Summer 2011

[the walsh]

steven flecther wtf where liverpool not fucking bolton.

[JohnnyH]

Not with FSG we won't be. Too old.

 

People need to get rid of this idea that we won't sign anyone over 27. If the price is right and the player fits the bill for a 2 or 3 year period, then we will try and sign him. Yes, we will mainly try and bring in young good players and make them top notch, but any good sports owner will know, or will be told, the importance of experience.

 

Why? two good seasons in how long? and aged 30

 

Parker has had a hell of a lot more then 2 good seasons. He is an excellant player and when fit (his biggest issue) is in that second tioer of top notch miodfielders just behind the Gerrards, Scholes and Lampards of the world (yes, Lampard was an excellant midfielder no matter what we want to believe) Where this nonsense idea that he isn't that good has come from is beyond me.

[Pidge]

At 12m the price is very wrong!

[Einch]

Scott Parker as Lucas' or Stevie's back-up for 12M? Would he come here knowing he isn't good enough to get in ahead of them two in their respective roles and would be cover? Doubt it and his injury record is a negative.

[JohnnyH]

I don't think anyone will disagree that £12m would be daft money for a 30 year old playing in a lower league (which he will be), but for £3-4m, I'd be more then happy with him if he is what kenny decided on.

[the walsh]

auld arry will have him proper sorted!!!!!

[Kozel9]

I like Parker, but he is not even close to be worth £12m. And i don't think he would be a regular either, the way Spearing and Lucas is playing, and i see no reason in having a huge wage bill more on the bench.

[Major Tom]

erm....I never said anything about going after the players I listed. They are merely examples of what you can get for that sort of money.

 

Fair enough.

 

Who did you have in mind when you said "we can do better than Young" for that sort of money?

 

I'm not having a go, I'm genuinely interested.

[StevieH]

anyone heard that we are in for Scott Parker?

 

£12m apparently

 

I think Scott Parker will end up at Spurs or Arsenal.

 

I recall seeing Parker sat in the directors box at Stamford Bridge next to Jamie Redknapp when Spurs played Chelsea recently, when his West Ham team mates were all in Manchester preparing for a game the following day.

[Major Tom]

Parker was injured.

 

He won't go anywhere for £12m, mind. For less than £5m, I'd take him. He'll go for around £7m though.

[Guest TesticleOReilly]

He won't go anywhere for £12m, mind.

 

You have heard of Harry Redknapp, haven't you? Loves a deal, does 'arry. Doesn't mean West Ham will actually see £12M, mind.

[Major Tom]

You have heard of Harry Redknapp, haven't you? Loves a deal, does 'arry. Doesn't mean West Ham will actually see £12M, mind.

 

O'Really, O'Reilly?

 

Yeah, I guess the Hammers best chance of more £££ will be hawking him round White Hart Lane. But he'd be worth a cheeky shout as he would boost squad depth and is a good player.

[sir roger]

I assume we're talking about Phil Jones, the young lad at Blackburn?

 

I know he's been playing DM, but is apparently a CB. Is he only 5'11?

That's quite short for a CB.

 

He also threw in the most ridiculous challenge I have seen this season to give Everton a penalty the other week.

 

With Kelly, Wilson, Wisdom & Ayala around as potential good young centre-halves, I would prefer a seasoned centre back like Samba who would be ready straght away, be cheaper & be in effect a 'Soto upgrade'.

 

I reckon Carra,Samba,Skrtel, Kelly is a decent pool of cb's.

 

The ' Agger question ' would also decide whether we need another cb.

[Whelan]

I think Young will come, essentially because we need him more than United, and I suspect Unites interest is because he is in the last year of his contract and they could snap him up cheaper.

 

I have nothing against Downing but I do agree with some of the comments i.e. either Downing or Young but not both. Mata, Young and McCarthy (I'd have Lucas, Spearing for defensive midfield, with Shelvey!) would set us up nicely, and maybe by adding Marveux on a free we would have a few options.

 

Not convinced by Young but he does know the premiership, have pace and can offer something that we have not had for a few seasons, and at 15 million, I disagree with the Dude, I am not sure you can get much better.

[Xherdan]

I think we have moved beyond Parker and Kevin Doyle.

[Rex Banner]

I think we have moved beyond Parker and Kevin Doyle.

 

Parker maybe but Imagine a Doyle Suarez partnership, that's the stuff dreams are made of.

[Scott_M]

Imagine a Doyle Suarez partnership, that's the stuff dreams are made of.

 

Yeah, if your a Wolves fan.

[punkhunter]

What about N'Zogbia? He likes play out wide and weighs in with his fair share of goals every season. He likes to take players on, and he knows his way around the prem too. if Wigan do get relegated (which it is looking very likely) then he may come for a good price.

[Evil_Ways]

Im somewhat worried about Utd's supposed interest in Young.

 

I really want us to sign him, i think he's a great player who would really improve us.

 

He's got enough skill to be a regular either here or there, so if it came down to them or us for him, i wouldnt be overly confident.

 

Then, i suppose we have made our interest in him known to him and his agent well before January and gotten the green light from them so from that point of view i guess it's looking good.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

What about N'Zogbia?

 

We need to get over this flawed way of thinking about players. Players like Stuart Downing and N'Zogbia are not the sort of players that are going to significantly improve our team, at least not enough to overtake the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

 

It's exactly because we've been buying players like that, and doing it for year, that we're in this mess. I say the same things year, after year, after year. I just hope that this year is different because we've got new owners who seem to allow significant signings.

[Evil_Ways]

We need to get over this flawed way of thinking about players. Players like Stuart Downing and N'Zogbia are not the sort of players that are going to significantly improve our team, at least not enough to overtake the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

 

It's exactly because we've been buying players like that, and doing it for year, that we're in this mess.

 

Part of it yes, but alot of times we havent been able to afford our number one targets, so i'd say that's a reason why we've had to settle for second rate players.

But i totally agree, if we want to make a real push for the title we have to sign quality players that go straight into the team and improve us.

The likes of Downing and N'Zogbia does not.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Part of it yes, but alot of times we havent been able to afford our number one targets, so i'd say that's a reason why we've had to settle for second rate players.

 

Yeah, that's definitely part of the reason (although, when we've spent big - Torres, Alonso, Mascherano etc., we've got back, in general, considerably more than we've paid, and they've helped us on the field). It doesn't actually make economical sense to buy those sort of players. It's short-termism.

 

But i totally agree, if we want to make a real push for the title we have to sign quality players that go straight into the team and improve us.

The likes of Downing and N'Zogbia does not.

 

We've been plagued by it for too long. Now is the time to invest - the right word for buying top players - for the future because it'll reap rewards on and off the field in the long run.

[punkhunter]

A lot of the problem has been not only buying substandard players, but playing them out of position and playing a negative brand of football. That's changed with Kenny, hence the reason why Maxi, Raul and Lucas have flourished so much.

[WaltonRed]

If Parker is cheaper than M'Vila I think we'll go for him but I think the second is high up on the list after Comolli's comments about him

[punkhunter]

I like Scott Parker. Box to box player. Brings other players in to the game, and he also scores a decent amount of players from midfield. The problem is his age and the abundance of players which we already have in midfield. Whose place would he take? Lucas?