Summer Transfer Window 2014

[Tes]

Radamel Falcao wants £200k-a-week to make SENSATIONAL loan move to Liverpool

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/500407/Radamel-Falcao-wants-200k-a-week-to-make-SENSATIONAL-loan-move-to-Liverpool

If true then he can rot in Monaco playing in front of 5 fans, the tea lady and a flock of seagulls.

Just go and get Remy. He won't break, his heart shouldn't pack in. Take the calculated risk.

[Tes]

I think we can easily play with a fluid forward line rather than (a) striker(s) and (a) player(s) either side, with one of several players filling the central area at different times in the game, and if the goals are coming from 'traditional' midfield, or players starting out wider and playing from outside to in, it really doesn't matter. There are very few 'pure' strikers who a) fit the style and b) are actually good enough, and we need both qualities, not one or the other.

If you watch the first goal today, as Hendo makes the pass from inside his own half, Sturridge had pulled out onto the right flank and Sterling had come inside down the middle from the left. Fluidity allows you to play with players in less fixed positions and makes it harder for opponents to mark or track. Today's first goal was an ideal example and how I'd hope we develop, unless Lambert's in the team. It would allow us, if we bought Reus for example, to still play the same way if Sturridge is out.
Pace, good movement and quick, accurate decisive passing to take advantage of such will see us create plenty. Though we still have to finish them. I'd always be more concerned with a team not creating than not always taking chances.

Remy would thrive in our system, as would Reus and Falcao. Bony? I have serious reservations about his suitability for the system, though not his ability to score goals.

[Tes]

Falcao needs to tell his management/representatives to STFU and think through his next move very, very carefully.

He's 29 in February. Real have brought in their key attacking player for this Summer in Rodriguez and Benzema has signed a new contract. Ronaldo, Bale, and Di Maria (is still there) see them well stocked for attackers and Ancelotti seems to have more say and sway with Perez than previous managers have enjoyed.

He may just have to face the fact that the Real ship has maybe sailed. They may not be prepared to pay £40M+ for a 29 year old next Summer.

He has to decide if the rest of his career is about football or money. Does he want to play in front of a Sunday league sized crowd until 2018 or does he want to regain some of the kudos he enjoyed with Porto and then Atletico or does he want to become a parody of his former self?

If he comes on loan he has to see the reward as a chance to put himself in the shop window on a stage that has a worldwide audience. It may well lead to a move to Real, depending on what happens with Ronaldo next Summer, how Benzema fairs and if Ancelotti continues to enjoy the clout he has at the moment.

I see no value to us in buying him for £40M+ and paying him £200K a week, but if he was to take a more reasonable salary, in line with the next tier below Gerrard, after all (unlike Suarez before his big pay increase) he's neither proven himself in the PL, or at Liverpool, or that his knee injury hasn't taken anything away from. That's another reason I don't see Real lashing out on him this Summer.

But would bringing in a Falcao like striker potentially do to Sturridge what playing with Suarez arguably did? This is why a goal scoring, chance creating attacker or a goalscoring midfielder in the mould of Firmino (again goals and chance creation) may yet be the way forward. Also, when you look at how Sterling is developing as an all round attacker rather than just a winger, he is showing the potential to play like a Suarez type scoring and creating striker. Again today, his finishing was composed for one so young and relatively inexperienced, as it was against City at home last season, and indeed this Summer in the States.

Maybe Falcao's the short term solution we need, as we're hopefully still developing all round as a team, and we learn to rely on the team to get the goals and keep them out, rather than any one or two individuals, and without the shadow cast by a main goalscorer, a greater spread of players will see it and feel comfortable in their role as a supplier of goals. Hendo and Coutinho are the two prime examples of this and if we have 6-8 players throughout the squad that feel that part of their game, contribution and responsibility to the team is to score we may indeed ultimately score more. Players won't feel quite the weight of expectation to pass to the 'main goalscorer' even though they themselves are in a better position to score or get off a shot, and neither will there be a player or two always 'expecting' to be passed to as a priority when they're in or around the area every time, and reacting in a certain way when that pass they think should come doesn't.
Also, we won't have one or two players being 'greedy' and taking on the shot when a pass to a teammate in a more clear position is the best course, because the onus is on them as 'the striker' to score and therefore they take 'every opportunity' and too many 'non opportunities' to try and score. 

