Transfer Window - Summer 2008

Interested to see how McCourt will fare with WBA. What do you make of him NCC? Seems nearly unmarkable on his day but he’s not massively consistent is he?

he is a realy skillful footballer , problem with work rate & he likes the gargle,
hopefully he takes this chance & changes his attitude- glad to see him get the move as is bound to be on relatively decent wages ,

he played foir Rochdale before & man cty made a bid of 1.5 million for him which was rejected . he was then injured a lot & didnt play well & was released.

he will be a loss to the league

Rumours that the huns have completed the signing of Lafferty for 3m + Gow.

Have to say I’d be happy to find out that we didn’t get him. Jan has backup in Hutch and Sheridan, we don’t need another target man and even if we did Lafferty hasn’t done anything to impress me ever.

I know the rumour of Chelsea making a bid for torres have already gotten out but a mate of mine in London says that the latest rumours is that Torres has agreed a contract with Chelsea, apparently they are willing to pay him 150k a wk to replace Drogba.

Id be devastated to see him go.

[quote=“gerrardno1”]I know the rumour of Chelsea making a bid for torres have already gotten out but a mate of mine in London says that the latest rumours is that Torres has agreed a contract with Chelsea, apparently they are willing to pay him 150k a wk to replace Drogba.

Id be devastated to see him go.[/quote]

Think this is bullsh1t tbh. Obviously Chelsea would love to have him but thick as they are Hicks and Gillette would surely know that there’d be riots if he was sold. I think Torres is a fairly loyal type of bloke too - he could’ve got a big move years ago but chose to stay with Atletico Madrid. Now I realise that was self-serving as well but I reckon there was a sprinkling of loyalty at least and he enjoyed his rapport with the fans. Similarly the Liverpool fans adore him. All things considered I don’t think he’ll go.

My mate’s girlfriend’s mother works as a cleaner in Stamford Bridge and she says that she saw Fernando Torres in there one day thrashing out a deal with Peter Kenyon in the canteen…

I’m with Clarkey on this one. Liverpool couldn’t possibly contemplate selling Torres because it would be a public admission by the club that they’re happy to operate on a tier below Chelsea. Also think he likes Liverpool and he does have some loyalty about him - if his public utterances are to be believed. I remember him having a right go at Raul for switching between Madrid clubs (as a kid) and he was proclaiming that he could never make that move.

Pool linked with David Villa in the press over the weekend as well. Can’t see that happening though due to lack of cash. Looks like it will be James Milner and Gareth Barry for us.

Strong indications about McGeady going to Sunderland - any truth in this?

It’s just paper speculation Farmer. Not a chance in hell McGeady would swap Champions League for relegation kick and rush.

Fabrice Muamba from Birmingham to Bolton for Stg5m. They also paid 5m or 6m for a young reserve centre back from Villa in January. The prices for average and unproven players in England continues to astound me completely.

Gary Cahill I think it was Bandage. Ridiculous prices.

[quote=“therock67”]Rumours that the huns have completed the signing of Lafferty for 3m + Gow.

Have to say I’d be happy to find out that we didn’t get him. Jan has backup in Hutch and Sheridan, we don’t need another target man and even if we did Lafferty hasn’t done anything to impress me ever.[/quote]

Miller, Velicka and Lafferty wouldn’t appear to be much of a step up in quality from Boyd, Cousin and Darcheville so I’m not that bothered about any of these signings. I’ll wait until they play and I’m positive of how shit they are before I start to openly mock them, ala Sebo, Capucho, Flo and the likes.

Seeeeebooooo, Seeeeebooooo, Seeeeebooooo.
Just preparing…

New Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has revealed Ronaldinho, Deco and Samuel Eto’o are not part of his plans for next season while also ruling out a summer bid for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Guardiola, a former Barcelona captain, was officially unveiled today as the Catalan club’s first-team coach.

And he admitted the big name trio - all of whom have been linked with moves to the Premier League - are surplus to requirements.

‘All of the players in the first-team squad last season are of a very high level,’ he said.

‘But with the technical secretary we are forming a squad and Deco, Ronaldinho and Eto’o are not in our minds.’

However, Guardiola admitted he would be happy to keep Ronaldinho if the Brazilian could recapture his best form.

‘If I felt that he wanted to be the player he was again, he would be here,’ he added.

‘But the situation has deteriorated and the solution is to build a strong dressing room.’

The imminent departure of the Brazilian and the recent exit of Giovani Dos Santos to Tottenham means Guardiola will be short of options on the left flank, but the 37-year-old ruled out a summer swoop for Manchester United winger Ronaldo.

‘I wouldn’t make a space for him in the team, even though I think he is a very good player,’ he said.

Guardiola said the club’s priority is to sign a striker.

‘We will look at the possibility of bringing in a winger, but if we don’t then that’s fine; the priority is a number nine,’ he said.

He joked: ‘We are looking for a number nine who scores 60 goals for us.’

However, the coach claimed Thierry Henry remains very much part of his plans, despite an indifferent first season at the Nou Camp.

He said: 'I am looking for a number nine, we need one to complement Henry and Bojan (Krkic).

‘I want the three to feel like first-team starters.’

Who do you reckon they’ll want as a Number 9? Not that many guys around who are guaranteed quality:

  • Villa has done it at La Liga but never heard him linked
  • Torres is unlikely to go there at this stage, seems to like the EPL
  • Drogba is linked heavily with Milan, not sure he’s the type of player they’d go fo
  • McDonald is a bit like Torres. Only one season with his club, can’t see him moving
  • Benzema: again I’ve seen no mention of Barca being interested

They could drop down a level and get someone like Milito or Rossi or Gomez but that’s not really going to solve much for them.

He also forgot to mention Messi in his strikers above.

McDonald just signed a new 5-year deal this morning so I don’t envisage him leaving any time soon. Is there anyone under the radar in South America? A new teenage or early twenties sensation firing in goals in the Argentinian or Brazilian league?

Hicks Issues ‘hands Off Torres’ Warning

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has warned Chelsea even a world-record transfer fee would not tempt him to cash in on star striker Fernando Torres.

Torres, 24, is reported to be a transfer target for new Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari after a 33-goal haul in his first season at Anfield.

It was claimed at the weekend that the Champions League finalists were preparing a 40million bid, but American Hicks is adamant that even if Roman Abramovich offered to exceed the 47million Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001, he would not contemplate doing business.

‘There is no price at which we would consider selling Fernando Torres,’ Hicks told the Liverpool Echo.

‘The Chelsea rumours in the media are total rubbish.’

What are the strong indications?

I actually think Velicka is a good player.think he’ll do well with the huns.Don’t know much about Lafferty tbh…Kenny miller is a good buy for the scottish league as he has a good attitude and not afraid to run his socks off…Personally I don’t think strachan ever gave him a fair run,it was one game here and there…even more so same applies to riordan…instead he waited patiently for Vinegar of hesslink to play himself into form…

[quote=“therock67”]Rumours that the huns have completed the signing of Lafferty for 3m + Gow.

Have to say I’d be happy to find out that we didn’t get him. Jan has backup in Hutch and Sheridan, we don’t need another target man and even if we did Lafferty hasn’t done anything to impress me ever.[/quote]

is Sheridan going on loan to the Pars?