January Transfer Window 2014

First topic message reminder :

I'm gonna open this up now as I contemplate watching the shower of poop I'm about to watch.

What strong rumours have we heard? What do teams need? Where do you think the money will be spent?

I shall start you off with rumours surrounding Lambert maybe considering West Ham and similarly West Ham going to Spurs cap in hand to request a loan of Defoe or Adebayor (sources not so tight haha)

Hammersmith harrier wrote:The holding midfielder has been replaced by the deep laying playmaker, gone are the days of having a Makelele, Mascherano or Hargreaves protecting the defence.

a deep lying playmaker is just a decent ball playing holding midfielder (which all good midfielders should be anyway), the key is to stay deep and offer protection to the back four. look at arsenal and how they have improved with having flamini in the team

all of the above could play a bit, so can carrick, lucas, barry sandro who are all currently holding midfielder playing in the prem.

compelling and rich wrote:ramires isn't a holding midfielder, he's a box to box. calling him that is similar to calling yaya toure a holding midfielder, both are miles better going forward than they are defending

mikel is also rubbish

Ramires wins the ball and is pretty fierce and physical in the challenge as well. Yes he is more likely to get forward and get involved in the attack but he is a versatile central midfielder and principally his role is winning the ball and not attacking at least that is what I see him as.

compelling and rich wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:The holding midfielder has been replaced by the deep laying playmaker, gone are the days of having a Makelele, Mascherano or Hargreaves protecting the defence.

a deep lying playmaker is just a decent ball playing holding midfielder (which all good midfielders should be anyway), the key is to stay deep and offer protection to the back four. look at arsenal and how they have improved with having flamini in the team

all of the above could play a bit, so can carrick, lucas, barry sandro who are all currently holding midfielder playing in the prem.

I wouldn't call any of them except for Sandro and Flamini as holding midfielders C and R, to me a holding midfielder is a strong tackler, a very defensive minded player. Carrick and Barry are more in the Xavi and Pirlo mould of being distributors, not creators but they can give their teams impetus and control the game with simple passing.

I'm being a bit picky there I know but they are two very different roles.

socal1976 wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:ramires isn't a holding midfielder, he's a box to box. calling him that is similar to calling yaya toure a holding midfielder, both are miles better going forward than they are defending

mikel is also rubbish

Ramires wins the ball and is pretty fierce and physical in the challenge as well. Yes he is more likely to get forward and get involved in the attack but he is a versatile central midfielder and principally his role is winning the ball and not attacking at least that is what I see him as.

the clues in the name, a holding midfielder sits (another word for hold) in front of the back four and offers protection. a box to box midfielder yes still puts tackles in but is the complete opposite to some one who just holds as he has to get up and down the pitch to support both attack and defence. not sure how anyone can say ramires isn't a box to box he's the epitome of one

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:The holding midfielder has been replaced by the deep laying playmaker, gone are the days of having a Makelele, Mascherano or Hargreaves protecting the defence.

a deep lying playmaker is just a decent ball playing holding midfielder (which all good midfielders should be anyway), the key is to stay deep and offer protection to the back four. look at arsenal and how they have improved with having flamini in the team

all of the above could play a bit, so can carrick, lucas, barry sandro who are all currently holding midfielder playing in the prem.

I wouldn't call any of them except for Sandro and Flamini as holding midfielders C and R, to me a holding midfielder is a strong tackler, a very defensive minded player. Carrick and Barry are more in the Xavi and Pirlo mould of being distributors, not creators but they can give their teams impetus and control the game with simple passing.

I'm being a bit picky there I know but they are two very different roles.

for me there shouldnt be much difference if your a top side, tiote is one who falls into a breaking up of play player that you describe as a holding midfielder. barry and carrick sit in front and offer protection, they simply dont fly around putting loads of tackles in because they have no pace.

someone like scholes later in his career was a deep lying play maker, because he pulled the strings without offering much protection. seems there a running theme here! if your a slow holding midfielder you get called a deep playmaker! perhaps it stops them from getting offended   

cortese has gone in other news, come on united pick up shaw from this mess

I'm with C&R on this one (odd to be agreeing with a man u fan but there you go ). You can't call Ramires a holding midfielder. Yes, he's done the job on occasion this season for Chelsea, but it takes out one of his biggest strengths (his engine). Ramires is a similar style of player to Lampard and Gerrard in their prime: yes they put in big tackles and track back defensively when their team doesn't have the ball, but they also get involved at the other end of the pitch: in a word, box-to-box midfielders.

