I think I must have seen Hull at their peak last year when I saw us beat them 4-3 at Old Trafford, at this rate they're gonna be as bad as Derby next season and a big part of wishes that was an exaggeration!

 

Interesting that at the moment Wolves and Birmingham are both in the top 10 biggest spenders in Europe!

Marca media outlet in Spain say that we have signed Alvaro Negredo for €19m

 

Hope so he looks a class act

Marca media outlet in Spain say that we have signed Alvaro Negredo for €19m

 

Hope so he looks a class act

 

He's OK, although definitely a grade up on Bent and Pav.

 

Real Madrid have a buy-back clause on him for £5m, and there was talk of him being used in the Alonso deal so hopefully this means that deal's not gonna happen, although i'm still doubtful.

Daryl Murphy won't be going to Hull after talks fell through :o

 

If I was a Hull fan I wouldn't know whether to be relieved or worried that we can't even sign Daryl Murphy.

Downing now joined Villa for £12m.

 

Can't see Young not going now. Especially with it being World Cup year. I know there's a need for big squads and all that jazz, but I really can't see both Downing and Young being at Villa come the start of the season... I know Downing's injured, but the last I heard his injury's not as bad as was first expected...

He's back in October, I heard?

 

Will be interesting to see how much Villa get for Young...

He's back in October, I heard?

 

Will be interesting to see how much Villa get for Young...

 

I think it's September, although i'm not sure.

 

Young's a hard one to call. I reckon they'd try get £20-25m for him, especially as MoN wanted £18m for Barry last year, and I think Young's on quite a long contract. Only problem is MoN can't really use the England card on Young as he's only got a couple of caps! It might just be idle gossip, although this came for a Spurs ITK apparently, and the Spurs ITK's are usually quite good even though they seem to know more about Man City than Tottenham Hotspur ahaha.

Something like that. It was originally thought to be until the end of the year, but SSN were reporting he could be back as early as October.

 

:lol: haha. Ugh, i'm sick of hearing about City already and there's still over a month of the fucking window to go yet. So glad there's no City fans on here :lol:

 

I have a horrible, sickly gut feeling Crouchy will be down Fulham having talks tomorrow and he'll end up having a medical and signing there :(

Well City are really ruining the game. I know it's such a cliche to say it, but the wages they're offering are f***ing ridiculous. It's gone too far now to offer wage caps and the like, but it's just gonna turn into real life Football Manager pretty soon. They'll still sign a few more players i'm sure, they definitely need to.

 

Wherever Crouch ends up, it'll improve their team. Like I said before I can see him going to Fulham as opposed to Sunderland, but wherever he goes, they've got one very good player who is very underrated. Still wish Liverpool had him, but he wanted to play 1st team football all the time and that wasn;t possible with Torres.

Hope he comes here, I really do. But I have a feeling his missus will probably have a big say in where he ends up :(

 

Fulham wouldn't be far to move plus they can offer him European football whereas we're a club with a lot of ambition and great support, he'd probably be more appreciated here than he would be at Fulham. And I think we would be able to offer him more money.

Hmm. It's a tough one to call. I reckon he'll end up at Fulham personally, purely as I reckon he'll think he'll have a better chance at getting in the World Cup squad. Him and Johnson might be able to poke up a nice partnership as well. Don't think his girlfriend will really play a part, and she's a northern girl anyway. Although we'll see. Just up to Crouchy. Only problem with him, is if you're playing $h!t, there's a tendacy for players just to long ball to Crouch and hope for the best and this is NOT his strength. He's weak aerially.

I wouldn't like to think Clancy will play a part in the decision but you know what WAG culture is like man. Doesn't matter where she's from, London's high streets >>>> The Bridges :lol:

 

We were lumping long balls up the pitch to Kenwyne last season anyway, who's okay in the air but will only jump when he can be bothered.

 

I dunno who we'll get in if we miss out on Crouch. We've been chasing Bent for years, I just think he really doesn't want to come otherwise something would have happened before now. Other strikers we've been linked with are generally not very good or aren't the sorts of players we're looking for.

