Football will always divide opinion amongst fans and pundits alike. One fans hero is another mans plank; one fans legend is another's nightmare. Just as with the opinions on our much discussed targets this summer. Is the likes of Olsson, Fletcher, Cuellar etc be good enough and in Steven Fletcher's case, is £10 or £12m too much to pay? I'm sitting here watching the GB team v Uruguay and there are 4 players I'm sure would have fans excited if we were linked with them (they are not going to happen, this is purely for the purpose of making my point) and they are Micah Richards; Tom Cleverley; Aaron Ramsey and Daniel Sturridge. If we put £15m bids in for each of them I bet there would be some who would be ****ing themselves into early blindness. Well, my point is this. Against a moderate Uruguay, they look very,very ordinary to me. Richards has been caught fast asleep a couple of times, Cleverley and Ramsey look lightweight (I'd rather have Colback than Ramsey) and Sturridge all too often makes the wrong decisions and is a passenger in this game. The lad Joe Allen, valued by Liverpool at £12m, is nowt flash at all for me and a Jordan Henderson style player. So, while the 'big names' might seem more exciting, for me I'd take the grafters and hungry lads like Fletcher, Cuellar and Olsson ET AL and build a proper team. Sturridge for £16m or Fletcher for £12m? Fletcher all day for me.
asumptions are ****ing great arent they. Accused of wanting Llorente and Hernandez earlier and now Ramsey/Sturridge etc. The truth is I havnt a clue who we should go for, i just cant see Fletcher being a step in the right direction, I dont really care about the cash that much, as its not my cash, but if we have £20mil to spend this summer and we are spending £10-£15m on Fletcher, then its a huge gamble, if we have £50-£60mil to spend then that money isnt a huge dent in the kitty and wont take away from other better players. I would rather we were going for a fox in the box, rather than a target man, as for me, that is what we need, or both, a target man and a fox in the box, but time is getting on and the only name that has any credence, is bloody Fletcher, I know we still have a month to go till the window closes, and I am as patient as anyone, just another name that we could take seriously would be a good thing imho. and this is a football forum, surely we can all discuss the pros and cons in an adult manner, without being accused of wanting world class players that we all know will never bloody come anyway (however much we would all like to dream they would).
Just my opinion mate but, I'd rather have Sturridge over Fletcher any day of the week. Fletcher has played for Burnley scored 8 and they got relegated went to Wolves scored 10 and just avoided relegation, scored 12 the next season and got relegated. Sturridge has played at the highest level and scored regularly 13 last season in all competitions and, 12 with a poor Bolton side the season before that. Fletcher will not take us to that elusive next level Sturridge will (how long he would stay with us is a question for another day though). As for Richards, Ramsey and Cleverly got to agree with you there haven't done enough and Joe Allen at 15mil is a disaster waiting to happen for the team that buys him and the lad himself.
Fair point Cest, I'd probably take Fletcher over Sturridge, I think he's more what we need. Sturridge scored 13 goals being provided by the likes of Mata, Ramires and Meireles. Fletcher scored 12 and had Karl Henry providing.
Again personally dont give a ****, because I kind of think MoN is not going to listen to me, and quite rightly so, In any events I will take what Im given. I tore my dream team list up, last pre season at Bielefeldt. and dont predict players any more. Kinda pointless.
Im not paranoid at all, but just because I dont want Fletcher and a few others, we must want other players who realistically wont come anyway. I have made it knowing I dont want the lad, talc has as well, and probably 1 or 2 others, so your generalisation was pointed at us (there is no one else).
I was going to say there's no bloody way you could get Sturridge from Chelsea for £16 million, but now I think about it, Chelsea have signed a good few players who can play where he does. I think a move to mid-table would benefit his career, but I also don't see him ever wanting to go below Europa-level to be fair (though he could probably take a Sunderland type team there). He's way better than Fletcher though, and I very reservedly offer "in my opinion" to that, because I'm not sure you could objectively justify otherwise to be honest. Ramsey had a poorish season last year, but I think he's looked Ok for GB. He's growing into the tournament, in my eyes. Allen is useful, but nothing spectacular, from what I've seen of him over the last year, and Richards has always been prone to lapses. We thought he'd have got a grasp on it by now and be an England regular... he hasn't and he isn't.
Opinions are great on what value a player is worth but let’s not loose site of the fact that it’s not our money but the owners to spend. I have a sign on my office wall which reads “The monetary outlay in business is irrelevant if the desired result is achieved”. KTF lads that those whom are making the decisions will make the right ones & should they not then it’s then that they can be challenged to front up & lets not fall out over them until then.
I was making generalised points not havig a dig at anyone Steve. I just think that if were seen to be bidding for 'sexier' names, we'd be happier but not neccessarily doing whats best for the team and club? Opinions and perceptions?
This isn't my board, but what's with the crack tonight lads? I don't know how it's meant to come across, but it seems like bad natured bullying, rather than good humoured ribbing at the moment . I'd think blackcatsteve deserves a bit more respect for an opposing (yet perfectly reasonable) viewpoint. If he's grabbed the wrong end of the stick, I don't think you should be putting him down like that either... Just my observations. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your week lad
Good one mate I gave up predicting who we would get about ten years ago just chucking out some names who would improve us in my opinion.
I can't speak fir Steve, but hopefully it doesn;t come across like that.... Posts get combined and twisted, Steve is one of us and gives as good as he gets.. I'm sure he'll thank you for concern though.
Stupid mag **** like me? Probably not... I didn't think you lads would mean it like I know you guys are a credit to the forum, just making sure all was rosey in Mackemland
Like talc, I'm with Bill on this. If we buy Fletcher (or anyone else) we'll find out if it was a good decision in due course. If we don't buy them, it doesn't matter. The bloody speculation is getting me down, as some of the names we get linked with will never happen and some of them are crap. I'm waiting on the actual signing on the dotted line before I think about losing me mess...