Agreed about Riise - shame he went off the boil, but Richardson is adequate back up if he goes. I'd like to see us sign a replacement, but not another whose best days are behind them (Warnock is 31). We should either trust in Richardson for now or look for a younger man who can step into the first team and stay there for several years. Probably someone in the 22-26 age range. Any suggestions? As for Stecklenburg (Bidley can correct my spelling at his leisure) and Stockdale, if the two really are likely to cost the same as each other, it's a no-brainer. At 31 Stecklenburg is likely to be at the top of his game for the next 5 years or more and is a much more reliable prospect than Stockdale. Stockdale could be just as good, but could be much much worse. Promoting the reserve keeper and finding that he's not as good as you hoped is a classic route to relegation (it's what Middlesborough did when we took Schwarzer). The only argument for playing Stockdale rather than Stecklenburg is that his wages will be much lower, which shouldn't be our main consideration at this point. Right back? Selling Kelly possibly leaves us exposed, but it may be that Jol has confidence in one or other of the youngsters to fill the gap if needed. The only way we'll find that out is if something happens to player-of-the-season Reither. Let's hope we don't find out! And finally, as for the lack of anything happening: as ever, we don't know what's going on behind the scenes because the club (quite rightly) doesn't advertise its business until everything is done and dusted.
Do you think they'll sell Cech, promote Turnbull and follow Boro down to the Championship? We can but dream!
As earlier said,what is going on behind the scenes at FFC,regarding transfers seems to be somewhat secret. But the worrying factor is we are still swilling about in the BBB,without much luck it seems. Our latest great hope it appears is someone who cant get into a team thats worse than us.
Do you mean Warnock? I wouldn't put too much weight on those rumours being true just yet, and even if they are I don't think anyone is styling a new left back as 'our latest great hope'. It's too early for anyone to be saying that this is a bad transfer window for us. Let's wait and see and trust the various professionals at the club to do their respective jobs. I've still got confidence in them.
It's telling that many are quick to put stock in the less desirable rumours, but if we get linked with a big/good/promising player then it couldn't possibly be true. All these knee-jerks at every tiny rumour are getting a bit silly.
It's the cut and thrust of it that's part of the fun Bidley. Remember how much you enjoyed the summer thread? Personally, I hate transfer windows.
Yeah we all enjoyed the Summer thread when the Berbatov rumours started solidifying, but before that it was horrible! No end of players leaving, speculation about Dempsey, Dembele clearing off at the death, the mad scramble in the final hours... What I don't enjoy (and what I'm referring to) is a couple of rumours about signing a goalkeeper followed by "OH MY SWEET LORD WHY ARE WE SIGNING A GOALKEEPER WE NEED A MIDFIELDER GOD JOL IS SUCH AN IDIOT OH THE HORROR OF IT ALL" I hate windows too. It's alright for big clubs that **** money signing who they like when it pleases, but for clubs like us it's ****. Lots of drama though.
Going off topic here, but I've always suspected (and never been bothered to dig up the stats to back it up) that the introduction of the transfer window has led to managers being more vulnerable to being sacked. Before the window, an under-fire manager always had the option (funds permitting) of going out and signing a new striker, goalkeeper, or whatever to make everybody feel more positive about things. More significantly, the papers could spend the whole season speculating about transfers that were (or weren't) about to happen - if not news, then something that might be about to become news - as well as reporting on actual genuine transfers when they took place. Although they can still speculate about what might happen in the next window (will Gareth bale finally get his big money move to Spain, Will Zaha still be at Palace come February, etc) any transfer story they run in (say) October can't possibly come to pass for two or three months. In order to have something current, urgent and timely to fill the space, they focus instead upon managers - who, of course, can still be hired and fired at any point. So, the transfer window denies managers their previous safety valve of the knee-jerk new signing, and also encourages the press to devote more time and column inches to the task of undermining already under-fire managers, building on (and sometimes even creating) disapproval from fans and pushing chairmen in the direction of making a change. As I say, I've never bothered to research whether the above has any statistical basis to it. I'd love to compare the five years immediately before and after the introduction of the window. Then again, if ever I did I might have to face up to the possibility that I'm talking complete rubbish.
It appears that clubs who require bolstering their team are in the market, not the last day or so when whover we aquire is thrown into the deep end, when he still does not known where the ground is. And I think we do need a new goalkeeper,Swartz is now showing his age,and I dont think Stockdale is the answer.
There's a lot of truth in this. I think it drives transfer fees up too - the transfers of Torres and Carroll are two prime examples. Would Newcastle have let Carroll go for less than £35m if they had time to sign a replacement? Probably.
I just realized: If you get Stekelenburg, a Dutch goalkeeper you signed from the Italian competition, and he would do amazing things the next three or four seasons, Fergie steps in and buys him. It's a Van der Sar all over again
Wasn't Brad Jones the back-up to Schwarzer at Middlesbrough? And HOLT, 'butt' is spelt with two T's. Gawd.
Well, if he does as well for us as Van der Sar, I'd be more than happy with that, even if someone takes him off us after three or four seasons.
I think Ian Holloway might just agree with your general point about the transfer window and the media Captain. This is a brilliant interview - [video=youtube;zUNtA0Z1DHA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUNtA0Z1DHA&feature=player_embedded[/video]
BBC says we're after M'Vila. Supposedly he's not keen on QPR, who have agreed a fee with Rennes. We're up for paying the £5.8m(!) but haven't made a formal offer. Jol, AliMac, Mo, Doris, whoever is in charge of this, give Rennes a bell. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21043995
BBC says we're after M'Vila. Supposedly your a muppet? So where did the 'not keen on QPR' come from? Funny he has said he wants to come to QPR and Harry is confident its done. So someones 'supposedly' talking crap? Think it might be you.
Calm down princess. Those are the actual words I heard on Five Live earlier, and the article alludes to this too. He may well sign for you, I hear you're paying big wages, so there's no need to get precious about it. Have you got a quote from M'Vila saying he wants to join you?
