2017 January Transfer Window

[Magic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38354627

Look at the fucking fees for these utter shithouses (according to BBC).

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nikola Kalinic for £42 million sounds great value.

[Shindig]

Jan Tran sounds like a drag artist.

[mugbull]

Nikola Kalinic for £42 million sounds great value.

Of all the fees i've heard in the past several years, that's the one that makes me want to disassociate myself from the sport the most.

[Raoul Duke]

£18m for someone who has scored three times. Ye gods.

Also - Tevez has gone to China for eleventy billion. I swear he's been 32 for at least the last four years.

[Giggles]

Tottenham giving £35m for Barkley would presumably be just a move to make people forget they paid so much for Sissoko. He's barely worth £15m.

[Baz]

£12.5m for Sakho would be a bargain for whoever gets him.

[Giggles]

£12.5m for Sakho would be a bargain for whoever gets him.

Stick the point before the 2 and you would be closer to correct.

[Spikey M]

Is Sakho the closest we have to a modern day Titus Bramble? I can't think of another.

[Raoul Duke]

Is Sakho the closest we have to a modern day Titus Bramble? I can't think of another.

John Stones?

[Samadini]

Sakho is Bramble. Stones is Boumsong.

[Spikey M]

John Stones?

John Stones is Ali Dia.

[Lewis]

Who would have thought that Phil Jones (FFEC) coming back would have saved United forty million quid?

[phonics]

Someone change the title of this thread. It's a fucking abortion.

[Giggles]

Someone change the title of this thread. It's a fucking abortion.

+1.

[bruhnaldo]

For the love of God, Magic. Everything has to be a chore with you, including thread titles.

[Vim]

Kalinic is a beast, but that's a ridiculous price. 40 million euros is the limit, and a generous one at that.

[Magic]

Someone change the title of this thread. It's a fucking abortion.

Fuck you I'm being more American

[Adamski]

This must be a really thrilling night out you're on.

[Giggles]

Aaah. So that's why he's being more obnoxious than usual.

[Magic]

Pontus Jamson magic he ears a magic hat

[Lewis]

lol (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38465052) at the Chinese offering Ronaldo two million euros a week, although I suppose it makes a lot more sense than giving Carlos Tevez a third of that.

[Yevrah]

I wonder how far this Chinese thing will go/how much money they actually have?

[Shindig]

I'd imagine China's a big market for clubs around the world and now the Chinese are trying to get in on that plastic fandom.

[Kikó]

Bloomberg had an article about the Chinese money (or maybe it was the guardian) saying spending at this rate suggests they're in a bubble and the nation is about to crash. Rip.

[Ian]

Has Woodward tried to outbid the Chinese yet?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I for one welcome our new Chinese overlords. Hopefully they'll reduce English football to being a North v South match of various lowlifes kicking a can of Special Brew around a car park, with Richard Scudamore holding up an empty Pot Noodle in the background.

[bruhnaldo]

Fuck you I'm being more American

You can't just throw "American" into a sentence and hope people make sense of it, you lazy dimwitted cunt.

[Magic]

Trying to be more British, eh?

[bruhnaldo]

Trying to be more Australian, eh?

[Magic]

That's Canadian you mook.

[bruhnaldo]

Oh I was just throwing random countries out there that speak English since that's a thing now.

[Magic]

Mok was right, you are retarded.

[bruhnaldo]

Ooooh good one. Hope you didn't rack your brain too hard for your latest zinger.

[Magic]

@DS please can you stop this banter.

[Giggles]

This is rivetting I must say.

[Adamski]

Like two bald cunts fighting over a comb.

[bruhnaldo]

There's not really a whole lot I can do about Magic and his low-brow "American!" comedy.

Give me someone with a hint of intelligence and I'd be glad to be more entertaining.

[Magic]

Entertaining is an anatonym of Bruhnaldo.

[Magic]

https://68.media.tumblr.com/a253f536cacd46422fa6d87d4566f71f/tumblr_ngjhq26RDl1tmftjeo1_400.gif

[Adamski]

Entertaining is an anatonym of Bruhnaldo.

Antonym.

[Magic]

Melon gif implies self headshot.

Edit: Can we archive this?

