Ok guys, we have 2 weeks to go until we kick off and we have yet to make a signing off note! I think we should make a reasonable list of potential players to see if there is any consistency across the fans? If we each make a list and put them in order of preference by the number of requests we should have a selection of players that reflect all the fans views! Mine are Kranjcar, Defoe, Hutton, Gibbson and Taylor
I agree with yours there smithers but I dont think we would get Defoe or Krankjar. I dont understand why we were never interested in Bellamy, he is a brilliant player and I think the kind Pulis could do a lot with. All 5 you mentioned Smitherrs would be a massive addition to the squad. I dont really see many players anywhere we are ABLE to sign as most have been signed by other clubs.............very frustrating to say the least!!!!
I also like Paker but I just don't think Its realistic, wage wise etc! I think Kranjcar is deffinatley 6-8 million and 50-60k a week, and Defoe is deffinatley worth 8 mill and 60k a week, both affordable! I think Bellamy is fantastic, but well into his 30's now and 90k a week, I don't think so?
Parker (west Ham) - Unlikely, not just because of wage demands but because he is so sought after. Fantastic player though and a fantastic addition to our side. quick and instinctive passer of the ball, would be brillian as a creative midfielder Crouch (Tottenham) - spurs are wanting to sell him and it would pain me to see him go by without TP even looking, proven International goalscorer who just never seems to get a chance. Could flourish with Stoke. Plus he's taller then Shawx!!! Hargreaves (Free Agent - Formerly Man U) - With it likely he'll be going to West Brom by the end of the week, why why why Tony Pulis? Fantastic footballer who everyone at Stoke would love to see join. It would mean another player with injury concerns but if he comes good, then he's well worth the risk. Plus he's on a free, no worrying about huge payment. Reo-Coker (Free Agent - Formerly Aston Villa) - Struggling to see why he's a free agent, but Reo-coker is known for his passing ability and his tough tackling. Come on TP, he's right up your street! Warnock (Aston Villa) - Fantastic LB, and a place on the pitch we really need to strengthen up. Nothing more to say! Delfouneso (aston Villa) - Young, quick and a good goal-scoring record. he's also a big player, could easily fit into TP's direct approach. Harry Kewell (Free Agent - Formerly Galatasaray) - don't laugh me off just yet, he's a proven winger and that's something we are going to need for the amount of games we'll be playing. We need back-up and although he's 32, he's still a good player. Plus he's a free agent, worth the risk? Although some of these players are injured/past-it, they are all players who would be great additions to our squad and I think are likely targets. The likes of Delfouneso/Parker may be hard to get but they're all possibilities.
I to like Crouch and I would play him any day of KJ, but the reason I went for Defoe was for pace, smoething we are desperatly lacking! The Hargreaves deal looks done with west Brom and Bolton look like they have the march on Reo-Coker, however I agree I think he would fit in well at Stoke. Not much for Delfouneso and I think we are at a stage in our progression where a proven goal scorer is required! Anyone think Anelka is worth a punt, however I doubt we could afford him - greta player though and can play anywhere in the front line!
I'd take: Taylor at Bolton (good cover for Matty, can also play at laft-back) Two from Reo-Coker, Collison, Noble and Hitzlsperger (preferably Collison and Hitzlsperger) Warnock at Villa (although I think McLiesh has promised him a fair crack of the whip there) Hutton (we desperately need another right-back)
Like them Jose but no striker? You happy with our front line or do you think we are going to realisticallystruggle to get a quality forward in?
We need a couple of full backs, Liam Ridgewell and Alan Hutton would do me fine! Cover for the wings, so look at matty taylor or max gradel from leeds. He's always impressed me every time i've seen him play. Couple of midfielders, I would love to see Joey Barton and David Vaughan in the middle. Then a couple of new striker, I think we should go and get DJ Campbell, for 1.25m!!!! bargain for someone who got 13 goals last season in the premier league. Then maybe another striker like Strurridge for 8-10m!
Wow - I was expecting alot of stick for the Harry Kewell remark! As far as I'm concerned we need better players, not just cover as I presume Woodgate will be. Either of Crouch or Defoe I'd be happy with, we need fresh players who have real talent; and we all know this is possible even with the Stoke mould. RB, LB, CM and ST are the places we need new players for, as great as I think the players we have in those places are. But if we really want to compete in Europe we need better. Hargreaves or Parker would be my ideal choice for CM but after that Reo-Coker looked perfect - gutted that none of these look likely! But we need cover for the places we're going to struggle to get better for - our wingers and CB are some of thhe best you can find, but cover is needed. Woodgate is the first - Kebe looks good but he's doubtful because he may not be happy with no first team action. Agree about Barton - greeat attackig CM who I'd be happy with, and agree about your strikers. Sturridge looks brilliant for his age.