[Tes]

Tottenham would have to pay out £11m to sign Loic Remy while 'top four' clubs can sign QPR striker for £8m

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10968341/Tottenham-would-have-to-pay-out-11m-to-sign-Loic-Remy-while-top-four-clubs-can-sign-QPR-striker-for-8m.html

If Spurs do sign him, meaning he's also passed a medical there, then surely questions have to be asked of how and why he 'failed his medical' with us. Would it hurt re-doing the medical in the normal hospital and environment we use, rather than in a 'medical facility' in Boston that is apparently primarily set up for baseball medicals?

The fee is a bargain and considering the dirth of suitable forward players and the cost of the select few who may be right, surely it makes sense to look again. Remy played for QPR on Saturday and came through unscathed.

Spurs must be confident in his medical condition to consider him, and yet we're looking at Falcao, unproven in the PL and who is coming off an injury, the gravity of which Remy has never suffered from, and there's a chance he'll (Falcao) prove to be not quite the player he was because his type of injury is proven to be a career changing one.

If there was someone as suitable as Remy then I wouldn't keep banging on about it, but it's not just about two or three strikers or whatever anyone thinks the required number is, but it's about making sure we get the best from Sturridge and reducing the chances of him keep picking up niggling injuries. Remy would allow us to strategically rest Sturridge, especially around international fixture chaos, and when we get into the swing of playing Saturday, midweek, Saturday on a regular basis.

What is interesting is that neither us or particularly QPR have come out to defend our situation, and in QPR's case, their 'asset'. Whilst Harry would prefer a player of Remy's calibre, he'd surely prefer a player who's 100% committed and doesn't harbour thoughts of wanting to be somewhere else competing in a competition they can't offer. Therefore, despite his desire to keep him, QPR wouldn't want clubs thinking Remy was 'damaged goods' as there's always a chance of a last minute sale, and maybe some of the clubs that could potentially be interested will have players that would suit QPR and Rednapp's requirements, and therefore QPR and Rednapp wouldn't want to miss out on any potential opportunity to strengthen their squad overall.

[Tes]

We still keep being strongly linked with Lavezzi, but for the sort of valuations being quoted it makes no sense, especially when the supposed valuation of Reus isn't much more, and Reus would be far and away the better acquisition of the two.

I hope we don't panic last minute, as we have in the past (just last Summer Sakho and Ilori). I'd prefer not to buy anyone, especially if Borini decides to stay put, then I'd prefer to see if he can back his own beliefs in himself up, rather than spend just to boost numbers.

At least with Borini we know he'll be putting in the effort and if played centrally, he does at least have good movement and is a team player (quite similar to Dirk in many ways). With the better players we have now compared to his first season with us, his movement could create opportunities for others who do have the vision, understanding and all round capability of taking advantage. He may even score 1 or 2 himself, and at least with him he has the desire to prove himself, he's not just along for the ride, and he's a good pro, with a sound team and work ethic.

Borini, the new Igor Biscan type cult hero. 

[Edward224]

If anything medicals in america are more stringent and detailed than in the UK as they pay their players whether is baseball, basketball or american football tens of millions a year so their medicals have to be of extreme precision and accuracy to fork out those salaries.

Either it is his heart condition or he's been taking/or has taken unprescribed drugs. But that is conjecture.

What is without a shadow of a doubt is that the Remy boat has sailed for us now.

Reus would cost much more than Lavezzi. I'm thinking around the £50m plus mark. Lavezzi would be a good 15-20m below that. Not that I want Lavezzi that much. In fact I'd rather pay 20m extra for Reus any day of the week.