Makelele was a decent passer of the ball, certainly much better than Mikel. I would like Chelsea to have a holding player who's more comfortable on the ball: it's not an absolute necessity, but it would be nice. If Matic fits the bill (and I can't say I've seen a lot of him so am not qualified to comment) then I'm perfectly happy with the signing.

Coentrao going nowhere according to Sky, also played tonight in the cup. Don't think they'd risk an injury, even if it was just a loan.

Don't see how there's is going to be an exodus of players from Southampton, just because of recent events. What you think Cortese going, there going to put the OAP tea lady in charge for a few days & she`s just going to accept bids for their best players. Wake up people.

Well, if Pochettino leaves then it may well unsettle players. Players who thought Southampton were stable and could grow may see bigger clubs and think "need to take my chance"

Unrelated to that, reports from the Mail suggest we're in talks for Lambert again, but they started before Cortese left. Not the same as say Lallana or Shaw getting their heads turned now, just to clear up anyone who thinks i'm linking that.

The Coentrao rumour is quickly getting more tiresome than the Bale saga last year!! One minute it's complete the next it's not happening. Even the Real Madrid papers have no clue as to what's happening!!

Regards mass exodus John; don't think anyone is suggesting a tea lady is taking over, however Shaw signed a long term contract with huge influence from Cortese, in fact many of the younger players have lavished praise on him and mentioned him as an influential person in their rise through the ranks and the way he has taken the club forward. Their is little doubt that him leaving is going to have an affect on certain players deciding whether to stay or go!

http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/meet-underrated-premier-league-creator-man-utd-sign,50859.html

Lolz

"Cortese, who disagrees with Katharina Liebherr's wish to sell the club, submitted his resignation almost three months ago, when Southampton were third in the Premier League."

So Southampton FC is going to be sold.  The question is to whom and when?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25752833

This lower league player we're after is Danny Guthrie.

FOR GODS SAKE

And Gutierrez has said he isn't doing the spider man mask thing.

It's all gone t!ts up

Danny Guthrie is your "break the bank" player? Jesus wept

Olly, I`ve experienced Gutierrez & Guthrie for years at Newcastle. Truly terrible. Championship is their level.....just.

The spiderman mask has been retired?   

It's probably been lost

Or did he just mean he won't do it cos he wont be scoring? Early warning of ambitions

Jonas doesn't score, he just runs & runs & runs.........   towards the Championship.

We also might be swapping Luuk De Jong with Cisse. Seeing as he`s failed miserably with Moechengladbach, it looks like Kinnear is swapping one failure for another.

Christ Danny Guthrie. That is beyond stupid. Bloke is only just good enough for the Championship.

Olly wrote:This lower league player we're after is Danny Guthrie.

FOR GODS SAKE

There aren't enough laughing smileys in the world to do that justice.

Why are United being linked to Mannone?

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Danny Guthrie is your "break the bank" player? Jesus wept

He's worse than Bradley Johnson ffs!!!!

WHY WHY WHY ARE WE SIGNING NEWCASTLE REJECTS WHO PLAY IN POSITIONS WE ARE STOCKED AT AHHHHHH       

why not

Olly wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Danny Guthrie is your "break the bank" player? Jesus wept

He's worse than Bradley Johnson ffs!!!!

WHY WHY WHY ARE WE SIGNING NEWCASTLE REJECTS WHO PLAY IN POSITIONS WE ARE STOCKED AT AHHHHHH       

You have to give it to Newcastle...they sure know how to flog a dead horse! I can't think of too many players they haven't sold at the right time for either the right or highly extortionate price!

Given - £5.9 mil
N'Zogbia -£6 mil
Milner - £12 mil
Martins - £9 mil
Bassong £8 mil
Carroll - £35 mil
Beye - £3 mil
Best £3 mil

Not too shabby really!

Chalobahs gone Middlesbrough on loan. Good luck to him, heard his new deal went to his head somewhat

It was only yesterday I was laughing at the responses he got from Notts Forest fans after saying goodbye! They absolutely slated him.....now he has turned up at Boro!   think they call that karma!

Think.he struggled for fitness and had a poor attitude. His wage is insane

Well I hope to god were not picking it up!!

Keep reading that Draxler is coming to Arsenal and in January. But another attacking midfielder it just doesn't make much sense. Also don't know if he is worth 37 million pound. The midfield is already crowded but the reports of this deal just don't seem to go away and in fact some are saying he will be coming in 48 hrs and so on. He has stated he would love to come to Arsenal but how is that going to work with the current mix of players and the fact that I hear he is injured.

