January Transfer Window

[Tes]

I see some speculation that Rafa might buy Negredo (tried and tested Spanish International with a good strike rate) from Seville for 14 mil....12 mil of the money being ours when we buy Sturridge....2 managers buying 2 strikers for a similar amount of money...i know which one i'd prefer..

I'd have preferred he tried to get Sturridge with the Borini/Assaidi money. Negredo could work either way, be a Torres with Rafa as his manager or be a Moreintes. Hopefully the later. I'd hate to think they strengthen with our money.

[the dude abides]

I see some speculation that Rafa might buy Negredo (tried and tested Spanish International with a good strike rate) from Seville for 14 mil....12 mil of the money being ours when we buy Sturridge....2 managers buying 2 strikers for a similar amount of money...i know which one i'd prefer..

exactly

and then we wonder why we are a mid-table side.

ayres and rodgers are way way out of their depth.

[Tes]

Liverpool make first move for Sneijder with £9.5m bid for United and Spurs target

By Laure James  30 December 2012


Liverpool have reportedly offered £9.5million for out-of-favour Wesley Sneijder while Manchester United and Spurs remain on high alert.

The Inter Milan ace has been left feeling isolated at the San Siro after snubbing a suggested annual pay cut of £1.6m.

Liverpool are first out of the blocks, according to Gazzetta dello Sport's front page, while their Premier League rivals are confident little more than £11m will secure a deal.

The 28-year old was furious with the club's proposed salary cut and demanded a move, pressurising the Serie A outfit to sell him for virtually the same 15m euro fee they paid Real Madrid in 2009.

'Clearly it's best for everyone concerned that in January I am transferred,' he said defiantly.

'If that doesn't happen then I will stay. I have a contract with Inter until 2015.'

Manager Andrea Stramaccioni has since dropped Sneijder from the squad over the bitter dispute.

His wage bill is currently £200,000 per week and Inter will be relieved to offload the financial burden. Liverpool's coffers, however, are unlikely to be able to stretch to such levels.

Talk of a move to Tottenham Hotspur for the Holland international cooled when his agent told Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad: 'There is nothing, absolutely nothing true about that.'

He has previously been tipped as Sir Alex Ferguson’s dream replacement for Paul Scholes but Inter’s inflated demands of £40m plus his phenomenal £10m-a-year wage was an immovable obstacle for Manchester United.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2254826/Wesley-Sneijder-transfer-latest-Liverpool-make-9-5m-bid.html

Way past his best and just after one last big payday. Let Spurs or the Mancs waste their money on him.

[the dude abides]

Rafa is signing Demba Ba (a lad with massive potential) from Newcastle for 7 million; whilst Pam Ayres and David Brent are recruiting perennial bench-warmer Me Me Me Sturridge from Rafa, for 12 million (up to as much as 15 million eventually, if some reports are to be believed).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/9772105/Chelsea-manager-Rafael-Benitez-to-sign-Demba-Ba-from-Newcastle-United-for-7m.html

[Tes]

Rafa is signing Demba Ba (a lad with massive potential) from Newcastle for 7 million; whilst Pam Ayres and David Brent are recruiting perennial bench-warmer Me Me Me Sturridge from Rafa, for 12 million (up to as much as 15 million eventually, if some reports are to be believed).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/9772105/Chelsea-manager-Rafael-Benitez-to-sign-Demba-Ba-from-Newcastle-United-for-7m.html

Ba's knees are shot, plus he comes with some sort of ridiculous condition that his agent gets a huge fee and he's after £4-5M signing on fee plus close to 100k a week. He doesn't seem to to stick around too long and is also hankering after playing for PSG at some point in his career.
He's probably a good short term supply of goals bit I'm not convinced you'd get more than a couple of seasons from him.

Also the cheap clause of a maximum of £7.5M is only for teams in the CL, so we couldn't get him for anywhere near him.

Got to hope that Sturridge can develop the potential he showed in that half season at Bolton, and kick on like Walcott is doing.

[the dude abides]

Ba's knees are shot, plus he comes with some sort of ridiculous condition that his agent gets a huge fee and he's after £4-5M signing on fee plus close to 100k a week. He doesn't seem to to stick around too long and is also hankering after playing for PSG at some point in his career.
He's probably a good short term supply of goals bit I'm not convinced you'd get more than a couple of seasons from him.

Also the cheap clause of a maximum of £7.5M is only for teams in the CL, so we couldn't get him for anywhere near him.

Got to hope that Sturridge can develop the potential he showed in that half season at Bolton, and kick on like Walcott is doing.

yes, his knees were a worry (and if I recall Stoke got cold feet when he did a medical, some time ago).  But I think he has played nearly every game these past 2 seasons for Newcastle (when picked).   

I think Ba, Huntelaar, Walcott, etc is the level we should be aiming for....not daniel sturridge.

[Tes]

yes, his knees were a worry (and if I recall Stoke got cold feet when he did a medical, some time ago).  But I think he has played nearly every game these past 2 seasons for Newcastle (when picked).   

