Romelu Lukaku

[bluestevon]

Fair point, but I guess the player has learned from the agent then...

Nah Lukaku has always been pretty outspoken and honest when asked by journalists any question mate - right back to his early Chelsea days, key thing to look at, he states all this kind of stuff is handled by his agent so he can just focus on football - said that numerous times now, long as his agent isn'tshouting 'his' mouth off then i'm not worried one bit

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I don't think he wants to leave, I think if we were in CL he'd stay.

I don't think he's dying to leave Everton because we're Everton. It's because we're not matching his wishes. CL is key and that's why this season is a (phenomenal) damp squib and missed (unique) opportunity.

Since Sharpy's best days, we've waited for someone as good or better, and we wasted him.

I remain in hope that he'll stay because Moshiri will intervene with mucho mulah.

I said as much at the start of the season. This was a huge year for me as we do have some fantastic players in the squad. One duff season (last year) could just about be passed off as a blip based upon the 5th place finish the year before, but we had to build on that and really threaten the top spots to show the top young players we have that we are a club that can fulfill their personal ambitions.

Sadly, I can't help but feel that we've missed that opportunity, and whilst I don't think Ross will leave in the summer, I fully expect both Lukaku and Stones to move on. Now, those two should give us the best part of £100m to spend on new players, and with the likes of Gibson, Hibbert, Pienaar et al also likely to be gone, it's likely to be the biggest summer of transition we've seen in a very long time.

I'd love Martinez to have succeeded with us, I really would, but our inconsistency under him isn't good enough and I suspect he'll move on along with Stones and Rom. Couple that with a change of owner and it's a difficult time for sure.

 

[ExpatinBangkok]

Bony and benteke both not as good as lukaku and both would be a step down. At this point only a global top 10 striker would be a good replacement for lukaku. So if we can't get a top 10 striker I say keep him for 2 years possibly 3. We can buy a decent second class striker like bony or benteke easily with the owners new money without needing cash from a lukaku sale.

 

[kithnou]

I said as much at the start of the season. This was a huge year for me as we do have some fantastic players in the squad. One duff season (last year) could just about be passed off as a blip based upon the 5th place finish the year before, but we had to build on that and really threaten the top spots to show the top young players we have that we are a club that can fulfill their personal ambitions.

Sadly, I can't help but feel that we've missed that opportunity, and whilst I don't think Ross will leave in the summer, I fully expect both Lukaku and Stones to move on. Now, those two should give us the best part of £100m to spend on new players, and with the likes of Gibson, Hibbert, Pienaar et al also likely to be gone, it's likely to be the biggest summer of transition we've seen in a very long time.

I'd love Martinez to have succeeded with us, I really would, but our inconsistency under him isn't good enough and I suspect he'll move on along with Stones and Rom. Couple that with a change of owner and it's a difficult time for sure.

Very scary times if all you write there comes to fruition.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Not denying that mate. And there could be others too. But hey...We're loaded and will get huge sums of dough and new boss players in.

Good god I'm miserable this morning, but if we're looking at replacing Rom with players of a similar quality, will we not face similar issues as have prompted him to move on? How much extra dough needs to be chucked at top players to tempt them to join a mid-table outfit with no European action?

It's no golden goose is it? We only have to look at how Liverpool wasted the windfalls from Torres and Suarez respectively. Even Spurs largely wasted the windfalls they received from Berbatov and Carrick, and it's only really come right with them with the Bale windfall because they've got a seemingly good coach. I wouldn't say that even if we had £100m+ to spend on new players that we're nailed on for heady heights next season.

 

[kithnou]

Good god I'm miserable this morning, but if we're looking at replacing Rom with players of a similar quality, will we not face similar issues as have prompted him to move on? How much extra dough needs to be chucked at top players to tempt them to join a mid-table outfit with no European action?

It's no golden goose is it? We only have to look at how Liverpool wasted the windfalls from Torres and Suarez respectively. Even Spurs largely wasted the windfalls they received from Berbatov and Carrick, and it's only really come right with them with the Bale windfall because they've got a seemingly good coach. I wouldn't say that even if we had £100m+ to spend on new players that we're nailed on for heady heights next season.

Exactly why it is imperative we keep him.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Very scary times if all you write there comes to fruition.

We have to consider that there 'might' even be a new stadium on the horizon. I'm inclined to think that will probably be put on the backburner as change on that level would be a recipe for chaos imo. A new manager, new owner and a sizable change in playing staff is a big enough risk.

 

[TheFinnFan]

Good god I'm miserable this morning, but if we're looking at replacing Rom with players of a similar quality, will we not face similar issues as have prompted him to move on? How much extra dough needs to be chucked at top players to tempt them to join a mid-table outfit with no European action?

It's no golden goose is it? We only have to look at how Liverpool wasted the windfalls from Torres and Suarez respectively. Even Spurs largely wasted the windfalls they received from Berbatov and Carrick, and it's only really come right with them with the Bale windfall because they've got a seemingly good coach. I wouldn't say that even if we had £100m+ to spend on new players that we're nailed on for heady heights next season.

Thats the way it goes. We just have to accept the laws of the game and try to cope. Eventhough our season has been pretty much chatastrophic I think our club can draw big names still. Lots to do with Mosh this imho.

 

[kithnou]

Thats the way it goes. We just have to accept the laws of the game and try to cope. Eventhough our season has been pretty much chatastrophic I think our club can draw big names still. Lots to do with Mosh this imho.

Depends how you define "big names"?

 

[TheFinnFan]

Depends how you define "big names"?

messi, muller, etc x

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Depends how you define "big names"?

Johannes Vennegoor of Hesselink

 

[kithnou]

messi, muller, etc x

Off you go my friend
https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/the-drunk-thread.35765/page-155

 

[kithnou]

Johannes Vennegoor of Hesselink

you're not Greek are you mate?

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

you're not Greek are you mate?

lol

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Thats the way it goes. We just have to accept the laws of the game and try to cope. Eventhough our season has been pretty much chatastrophic I think our club can draw big names still. Lots to do with Mosh this imho.

I suppose that's the challenge now. You can easily pass off one bad season as a blip, but two bad seasons looks more like that's our natural place. In the past, you sense we've been able to get hold of good young players with the promise of game time, but we've already got good young players, I feel we need some already good players to kick on from here.