Summer Transfers 2014

[Sugar Ape 13,698]

I think comparing him with Adam is well wide of the mark. He's clearly a much better player than Adam ever was. Adam's stats were boosted by pens, free kicks and corner deliveries, Lallana is different and is the standout player in a good side playing open attacking football.

 

He played 30 league games last season as well and was highly thought of then but he's stepped it up a level this season.

 

There is no question for me over whether he'd be a good addition to the squad; he would. But I can see him going for more money than we're willing to pay.

[Gnasher 1,855]

This post is very confusing.

I know, reading it back i don't understand it myself.

[CWD82 112]

Micah Richards linked this morning. It's a Rodgers signing of ever their was one.

 

Teenage prodigy, loads of potential, playing for a big club with expensive signings stopping him getting a game and never kicked on to fulfill his potential

 

He's not someone I would want is to sign but I bet Rodgers would back himself to improve him like he has Sturridge and Coutinho and make Richards the new Thuram

[RazorBack 142]

Richards is great, but his injuries are a worry. He's quite well-built as well, not just in footballing terms..

[Boss 7,434]

Micah needs to lose weight, he's too muscular for the fullback role, it requires excellent stamina. Apparently he never lifts weights, so he's just a lucky bastard as far as genetics go. I do like him though, he seems like a nice guy to have around the squad, good for squad harmony.

 

There is a player in there, if he gets a run of games, stays injury free, and trains extremely hard, he could be a success, but it's a risk.

 

[Lee909 11,700]

If the prices are correct he is well worth the risk.

[sh#t waffle 1,564]

I'd take a punt on Richards at 8m.

[Gnasher 1,855]

Last time i saw Richards playing for Man city ( wigan fa cup defeat?) he looked terrible, i think Pellegrini subbed him.

[fowler9 367]

I'd take a punt on Richards at 8m.

 

is he not out of contract in the summer?

[Lee909 11,700]

is he not out of contract in the summer?

Expires 2015 according to reports I have read

[JermainePennant 1,544]

I wanted Richards for a long time, I seen him and studge in that youth final years ago and they were miles ahead of the rest.

 

If he could sort his fitness out he could be as good a cb as there is out there Imo, his knees are fucked though so I wouldn't risk it.

[Horus 884]

Don't want Llana. He's not a bad player, in fact he's the opposite. However, we've watched the club miss out on good players with more potential haggling over a million euro's here or there, on players that would have only cost half what this guy is going to cost.

 

He's too old for his ability levels. There is no resale value, he's not a final piece in the jigsaw, and he just doesn't have enough on his cv for his age. His bloom is too late for me, and when this happens to players, then apart from a few exceptions, then maintaining the level they've found is next to impossible over a prolonged period. 

 

There are exceptions to this, like Drogba, but don't they just prove the rule rather than give hope that this player will be different?

 

The best part of £25m on a player in his mid 20's with one excellent season under his belt is not good enough and especially when it comes to buying British. The league has been littered with players like this over the years, and we don't have the luxury of spunking another Carrol-esque fee up the wall to sell him on for £9m in a season or 2. We've elevated ourselves to this position, so let the mancs pay the £10m english tax on him.  

[Paulie Dangerously 6,745]

I'd have Richards for under 10 million. He's gone off the rails a bit but so had cout and sturridge. Question marks over his fitness don't concern me considering how well we've done with injuries this season. I can't be arsed looking up the figures but don't think Stevie and even Agger have played this many league games in years (lack of Europe helped I'm sure). From what is said players are trained to personal physical quirks as individuals not as a team

 

I

[Gnasher 1,855]

Even if Richards got his attitude right and stayed free of injuries he still wouldn't be good enough. Wigan tore him another aresole when they dumped Man city out of the cup a couple of months ago. I'd prefer Andre Wisdom back at the club.

[Gnasher 1,855]

Don't want Llana. He's not a bad player, in fact he's the opposite. However, we've watched the club miss out on good players with more potential haggling over a million euro's here or there, on players that would have only cost half what this guy is going to cost.

 

He's too old for his ability levels. There is no resale value, he's not a final piece in the jigsaw, and he just doesn't have enough on his cv for his age. His bloom is too late for me, and when this happens to players, then apart from a few exceptions, then maintaining the level they've found is next to impossible over a prolonged period. 

 

There are exceptions to this, like Drogba, but don't they just prove the rule rather than give hope that this player will be different?

 

The best part of £25m on a player in his mid 20's with one excellent season under his belt is not good enough and especially when it comes to buying British. The league has been littered with players like this over the years, and we don't have the luxury of spunking another Carrol-esque fee up the wall to sell him on for £9m in a season or 2. We've elevated ourselves to this position, so let the mancs pay the £10m english tax on him.

