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Post by superscfc on Dec 2, 2013 14:38:12 GMT
Good player but I think he had his best days at celtic. Who know's be a risk. why was he here? I rate him pretty high so I agree doubt he'd come, interesting though No idea mate, he was in the country at the time when someone said it, thought he was happy where he was, heard he wants to play premiership football though, no disrespect to our club but I can think of a few teams who would want him, Aaron Hunt also hasn't signed a new contract & I just wonder if MH is interested, Arnie LW Hunt RW both played together would make more sense. Wasn't the week he scored against England was it? He's a very unlikely target for us, I'd see him more suited at Everton/Liverpool he's a good player and a German international. Hunt could be interesting if he still hasn't signed a new contract by new year, I'm sure Hughes will have a look
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Post by StokieAsh13 on Dec 2, 2013 15:02:27 GMT
No idea mate, he was in the country at the time when someone said it, thought he was happy where he was, heard he wants to play premiership football though, no disrespect to our club but I can think of a few teams who would want him, Aaron Hunt also hasn't signed a new contract & I just wonder if MH is interested, Arnie LW Hunt RW both played together would make more sense. Wasn't the week he scored against England was it? He's a very unlikely target for us, I'd see him more suited at Everton/Liverpool he's a good player and a German international. Hunt could be interesting if he still hasn't signed a new contract by new year, I'm sure Hughes will have a look Actually no it wasn't so that's a bit more surprising unless it was nothing to do with us, would love him here though, that guy has got pace! Agree with Hunt situation.
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Post by superscfc on Dec 2, 2013 15:06:53 GMT
Wasn't the week he scored against England was it? He's a very unlikely target for us, I'd see him more suited at Everton/Liverpool he's a good player and a German international. Hunt could be interesting if he still hasn't signed a new contract by new year, I'm sure Hughes will have a look Actually no it wasn't so that's a bit more surprising unless it was nothing to do with us, would love him here though, that guy has got pace! Agree with Hunt situation. will keep an eye on that then, was considering it to be someone just piping up because he scored, I watch bundesliga from time to time and he's been consistent for leverkusen last couple of seasons, good player. Happy to get Hunt if possible
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Post by johnnysoul60 on Dec 2, 2013 15:12:09 GMT
I think he would love to bring two or three in , just hope deals are done , its a tough window for value but not impossible , I'm sure a few players hoping to get to the world cup but not playing will fancy regular games .
Its all about the work getting done behind the scenes and making our mind up , if we end up relying on the last minute deals it wont work in my view.
I will be happy with just enough to stay out of trouble and then go again in the summer but I don't think it will be easy
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Post by rednwhitecardie on Dec 2, 2013 16:12:21 GMT
Daily mirror says Southampton are in talks with Hunt ?
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Dec 2, 2013 16:15:11 GMT
There should be no shortage of cash to buy with the tv money they get. What's needed is to get rid of the dross like Jones, Whelan, Palacios Ethers etc. therein lies the problem Bexhill. I've suggested before that any players who are dead weight and clogging up salaries could just be paid up for the rest of their contract. Might cost us a few million to get rid of them and it is rather drastic, but i'd rather we did that and gave us the chance to get some more in than trying to see it through with a whimper. It's no one persons fault that we are where we are, but its not fair to expect MH to work miracles if he's not given the backing he needs and deserves I understand the attractiveness of what you are saying. I think, though, that the new financial rules in the Premiership limit our room to do what you suggest. Paying up a player's contract will be treated under the rules as paying wages whether the payment is up front or in instalments. So, as there is an effective wage cap (of £4 million more than we paid last financial year) we need to get at least some of our players off the wage bill by getting rid to a club who will take up all or part of their wages to release money (within the cap)to pay the wages of any new players we buy. Life will be easier when players' contracts expire. With hindsight it was probably a mistake to re-sign Pennant given that we hardly play him - I just hope his basic wage is very low when he makes no appearances.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2013 16:36:44 GMT
therein lies the problem Bexhill. I've suggested before that any players who are dead weight and clogging up salaries could just be paid up for the rest of their contract. Might cost us a few million to get rid of them and it is rather drastic, but i'd rather we did that and gave us the chance to get some more in than trying to see it through with a whimper. It's no one persons fault that we are where we are, but its not fair to expect MH to work miracles if he's not given the backing he needs and deserves I understand the attractiveness of what you are saying. I think, though, that the new financial rules in the Premiership limit our room to do what you suggest. Paying up a player's contract will be treated under the rules as paying wages whether the payment is up front or in instalments. So, as there is an effective wage cap (of £4 million more than we paid last financial year) we need to get at least some of our players off the wage bill by getting rid to a club who will take up all or part of their wages to release money (within the cap)to pay the wages of any new players we buy. Life will be easier when players' contracts expire. With hindsight it was probably a mistake to re-sign Pennant given that we hardly play him - I just hope his basic wage is very low when he makes no appearances. That screws up that suggestion then doesn't it Darth!
