12 goals in 58 games for Hamburg... Not good enough! Then again Id take Cole from Sham ahead of Morison so the same probably applies. Although, Cole would be cheaper than Berg so... I know we havent got the money to sign a top top striker but I think Id rather have a striker with a great scoring record in the championship (or equal level abroad) than someone who is proven tosh at the top level. We have been linked with one striker with a good record so far (Hooper) and thats the SPL (Championship level). I dont know the answer but I really hope our scouts are going to come up good this window and pull a gem out of nowhere. There ARE top players who havent been noticed out there, fingers xd we find them first! Hughton says "we have never said we are looking for a striker" which must be a smoke screen because if not he obviously isnt watching the same games we are i.e. without Holt, we look half the team. As much as I like Jackson, he is a 442 player and as much as I dont want to make Morison a scapegoat, he just isnt good enough/doesn't hassle defenses with a high work rate enough. WE DO NEED A STRIKER! (a Grant Holt, Steven Fletcher, Andy Carroll, Carlton Cole battering ram style player who can beat up defenses, hold the ball up well and score a few goals whilst doing so) ps I am well aware Cole and Carroll don't score a lot but they are both capable of doing so and the type of physical presence that which we need up to!
A lot of stuff seems to be going wrong at Hamburg so I wouldn't read too much into that. He is a Swedish international (23 caps) and he's widely respected in Europe. And he still has his best years ahead. For the record, I don't think we'll get him, but if we do then I might have a little party. He would swiftly replace Holt for me.
please please not carlton cole....! day 15 today and it's been pretty quite on the transfer front for the bottom half teams Reading have added 2 or 3 defenders and a guy from crawley (wow) Sunderland have been active adding an african midfielder and close to a defender too toon have debuchy Wigan have added a couple of players too I don't believe Villa, Saints, QPR or fulham have signed anyone yet - happy to be corrected?
Rumour has is Remy will be confirmed at QPR, along with M'Vila, with the intention of shifting out two or three to make funds.
Next summer. I think what some of these links show is that because we don't have the money for a top, in form striker, we're more likely to be looking at someone who has done it in the past, but has had a move go badly wrong. Berg moved for £9.7m 3 years ago, so someone must have really rated him then. Clearly, we can't afford a £10m striker right now, so we seem (from the links anyway) to be looking for players with the potential to be a £10m player, but for whatever reason isn't showing it right now. Berg is a good age (26), and across his entire career has scored 92 goals in 216 games, or a goal every 158 minutes (I know those stats don't add up, I'm assuming games includes sub appearances), and that includes a relatively barren spell at Hamburg, so before then he must have been scoring pretty frequently before then. In the Eridivisie he scored 35 in 52 (120 mins per goal), which I think is similar to how Guidetti did in his loan spell. I'd take him for around £5m, it's a risk that he can recapture that previous form, but we're not going to be able to sign someone in form on our budget.
I guess Berg is only 26 so whilst he isnt really young, he has got a few years ahead of him. I suppose it might not be all about his goal record but more what he brings to the team as a whole. Jackson brings pace, work rate (maybe the odd goal) but little else, Morison brings height (and potentially the odd goal) but little else and Holt provides Height, work rate, ball holding (lol) and except atm, the odd goal. So, if Berg can bring what Holt does plus a little more technical ability and pace he pretty much becomes a Swedish Danny Graham which id be happy with as long as we dont pay over the odds.
those are just rumours still hairy, i was talking actual signings. unless 'arry has done a car window interview?
You're right, they are rumours. Tell you what though, Swansea just signed Roland Lamah on loan. He's a winger who has appeared internationally for Belgium - not bad when you think that their first choice wingers are Hazard and Dries Mertens
It seems that he's never really found consistent form in Hamburg, which is a shame, but he's still a Swedish international (pretty sure he played against England at least once in the last 3 games because I remembered him from PSV). He's known as 'Black Marcus' because he's such an assassin. He needs to get out of Hamburg and Hamburg need money. Worth a go IMO (although wages could be a problem?)
Prem football might help lower his wages. If he knows that if we stay up his wages will rise, he might think it is worth it to play in the Prem for a year.
how many wingers do they need? routledge, dyer, hernandez and now lamah plus they must have others. i know it's their formation.
That's 4 first team wingers though, which is what I'd argue we need. Pilks is pretty unchallenged on the left at the moment.
There's an interesting discussion here from some Hamburg fans. Highlights: Apparently Hamburg went to Brazil to play a friendly, because they needed the money (I think this was also pre-winter break, which makes them seem pretty desperate to me). Skjelbred is possibly one to be moved on, but apparently he's a good back-up to Van der Vaart in the CAM role, so some are reluctant to see him go. Their fans say: "He’s good on the ball and a good passer with decent tackling ability, but he hasn’t really shown much to me that’s particularly awesome." But they also think he has potential, and of the players told they can leave, they like him the most. Berg they say just hasn't started scoring, so need to move him on, but they don't anticipate a serious amount of money coming in for him, so any replacement they get would be a cheap option. Some of the other players on their "list to get rid of" are rumoured to be going for about €2m, so if either signed for that kind of money I'd be pretty happy!
thinking about it, you're right its not that many. i'm jealous because they are all good. pilks lack of competition isn't healthy but what do you do? maybe one of the murphy twins is left footed which could provide some sort of competition but probably next season
Can see us signing Skjelbred unless Hughton has decided Butterfield isnt going to make it? That would be odd seeing as he hasnt really played any football since moving to us. I dont think we need 3 attacking mids! We do need to either give Fox a chance or sell him and get another ball playing midfielder, but that position can take a back seat whilst we still need a striker and a left winger (to give Pilks a challenge). What happened to the Mulenga rumour? He is going to the ACON but id say we can deal with just Pilks for that time and Mulenga can play up top and wide (though im not sure if he is left or right sided).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKQ8ggiBLE Based on this video alone I would give Murphy a chance. It looks like he is a left winger, blessed with lots of pace and he likes to run at defenders (something Pilks rarely does as he is forever turning back on himself). It seems both us and England U19s just need someone to stick in the middle to convert his crosses
^ ps not sure which Murphy it is in this clip but they are both Wingers who can play on the left (one of them on the right as well)
