Summer Transfer Window

[Tes]

Carroll may not have the technical ability to play a big part in the build up but he can put the finishing touch to the build up if the ball played to him is the right one for him.

A lot of his Newcastle goals were when he was played into space a ran onto it and finished, and we all know that if the cross is the right kind he can put away a few with his head.

Too many times we either don't create openings or the misses were partly down to the final ball to the player simply being played wrongly.

How many times have we seen crosses or free kicks played into the box that simply require a deft touch, to either re-direct or a player to run onto and stroke it simply into the net?

Our delivery or choice of type of final ball is as often to blame as out and out poor finishing is.

[Ed]

"Some day people will realise what a good player Lucas is"
Rafa Benitez 2008.

13 minutes of bliss 

http://www.footylounge.com/films//milankakabaros/lucas-leiva-2010-2011-lfc-compilation-video_ff43f3192.html

[Tes]

He's such an underrated passer - he needs to learn to do the 'Hollywood pass' and then he'll be fine. 

Future captain and mainman of a Rodgers' team.

[Juan]

Newcastle have made an offer to take Carroll on loan.

If Rodgers feels he is too big of a financial asset to keep as a bit part player then I can understand if he wants to sell him but what is the point in loaning Carroll out especially to a club that we are currently lagging behind in terms of the PL table.

Even if Carroll goes to Newcastle does the business we will most likely have negotiated a transfer fee in the loan deal that will reflect his 18 months playing here. It will probably be 10-15 million. He is a 23 year old England international. If he goes anywhere it should be for 20 million plus or he shouldnt go anywhere at all.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11669/7903117/Toon-move-for-Carroll

[Ed]

Future captain and mainman of a Rodgers' team.

I'm being mischievous  Not sold on Rodgers yet by any stretch of the imagination.

If Rodgers feels he is too big of a financial asset to keep as a bit part player then I can understand if he wants to sell him but

Fergie had no qualms about benching Berbatov...

I like the idea of options up front, a big man, a poacher and a dazzler. We're in 4 competitions,
for all we know Suarez could get injured on the back of the Olympics. Heck, i think we need 4
striking options!

Rodgers starts off saying, your players decide the system and now it's some players don't fit the system.

[Tes]

I'm being mischievous  Not sold on Rodgers yet by any stretch of the imagination.
Fergie had no qualms about benching Berbatov...

I like the idea of options up front, a big man, a poacher and a dazzler. We're in 4 competitions,
for all we know Suarez could get injured on the back of the Olympics. Heck, i think we need 4
striking options!

Rodgers starts off saying, your players decide the system and now it's some players don't fit the system.

System, then buy players to suit. If you look at a group of players you'll be immensely lucky if most of the players fitted the same system unless they were bought to suit a system.

[Tes]

Newcastle have made an offer to take Carroll on loan.

If Rodgers feels he is too big of a financial asset to keep as a bit part player then I can understand if he wants to sell him but what is the point in loaning Carroll out especially to a club that we are currently lagging behind in terms of the PL table.

Even if Carroll goes to Newcastle does the business we will most likely have negotiated a transfer fee in the loan deal that will reflect his 18 months playing here. It will probably be 10-15 million. He is a 23 year old England international. If he goes anywhere it should be for 20 million plus or he shouldnt go anywhere at all.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11669/7903117/Toon-move-for-Carroll

Exactly. We bought him for a price based on his potential. He should be sold for a price based on his potential. A loan deal to Newcastle would be as stupid as sending Aquilani on loan to an Italian club with a purchase figure for th end of the season.

Andy Carroll's value: Purchase price £35M divided by length of contract 5.5 years = yearly ammortisation in value £6.36M

£35M - £9.54M = £25.46M

Anything below £25.46M and we officially make a loss. Of course we've got the cost of paying up the remaining 4 years of his contract or coming to 'an arrangement' over it to subtract from the fee we receive for him.
Only then can we actually see what we have in the budget for a replacement and therefore is it actually 'worth' selling him.

Same problem with Downing.

[Tes]

If we were getting Dempsey plus 15 million for Carroll i would take it. But Dempsey and 9 million just isnt enough. Dempseys a good player but would he unquestionably improve our midfield, the jurys out. Put his transfer fee and wages toward a top up and coming talent. Rodgers said his plan isnt short term, so prove it in his purchasing.

As all this Demsey talk originally started with a comment by Werner, and as Henry and Werner appear to want him there to help with exposure and interest with the 'American market', then FSG ought to fund both transfer fee and wages and it shouldn't come from or affect existing budgets.

[Tes]

I wonder how much longer it's going to take FSG to realise that Ian Ayre is a waste of space as our or anyone's football MD. After we've loaned Carroll back to the same team that manage to 'do us' for £35M, after Aquilani's been loaned out to another non-buying Italian club, after they see Clint Demsey's birth certificate and realise he's not a young player that just happens to look the age he actually is, with any other disasterous deal that may be laying in wait for us this Summer?

When? The time can't come soon enough.

