Lloris is available "for the right price" - the likes of Vorm or Krul will involve more negotiation and, likely, have their fees jacked up.
We could afford anything Swansea asked for Vorm and imo are not in too strong a negotiating position. They must be relegation candidates now that Rodgers has gone. I'm looking for a keeper who will last because of loyalty and Vorm is loyal. We've had too many keepers just recently and we have been linked with too many. I like Brad but at 41 well it speaks for itself.
If we are going to go for either Vorm or Krul I think it might be best to wait until next summer. I can't see Newcastle or Swansea matching their performances from last season in this one, so perhaps they may be cheaper next summer. Brad has another year left in him.
I think you're right about Newcastle and Swansea there WY. How we do against Newcastle as the two teams finished 4th and 5th last season will be interesting. For me you can tell a bit about the season with the first match. City beat us 1-5 and went onto win the PL last season so to play a team that was so closely matched to us last season will as I say be interesting. I'd never considered Krul for us although he did play well last season. Newcastle are notoriously inconsistent and Swansea well......, goodbye I think.
Newcastle have the basis of a very good side. Krul, Cabaye, Tiote, Cisee, & Ba. To name just the core players. But, how long, and how many, can they hang on to? I fancy that Ba may well be gone, the others, we'll have to wait and see. If however, they maintain that core, I think they will still be a top 10 side ( at least) next season.
I can see both Cabaye and Tiote going this summer, Man Utd will surely be in for one of them given their central midfield problems. Ba too, will surely go given his reported release clause.
Ditch Defoe and bid for Cisse? Then that would leave us with only Cisse. Our striking department is already thinner than the cranial bum fluff Prince William generously refers to as 'hair', we need to add numbers. If a two bob club like Newcastle can assemble a strike force of Ba & Cisse then what the hell are we playing at? Levy needs to stop eating burgers at home and go down the Goucho. He needs to put a lid on the squid.
I'd be open to a move for Sturridge - I saw a price of 5million reported recently which frankly is a steal. If we were to start next season with Adebayor, Sturridge and Defoe i'd be pretty content.
Is Naughton coming back into the fold ?? Some time ago twas suggested (Spurcat ?? ) that Naughton had no desire to return from Norwich. Was/is that so, and has the demise of Redknapp changed that ??
With Redknapp leaving, Corluka joining Lokomotiv and Lambert going to Villa, perhaps Naughton's a little less unsure of his position, now? He'll probably get more of a chance under Villas-Boas and he'd be taking a risk by rejoining Norwich.
Yes, I forgot the Lambert factor. If he had built a rapport/trust with the manager, then that has gone. Similarly if his Spurs dislike/distrust is based on the old regime, then that too is gone. We must try to have decent competition for each primary position. But correspondingly the understudy must play + believe they will get their time based on merit/management, and not on the odd injury freak/plague.
In his early days at the club, Kyle Naughton found it diffcult to settle in the south. When it became clear the club were keen to loan him out, then his preference was to go to a club in the north. As we know, he ended up at Norwich where he enjoyed his time and he then felt his best career interests were to remain there. With him now back at WHL and Lambert having left Norwich, it is not clear where his future lies. Like most new managers, AVB will probably give all our players a fresh start, and hopefully Naughton will be happy with that and take the opportunity to build a career with us. He's proved at Norwich that he's a decent enough player, and although maybe not an outstanding one, is good enough to become a useful squad player. The previous coaching staff of last season felt that Adam Smith was a better and more reliable prospect than Naughton, which undoubtedly prompted his comments of last season about maybe wanting away. Also, I believe there has already been talk of Lambert trying to entice him to Villa.
