We are not in either group of clubs and if we are buying can walk away until the summer.
better to wait till summer and get who we really want than buy a stop gap now, who would may be stuck with for 2-3 years
Are you being serious? Wickham's first run out, the lad clearly wasn't fit. A couple of games in the championship, what? In reality he need to be coming on for us having 30 minutes for a couple of games to get up to speed. Sadly due to injuries and Bruce's incompetence he is having to play at 60% fit.
I would say we need a striker and a left back that would free Richardson to left midfield so McClean can be eased in more. I'd like Zamora thought he looked great against the mags and could be just the sort of player to help Sess'. Apparently O'Neill is known for doing his deals in the last 48 hours of the window which means we've a week to wait yet.
We need a striker, but the urgency isnt as great as before. Both O'niel and Bruce thought Sess is a striker, why dont we take there word for it? He isnt a 20 a year striker, but he is going to get a canny few if his recent form keeps up. Wickham: Considering he has been out injured for a while, he made some good moves against Swansea. People where comparing Noble's age to Rooney's and Owen's when they made the leap up, so why cant Wickham do the same? If O'Niel thinks he can, then he wont be inna rush to spend 20 million on a striker now. Loan I hear you say? good idea, but who would we want on loan, who is currently on offer? Most of the loan players wont be much older than Wickham. Anybody older and with experience wont be sent on loan imo, it will be buy only. I see no reason to buy now, and risk wastinig the money if our current young crop do come good this season
