January Transfer window 2012

[xerxes]

Nobody (possibly apart from Kenny) would have spent £85m on those three players given a choice, but in Kenny's defence we don't really know how much of a choice was available anyway, do we?

 

Yes, Ashley Young's better than Downing, but he was always going to United.

Yes, the likes of Mata or Aguero are miles fucking better than Carroll or Henderson, but was it likely that we'd get them over Chelsea or Man Shitty?

 

Yes, Parker's better than Adam or Lucas, but maybe he wanted to stay in London?

 

A very good summary.

 

We can only buy those who are available, who want to come,at what it takes to get them.

 

It tends to take around three years to ship out those under contract who you don't want,and get in those who you do.

 

Historically we have been able to attract the best because of our title/ cup winnning proposition, and our wages.Both those advantages are now gone and we are stuck with the best of the rest.

 

We are still well placed to compete though, and I think that once our support gets used to a bit of selling, as well as a bit of buying, things will settle down.

 

We have had it easy in the past, buying the best and retaining whoever we wanted.As a club we need to learn a new skill, that of knowing the right time to sell as well.

[Major Tom]

I can't fathom a world where we would have been in for Scott Parker. He's farrrr too old. I would have been gutted... even if he came here and played well. He's a stopgap, and nothing more.

 

A stopgap is all we need. It's get to the CL and then reassess.

[RobbieOR]

Or maybe we didnt buy Parker because we dont think he's all that. Which he isnt. Well, not to the extent that some people on here go on about him. He's made sound like Souness in his pomp.

[Major Tom]

A very good summary.

 

We can only buy those who are available, who want to come,at what it takes to get them.

 

It tends to take around three years to ship out those under contract who you don't want,and get in those who you do.

 

Historically we have been able to attract the best because of our title/ cup winnning proposition, and our wages.Both those advantages are now gone and we are stuck with the best of the rest.

 

We are still well placed to compete though, and I think that once our support gets used to a bit of selling, as well as a bit of buying, things will settle down.

 

We have had it easy in the past, buying the best and retaining whoever we wanted.As a club we need to learn a new skill, that of knowing the right time to sell as well.

 

Yep it's about buying smart rather than big a la Suarez. And now it's also about steering clear of English players. The tax on them is ridiculous and we have a good English core now which I think is important.

[silverlining]

A very good summary.

 

We have had it easy in the past, buying the best and retaining whoever we wanted.As a club we need to learn a new skill, that of knowing the right time to sell as well.

 

 

And I am certainly not saying we couldn't have done any better, of course we could!

 

But the fact is that for every instant success/ smash-hit/ fucking WOW/ worth-double (at least in some cases)-what-we-paid-for-them players like Suarez, Torres, Enrique, Riise, Hyypia, Alonso et al, you will have a number of "adequate" signings, and a fair few outright fucking disasters.

 

Hmm. None of those players listed are British.

[Major Tom]

Or maybe we didnt buy Parker because we dont think he's all that. Which he isnt. Well, not to the extent that some people on here go on about him. He's made sound like Souness in his pomp.

 

I also think he's overrated. The way the media go on, its like he's Masch, Xabi and Fabregas all rolled into one. But he would have been a good stopgap though.

[Unrighteous]

He's the same age as Keita, who we are interested in

 

Are we? Did the club come out and say, "We want him"?

[Jairzinho]

I also think he's overrated. The way the media go on, its like he's Masch, Xabi and Fabregas all rolled into one. But he would have been a good stopgap though.

 

Who would you have sold, or not bought, to make room for him?

[RobbieOR]

I also think he's overrated. The way the media go on, its like he's Masch, Xabi and Fabregas all rolled into one. But he would have been a good stopgap though.

 

Agreed.

 

But do we need stopgaps? We're building a team, Parker is 31. Not exactly young.

[silverlining]

Are we? Did the club come out and say, "We want him"?

 

Yes, because they always do that as soon as it's obvious we are interested in a player.

 

Everyone knew we were after the likes of Crouch, Keane, Henderson, Adam, Downing etc without any club statement.

[18-5]

Number1 Vaginacunto strikes again.

 

This guy has a vendetta against British and Irish players.

[Major Tom]

Who would you have sold, or not bought, to make room for him?

 

Probably no one. We need another midfielder in the defensive mould. He could have vied with Lucas for one spot for a season or two.

