According to Crook 'sources' in Scotland say we have offered Samaras a contract. Why can't he just say he read the Daily Record?
He's definitely not too bad, but I don't see the point in having two identical players in the team. Surely you would think we'd go with Pelle, and someone a with a bit of pace and movement (J Rod mould) like Ings. If it was Samaras and another striker on top, then I wouldn't complain.
I remember the heady days where it was okay that Pelle's record outside Feyenoord was atrocious, because we'd surely be getting in another striker at least as good or better. Now we're looking at a day of talking ourselves into a striker who has scored once every four games in the Scottish league over the preceding four seasons as primary backup. (Not saying that it's happening, just that we've reached the stage where we're so desperate for incomings that anyone with two legs looks appealing. Next stop: could Shola Ameobi do a job for us?)
I watch quite a lot of Celtic games and I've been surprised and quietly impressed with Samaras. He's always one of their better players in Champions League games, has surprisingly good work rate and even scored at the Camp Nou a couple of seasons back in a narrow 2-1 defeat. Celtic under Lennon had to play as a hardworking 4-5-1 unit (changing to 4-3-3 when in possession) to stand any chance in Europe. Samaras always stuck to his task immaculately on the left of the midfield - and is far better than our only other option there in Isgrove. He's not the same player that was at Man City, that's for sure. For the record though, I don't see it happening. Incidentally, Fraser Forster is always Celtic's best player in Champions League games. The Spanish media call him "La Gran Muralla" - the great wall - while Xavi called him world-class and wanted Barca to sign him. We have to get him.
I was going to say I was hugely impressed with his work rate in the World Cup too. He has good feet. Personally, I would be happy to get him - but want Ings more.
I was going to say this too. Greece don't score goals all down to Samaras then. HE should be knocking them in all over the place from the left wing, which is also where he tends to play most of the time for Celtic. Whenever I've seen him he puts in a good shift, is disciplined in carrying out his attacking and defensive duties and is a team player. Saying all that if we signed him he would have to be another for the squad depth rather than a first 11 player.
For the right wages I don't think Samaras would be a disaster. He can play in two positions where we are short, knows the premier league, does whatever job is asked of him, is a nice guy and would prefer him to getting in someone completely untried on loan. Saying that, there are still a number of excellent players on the market and still some huge squads lookng to offload some very good players. Some one like Bamford at Chelsea, for example, also covers wing and striker position as has significant upside at the right price. Gnabry and Jerome Campbell are two others (although Arsenal probably want ot loan him rather than sell) I will only panic when the window is closed, until then still trusting that the right players are out there and that we are working hard to bring them through the door!
Suddenly we're talking about players like Redmond, Samaras, Schelotto and Taider. Sorry but there are thousands of players good enough for Saints. We're just not linked with any of them recently. These aren't high standards; these are players who have fared pretty poorly at the top level.
And even so, plenty of people are excited over talks of players like Forster, van Dijk, Clasie et al. They've just gone quiet over the last few days unlike the ones you mentioned. There's certainly no theme of "everything is **** no matter what"
http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...rumour-thread-Part-VIII?p=6846101#post6846101 http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...rumour-thread-Part-VIII?p=6846448#post6846448 Huh. I guess we're all scouts.
New low. Joe quotes me offering an opinion. I could dredge up a few hundred posts of you definitively asserting players' ability levels (based on your careful observation of scouting tapes, no doubt) but I am not quite that sad.
