Shane Long

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Do you ever make any sensible comments?

You seem to live in a sea of stupidity.

I would suggest it is you who are stupid. You seem to think you can do everybody's job better than they can. It hasn't occurred to you that some players may not want to come to Hull. Some players SB may not want. Some players do not actually hit the market until their clubs have arranged replacements.

If you make stupid, short sighted, sneering attacks on the clubs officers, expect some in return.
 
This is what baffles me... if they Allams were willing to fund a potential £6.5 million deal for a striker... why the hell didnt we go for other targets earlier on in the window?

I know the whole domino effect comes into play and thats why we were led to believe that Long was available... but before that... what stopped us targeting other strikers? the money was there...

It's not like Long is world class where the Allams thought they'd push the boat out to get him... there's loads of players available for £6m that are probably better than Long..

All the factors mentioned above by Ellewoods, John.Walkington and HCAFC Says Stan are likely to be involved to varying degrees. I would not underestimate Stan's point - Bruce is a man-manager extraordinaire and recognizes the importance of team harmony.
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Shane Long had been Bruce's number #1 or # 2 goal scoring target from the beginning of the window, or even before. Enquiries may well have been made, but responses muted. Other plan 'B's and 'C's followed...yet again no dice. Lo and behold, deadline day, Long looks like he may be available afterall if WBA get their links in the chain in order......get in there. Sadly, pipped by Clarke's uncertainty during the last few hours etc.

Perhaps the key things in all of this is that Bruce will know who he wants, in order, discussed acceptable/reasonable asking prices for them with the Allams, rationalized that against the budget, got agreement on how to proceed and set the alternative plans into motion.

I think the question you are asking here Hullborn really is of all those $6 million players out there, how many does Bruce fancy would fit into the clubs plans from all those perspectives ? No doubt in my mind Bruce will have done his best.
 
Anyone who glibly states "Get your deals done early" is taking a very naive and simplistic view of the world. Unless you are a Man City, who are willing to offer significantly higher wages than just about anyone else in the world right now (apart from maybe Real), then for certain players you are going to face competition. As soon as that happens and you add into the mix agents, advisors, sponsors, lawyers, accountants, medics etc etc etc you end up with a very complicated process.

I enjoy the transfer window it's entertaining and we have done better this window than we have ever done before.

We are feeding at a very big table these days and some people need to remember a few things.

Firstly, that it was only 10 years ago.....Blah, blah, blah! So be thankful for the position we are in rather than always wanting MORE.

Secondly, we are incredibly in debt to the owners of the football club. Not only have they spent a vast fortune on simply ensuring we survived, they have also funded our return to the Premier League. Thoughtlessly demanding we throw millions and millions more at the process of trying to stay up is incredibly disrespectful to them.

Finally, we have already won the National Lottery. It would be nice to continue winning lotteries but not at the expense of pissing what we have won up a wall. The club needs to evolve and that might occasionally necessitate taking a step back in order to take two forward.

Nowadays it isn't difficult to do your initial scouting from a computer. That doesn't mean you don't need a scouting network - like Ehab thinks - but it does mean it doesn't have to be as costly. ProScout7 can ensure you know about players from all over the world.
http://info.scout7.com/default.aspx?lang=en
Other clubs use it but the information available on a vast number of players would give us a good opportunity in scouring the world.

I don't understand this theory that because the Allam's have done a lot for the club then we should try to handicap our attempt to stay in the Premier League by not getting a quality striker. Bent and Bendtner were available. Whether they would come to us I don't know. What I do know is the cost of not staying up will be more than the £3m+ that a season's loan for Bent would cost or the outlay of £4.5m that a season with Bendtner would have cost (less any resale value if we did get relegated).
 
Before the transfer window can cut off before the start of the season those bloody Italians need to be convinced to start their season earlier, and lower leagues will have to start their season later with their already jam packed schedule.

