My cat's name is Mittens! My daughter has a black labrador called Astro. I did toy with the idea of calling him Evra some months back...
would be a good value signing as a backup to Lucas. I understand both sides of the argument with keeping Spearing around vs selling him, but I dont think wed get much, hes likely on very reasonable wages and wont complain as a backup. Would rather sell Adam
I don't know. If we get Diame it means we're settling for a free transfer over an ambitious signing, like a Javi Martinez sort of player (although he's played CB all season).
If we are 'settling for a free transfer' rather than signing him because he would improve the team then we obviously shouldn't get him. However, if a player is good enough and we would have been prepared to pay hard cash for said player, then why not get them on a freeby? So long as the player doesn't try and hold the club to ransom because of the lack of a transfer fee, I'm happy for us to sign these players, we just need to avoid Jovanovic, Cole, Voronin, etc type players...
Surely there's a reason Wigan aren't renewing his contract? I just think this time next summer we'll be regretting it. If he signs I hope I'm wrong.
I always think along similar lines of 'why are they free?' but sometimes it can be down to the player not wanting to stay at the club - feeling they need to move on to progress their career, the clubs become stale to them or simply being greedy and want more money. As long as it is not the last one or the club not wanting the player (and he is an improvement on what we have) then I'm happy. PS - I just read a comment by a Villa fan on another forum (yep, I'm a forum slut ) that we have been linked with Stephen Ireland several times already this summer. Not sure I'd be happy about this, I don't really rate him anymore.
Apparently the Poland coach has just told reporters that Lewandowski (sp) is signing for United. That's him, Kagawa and probably Modric in. We need better than Diame to even hope to compete.
Two ways to look at this sort of signing I guess. Either we are just looking to fill squad places with half arsed free signings OR we are getting in decent back-up players (presuming Diame will be cover for Luclass) and thus allowing us to spend the bulk of the transfer budget on much better quality first team players to fill the positions where we are desperate for some top quality. Hopefully it will be the latter
Every Rival fan new going into last season that United needed to sort out the centre of the Midfield, but they did nothing and still almost won the league. Now they are bringing in some real quality into that area along with Man City and Chelsea strengthening. Those three teams are going to run away next year I feel, will be a hell of a fight between the three of them! That will leave us Arsenal Spurs fighting for 4th place
I still feel Arsenal and Spurs are there for the taking, even with our current squad if we can keep key players available all season - assuming Rodgers is half competant at getting the most out of them! Diame's a good backup, means we can spend transfer funds elsewhere which is a solid strategy tbh.
New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has started to draw up a list of targets he wishes to make moves for this summer. The Anfield manager has been told he will not have a wealth of funds to draw from and with that in mind the Northern Irishman has earmarked moves for players who add quality to his squad without breaking the bank. Rodgers will look to beef up his attacking options having seen Liverpool net just 47 goals in the Premier League last term but without the funds to spend on a ‘big money’ striker the former Swansea City boss has identified Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner as a target. The 24 year old Danish international is currently at the Euro 2012 finals having enjoyed a solid season long loan spell at Sunderland. The 6ft 5in striker is unlikely to return to Arsenal, where he has slipped down the pecking order, and he would surely jump at the chance of a move to Anfield and he would cost around £6-8m to sign as Arsene Wenger reportedly looks to trim his squad ahead of a planned shake-up to the Gunners wage structure. Bendtner netted ten goals last term and could offer a stern challenge for Andy Carroll for the second striker spot alongside Luis Suarez.
I'd like evidence that there are no real transfer funds, I think that is just media bollox.... [journalistic_thick_thinking]Let me see, Liverpool spent lots last year, with no results, that means that they won't spend any money any time soon[/journalistic_thick_thinking] I think we'll have at least as much as the mancs, if not more.