Summer 2013 Transfer Rumour Thread - Mk4

Lucky you!

 

Not sure I'm getting your point pertaining to me. I don't think we are top 6...I've said I'd be happy at 10th. I just think that our team perform better as a team than the quality of individual players suggest.

 

I get you. There's a good balance to our team in general, as opposed to a team like Fulham who seem to struggle to play all their best players together.

 

Agent on twitter. Not taking it too seriously but looks a good call

 

I actually think that on paper last season we had one of the worst squads; we had very little PL experience, if we never gave Luke a chance we'd have been stuck with Fox all season and Puncheon, although I had a hunch he'd do well, was a bit of a surprise star. On the other hand, there were players who were really good but didn't play as well as they coule have, like Ramirez and Boruc for his first 4/5 games. Once our players gained experience and the new signings jelled, there was a vast improvement in both points and performances. We, in the Championship, weren't top 6 material on paper until after we bought Sharp and Lee in January but ended up 2nd due to our team spirit and gelling as a team.

There's so many factors that would have made a big difference to our season: what if we played Boruc and Shaw straight away? What if Ramriez hit the ground running? What if Cork didn't miss the beginning of the season? Of course everyone has their excuses, but still.

 

Oh FFS Saints. HURRY UP AND SIGN SOMEONE. ANYONE. My next door neighbour's yappy lapdog. That'll do for starters.

Apologies for slightly losing it there.

 

I think you've showed admirable restraint. I think we need to start a whip round...sign a player and present him to Nicola with a bow tied round his...well, with a bow.

 

.Wrong thread.

 

Caught up on the last few pages and going to sum up my thoughts on particular topics in bullet point form.

- I think another winger is needed, not an AMC. I fully expect Gaston to step up this season, and be used in the middle where he can be electrifying, rather than on the wing where he is excruciating to watch at times. If he doesn't deliver the goods, we have JWP, Davis, Lallana who can move there. We need another winger though.

- A funny thing I've noticed with our fans, we all rave about our youth academy when someone like Bale or Ox come to widespread prominence, but seem to forget we have talented youths until they hit stardom. Turnbull has just signed a long-term contract, along with Chambers. Isgrove looks set to be used in some capacity this year too. I think Turnbull could be an option at CB after Dejan, Yosh and Fonte, he's pretty much a Hooiveld carbon copy so we could afford to lose Jos imo. Matt Targett could be seen as a 3rd-choice left back, hence why we're not strengthening there. Maybe NC is demanding to see youth come through (though I don't think Poch is as willing to use youth as Nige was) and that is why we haven't bought players in seemingly 'weak' areas. We're trying to promote and ethos with emphasis on youth at the club, whilst trying to be successful. Out of all clubs in the PL last year, we were by far the most willing to play youth players and I think that will only continue as long as NC is calling the shots.

- We do need another striker. I can't see Mayuka going out on loan, and in pre-season I think (hope) he might have shown MP something Lambert and Rodriguez don't have. I don't particularly think Sharp is as deserving of the chance many think he is, but he's not a bad player and I do think he could do a job as a back up. I'd rather see Tadanari Lee ahead of him, as his movement was second to none in terms of our attacking players, and that is an incredibly important trait to posses at Premier League level. It's a shame he got injured as he was doing well for us, and he had a good spell in Tokyo on loan so I think he's more deserving of a chance than Sharp. However, I can't see it happening. I have no idea who we'll bring in, though surely we have to. Seager looks great but I doubt he'd be used in the PL, and even if he was we'd still look light up top.

- We're not consistent enough nor do we have the squad depth for top 6. If all our players play to their potential, on their day we could beat anyone in the league. Top 10 a realistic aim.

- Everton will not finish top 7 this year. Martinez is a woeful defence tactician, and Heitinga, Alcaraz, Distin - hell, even Jagielka - are all prone to howlers if not properly drilled. I think people are going to be surprised at how average, even poor, Eveton will be this year. Which is a shame, as I have a huge soft spot for them.

 

Tbh, now I've got that out of my system I can wait for a few more weeks. It's the feeling that the transfer thread is dying on its feet and posters are talking about ever more intricate matters which will be instantly abandoned if any headline club signs any headline player.

 

Norwich are buying everyone it appears...

 

Trust me, to get bums on seats we will have a new signing beore Saturday .....

 

is it ibrahimovic?

 

It's Tomoslav Kiš. I've only seen him play 3 times, and against poor defences, but the boy is a talent. We have defiantly signed him, and they'll be an announcement including pictures of him holding up a Mary Jane Favela Guly 10 top on the OS tomorrow. Source? Rocket Swanie

 

I flew in on the same plane with the Real Sociedad squad from Bilbao last Friday. Nothing else to add just thought I would mention it.

 

Heard nothing even the guy that tells me stuff says it's gone quiet.

 

Cortese is going through the rubbish bin trying to find those names we scrapped in favour of Banega, Damiao and Osvaldo.

 

The Daily Telegraph just tweeted:

"Luis Suárez reveals all in hard-hitting interview with Telegraph Sport up very soon."

 

Likely to be his sob story of how the nasty Americans won't let him pursue his career at his boyhood club of Arsenal.

 

There are multiple Russian media reports that Anzhi Makhachkala are going to be severely reducing their wage bill and transfer-listing most of their star players.

If these stories are to be believed, then Samuel Eto'o, Lassana Diarra, Willian, Igor Denisov, Lacina Traore and others could suddenly be up for grabs.