Silly Season January 2014

[Furey1878]

It'll be unacceptable if no one is brought in in January, especially considering it was one of our greatest downfalls last season, when we were right in the mix for top 4/5.

 

[griffla]

Can't believe how many people are quick to shoot Davek down for his comments about the board. There's a difference between being positive and burying your head in the sand. Fingers crossed it'll be different this time but I'm not confident it will be.

 

[Goat]

-and probably Wigan's compo...

Edit:
Ffs Goat!
What was carried on from the year before less losses?

We lost 9m last year.

 

[Chang Elephant]

I imagine the club budget is slightly more complex than that.

It's so complex, even the chairman has no idea what Other Operating Costs are made up of. Amazed ?

 

[neo2020]

In all seriousness, it is the most common way to see that someone is lying. Any body language "expert" would agree here. It's also the only time during the interview that he does something like it (yes, I re-watched it to check).

That body language is a sign of deception but it doesn't tell you what the deception is about. He could well be hiding an imminent signing, you just don't know.

 

[Dymak]

Loan fees and Liege Dave, which is probably 4m.

And us receiving the first tranche of the new TV money; best part of 20million.

 

[zirc]

I know mate. It was depressing. I didnt mention it because i didnt want to relive the horrible depressing 31 jan where our grand signing was john stones. The negredo bid was a pisstake; we were never really in for him. We couldnt get £8m together for Fer, how could we have stumped up twice that for Negredo.

 

[davek]

And us receiving the first tranche of the new TV money; best part of 20million.

Sssshh! We're not supposed to mention that!

 

[Goat]

Sssshh! We're not supposed to mention that!

Come on Dave, nobodys spending money on players these days.

 

[davek]

Loan fees and Liege Dave, which is probably 4m.

Taken care of by the "player sale money plus a few bob" promised by Kenwright. We spent nothing in that last window that wasn't self generated.

You could just about make a case using goat's compo for Martinez that it'd be a surplus whittled down to about 8M...if you were being overly generous to the regime in charge.

 

[davek]

Come on Dave, nobodys spending money on players these days.

Wait until the summer...no one will be even mentioneing the extra tv revenue that we were scolded about using last summer as a stick to beat the board with 'because it only comes on stream next season' (meaning this summer). Those people and their arguments will simply not be here to account for the continuing spiriting away of cash by then.

 

[SerenityNigh]

It's so complex, even the chairman has no idea what Other Operating Costs are made up of. Amazed ?

Fair, but still there is no reason to believe that the club's transfer budget is based on simple calculations of net spending.

 

[just_COYB]

Ive seen goalposts with more movement.

To be fair, though, we have seen Barkley smack a few, and get them moving quite a bit.

 

[just_COYB]

Seen a little speculation that west ham are keen on hugo almeida, if it was a cheep enough deal i wouldnt mind seeing him come in as back up to lukaku

Any chance of getting his brother Tony? That guy always comes back from the dead to help out.

 

[zirc]

Spot on. The lack of competence last spring was massive. We should strengthen the squad now in January, not buy prospects (Dundee talents) only IMO.

Judging the last statements and interviews, I'm not too hopeful. Feels like RM is quite satisfied with Jelavic considering staying, and Alacaraz & Stones proven as valid centrehalves.

We need quality this window, I would love Yann M'Vila or Bibras Natkho here. Batshuayi is a wet dream, but likely? I don't know.

I think the first XI is good enough for top 4. What we need is cover. Problem is we have decent cover in the positions where value can be had in Jan. We need a striker, a rw, a cm and maybe a rb. McGeady should take care of the wide player. RB we have hibbert or stones in a pinch - both a massive dropoff but there is a body there at least. CM maybe we'll address with a loan. For me this is the main priority.

There are two kinds of January transfers. Value signings of players that are out of favour, and horrendous overpayments by desperate clubs. Most if not all competent strikers fall into the latter, which is why i think Bobby will try to hang on to Jela and address that position in the summer.