I hope.he turns out to.be the CAM some.of.us have been bamging on about for weeks but knowing our luck he will be another sig!
Higlits: [video=dailymotion;xwvdn4]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwvdn4_bundiesliga-schalke-04-vs-hannover-96-5-4_sport?start=1#.UPp22SftRGY[/video] Interesting incident involving loan-Goon Djourou: [video=youtube;f56X-EXUsTo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f56X-EXUsTo[/video] I can see a case for booking both players, bizarrely.
Adam leventhal on Ssn has just said that we've offered money for holtby but its been rejected. - so basically we'll get him on deadline day then. It's been a strange few days. Very quiet. - so much so, that even the twits are getting concerned and the "when is Levy going to back his manager" comments are beginning to appear. - the same people who were saying "in levy I trust" about a week or two ago.
Entirely likely. Knowing Levy, his opening offer was probably a fiver or a tenner. So, it's no great shock that it's been rejected.
I was thinking earlier about our last 3 managers and their players. I don't want to go through all the names, as I'm sure HBIC will save me a job there , but which of our players over the last say... 7-8 years has the manager actually brought in? Was BMJ responsible for Thudd? or Lennon? (etc), or was that down to the DOF set up? Who did 'Arry actually choose to bring in? or was that down to Levy? Who has AVB actually chosen as a player he wants? As you can see, there's a pattern starting to appear here. please correct me if I'm jumping to conclusions here, but i genuinely don't know the answer. I hope AVB is going to get his own players, but at the moment he doesn't seem to be. There's also been rumours now that there's been a fall out at the club with AVB, Levy and Sherwood. Various reports have been saying that Sherwood is advising Levy of "cheap" alternatives as Levy just doesn't want to spend the money on any of the targets AVB has outlined, despite the money being there to do so. - none of this surprises me, true or not. If this is the case, I could see AVB calling it a day at the end of the season as he's not getting the chance to build his own team. still 2 weeks to go, but it's not looking good. the players we need are glaringly obvious. This time, I don't think a 6th month Loan deal on a striker is going to be enough for the fans. Levy's hidden for too long and somehow managed to get away with it, window after window. Now harry's gone and there's a young coach on board (who i presume he trusts?) it's time to back him. if he doesn't, it could be detrimental. Not only could AVB leave, having proven now his capabilities in the prem, but we could also see the likes of Sandro and Bale leave. I just don't get the logic. like I say, 2 weeks to go. the test for me now is about whether AVB is getting the players he wants. This guy knows his stuff. come feb 1st, the fans will make their feelings known to levy IMO, as a lot will have lost patience if AVB hasn't been backed.
Maybe AVB views the club differently to Levy? AVB seems ambitious and wants big signings to push us on to the next level - at present I'd say we're a club who straddle the line between consistent CL player and consistent EL player. You've got to invest to go to the next level. Levy seems content to pay peanuts for players - with this in mind he can't then come out and fire AVB at the end of the season because we failed to get CL as a result of not getting Moutinho and Damiao for under £20. If he's not willing to invest then he should come out and say that he's happy for us to be a club who sit in the EL each season. Admittedly the issue re. investment can be routed back to the stadium in part as WHL doesn't generate the same week in week out revenue. The fact that our transfer record is still under £17m highlights us next to our 'rivals' of Chelsea etc. - Chelsea will spend £17m on a bench warmer pretty much. It's interesting to see the calibre of our transfer targets has dropped - 2 weeks ago it was Damiao, Moutinho, Sneijder etc. - now it's Diame from West Ham etc. These players will not take us to the next level. As usual, I expect us to sign no-one from now till the end of the window and when we fail to get top 4, I hope Levy comes out and apologises to the fans. Other than this, I think we're fine
Looks like Sneijder's gone to Galatasaray: please log in to view this image Seems like a poor move, to me.
Call me deluded but in my opinion we are one good striker away from challenging for the title, I cannot understand why we didn't move for Ba.
I think one top striker and a playmaker. Getting Dembele further forward more often would be favourite, his ability to keep the ball and forge through a group of players makes him very dangerous in and around the box.
I'd rather we get Holtby in now, forget about Moutinho till Summer and splash the spare case on a striker. It won't happen though. We'll get Holtby most likely - I just can't see us getting a top top striker - someone who'll be able to change a game and be instrumental in our success.
Prehap's we should have got Remy,took his goal well,then suffered because QPR were under siege the rest of the game.
Moorph, theres a few points in there which I've stated in the past and 100% agree with. I don't think there's anything wrong with having some players on the cheap who'll develop, but for the level we're tying to get to and sustain, we just need that extra push. its about getting the balance. We always seem to be linked with huge moves, but end up with the "quite good" options where we're crossing our fingers that they'll be good for us. - we've had/got enough of those over the years! We've needed a top striker for some time and the issue needs sorting out now more than ever. it's a terrible position to be in, with only 1 senior striker for up to 6 matches when we're pushing for a champions league place. It's just the latest problem to crop up in Daniels "shoestring plan". To think we are likely opting for another striker on loan when we're in this position, baffles me. Another 6 months where players will only just have adapted to the new man, before he goes back to his club. it's that little bit extra that will make all the difference and it can be done without spending the millions and millions that Chelsea and City do. But we need to use the Modric money and actually replace him, as well as getting the £20 mill striker that everyone else in the top 4 has at least 1 of.
It's always very easy to want those not on the pitch to replace those on the pitch who everybody thinks will do a better job than those currently playing. AVB wants Holtby and so do all of us because he's a new face and so we all think he'll be better than those we already have. I try not to go down that path.
Don't think you're deluded at all, I personally feel the same. If we had a van Persie/ Falcao/ Cavani I'd hate (or love) to think how many goals we'd be getting a game. The chances we create are phenomenal, for some reason though we seem to only convert about 1 in 4 or 1 in 5. If van Persie was on the other team last night, he'd have left with a hat trick no doubt.
