Riera thread

[Guest TK-421]

I will not judge him until he has played about 10 matches for us. BUT, i have to say that the feeling now is great, great disappointment.

 

Haha, 21st century football fan in a nutshell.

[dave u]

I half wonder if Rafa has gone for the lower priced option since he wanted to keep some back in case a last minute Barry deal can be done. I expect Wenger will be feeling a little bit of pressure with his team's iffy start, and that, coupled with Fabregas' complimentary words about Xabi, lead me to think a late Arsenal bid might be on the cards.

 

Both teams will want qualification for CL confirmed before further business, but my guess is a £14M deal for Xabi by the weekend, and then we go back in for Barry and tie him up for £18M, with final negotiations happening after the match at Villa Park.

 

That's exactly what I think too.

[El Rojo]

 

Both teams will want qualification for CL confirmed before further business, but my guess is a £14M deal for Xabi by the weekend, and then we go back in for Barry and tie him up for £18M, with final negotiations happening after the match at Villa Park.

 

.

 

I think that would represent a spectacularly successful summer for Rafa, but given our past late 'efforts' to sign Vidic, Simao and Alves I wouldn't have much confidence in it transpiring.

[Anny Road]

See if Barry picks up a slight knock in training this week.

[Judge]

Downing will be gutted.

 

And that is what makes this signing very hard to accept. We could have had Downing but seem to have chosen to save a couple of millions.

[Cath]

The lad has seen an opportunity and taken it. He wants to play for us so "welcome" and he'll get a cheer from me. It's not his fault our board can't negotiate their way out of a paper bag.

 

I think most people's disappointment stems from the way the club's business has been conducted this summer. We can't even secure a deal in our own language, with a mid-table club, for a player who wants to come to us. Why can't we do deals in England?

 

I'm loving the optimism of the "We're saving the cash for Barry" argument and I really hope it's right but I aint holding my breath.

[hamstrung]

Not that excited really - seems a bit of a "do a job" signing. Hopefully, he'll do well.

 

The best thing about the signing is that we can beat Everton to a player even when we bid millions less.

[05 Milan]

Watching Uniteds pace in attack yesterday (without Nani and Ronaldo) make me despair by the fact that we have signed another slow wide player.

 

Who were these lightning quick wide players in Uniteds team yesterday? Fletcher? Evra has some pace, but he was playing as a make-shift right winger.

 

I guess you must mean the pace from Rooney and Tevez, and perhaps Anderson to a degree. Well they're not exactly super-quick either?

 

The pace in Uniteds attacks yesterday came from speed of thought, movement and skill. Three departments where they have been streets ahead of us for many, many years now.

 

Giggs played a major part for them last season, yet he didn't even break into a sprint as far as I can remember.

 

We have pace in attack; Torres, Keane, Babel and Gerrard. For our part it's more important to improve ball-retention and movement, as well as bring the full-backs into attack like the mancs do so superbly with Evra and to a lesser extent, Brown. How many times have they worked that ball in between the backline to Evra making a run inside behind the rb? It's so effective it's scary, and they look for him each time the ball is out there. His timing of the runs is also spot-on.

[El Rojo]

And that is what makes this signing very hard to accept. We could have had Downing but seem to have chosen to save a couple of millions.

 

In fairness, it's probably £8m for Riera or £16m for Downing.

[Sponky]

I half wonder if Rafa has gone for the lower priced option since he wanted to keep some back in case a last minute Barry deal can be done. I expect Wenger will be feeling a little bit of pressure with his team's iffy start, and that, coupled with Fabregas' complimentary words about Xabi, lead me to think a late Arsenal bid might be on the cards.

 

Both teams will want qualification for CL confirmed before further business, but my guess is a £14M deal for Xabi by the weekend, and then we go back in for Barry and tie him up for £18M, with final negotiations happening after the match at Villa Park.

 

PS - as for Riera, I don't really know much about him, ans like any other signing, he will get a chance to show what he can do in a red shirt before I judge him.

