Transfer goss and rumours, Summer 2016.

All this squit about if we had Defoe we would have remained in Prem. For starters AN would not have wanted him in the squad as he is far from the big lone striker that many managers seem to think is necessary for the Prem. Perhaps if we had played the one big striker playing with the one smaller striker then Hooper may have been given a chance. He and Mbokani would have a been pretty lethal combination in my humble view.

 

He's not the lazy, overweight slouch that one or two on here suggest.
Sod's law they get promoted, him and Forestieri do a 'Deeney and Ighalo' next season

 

If the money is right (despite what AN states - this is the usual pre-transfer hogwash) then I can see Klose, Redmond & Brady going. Mbokani probably won't stay even if he is offered regular contractual employment and Naismith will probably have a demotion clause in his contract, but who would want him in a Prem side? Bassong, Whitaker, Martin and Mulumbu (not sure of contract situation of all four) will be probably be encouraged to seek alternative employment. Would Like to see Vadis be given a chance in Championship along with Jerome, O'Neil, Olsson, Pinto, Bennett, Howson and Tettey. Bamford will probably go back to Chelsea although he has proven ability in the Championship. As others have stated, I would like to see another CB if Klose goes and another proven striker at Championship level.

 

Dorrans to Rangers? Imo, both he and Mulumbu were spent forces when they arrived from West Brom.
GD has had his moments, but we're not short of competent midfielders, so adios if this is true
https://www.sundaypost.com/sport/football/joey-barton-brink-joining-rangers-cummings-dorrans/?

 

Whilst i wouldn't be upset to see Dorrans leave, there are a number of players ahead of him in the queue for least useful. The manager obviously felt he was useful at not only champioship level but reckened he might be good enough for the PL, sadly not but again a useful squad player, Mulumbu, VOO must be further from AN plans.

Bah!

 

Things in the Championship will be very different and it's possible that all 3 of those will feature more next year, especially if other midfielders leave. I'd rather spend what transfer money we have on a goal-scoring striker and a quality CB that on replacing those 3.

 

It's a catch 22 - faith in the guys who brought us up only to fail when we reach the hallowed ground again? I'd hope AN builds a team that has some longevity to it- the current old boys can do one IMO and I'd rather a couple of years downstairs while we gel a team than another catastrophe. Clearly the board will not pay out for big players, so if AN can put his team together and it takes a bit of time but it works next time we dine with the silverware, then I can live with that.

 

Are there chances the money will rise again Next season? I was so excited when we got promoted, coz of the money available for promotion. This season has gone up a massive step again! So this season it was "if only we can stay up this season!

Every season it seems bigger to get into the Premiership. So will next season Boro be saying "If we can just hang on for 1 more season when the moneys gone up!" And then we replace them.

If we kept players to get us up, would there be even more money to really put into building a better squad?

 

Looks like Pinto isn't angling for a move away.

FML, the TV deal is signed in multi-year blocks, so I think it's stable (albeit massive) for a few seasons, starting from next year. Obviously the more years that we're out of the Prem though, the stronger everyone else's squads will be.

 

All over Twitter that 'Best Fiends' to be new shirt sponsor #embarrassing if true

 

Hernandez I don't think we have a chance of, but I'd really like us to sign Kodjia. He could be perfect as a replacement for Mbokani. He'll cost a pretty penny bough and I can see us fighting Villa or Newcastle for him at the very least, and quite possibly promoted teams.

 

Not great but could be worse...

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But we didn't use that money until we absolutely had to. That was poor on our part.

 

Some other good ones on here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2251259-10-strangest-shirt-sponsors-in-football-history/page/2

Wet Wet Wet sponsored Clydebank?

 

This has to be AN's dilemma - to keep experienced PL players for the impact they will have in the Championship, or let them go to bring in new players who are young and hungry. The latter sounds attractive, but would be expensive, taking money from the future budget should we be promoted. The present players are on higher wages, but we would have to pay them to leave according to the time left on their contracts. They could be loaned out to bring down the wage bill as has been done with RvW. Then there are the younger players like the Murphys, Maddison, Toffolo and Thompson who could have an impact. It'll be interesting so see which way it goes.

 

I don't think it is enough just to build a team to get us up. We need to build a team that can get us up and compete in the PL enough to avoid relegation.

 

I agree Canario, but how do you get PL quality players to come to a Championship side? We had enough difficulty when we were in the PL. We'll have to wait for the results of AN's 'interviews' I suppose.

 

Nail on head, Rick

 

I guess you need a combination of ex PL quality players in the twilight of their careers, younger players who are a year to 18 months away from being premier league quality and some very good championship standard players. Then when you go up your very good championship players become squad players and you invest in PL quality players in key positions. What you don't do is buy more championship quality players, retain championship quality players in key positions or rely on players that weren't good enough the last time you were in the PL, especially in key positions.

 

The first is massively risky as most are more interested in building their pension pots, the second group are gold dust that all the teams are looking for and desperate to find, so same issue with attracting them to us. Realistically it's the third group we will need to work with and be prepared to ditch once we get up, this is the emotionally difficult thing to do and where we consistently fail to upgrade and invest in my view