Fulham have had the same idea as you dave. http://www.footybunker.com/fulham-keen-to-land-former-liverpool-fc-winger/7922
At the moment it looks as tho we are doin our normal and playin at it !! Seriously does anybody think Crouch is on less than Cole ........? We need improvement all over the park but everytime we get related to a decent player the wages are always too high .. Quite simply how do you improve or move on ? We really will have to pick up the dregs so to speak . ........ and when you think about how many millions go into SCFC every year now !!
Wages is an excuse in my humble opinion! I am not in agreement with the 100K + brigade, but I do think quality defenders, creative midfielders and strilkers that SCORE are worth more than 45 garnd a week. I think at our stage ( both squad strength and years in the league) we can now start to stretch into the 50 - 60k bracket and that easily gets you the likes of Kranjcar, Defoe, Crouch etc! I dont think any player we haev in our squad could complain about thise players being paid 10% more than they are recieveuing from Stoke given that all of those players are quality internationals! I acknowledge that money does breed contempt and that TP likes to keep them all withina certain budget, but apart from Matty, Shawx and Huth (Pennant still has to prove himself in my opinion) I dont think any other player in our entire squad would feel that they were anywhere near the calibre of the type of players we have been talking about! On a slightly different note, I remeber TP castigating the modern day footballers and thier associated wages amd stating that no player under him would earn anywhere near those sums! Coates probably has a wage structure but I dont personally believe that he wouldn't break that for the right type of big name player at the right time (FFS we were alledgedly looking Van Nistkelroy last term), but feel that TP has physcological problem with players on high sums! If you think about it, TP himself is on 20K a week (ish) and probably recieves the same in bonuses for league position, and cup runs - so the question is, does TP feel that no player is worth more than him, or is no player worth the money full stop? I never heard Fergie moaning about Shrek's 200k a week!
Excellent set of players there Stokielad01! Some maybe out of our league a little but most I would say would the players we are actively trying to attract to our club!
For me people its a no brainer, where do we need instant upgrading? CM, do we still want to see a Whelan/Delap combination? I do not. Our defence is fine, wingers fine, but we still need cover(or upgrades) for those positions. Strikers, at the moment we have 2 fit strikers(KJ & Walters), we need 2 strikers in ASAP. Midfield for me is our greatest concern, who we will be after or who i would like is not up to me, thats why TP is manager, just improve the squad like you have allways done TP. LIke Potts allways said KTF
So far we've been linked with... Goalkeepers: Matthew Gilkes (Blackpool) Defenders: Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur), Stephen Crainey (Blackpool), Liam Ridgewell (Birmingham City), Cedric Hengbart (Auxerre), Matthew Mills (Reading), Scott Dann (Birmingham City), Phil Bardsley (Sunderland), John O'Shea (Manchester United), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Vasilis Torosidis (Olympiacos), Jonathan Woodgate (free agent) Midfielders: Charlie Adam (Blackpool), David Vaughan (Blackpool), Mark Noble (West Ham United), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City), Bradley Johnson (Leeds United), Joe Cole (Liverpool), David Jones (Wolves), Angel Lafita (Real Zaragoza), Darron Gibson (Manchester United), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Christian Poulsen (Liverpool), Erik Huseklepp (Bari), Craig Gardner (Birmingham City), Charles Kabore (Marseille), Derek Boateng (Getafe), Jack Collison (West Ham United), Guy Moussi (Nottingham Forest), Mahamadou Diarra (Monaco), Joey Barton (Newcastle United), Adam Barton (Preston North End), Cedric Mongungu (AS Monaco), Matt Taylor (Bolton Wanderers), Achille Emana (Real Betis), Momo Sissoko (Juventus) Strikers: Luke Varney (Blackpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Cameron Jerome (Birmingham City), Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Demba Ba (West Ham United), Victor Obinna (Inter Milan), David N'Gog (Liverpool), Youssef El Arabi (AS Caen), Nile Ranger (Newcastle United), Craig Bellamy (Manchester City), Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough United), Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland), DJ Campbell (Blackpool), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Marc Janko (Twente), Hugo Rodallega (Wigan Athletic) Out of that lot I'd like: Gibson, Crouch, Bellamy, Torosidis, Sissoko, Noble and Joe Cole. Doubt we'll get any of those though.