Whilst theirs no reason foreign leagues can't start in line with the premiership, it's impossible to bring top flight leagues forward to match lower leagues due to international tournaments, as much as it is to match the lower leagues to top flights due to their heavier schedule including more cup rounds, they'd be playing Saturday - Tuesday every week.

If UEFA saw it as a problem in Europe they could instruct the leagues to start at the same time.

What I don't understand is why they even have a transfer window? It seems so artificial and means that clubs buy more players than they need in case there are injuries, suspensions or loss of form. In the old days clubs didn't have to do this. They would just buy players when they needed them.
 
If Bruce didn't think he was good enough, he never would have bid £5m for him!

Agreed.

Like Steve Bruce, Steve Clarke was hoping his previous deals has been enough, but following their three mediocre league performances, and an Anelka retirement scare obviously made him re-think his options late in the day.

Personally I don't think West Brom have done enough to escape the lower half table battle that lies ahead.
 
I would suggest it is you who are stupid. You seem to think you can do everybody's job better than they can. I hasn't occurred to you that some players may not want to come to Hull. Some players SB may not want. Some players do not actually hit the market until their clubs have arranged replacements.

If you make stupid, short sighted, sneering attacks on the clubs officers, expect some in return.

Maybe not stupid, just a bean-counter with pussy problems and that creates issues in it's self; just ask Al Capone! <whistle>
 
I don't understand this theory that because the Allam's have done a lot for the club then we should try to handicap our attempt to stay in the Premier League by not getting a quality striker. Bent and Bendtner were available. Whether they would come to us I don't know. What I do know is the cost of not staying up will be more than the £3m+ that a season's loan for Bent would cost or the outlay of £4.5m that a season with Bendtner would have cost (less any resale value if we did get relegated).

What if SB/NP checked with their agents? We don't know, as most negotiations here are kept very quiet.

They may not have wanted to come to an 'unfashionable' club. They may not have wanted to be part of a club they felt would be relegated, come the end of the season.

We do not know....
 
I really wonder where the naivety is really placed here. Bruce had his targets identified very early in the window, as all good managers do. He most likely had buy-in from the Allams at the same time. He went for those targets and was either turned down by the clubs involved (differences in valuation of the players in question), by the players themselves (prefer to go elsewhere) or by sensible judgement as a result of medical exams. I suspect Shane Long would have been already on their want list should other preferences not materialize. WBA's desired chain of events only came to light fairly late on the final day. Bruce could not have moved any earlier or faster. It was not for want of trying that he missed out.
Hull City appear to have a very astute & sensible set of participants in the recent recruiting campaign. Given the circumstances encountered during this window their achievements were outstanding. The handling of the Gedo situation was an excellent bit of negotiation and strategy after recognizing other desired targets were unlikely to be obtained.
I think the naivety may well lie with your lack of awareness of the complexities involved in the process.

With most of these things it comes down to money. The club have increased their chances of being relegated significantly for the sake of a few million pounds. We all know what happens to a club who get relegated. Many of them lose a lot of money. What will happen to Huddlestone if we get relegated?
 
Nowadays it isn't difficult to do your initial scouting from a computer. That doesn't mean you don't need a scouting network - like Ehab thinks - but it does mean it doesn't have to be as costly. ProScout7 can ensure you know about players from all over the world.
http://info.scout7.com/default.aspx?lang=en
Other clubs use it but the information available on a vast number of players would give us a good opportunity in scouring the world.

I don't understand this theory that because the Allam's have done a lot for the club then we should try to handicap our attempt to stay in the Premier League by not getting a quality striker. Bent and Bendtner were available. Whether they would come to us I don't know. What I do know is the cost of not staying up will be more than the £3m+ that a season's loan for Bent would cost or the outlay of £4.5m that a season with Bendtner would have cost (less any resale value if we did get relegated).


http://info.scout7.com/Clients.aspx?lang=en

according to that we are already using ProScout7..

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I think Graham and Sagbo will come good. The way some people are reacting you'd think we we 15 points off safety at the end of the January window, not the odd point after 3 games....
 
