Transfer goss and rumours, Summer 2016.

The rate players are leaving/strongly linked away, compared with the players coming in/strongly linked to us is a bit of a worry. Yes we need to give the youngsters a chance, but we can't rely on them to get us promoted in their first full season. The players linked away are ones I'm fine with leaving. If Mulumbu goes, I don't have much faith is Dorrans either, especially looking to the future of players who could step up to the Prem. I'd be chuffed with RVW and Mulumbu out. McCormack and Pritchard in.

We do still need another striker though. He's blatantly not going to give Lafferty a chance.

 

Just googled Pritchard to see if his link to Swansea was any closer, or if we were still linked. Wolves are sniffing about again!

http://www.90min.com/posts/3522454-...out-of-favour-spurs-midfielder-alex-pritchard

 

Fair comment FML, but I'd rather see the youngsters given a chance and not worry too much about promotion this season, but to aim to go up next season. Morris acquitted himself OK in the Coventry game!!

 

I read somewhere that Mulumbu is our highest wage earner on £40k a week. Getting him off the wage bill will be helpful towards getting someone else in on good money.

 

At least we got him on a free - we paid money for that useless lump Dorrans
Mulumbu looked exceptional in a pre-season match last year for us, where he made one and scored one, as I recall.
What is it about NCFC - always manage to get one (1) decent performance from a player before they fade into comparative oblivion. Mulumbu, Naismith in his first game, RvW in his first ever game....

 

Or at least player start of well and fall into obscurity; Javier Garrido, John Ruddy and Seb Bassong...

 

Bit harsh on JR, he was improving every game until his injury!

 

Squad: (Assuming Mulumbu leaves, second position in brackets):

GK Ruddy, Rudd, McGovern
RB Pinto, Martin, Whittaker
LB Olsson, Toffolo, (Brady), (Whittaker)
CB Klose, Bassong, Bennett, (Martin), Turner
CM Howson, Dorrans, Odjidja-Ofoe, McGrandles (inj)
DM Tettey, Thompson, Godfrey, (Dorrans)
WR Canos, Jacob Murphy, (Jarvis - inj), Odjidja-Ofoe
WL Brady, Jarvis (inj), Josh Murphy, (Hoolahan), (Naismith), (Andreu)
AM Hoolahan, Naismith, Andreu, Maddison
S Jerome, Lafferty, Morris (McCormack coming?)

AN seems to think that the young players listed here are ready for the Championship and from what they've shown in the pre-season, I would agree. Pritchard's primary position is AM where we already have good options, though he can play wide as well. It may well depend on whether Brady leaves. Like Braveheart, I think this is the ideal time to bring the young players into the squad. They all have Championship or League one experience and can provide excellent back-up/impact sub options for more experienced (and aging) players. If we are building a squad for the future, this is the way to do it, without compromising our chances of promotion - their enthusiasm and commitment would have the opposite effect, IMO.

 

I'm not sure about including Wes out wide on the left, RER?
How many times have we seen that tried...and fail!
Smacks of square pegs in round holes and I saw way too much of that last season - enough to last me the rest of my days
Wes is surely - and always will be, best in 'the hole' behind the striker or as part of a front three?

 

His primary position is in the hole, Cromer, but he did move left to accommodate Naismith in the hole, but I'd say when Wes does move left, it is more like the 'widish left' that Huckerby used to play. At 34 now, I think that this will be less likely this season as he won't play every game, but I just included it as an option, as it is for Naismith.

As for the young players, AN has this to say: “A lot of those lads have been here last season, in terms of the Murphys, Louis Thompson, Harry Toffolo, Carlton Morris, Ben Godfrey. All that is happening now is they are getting an opportunity to play. My job is to keep them happy. I had 25 last year but you can only pick 11 and nine times out of 10 you have 14 unhappy."

 

Spot on RER!!!!

 

Yea agree, he just hasn't stepped up the the plate, he doesn't deserve to be a top earner.

 

Need the right mix and for the right games I think, don't we.

 

Definitely!! I said something similar in one of my posts earlier in the week.

 

McCormack was left out of Fulham's squad for their final pre-season friendly today.

 

AN was asked about transfers after the match and confirmed we're interested in McCormack, but have other options. He also suggested there's a possibility of one or two signings being confirmed in the next week. Whoever they turn out to be, the club are keeping those deals quiet so far, if they're advanced enough to put that kind of timescale on things.

 

Based on actual performances that would be quite a decent deal. How many times has played? Twice?

 

Interestingly enough, Mulumbu came on as sub today but Brady was not even in the subs. All the 'lazy journo' comments on the basis of one speculative French article seems to be at least in question (Mulumbu was supposed to be in talks in Marseille). It may still happen, but there is not much evidence of it yet. My guess is that Brady's absence today means that he will most likely be off, but AN also said that McCormack is only one of 2-3 possibilities that could be finalised next week.

 

According to the Mail Online, Fulham have accepted our latest bid and the payment structure is all that has to be finalised. At last.

 

Evidently WBA now interested in signing Brady, the more the merrier as it will help to push the fee up. In any event, Brady's sale needs to finance the McCormack deal and provide us with plenty of loose change IMO