Draxler won't join us Socal

Id be surprised if he did expecting atleast 1/2 in though

Can't believe how many of Albion fans are delighting in the 7 million we're receiving it for Long and calling Hull mugs for paying that much. Might be a great bit of business but can't really be calling anyone mugs considering we spent 6 million on Victor "Always injured but when I'm not I spend most of my time on the ground sulking and don't ever look like scoring a goal" Anichebe. ffs. There is no way Long is only 1 million pounds better than him

Also, don't know if this is the same for other fans of other clubs, but I've seen so many Albion fans come out today saying "I never rated Long anyway" then giving some example of a tweet or post they've done to prove it. Really annoys me, don't get why anyone is almost hoping for a player at their club to fail just so they can say I told you so

Fernando wrote:Draxler won't join us Socal

Id be surprised if he did expecting atleast 1/2 in though

WEll I would rather spend the money on a striker either now or next window anyway. Probably just trying to pump a story where there isn't one by the press.

owen10ozzy wrote:You have to give it to Newcastle...they sure know how to flog a dead horse! I can't think of too many players they haven't sold at the right time for either the right or highly extortionate price!

Given - £5.9 mil
N'Zogbia -£6 mil
Milner - £12 mil
Martins - £9 mil
Bassong £8 mil
Carroll - £35 mil
Beye - £3 mil
Best £3 mil

Not too shabby really!

Obertan for £10m anyone?

socal1976 wrote:

Fernando wrote:Draxler won't join us Socal

Id be surprised if he did expecting atleast 1/2 in though

WEll I would rather spend the money on a striker either now or next window anyway. Probably just trying to pump a story where there isn't one by the press.

There is interest but not until the summer by sounds of it.

We're signing some Ntep guy from Auxerre & loaning him to Rennes as well.

Mat wrote:Can't believe how many of Albion fans are delighting in the 7 million we're receiving it for Long and calling Hull mugs for paying that much. Might be a great bit of business but can't really be calling anyone mugs considering we spent 6 million on Victor "Always injured but when I'm not I spend most of my time on the ground sulking and don't ever look like scoring a goal" Anichebe. ffs. There is no way Long is only 1 million pounds better than him

Its been a long (pun excuse please the) debate between West Ham fans whether we feel we've missed out or not. If ypu take strikers at a goal per million for clubs like ours as a decent rate then Long is worth it. Dont thing he'll blow them away but a tidy player and I think he might be missed at your place

Fernando wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

Fernando wrote:Draxler won't join us Socal

Id be surprised if he did expecting atleast 1/2 in though

WEll I would rather spend the money on a striker either now or next window anyway. Probably just trying to pump a story where there isn't one by the press.

There is interest but not until the summer by sounds of it.

We're signing some Ntep guy from Auxerre & loaning him to Rennes as well.

Great that makes even less sense to me

I think Longs one of those thats prolific at lower levels but doesn't quite cut it at the top level

7m is more than decent and it means WBA can finally get a decent left back as well!

They still have Berahino who plays better down the middle anyway, plus Vydra hopefully staying fit so I don't think its that big of deal Long leaving. Good buys for Hull though with jelavic also.

Think Long will be good for Hull.

Football is quite daft isn't it, 2 weeks in to the window and barely a transfer made.

You'd think they'd all be agreed before the window and done early, but as usual we will see the raft of transfers in the last few days.

Real agree deal to sign spain u-21 international Moreno for 21m euro's. Seems Utd have their first signing of the window in Coentrao then.

Liam wrote:Real agree deal to sign spain u-21 international Moreno for 21m euro's. Seems Utd have their first signing of the window in Coentrao then.

That's Alberto Moreno of Sevilla, who was embarrassed by a half fit Bale a few months ago? I`m still not convinced by Coentrao at all, especially defensively.

In fairness John, a half fit Bale is still a very good player and is still better than most wingers. He's only young, many young full backs will experience games such as that. With experience, they will learn to deal with such wingers better next time.

On Coentrao, I've always been quite impressed with him even in his Benfica days. He can't be any worse than Evra defensively atm and whenever i've watched him he's seemed to be ok going backwards. Its a step in the right direction for utd, he's 25 and is a better buy than Baines for a higher price and considering he's 29, we won't get that many years out of him. Now, we need a cm, something I think utd fans have been saying for a good 5 years now.

Be interesting to see how Coentrao does in the EPL. Guess Madrid decided to get rid, especially after Coentrao got sent off last night in the cup. Agree about Baines, just too old now to demand that kind of fee.

Which is a shame for Baines as his performances warrant a move to a club such as utd.

I think coentrao can be a success. Utd like their full backs to get forward as often as possible so will suit his game down to the ground.

i still think coentrao will start left mid to start with

Apparrantly it is Evra who would be pushed forward to the left wing as he basically played there for Monaco.

What then happens to Januzaj who looks at his best on the left wing?