Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:23 am  

Dan_FC wrote:

I just can't see why he'd be pushed though, mate?

£35m straight into Ashley's back pocket, maybe?

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:24 am  

Dan_FC wrote:

I just can't see why he'd be pushed though, mate?

I hope not but I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe with the new financial rules coming into play in the summer (I think?), we saw it as the last opportunity to get a very good fee for him, especially with how desperate Liverpool were? Not sure to be honest, I can see why he's been sold for that amount, I don't think many teams would have turned that down and if the money is spent on the squad then it's hard to argue with it too much. There's no way he should be commanding a fee that size and if he didn't play well for the rest of the season, we wouldn't have got anywhere near that amount. Seems daft considering selling him in the first place but that's the way football is these days.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:27 am  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

A bit frustrated with Blackpool, I can't understand why they were so reluctant towards us, I had a funny feeling Adam would have been stupidly good for us, I can't explain why, just one of those things.

As an earlier post put it ultimately if Adam continues with his form and helps them stay in the PL he will be a hero and get his move. I still think it will be Utd as I think he is the type of player Fergie loves.

As for Carroll time will tell as to whether or not the risk is worth taking. I'm under no illusions about how rediculous the fee is but hey it's done with now and lets just see how it pans out. No matter what anyone tells you, you do not need world class players to win this league. You just need PL class players, a savy manager and a bit of luck. Ferguson is one of the worst tacticians in football yet he knows how to deal with his players and get the best out of them and when they struggle he has that little bit of quality in certain departments of his playing staff that can bail them out. It's not rocket science, it's football.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:30 am  

The fair play rules are one of the most rediculous policies to come into the game as there is so many loop holes it makes it worthless. An enforced salary cap and transfer cap would have gone a long way to dealing with the financial lunacy that football has become. But let's be honest if Rugby League had the same amount of money pouring into it I's sure it would have gone the same way.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:34 am  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

Gutted to lose a player of his quality, yes, but when things like this happen, you see things that make you think that all the emotional attachment you have with players means very little when you see their other side. I loved Torres, I thought he was 'different', I've sung his name, I've done the bounce (although I should have known better), and I've worshiped his entire game, but it means nothing now, he shown himself to be crass, selfish and couldn't have the decency to respect the club's supporters. I came around to Torres leaving once Alonso left, I knew that was the start of the decline, but I always felt it would be something done respectfully, something mutually, but I guess I was dreaming.

I know when you read things like statistics and try to apply some sense to it, signing Carroll looks borderline idiotic, but I do feel he'll be a good player for us, he offers us everything Suarez doesn't, which is exactly what I wanted. Torres, as good as he was, wasn't a team player, he wanted the team playing his way. AC9 won't do this, he'll give you the same every week, hard work, physical power, a good aerial threat and a good foil for a smaller, more technical player.

Suarez will take a while to adapt, I reckon, but once we start passing the ball better, we'll start finding him in those little pockets of space so he can take those snap shots that brought him so much success at Ajax.

Still, I'm not incredibly pleased, I'm hugely disappointed in Torres, but I'm pleased at the club for the amount of bollox (some may call it lunacy) they've shown this window, they could have easily gone for a player like Elmander for the short term fix, but they threw caution to the wind and went for their man. Similarly with Suarez, they could have waited 'til the summer, they could have tried their hand around Europe but they went in with an aim and met it. They got what we wanted for Torres and they handled the situation very well.

A bit frustrated with Blackpool, I can't understand why they were so reluctant towards us, I had a funny feeling Adam would have been stupidly good for us, I can't explain why, just one of those things.

I just don't think Blackpool wanted to sell their star player, they build there whole team around him and they didn't want to sell. Obviously he put a transfer request in and was prepared to leave but he hasn't gone kicking and screaming and was probably prepared to stay there too.

I've not seen too much of Suarez in Holland, It's not very well shown here is it, apart from some ESPN games but I've seen enough of him to know he's got the potential to have a big impact over here but if Torres had stayed it would've given Suarez time to settle and get used to the league for 6 months whereas now there's a lot of pressure on considering Carroll won't be fit for a few months at least.