 

I'm not sure about the "bloom to late" he was in the Championship team of the season when Southampton won that league. He's in the premier league of the season now, two years later, so it proves he maintains his form.

 

I don't agree with picking holes in Championship form either, as long as a player can prove he can make the step up. Is winning the championship less of a players potential than playing playing in a low table la liga side and getting twatted by Barcelona now and again?

[Major Tom 897]

I'd have Richards for under 10 million. He's gone off the rails a bit but so had cout and sturridge.

Neither Coutinho nor Sturridge had gone off the rails. They just weren't getting opportunities at their previous clubs. Coutinho was sold to fund the purchase of Kovacic, and no Inter fan is complaining there. Sturridge left for first team opportunities. What Rodgers has done has given clearly very good players a chance to play. There was no rehabilitation involved.

 

All that said, Richards actually isn't good enough. No thanks at any price.

[Paulie Dangerously 6,745]

I meant 'off the rails' in the sense their career had stalled in playing time etc should have been clearer

 

Agree to disagree with you on Richards I think he'd be an asset. Depends what Brendan and the committee think though

[Horus 884]

I'm not sure about the "bloom to late" he was in the Championship team of the season when Southampton won that league. He's in the premier league of the season now, two years later, so it proves he maintains his form.

 

I don't agree with picking holes in Championship form either, as long as a player can prove he can make the step up. Is winning the championship less of a players potential than playing playing in a low table la liga side and getting twatted by Barcelona now and again?

 

The championship team of the season would have been 2 years ago now? I'm not sure where this new fad of using "ToTS" as being an indicator of whether a player is value or not, has come from.

 

And yeah, I do think that playing for a lower level la liga side is a higher standard than the championship, for the same reason I think that being a lower level pl team is a higher standard than the championship too. I'm amazed anyone doesn't think there is a difference.

 

I think he's a good player - but he'd cost somewhere in the range approaching the top end of the market, and he isn't that good, he hasn't done enough, and he isn't young enough. We'd be playing established star money on a gamble. How many times do we have to be bitten by doing this same thing over and over again before we learn our lessons? 

[MLB 156]

For me Lallana is clearly good enough. It looks like this deal is going to happen as well so I guess we'll be able to revisit this thread in 12 months time and see who was right.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

You can stick your Micah Richards up your arse.

[Nightcat 836]

Micah Richards would be an excellent addition at a reasonable price.

 

Lallana would be a Downing/Aspas signing. Paying an extraordinarily inflated price for an one-two decent seasons player. He's also 26 already.

[moof 5,675]

Lallana would be a Downing/Aspas signing. Paying an extraordinarily inflated price for an one-two decent seasons player. He's also 26 already.

If you actually watched the player you would surely know its nothing like that at all.

[etho 220]

I've watched him quite a bit over the years, and he always struck me as a player with the potential to reach the level he has, maybe a level higher. That said, I just don't think he has that extra bit of pace we need for either one of our 2,front midfielders, or one of the front 3. I'd take him at 12m, but any more and there are better options abroad.

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Gnasher 1,855]

The championship team of the season would have been 2 years ago now? I'm not sure where this new fad of using "ToTS" as being an indicator of whether a player is value or not, has come from.

 

And yeah, I do think that playing for a lower level la liga side is a higher standard than the championship, for the same reason I think that being a lower level pl team is a higher standard than the championship too. I'm amazed anyone doesn't think there is a difference.

 

I think he's a good player - but he'd cost somewhere in the range approaching the top end of the market, and he isn't that good, he hasn't done enough, and he isn't young enough. We'd be playing established star money on a gamble. How many times do we have to be bitten by doing this same thing over and over again before we learn our lessons?

 

By bringing up Llanna's championship form from two years ago I'm making the point that he's consistent, and still improving.

 

I'd back the bottom sides of the premier league against the lower la liga sides every time. I'd even back Leicester against the lower end la liga teams.

 

As for top class pedigree, look at Rickie Lambertt. He was playing 4th division football few years ago for clubs like Bristol Rovers and Macclesfield, he's now 32, i bet a lot of prem league clubs wished they'd have bought him when he was 26. He looks a better player this season than both Soldardo and Torres.

 

[cuppatea 423]

You'd think we, more than any club, would have learnt the hard way how foolish it is to ignore a player's career as a whole and judge them entirely on the current run of form they're in.

 

Class is temporary, form is permanent. Andy Carroll is the future of English football and Daniel Sturridge is a useless, shit cunt who can't get in the Chelsea team.