With most of these things it comes down to money. The club have increased their chances of being relegated significantly for the sake of a few million pounds. We all know what happens to a club who get relegated. Many of them lose a lot of money. What will happen to Huddlestone if we get relegated?

And where would you draw the line? £2m, £3m, £5m, £20m? Funded by who? The Allams I guess. Certainly not you, or me. Easy to criticise someone else for not putting in a "few" more million pounds.

Other than carping about the people who have funded the rescue and current success of the club, have you anything constructive to say? Or is your primary function on Earth just to know better than everyone else about everything?
 
Just seen that west brom have Vydra as well! Clarke has definitely done us over. They now have Anelka, Vydra, Anichebe, Sessegnon, Berahimo and Long. Shame there manager has seen fit to use one of his own players to upset a relegation rival. Long must be gutted.

I do find it strange that with so many strikers they weren't willing to let Long go especially given he only had a year to go on his contract.
 
And where would you draw the line? £2m, £3m, £5m, £20m? Funded by who? The Allams I guess. Certainly not you, or me. Easy to criticise someone else for not putting in a "few" more million pounds.

Other than carping about the people who have funded the rescue and current success of the club, have you anything constructive to say? Or is your primary function on Earth just to know better than everyone else about everything?

Whats the problem with Peter saying this. We have increased our chances of relegation by not buying a striker. Doesnt mean peter or me are stopping supporting the club but it was a mistake. True we dont know the ins and outs. Was Long a "long" term target, were funds released in desperation. But make no mistake we have been left with egg on our face.
 
One very big factor, IMO, is the importance Brucie places on the team spirit (like a gang). So - while many on here have been hanging out for a 'marquee signing', I feel they have overlooked that factor.

E.G. Peter Odemwingie = disruptive.

Charlie Austin would have been the main striker, but for his failed medical.

I think if a striker starts banging in the goals he quickly becomes part of the gang!
 
I do find it strange that with so many strikers they weren't willing to let Long go especially given he only had a year to go on his contract.

Even in the lower half of the league a club will prefer to hold onto a player, and even keep him on the bench, than let him score goals for a rival team.
We saw it at the top, Arsenal thought they had Ba from Chelsea, Chelsea pull out and Arsenal finish with Bentdner.
 
(1) With most of these things it comes down to money. The club have increased their chances of being relegated significantly for the sake of a few million pounds. We all know what happens to a club who get relegated. Many of them lose a lot of money. (2) What will happen to Huddlestone if we get relegated?

(1) No kidding. So, unlike the Allams (seemingly supported by Bruce) you are an advocate of profligacy and reckless abandon in the business world ?
(2) Relevance ?
 
Whats the problem with Peter saying this. We have increased our chances of relegation by not buying a striker. Doesnt mean peter or me are stopping supporting the club but it was a mistake. True we dont know the ins and outs. Was Long a "long" term target, were funds released in desperation. But make no mistake we have been left with egg on our face.
We've signed 3 strikers this transfer window, granted a fourth would have been nice but lets not lose sight of what we have achieved. We look a decent side and despite some of the big fees paid for strikers by some of our rivals, none of them have acquired a proven Premier League goal scorer.
 
I would suggest it is you who are stupid. You seem to think you can do everybody's job better than they can. It hasn't occurred to you that some players may not want to come to Hull. Some players SB may not want. Some players do not actually hit the market until their clubs have arranged replacements.

If you make stupid, short sighted, sneering attacks on the clubs officers, expect some in return.

That's a bit rich coming from somebody who gushed about the Allam's company financial results and then it turned out he had never seen them.

I understand that during a transfer window there's various factors to take into account. Many clubs, not all, have realised they need strikers to ensure they have a good chance to stay up - see Southampton and Norwich to pick two at random. I am not suggesting that we pay the money they have paid but I am sure we could have bought a couple of quality strikers for what we were willing to pay for Long.