I wouldn't like to think Clancy will play a part in the decision but you know what WAG culture is like man. Doesn't matter where she's from, London's high streets >>>> The Bridges :lol:

 

We were lumping long balls up the pitch to Kenwyne last season anyway, who's okay in the air but will only jump when he can be bothered.

 

I dunno who we'll get in if we miss out on Crouch. We've been chasing Bent for years, I just think he really doesn't want to come otherwise something would have happened before now. Other strikers we've been linked with are generally not very good or aren't the sorts of players we're looking for.

 

Well that's the problem with strikers. There's not a lot of good ones, and they're largely over-priced. Crouch is good, but again he's not a massive goalscorer (certainly not 20 goals a season) and for his height he's weak in the air. He should score more goals with his head than he does do, but because he's so tall he doesn't have to jump really to head a ball so he gets less power on the ball.

 

Bent I could see, although he's not very good and likely to be pricey. I'm sure Craig would love to see you buy him though, especially if they do get Negredo. Although Spurs seem to be linked with a load of Real Madrid rejects, or future Real Madrid rejectes, so who knows.

There's not many 20 goals a season strikers knocking about these days anyway (Outside the top 4), i'd settle for one that can at least break into double figures :lol:

 

We haven't had a prolific strike force since the days of Quinny and SuperKev. Cissé and Jones were okay but their goals were all single-handedly scored by themselves, it just wasn't a partnership. Both performed better when we played 4-5-1 but that was ugly, defensive shit and the fans got sick of watching it week in week out under Ricky.

 

I wouldn't mind Bent but tbh for some of the fees Spurs are asking for him they can swivel.

Well any English player these days comes with a steep price tag. They're not worth the money, but fans like to see English players and if you're playing European football you need them. I think Crouch is being touted at about £12m? Although i'm not sure. But English players are just waaaaay too expensive. The price you pay for them, is rarely what they're worth e.g. Glen Johnson. But saying that he's what we needed and I don't mind paying over the odds.

 

Bet the Villa fans aren't too happy about £12m for Downing though, little bit too steep as he's a tad too inconsistant imo.

I don't see why Young and Downing can't be in the same team, I imagine Young could easily fit in on the right, he's right footed anyway and if he's as good as he's supposed to be he should easily be able to switch...

I don't see why Young and Downing can't be in the same team, I imagine Young could easily fit in on the right, he's right footed anyway and if he's as good as he's supposed to be he should easily be able to switch...

 

But where would Milner play? I can't see it personally, but you never know. All 3 will want to be in the England squad, and all 3 can't play at once. I like him as a player, although he has much to improve upon and can be completely nullified at times.

Well any English player these days comes with a steep price tag. They're not worth the money, but fans like to see English players and if you're playing European football you need them. I think Crouch is being touted at about £12m? Although i'm not sure. But English players are just waaaaay too expensive. The price you pay for them, is rarely what they're worth e.g. Glen Johnson. But saying that he's what we needed and I don't mind paying over the odds.

 

Bet the Villa fans aren't too happy about £12m for Downing though, little bit too steep as he's a tad too inconsistant imo.

 

Aye, Fulham offered £11m for him and we offered £12m.

 

I also agree that £12m for Downing is steep. I don't rate him all that much either in honesty. An above-average-but-not-great player that looked better than he was because he was surrounded by awful players in a badly organised squad. Not that i'd be complaining if we were after him like. I think from the Boro side that went down i'd only take him and Tuncay, the rest were average at best.

I like Downing. He's inconsistent, but he probably needs a better manager to get the best out of him. He's produced some good displays for England, but then he's often used as a scapegoat when England do $h!t. He's pretty much just about the only proper left winger England have. I like him though, always have. But there are a lot better players avaliable for cheaper.

But where would Milner play? I can't see it personally, but you never know. All 3 will want to be in the England squad, and all 3 can't play at once. I like him as a player, although he has much to improve upon and can be completely nullified at times.

 

Maybe MON will actually rotate a bit this season rather than trying to play 7 players in every game... Downing is out for 2-3 months too, there's still plenty of time for Milner to cement a place. 3 wingers in the squad that are good players, it's what they need if they're going to improve on 6th.