[Ed]

I wonder how much longer it's going to take FSG to realise that Ian Ayre is a waste of space as our or anyone's football MD. After we've loaned Carroll back to the same team that manage to 'do us' for £35M, after Aquilani's been loaned out to another non-buying Italian club, after they see Clint Demsey's birth certificate and realise he's not a young player that just happens to look the age he actually is, with any other disasterous deal that may be laying in wait for us this Summer?

When? The time can't come soon enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUMh8GQnDW8 

[Tes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUMh8GQnDW8 

Transfer dealings - Dalglish or Comolli?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTXMz9p-BRo - the best version.

[Juan]

I like the idea of options up front, a big man, a poacher and a dazzler. We're in 4 competitions,
for all we know Suarez could get injured on the back of the Olympics. Heck, i think we need 4
striking options!

I agree Ed we definitely need options up front. Even Barcelona showed against Chelsea that no matter how good your plan A is sometimes you need something different. I suppose you have to weigh up which would benefit the team more, keeping Andy Carroll or re-investing any money received on improving the squad.

Its a tough call. Like I wouldnt be willing to sell Carroll for peanuts but if we were to receive 18-20 million and if that was to be reinvested by bringing in someone like Christian Eriksen or Jovetic, basically someone of real quality who will improve the first team then I would probably say let him go.  Having options is great but due to our finances we cant afford to have expensive signings playing bit part roles. 

[Juan]

Exactly. We bought him for a price based on his potential. He should be sold for a price based on his potential. A loan deal to Newcastle would be as stupid as sending Aquilani on loan to an Italian club with a purchase figure for th end of the season.

Andy Carroll's value: Purchase price £35M divided by length of contract 5.5 years = yearly ammortisation in value £6.36M

£35M - £9.54M = £25.46M

Anything below £25.46M and we officially make a loss. Of course we've got the cost of paying up the remaining 4 years of his contract or coming to 'an arrangement' over it to subtract from the fee we receive for him.
Only then can we actually see what we have in the budget for a replacement and therefore is it actually 'worth' selling him.

Same problem with Downing.

Thats the logical way to look at it. Unfortunately though we havent a hope of getting 25 million for the player unless we get someone like Villa trying to blow the other teams out of the water but chances are slim.

We paid a premium for a young english striker with only 11 premier league goals to his name so theres no reason we shouldnt look for a hefty transfer fee if we sell. As you say Tes we bought potential and that potential is still there.

[Ed]

Transfer dealings - Dalglish or Comolli?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTXMz9p-BRo - the best version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiFz-dpbrPA would be scratching his head at the
state of the club in 2012 methinks!

I agree Ed we definitely need options up front. Even Barcelona showed against Chelsea that no matter how good your plan A is sometimes you need something different. I suppose you have to weigh up which would benefit the team more, keeping Andy Carroll or re-investing any money received on improving the squad.

Its a tough call. Like I wouldnt be willing to sell Carroll for peanuts but if we were to receive 18-20 million and if that was to be reinvested by bringing in someone like Christian Eriksen or Jovetic, basically someone of real quality who will improve the first team then I would probably say let him go.  Having options is great but due to our finances we cant afford to have expensive signings playing bit part roles. 

Yeah i'd love to see some class come in, unfortunately there's just no chance those players would
be interested, until we're in the CL again. Imo, Carroll's attitude has been spot on and that's why I'm
surprised that BR decided to unsettle him. Last season, watching the quality that other teams had in
every position I think it's optimistic to think that we can use a newly implemented passing/pressing
game to beat them consistently next season, which is precisely why i don't mind us having the option
of Carroll (he can unnerve these big teams as we saw against Chelsea, something Spearing or Borini
are hardly likely to do).

Anyway, it's besides the point, this Newcastle bid is just making us look ridiculous again. It's symptomatic
of the air of cluelessness that surrounds our club these days over the slightest thing. Once again a smaller
club is dictating the agenda, there's no leadership being provided and the story drags on the media for
days.

[Tes]

It's symptomatic of the air of cluelessness that surrounds our club these days over the slightest thing. Once again a smaller club is dictating the agenda, there's no leadership being provided and the story drags on the media for days.

Exactly Ed, which is why I can't understand why FSG have yet to bring in a big hitter as CEO/MD. Owners either need to live in this country (Abramovich) or appoint a top person to run things in their absence (Glazors).

The Arsenal board are all the club's major shareholders (with the exception of Alisher Usmanov) so are there on the spot again but with the addition of a strong chairman (Hill-Wood) and CEO (Ivan Gazidis who was previously Deputy Commissioner for the MLS).

We have Ayre who is basically a capable salesman.

We will never get anyway near the position we once held, even if we had the world's best manager, until the 'off field' management becomes top class.

If FSG don't want to give Ayre 'full power' then they either need to find someone who they feel comfortable in empowering or they need to relocate and run the thing themselves.
This 'neither here nor there' situation we have will see us sit midtable until it changes.

It's no coincidence or by fate of chance that the Mancs have top class management both 'off and on the field'.