Summer Transfer Window 2017

[Logans run]

The same Charlie Austin who netted 18 goals for QPR in the Prem then netted around 10 for southampton this season and would probably be on about 15 had he not been out injured the past 2 months?

Koeman signed him for Southampton and he's a proven scorer in the prem- something we will need unless you want us to spunk all the money on a bunch of Markovic's and Origi's in the hopes of 1 actually proving half decent.

Batshuyai is a quality player but doubt Koeman will look at him. We'll be downgrading from Rom regardless as we can't attract CL quality strikers otherwise Rom wouldn't be looking to leave.

I like Austin, however, I'm always dubious about anyone who spends so much time at the doctors, so not worth the risk

 

[Neiler]

I think Carroll's skill is under rated to be honest

His biggest issue has been staying fit. When he's fit and firing, he can be near unplayable

Benteke's issues are more mental to me, where as with Carroll they're more physical

If you keep Carroll fit then he can be consistently dangerous

Even if Benteke stays fit he can still get in a mood

Both good strikers on their day, but I think Carroll just edges it

I would have to disagree mate, i dont hink Carrol is skillfull at all or underated. Hes a handful certainly and a good target man from the wings, but i dont think he offers much centrally, trapping the ball or holdlng play and penetrating the way a Rom, Costa or Benteke can. I also dont find him very special with ball to feet.

Perhaps your right, on Benteke menatlly, i cant say i even really analysed, i think here would be a great environment for him, he would get the support and foundation to fulfill his talent while playing in a team with ambition, he seems a bit lost in a poor Palace side albeit via 9 goals this season with ten games to go whcih is a decent retun at that standard, he also stayed very motivated at Norway and took his opportunists when given in terms of goals to mins ratio. we all know his history with keeping Villa in the league and getting them to a cup final.

 

[toffeejack]

I like Austin, however, I'm always dubious about anyone who spends so much time at the doctors, so not worth the risk

as 3rd choice only for me

 

[BlueToff]

To be honest, no we have not improved yet on the pitch.

We have some better players in now than we did last season but can you honestly look at the last 2 years and say that finishing 11th was a fair reflection on the squad? We could, and should, have achieved far more than we did. So now the squad is simply being adapted this season to get it back to that level under a competent manager to actually go out and do it.

Off the pitch, perhaps we have improved yes, but whilst Elstone and Kenwright are key members of the club board and operations then i will always argue that the board is not better for that being the case.

So generally we have not improved dramatically, we are finishing 7th in the league, hardly competing still with the money clubs above us, which is to be expected. We have not had a rebirth of sorts as of yet, we are just going to achieve what we should have been doing anyway, the improvement will be when we can get to march and know we can well finish in the top 4.

We have, by definition, improved. We were 14th this time last year IIRC. We have already matched the points total we achieved in the last consecutive two seasons. We have finally made major strides towards the new ground and while there's a lot of work to be done, there's loads of positives.

Small steps.

The first step - on the pitch - was highlighted very early on in Koeman's tenure (ie. his first presser). Finish in the top seven, push for the top six, hopefully get Europe. We are on course to do that. It could have been more and it hasn't all gone swimmingly, but to say we've not improved is baffling and quite frankly wrong.

 

[jazzy]

Definitely, people forget the SPL is league 1 standard no club in that league rejects £25/30 million for one of their players.

Would still rather Lacazette/Giroud/Batshuyai over Dembele though.

Totally agree but we need at least another striker anyway ( plus someone who can substitute Lukaku if needed ) and if Lukaku goes we will need a top quality replacement.

 

[Kenshin]

We have, by definition, improved. We were 14th this time last year IIRC. We have already matched the points total we achieved in the last consecutive two seasons. We have finally made major strides towards the new ground and while there's a lot of work to be done, there's loads of positives.

Small steps.

The first step - on the pitch - was highlighted very early on in Koeman's tenure (ie. his first presser). Finish in the top seven, push for the top six, hopefully get Europe. We are on course to do that. It could have been more and it hasn't all gone swimmingly, but to say we've not improved is baffling and quite frankly wrong.

That seems to miss the point i made in the last reply toff, are we genuinely achieving a lot more this season because we have simply improved, or did we massively underachieve last season (and before) and therefore fall into a false position in the league through managerial errors? The team is largely the same in most areas, only the centre mid position has changed really, even more so now Robles has earned his place back .

My posts is not a statistical breakdown to be right or wrong, just an opinion. But we should have been probably 15 points or more better off last season alone, if we finished 7th or 8th as a result and didn't get europe then that would be bad luck. But i do think we underachieved last season and therefore the progression between last and this year is not as big as you may think it is. It will be the jump from here to the top 4 challenge that will show some real improvement.

 

[windymiller]

I think Carroll's skill is under rated to be honest

His biggest issue has been staying fit. When he's fit and firing, he can be near unplayable

Benteke's issues are more mental to me, where as with Carroll they're more physical

If you keep Carroll fit then he can be consistently dangerous

Even if Benteke stays fit he can still get in a mood

Both good strikers on their day, but I think Carroll just edges it

People aren't going to like this comparison but Carroll reminds me of Dunc in the way he plays. He's made of plasticine and ribbons though so it's irrelevant!

 

[kenada_blue]

Make or break.

It needs big names.

 

[Carlito]

i'd take either benteke or giroud to play alongside rom tbh. If we sold him i'd happily have both of them tbh, but then that would mean we have two fairly similar players who aren't exactly dynamic.

Giroud has some sort of issue that whenever he has his 1 bad game out of 10 good ones, he'll get slated all over the place. He has a very good goalscoring record, in this league too and is nowhere near as bad as "the flop in big games" he get's labelled as - his whole team in general flops, i don't see him missing hatful of chances because they don't do that in big games. Easily be one of the top of my list for a lukaku replacement if we sell in the summer.

Made me laugh when Wilmots started them together for Belgium, and after the game described them as a usless pair of lampposts.

 

[Blanshard96]

Random shout but what about Charlie Taylor from Leeds as a back-up for Baines? Contract up in the summer, only 23 and English, would also like Dominic Iorfa from Wolves too along with one of Keane/VvD kinda person to really make our defence great if Jags and RFM go

 

[roydo]

People aren't going to like this comparison but Carroll reminds me of Dunc in the way he plays. He's made of plasticine and ribbons though so it's irrelevant!

I have always liked Carroll, and the Dunc comparison is a decent one. Both far better footballers than most give/gave them credit for, and with both, when on it, unplayable.

Sadly, both also cursed by injury.

 

[toffeejack]

Made me laugh when Wilmots started them together for Belgium, and after the game described them as a usless pair of lampposts.

Well I got them playing up front together for years for Everton on FM and they were deadly, 70+ goals every season just from them

 

[mikel_88]

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/fo...erton-eye-Giovanni-Simeoni-to-replace-striker

 

[Timak]

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/fo...erton-eye-Giovanni-Simeoni-to-replace-striker

Always questionable when they spell the player's name wrong in the URL.

 

[streeky]

The lad Patrick Schick at sampdoria is begining to atract some attention. We are sending someone over this weekend supposedly, chelsea and juve also sniffing.