 

I was thinking the same thing myself. Were both optimists!:thumbup:

[Judge]

Haha, 21st century football fan in a nutshell.

 

Well I have been a fan since 1974 and stand by every word I said.

 

So you are genuinly happy about this?

[El Rojo]

We have pace in attack; Torres, Keane, Babel and Gerrard. For our part it's more important to improve ball-retention and movement, as well as bring the full-backs into attack like the mancs do so superbly with Evra and to a lesser extent, Brown. How many times have they worked that ball in between the backline to Evra making a run inside behind the rb? It's so effective it's scary, and they look for him each time the ball is out there. His timing of the runs is also spot-on.

 

Brown's developed into a quality right back in the last year or so. A real threat from corners too.

[kopitegaz]

Haha, 21st century football fan in a nutshell.

 

10 matches is far too long though.. Its usually half time on your full debut.

[OnizukaEikichi]

Hope he will solve our winger problem. Okay, its wide man problem if you dont like the word. I love Kuyt.

[05 Milan]

Judge not lest ye be judged.

[Glen C]

And that is what makes this signing very hard to accept. We could have had Downing but seem to have chosen to save a couple of millions.

 

Downing just seems one dimensional to me. A one trip pony who's not particularly great on the ball and seems quite static off the ball as well.

[dennis tooth]

Riera pisses all over Downing and his one-footed stupid crying face. Rightly so in my opinion.

 

Can't believe how silly people are with their whimsy uneducated views. Bet you're frowning as you post paragraphs on a player you've noted for one second with a blink inbetween. Hope you all get a Sami Hyppia clearance in the face when at your next match for your troubles.

 

It's 8 million Euros by the way.

[kopitegaz]

The lad has seen an opportunity and taken it. He wants to play for us so "welcome" and he'll get a cheer from me. It's not his fault our board can't negotiate their way out of a paper bag.

 

I think most people's disappointment stems from the way the club's business has been conducted this summer. We can't even secure a deal in our own language, with a mid-table club, for a player who wants to come to us. Why can't we do deals in England?

 

I'm loving the optimism of the "We're saving the cash for Barry" argument and I really hope it's right but I aint holding my breath.

 

Controversial there Cath. How dare you go back to the old ways of welcoming players with open arms.

 

 

It'll never catch on, you know. :biggrin:

[Superjari]

£9.54m.

 

Premier League: Reds strike Riera deal - Setanta Sports

Edited August 26, 2008 by Superjari
Typo

[Guest TK-421]

Well I have been a fan since 1974 and stand by every word I said.

 

So you are genuinly happy about this?

 

Have you been judging players in a Red shirt after 10 games since 1974? If so, I dread to think what your verdict on Peter Crouch was.

 

Riera is a good player, I've thought that for a couple of seasons. I've no idea of the figures but if it's a question of £8m for Riera or £16m for Downing there's only one answer for me, tell Boro to keep on dreaming and pay the sensible price for a player of similar quality.

[Red Phoenix]

I'm concerned that he's slow, but happy that he seems skillful, so he can make up for it. I really hope he doesn't end up on his arse all the time though because the prem is tougher for him. He'll probably take a while to settle, but at somepoint in the next 1-3 months he might end up doing some great stuff for us.

 

I'd love to see us get Barry aswell, but if not get a right winger too, and start using Babel as our striker when Keane or Torres come off the pitch late in games. Babel is really fast, and if he can just get a bit better he could be a great striker, and then we'd have Babel/Keane/Torres doing the stuff upfront.

[Red Nick]

Downing will be gutted.

 

He's not the only one

 

Sorry to say I think Rafa has lost the plot entirely

 

Please Rafa prove me wrong

[RedinSweden]

Ooooooh Albert Riera,

He used to drive a Sierra,

But now he drives a Honda,

Mainly due to the reliability and sell-on value.

[kop]

Tuesdays never fail. Unless it fails of course.

[05 Milan]

The dawn of a new era for LFC.....The Ri-Era!