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Post by jeycov on Dec 2, 2013 16:47:03 GMT
Good point re number of matches Huth will miss, even if the surgery was not too complex. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, the weeks around the international break would have been less disruptive. We have to get on with it, the situation might just push the button to make a greater investment in January. It appears that demand for players will result in higher prices - the price of staying in the Premiership has to be the priority. With respect 'jeycov', you don't need hindsight to know that your 2 CHs will suffer suspensions and injuries plus totally unforeseen events such as the bubonic plague.With five FBs but no third CH, 4 players in the hole for one position and 6 wingers but no goalscorer even the Hem Heath village idiot would deduce this serious team imbalance would be at the root of our problems. You don't need hindsight? What's MH say? "I bought Arnautovic because I couldn't get a striker" or words to that effect! OMG! I didn't realise that Hem Heath was a village? I agree that the CH situation has been an issue. The point that I was highlighting, was that if there was every chance that Huth would need an op at some point (and he has been struggling for more than a week or so) then he would have missed less games had the op happened at a time when there was an International break and no midweek or extra Christmas. matches. Even a red card would have only taken him out for 3! As both posts are responses to "we have to buy" then I would hope that we are in agreement that this is the case
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Post by robwahlmann on Dec 2, 2013 16:51:29 GMT
If we don't spend £15-£20 million in January I'm afraid we're going down. A CB £2-£5m A CM £4-£8m A ST anything up to £10m Targets I'd look at.. Lescott (Cheap option but high wages) Mulgrew (Versatile defender, can play centre, left or midfield. Celtic out of Champions League, Prem could tempt him) Hanley (Promising youngster, already a regular for Scotland at 22 and not far off 100 games for Blackburn) I'm struggling for a midfielder who could be available. Dempsey (Short loan, not sure if he'd come to the potteries) Allen (Not a LFC player for me, would be a good addition for us) Ness (If he can get fit will be a new signing) Maybe look at the foreign market for a solid CM, could pick someone up in Spain cheap. Striker Diouf (Worth another look) Rhodes (Big risk but so is going without a new striker, wouldn't be cheap) Again foreign market could be worth a look at, any english club will rip us off Anthony Annan free-£500K Rudolph Austin £1.5-2M Winger/Striker McCormack £2-3M
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Post by Danstoke82 on Dec 3, 2013 8:34:19 GMT
There's no escaping the fact that we MUST buy in January.
If the board and management honestly believe we are ok with our current squad members until the summer then they need their heads testing.
January needs to be a big month for the club. Im not saying break the bank but there has to be some sort of significant investment and not just from the bargain bins. The club needs to make a statement.
Id try and tempt QPR for Hoilett for a start and enquire to WBA about Shane Long. Whether they happen is another matter but I'd like to think that the people who deal with this are already on it and not waiting until mid-late january in the hope that something drops.
I also hope we stop fucking around scouting the MLS.
Rant over.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Dec 3, 2013 19:06:23 GMT
I still don't think we ever after Hunt. People were lead up a garden path and it worked a treat.
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Post by mrcoke on Dec 3, 2013 19:45:28 GMT
So if Sunderland, Palace, West Ham and now Fulham all say they are going to buy, presumably they have players to sell.
Stoke cannot afford to enter an auction and won't want to bust the pay structure. So there is little chance of signing a top notch player.
Does this mean all is lost? No. Football is a team game and you can achieve success by moulding together a team of average players (plus 1 or 2 stars) into a highly effective unit.
Newcastle and Southampton are doing it, WBA did last year. Going back into history Alf Ramsey did it with Ipswich, Clough with Forest, and the last year Stoke were top of the whole league (for 1 week Christmas 1975 if my memory serves me right) Derby went on to win the league with a very average bunch of players making a great team.
My point is who would Sunderland, Palace, West Ham and Fulham be prepared to sell who would fit in well at Stoke and make things click together? Can we give MH a few pointers?
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Post by kettle2013 on Dec 3, 2013 19:52:40 GMT
If we don't spend £15-£20 million in January I'm afraid we're going down. A CB £2-£5m A CM £4-£8m A ST anything up to £10m Targets I'd look at.. Lescott (Cheap option but high wages) Mulgrew (Versatile defender, can play centre, left or midfield. Celtic out of Champions League, Prem could tempt him) Hanley (Promising youngster, already a regular for Scotland at 22 and not far off 100 games for Blackburn) I'm struggling for a midfielder who could be available. Dempsey (Short loan, not sure if he'd come to the potteries) Allen (Not a LFC player for me, would be a good addition for us) Ness (If he can get fit will be a new signing) Maybe look at the foreign market for a solid CM, could pick someone up in Spain cheap. Striker Diouf (Worth another look) Rhodes (Big risk but so is going without a new striker, wouldn't be cheap) Again foreign market could be worth a look at, any english club will rip us off Anthony Annan free-£500K Rudolph Austin £1.5-2M Winger/Striker McCormack £2-3M The last 3 are quite possibly the 3 worst suggestions! Rudy Austin is a right carthorse!!
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