[Tes]

If anything medicals in america are more stringent and detailed than in the UK as they pay their players whether is baseball, basketball or american football tens of millions a year so their medicals have to be of extreme precision and accuracy to fork out those salaries.

Either it is his heart condition or he's been taking/or has taken unprescribed drugs. But that is conjecture.

What is without a shadow of a doubt is that the Remy boat has sailed for us now.

Reus would cost much more than Lavezzi. I'm thinking around the £50m plus mark. Lavezzi would be a good 15-20m below that. Not that I want Lavezzi that much. In fact I'd rather pay 20m extra for Reus any day of the week.

You'd imagine that medicals from sport to sport differ greatly to mirror the physical requirements. I'd certainly agree the facilities are likely to be better.

The heart thing is puzzling. Once discovered there will have been greater scrutiny and monitoring of it, so either the condition is benign as far as impact on his physical capability or one or more teams have been taking some very great risks and turning the blindest of eyes.

I agree that the decision appears as though there is no second chance and no re-visiting of it, but considering how teams, including us hop from one target to another and back again, it's just frustrating that it appears to be a totally closed subject to us whereas someone like Spurs could end up with a rather handy player.

I just don't see Lavezzi as a player that will add anything of note and certainly not at the fees being suggested and the wages likely to be demanded.

You wonder just how much we were banking on getting Sanchez as an integral blow cushioning part of the Suarez deal, because there hasn't really been an obvious Plan B. Borini can't have been it otherwise we wouldn't have agreed a fee with Sunderland because whilst £14M is good is it really that impossible to refuse considering the overall hyper inflated state of the domestic market due to the new TV revenue?

Cavani getting heavily linked again this evening. He's not the player he was at Napoli and I don't see how he fits in seamlessly as a first choice. His inclusion would have a detrimental affect on Sturridge's effectiveness so Cavani had better replace Suarez's goals and some of Sturridge's. 

[Tes]

Oh and Eduardo Vargas would not and will not go for half the price of Lavezzi or Diao. If anything he'd be more expensive.

Gus Poyet disagrees. 

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2014/08/sunderland-identify-napoli-striker-as-borini-replacement/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/sunderland-weigh-up-loan-move-4069136

We borrow Vargas, Napoli borrow Lucas or we reduce the fee to take into account the loaning of Vargas and we sign Song as Lucas' replacement and "Gerrard's legs" (Edward holds the copyright on this).

Also it leaves Sunderland needing to complete the Borini deal. All the pieces of the jigsaw falling into place instead of falling down behind the sofa unseen as is usual in our case.

[Tes]

Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori completes season-long loan move to Bordeaux

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2728097/Liverpool-defender-Tiago-Ilori-completes-season-long-loan-Bordeaux.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

It's a shame he couldn't go out on loan within the PL. For some reason, Southampton and Koeman spring to mind as a great option. To play under Koeman, who was a top defender and played for both Ajax (when they were good) and Barca, would have been great for his development.

[Tes]

Having tried for Diego Costa last Summer, it makes me wonder why we didn't keep up our interest and make serious moves once Suarez signed that new contract half way through the season, as the writing was very much on the wall.

Did we really believe Luis would leave because if all these other signings were pre-planned anyway, we don't appear to have had any 'pre-planning' in place for a Suarez this Summer if our thrashing around is anything to go on.

As Suarez doesn't play as a 'traditional' striker I don't see why we are going for a more conventional penalty area player. Whilst Sturridge is also very flexible in the areas he plays and the positions he takes up, there's a huge difference between that and being pushed into wider or deeper positions because his 'partner' is playing the central role.

We need another forward player who is equally comfortable dropping short as well as pulling wide and playing the inside channels in addition to operating in front of goal. As we saw when Sturridge pulled out into wider positions Sterling filled the hole sometimes, so any addition needs to have the flexibility to create space for others, as well as take advantage of space created by others and be able to play off and around Sturridge as he would off the new addition.