Both of these moves prove the loyalty in football has gone out of the window now, two players who are supposed to be playing for the clubs they support and yet they've both turned their backs on them without a second thought and worst of all the they've just fooked off on the clubs supporters. Still, it could've been worse, you have at least made signings and replaced outgoing players. I think both will prove their worth to the club, I just wonder whether the loss of Torres will hurt the team for a while to come.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:39 am  

ash4hullfc wrote:

£35m+ for Andy Carroll. Unbelievable.

This time last year, he wasn't worth £3.5m. Amazing how much he's come on and how much his value has increased. Once the dust settles, I think most Newcastle fans will be happy with the deal. Obviously at the moment it's a bit of a shock to the system but that is just a crazy amount of money.

It's an insane amount of money for a player currently injured, never played in Europe and is only in his first season in the Premiership. The lad has talent and looks very promising for the future, but it's a huge gamble from Liverpool. Newcastle United may have lost arguably their best player, but they could not refuse that amount of money. I still believe they'll stay up and can make their squad stronger if that money is re-invested.

It's been a bizarre array of last minute transfers. Liverpool losing a proven world class striker is massive, but they had little choice when he wants to leave. A combination of Drogba and Torres is simply staggering on paper, but ten points behind United, I'm not sure, as a United fan, I'm too worried. Looking forward to seeing how these players all shape out. As luck would have it, Chelsea play Liverpool in a couple of weeks IIRC!

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:40 am  

NY_Saint wrote:

IMO it will take more than those two to get the title challenge back on track. Utd have not fired at all yet are unbeaten and Chelsea have looked mentally and physically weak. Luiz is a great player IMO though and will give you some much needed strength and pace at the back.

By the way we took a chance for £20m on a young spanish striker with a poor stike record and just sold him to you for £50m.

Point is no one player is bigger than the club. That goes for all teams.

Life and football move on. Enjoy the rest of the season.

I'm not a Chelsea fan but if I was I'd be delighted with the two signings today, especially Torres. However you dress it up they've signed one of the best strikers/footballers in the world and he was class when he was bought, you didn't really 'take a chance' on him because he has always been world class.

Robbie Rotten wrote:

£35m straight into Ashley's back pocket, maybe?

Possibly. Wouldn't really surprise anyone, would it?

ash4hullfc wrote:

I hope not but I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe with the new financial rules coming into play in the summer (I think?), we saw it as the last opportunity to get a very good fee for him, especially with how desperate Liverpool were? Not sure to be honest, I can see why he's been sold for that amount, I don't think many teams would have turned that down and if the money is spent on the squad then it's hard to argue with it too much. There's no way he should be commanding a fee that size and if he didn't play well for the rest of the season, we wouldn't have got anywhere near that amount. Seems daft considering selling him in the first place but that's the way football is these days.

It would've been stupid to turn the money down, mate. It's a huge fee but all this coming out about him being forced out the club, well maybe he was but he handed a transfer request and was reported to be on his way over here early in the afternoon when bids were being rejected so on the face of it he was all very keen to move. It seems the club only decided to sell because he wanted the move.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:42 am  

Dan_FC wrote:

I just don't think Blackpool wanted to sell their star player, they build there whole team around him and they didn't want to sell. Obviously he put a transfer request in and was prepared to leave but he hasn't gone kicking and screaming and was probably prepared to stay there too.

I don't think Newcastle United wanted to sell their star player either, but the big difference between the two is, Newcastle were offered an obscene, and it literally is a ludicrous amount of money, for their player and Blackpool felt they were getting pittance and Adams was under valued. Had Liverpool offered £18-25m for him I'm sure they would have accepted!

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:45 am  

cadoo wrote:

I don't think Newcastle United wanted to sell their star player either, but the big difference between the two is, Newcastle were offered an obscene, and it literally is a ludicrous amount of money, for their player and Blackpool felt they were getting pittance and Adams was under valued. Had Liverpool offered £18-25m for him I'm sure they would have accepted!

I'm sure they didn't but once he made it clear he wanted to move by handing a transfer request in and making his way over here they gave in. As for Blackpool Holloway said clubs needed to put a 1 infront of what they'd offered and he'd consider so they probably valued him around £13-£15 million, also they build their team around him, he's more vital to them than Carroll is to Newcastle, he's their main asset.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:47 am  

cadoo wrote:

As luck would have it, Chelsea play Liverpool in a couple of weeks IIRC!

Sunday.