I think Ba, Huntelaar, Walcott, etc is the level we should be aiming for....not daniel sturridge.

Walcott is the one I'd try our best to get. His improvement over the last two seasons is there for all to see (if they wish to) and at 23, his best years are ahead whilst still being a more experienced player than most 23 year olds. His goal, assists and chance creation figure are exactly what we want from a wide forward and I do think now is the time for him to move centrally. He gives better flexibility than Strurridge, Ba or Huntelaar, more years ahead of him than the last two on that list, and would add the sort of pace that scares defenders.

I know some see him as 'running fast and not much more' but his goals and chance creation figures show otherwise. Luis doesn't exactly play 'centrally' and for the National team he 'starts' from the left. You could see these two create plenty of chances for each other and score plenty between them, and it would allow us to get the ball forward quicker, hit teams on the counter and add a Plan B or new dimension to the slow, deliberate possession based build up. 

[the dude abides]

I know some see Walcott as 'running fast and not much more' but his goals and chance creation figures show otherwise. Luis doesn't exactly play 'centrally' and for the National team he 'starts' from the left. You could see these two create plenty of chances for each other and score plenty between them, and it would allow us to get the ball forward quicker, hit teams on the counter and add a Plan B or new dimension to the slow, deliberate possession based build up.

I agree. 

ok, there would be a lack of height up front.  And the speed of such a front duo, would further hurt our pedestrian midfielders. 

But if we want to break quickly and score goals, this is the type of player we need to be bringing in.

[Tes]

ok, there would be a lack of height up front.  And the speed of such a front duo, would further hurt our pedestrian midfielders. 

It's amazing how much has been spent on midfield positions, both centrally and wider positions, and we've manage to completely avoid improving it, even if by accident or luck.

[the dude abides]

It's amazing how much has been spent on midfield positions, both centrally and wider positions, and we've manage to completely avoid improving it, even if by accident or luck.

this is what happens when morons are in charge of the running of the club.

but as you say, one would think that even by the laws of chance/probability, that we would have stumbled over a top midfielder amongst all the money we have squandered.

[barticus]

Has anyone noticed just how incredibly quiet the owners are at the moment?

Are they silent due to a large slice of humble pie, aka realising that they need experts in?

Have they realised that football is a completely different world to the one they are used to? 

That their original business model of buying young and selling for profit doesn't work in a game that needs just as many steady experienced heads to urge the youngsters on when a rout is in their minds?

Have they realised that perhaps it is a good idea to bring in an experienced manager? They did the right thing with Hodgson and Dalglish but they might be worried now that a top 4 guaranteed place is well out of sight.

Much to ponder over new year oblivion...

[the dude abides]

Have they realised that football is a completely different world to the one they are used to? 

That their original business model of buying young and selling for profit doesn't work in a game that needs just as many steady experienced heads to urge the youngsters on when a rout is in their minds?

Have they realised that perhaps it is a good idea to bring in an experienced manager? They did the right thing with Hodgson and Dalglish but they might be worried now that a top 4 guaranteed place is well out of sight.

Much to ponder over new year oblivion...

they are maybe starting to realise that those thar english fellahs' game is a bit more complex that they had initially reckoned with.........and Moron-Ball doesn;t work in soccer.

maybe it's time to cut and run.

After three seasons of throwing money at Aston Villa, Randy Lerner got cold feet, and quickly closed his wallet.

It would be interesting to hear private chats between our yankee owners and their american compatriot, Lerner.  I wonder if with hindsight, either party would have invested in english football.

[Tes]

Did they realise that not only does the club have to support the 'payroll' but there are those 'little bliters' called transfer fees. No draughts, to help make up lost ground on the better teams and then there's the need to maintain 'transfer (fee) valuation' by not letting contracts run down. Free agents are fine in American 'sports' as there is no lost transfer fee.
Then there's the loss through relegation to avoid, and whilst worldwide appeal is good, in order to maintain worldwide appeal you need to be successful. It's not just about keeping the 'locals' happy.

I don't mind the silence, actually I prefer it. Unfortunately we need their actions to do the talking and they've been struck dumb in that respect. The board and MD/CEO are woefully inadequate, yet we have silence through inaction.

Running the team down will only make us easier to sell if the price reflects the 'bargain status'. Additionally, they'd have to factor in the stadium (or not) situation.

They're mistakes have proved expensive financially and in football terms. They need to relinquish one of their sporting 'portfolio pieces' or invest in a suitably strong and qualified administration to run the club for them.

At the moment we drift. Will we avoid the rocks or just end up as a rowing boat on the local pond?

[Tes]

Rumours going around that Daddy Ince doesn't see coming back to the club as the best move at this stage of Thomas' career.

[the dude abides]

Rumours going around that Daddy Ince doesn't see coming back to the club as the best move at this stage of Thomas' career.

can I get a halleluyah brother!!