Get Dirk back from Fenerbahçe for a season until Origi arrives. No mercenaries or divas on wages enough to wipe out 3rd world poverty, thank you. 

[Tes]

Reports - Liverpool make £17.5m Balotelli bid

http://talksport.com/football/reports-liverpool-make-ps175m-balotelli-bid-140820108878


Hopefully this is only journalistic bs.

If we're not going after Reus or Firmino, and we've decided Remy is about to fall apart then we'd be better off leaving it until January and see what's what then. Maybe Remy will still be in one piece and the club will feel by that time enough time has past not to lose face.

Also, maybe Borini will have made his mind up by then.

[Edward224]

£17.5m is a bargain for Balotelli which is why it is b.s. because he'd go for double that.

I'd love Balotelli here and more specifically what Brendan can do with him. His unpredictability and 'X' factor on the pitch would excite me.

Anyway for £17m we'd get our money back or 80% of it at least anyway.

[Tes]

£17.5m is a bargain for Balotelli which is why it is b.s. because he'd go for double that.

I'd love Balotelli here and more specifically what Brendan can do with him. His unpredictability and 'X' factor on the pitch would excite me.

Anyway for £17m we'd get our money back or 80% of it at least anyway.

He's not 'mad' in a Suarez type way he's a text book psychotic. He'd be described as a 'marquee' (I'm sure the word should actually be 'marque') signing which is a reason I don't see the manager going after him.

We need to be looking for another Torres or Suarez type player - showing huge promise but certainly not the finished article but with the potential to be top/world class. We are more suited to developing in an organic way than collecting big names like Green Shield stamps.

According to Milan there's no bid and they've had no contact with us.

[Tes]

It's amazing how all media outlets and even some pundits can see the only solution to selling a player is to replace him with another exactly the same. The thinking is so limited and shallow that's it's not even laughable.

There's no understanding that we've added players to the squad capable of creating and scoring (why weren't we 'missing their goals' last season?) and there could easily be a knock on effect in Sturridge's goal return, likewise Sterling is showing every likelihood of easily passing his own total from last season.

Then there's the additional fact that the defence needs tightening from last season anyway, and if that's done and we cut out the 2+ goals conceded that we did far too many times , reducing it to single goals (we're not even talking clean sheets), then that changes the dynamic and the number of goals needed in any one game and across the season.

It's about replacing the effect and contribution to the 'overall' rather than an individual contribution to the sum with another individual contribution.

Modern 'journalism', money for less than nothing.

[Tes]

Juventus foil Man Utd and Tottenham's efforts to sign Dutch international Memphis Depay

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/501530/Juventus-foil-Man-Utd-and-Tottenham-s-efforts-to-sign-Dutch-international-Memphis-Depay

£12M, hhmmmmm.

As Sturridge doesn't play as a traditional centre forward, but needs the freedom to play in those areas as he sees fit, ala his winning goal against Southampton, as opposed to the position he'd taken up when Sterling scored the opener.
As Sterling has proved more than capable of playing either side of the striker in the front line and also behind as a number 10, there's nothing to suggest he couldn't cover Sturridge if the need arose, as he's likely play wherever he can find space and be a danger, like Sturridge, and Depay plays from the left going both down the outside and cutting infield.

12 goals and 8 assists in 32 league games, 1 goal and 1 assist in 6 Europa league games, 1 goals and 1 assist in 4 CL qualifiers.
2 goals and an assist at the WC, and he's started this season with 4 goals and 1 assist in 2 league games, and 1 goal and 1 assist in 1 Europa league qualifier.

After all, Suarez hardly played as typical penalty box striker and it's the flexible nature of our frontline that works so well for us.

If the manager wants to change to a fixed attacking focal point upfront we have Ricky Lambert for that, and if Borini stays, he's more a traditional penalty box striker than a wide forward player or one who drops deep looking to get involved in the build up as well as being on the end of the move.