[Major Tom]

Agreed.

 

But do we need stopgaps? We're building a team, Parker is 31. Not exactly young.

 

I guess my thinking is qualifying for the CL is imperative and he would help achieve that goal. Short term solutions for short term aims. This is potentially opening up a can of Lucas worms though which I am not really inclined to do!

[Jairzinho]

Probably no one. We need another midfielder in the defensive mould. He could have vied with Lucas for one spot for a season or two.

 

Fair enough. Not convinced we needed another central midfielder in the squad with Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Adam, Spearing, and of course Shelvey who we've loaned out. Especially as we often play with just two in the middle.

 

I think to get Parker we'd have needed to sell Lucas and/or not sign Adam. Both options seem more shortsighted.

 

I'm glad we didn't buy him. We're thankfully moving away from signing players of his age. He's a good player, but hugely overrated. Probably because of who he plays for (both team and manager).

[ngogswilly]

Think Lucas and Adam are slowly but surely looking like they are finding an understanding together so its hard to see why we'd need anyone in there unless they regress badly in the next month or two.

 

But I can't see that happening.

 

We need a proper out and out goalscorer in the team more than anything else right now.

[Major Tom]

Fair enough. Not convinced we needed another central midfielder in the squad with Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Adam, Spearing, and of course Shelvey who we've loaned out. Especially as we often play with just two in the middle.

 

I think to get Parker we'd have needed to sell Lucas and/or not sign Adam. Both options seem more shortsighted.

 

I'm glad we didn't buy him. We're thankfully moving away from signing players of his age. He's a good player, but hugely overrated. Probably because of who he plays for (both team and manager).

 

Yep, I would agree there are far greater priorities - then and now. I was really only adding my tuppence as his name came up. I also agree he is massively overrated but still think he would have added something to our squad. I wasnt at all concerned we weren't in for him, though.

[Unrighteous]

Or maybe we didnt buy Parker because we dont think he's all that. Which he isnt. Well, not to the extent that some people on here go on about him. He's made sound like Souness in his pomp.

 

Fully agree with this. Fully.

[PaulMcC]

We bought players who aren't that great cos we had no other choice?

[Tyler Durden]

Every team we have played we have created a shed load of chances, to me that says we arnt failing in midfield but in being more clinical in front of goal

[silverlining]

We bought players who aren't that great cos we had no other choice?

 

That's not quite what we're saying

[Unrighteous]

We bought players who aren't that great cos we had no other choice?

 

The only one that isn't really living up the 'billing' is Carroll.

[Major Tom]

The only one that isn't really living up the 'billing' is Carroll.

 

And definitely Downing.

 

Henderson and Adam are doing ok overall and Bellamy and Enrique have been excellent.

[Bogman]

We bought players who aren't that great cos we had no other choice?

 

And on the flip side of that, maybe we should hang back on the kangaroo court proceedings on these players until they've had complete season under their belts. Maybe.

 

And agree with the Parker comments. He ain't all that, he's just playing well at the moment, that is all. Not at all what he's talked up to be, the same as Phil Jones is not the new Baresi. Parker isn't what we needed or wanted.

[silverlining]

Parker would walk into our team.

 

There's no point arguing about that, because it's true.

[Gym Beglin]

Some interesting rumours in the rumours section of BBC site today...

 

BBC Sport - Football - Wednesday's gossip column - transfers and rumours

 

Pep Guardiola looking at Walcott.

Yep, fuck off.

 

Liverpool monitoring Anthony Pilkington.

This is obviously a piss-take and there's been tons of these wanky stories lately, linking us with utter shite for a laugh.

 

QPR lining up £10m Defoe bid.

I'd have a bit of that. Big fan of Defoe, very underrated.

 

Everton could take Lukaku on loan.

Exceptional, they love it.

 

Apparently us and Chelsea are tracking Benjamin Corgnet. He's 24 and French.

Benjamin Corgnet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bag of shite.

 

Chelsea and Man city namedropped by Milan Krasic agent.

Top player, not sure how he's done in the last 6 months or so, but he was red-hot when he started at Juventus, hazard-esque in reputation.

 

Newcastle, Feyenoord and Hamburg looking at Scott Brown from Celtic.

I think we should look into it. Newcastle are hoovering up talent at the moment that other clubs are ignoring.