[bruhnaldo]

Entertaining is an anatonym of Bruhnaldo.

I don't claim to be entertaining. I claim you to be a boring miserable faggot whose wife prays for death in her sleep every night.

[Magic]

I don't claim to be entertaining. I claim you to be a boring miserable faggot whose wife prays for death in her sleep every night.

I'll claim this as an e-victory because there's no way you would have uttered such an insult 2 or so years ago.

Constant grinding away works, as a long term project.

[Magic]

Am I being donned by the two most hapless members on here? What the fuck!

[bruhnaldo]

G'wan lad, you need all the fucking victories you can find in life trust me.

[Magic]

So...Ronaldo to China maybe. How about that?

[bruhnaldo]

So...Ronaldo to China maybe. How about that?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8YZpVwGGF94/UrW4Z7dquSI/AAAAAAAAPcc/Jm_tz19fFjc/s1600/maybe-maybe-not.gif

[Magic]

Rb Leipzig are after our Ronaldo apparently.

That's an ancient rumour, £7m was bandied about but it won't happen.

[bruhnaldo]

Surely Cristiano comes over to THE STATES once he's done with Madrid?

Was hoping we could get this Miami team off the ground but that looks dead in the water.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Let's say for the sake of argument that China actually bought up all the world's top players and possessed, in effect, a world superleague with all the top stars. Would anyone here watch it? I'd still watch Chelsea, even if we had to bring back Jody Morris.

[bruhnaldo]

Would be more like an American sports league. MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA.

The rest of the world might not stop but it sure takes a lot of the grandeur away from other leagues.

[Giggles]

Let's say for the sake of argument that China actually bought up all the world's top players and possessed, in effect, a world superleague with all the top stars. Would anyone here watch it? I'd still watch Chelsea, even if we had to bring back Jody Morris.

It might be the death the game needs to start properly again.

[Offshore Toon]

Football isn't about football for me anymore. I don't watch the Premier League, so I definitely won't watch a Chinese league.

[John]

Football isn't about football for me anymore.

Alright Sean.

[Reg]

What ruins it for you, Offshore?

[Baz]

Am I being donned by the two most hapless members on here? What the fuck!You've not started making fun of yourself yet.

[Smiffy]

What ruins it for you, Offshore?

Off the field I have found recently that the transfer fees whilst always being OTT have hit a stage now where you're paying record breaking numbers for average players. I remember craving Liverpool would sign a £20M plus player which was OK when it was a Torres but then you look through the years, £32M on Benteke, £20 on my man Lazar, £20 on Downing, £35 on Carroll, £20 on Aquilani...that's without adding in the hit and hopes like Balotelli, Aspas, Ilori, Luis Alberto etc.

Downing would cost around £40-50M these days. I genuinely think if Klopp wasn't at the helm I would have lost interest all together. At least we're pleasing on the eye now whereas under Rodgers and his final six months plus we were beyond woeful.

It's all a bit shit really but then Saturday comes the whistle is blown you forget about it for 90mins.

[phonics]

Off the field I have found recently that the transfer fees whilst always being OTT have hit a stage now where you're paying record breaking numbers for average players. I remember craving Liverpool would sign a £20M plus player which was OK when it was a Torres but then you look through the years, £32M on Benteke, £20 on my man Lazar, £20 on Downing, £35 on Carroll, £20 on Aquilani...that's without adding in the hit and hopes like Balotelli, Aspas, Ilori, Luis Alberto etc.

Downing would cost around £40-50M these days. I genuinely think if Klopp wasn't at the helm I would have lost interest all together. At least we're pleasing on the eye now whereas under Rodgers and his final six months plus we were beyond woeful.

It's all a bit shit really but then Saturday comes the whistle is blown you forget about it for 90mins.

It's not your money, why would you care?

[Reg]

Off the field I have found recently that the transfer fees whilst always being OTT have hit a stage now where you're paying record breaking numbers for average players. I remember craving Liverpool would sign a £20M plus player which was OK when it was a Torres but then you look through the years, £32M on Benteke, £20 on my man Lazar, £20 on Downing, £35 on Carroll, £20 on Aquilani...that's without adding in the hit and hopes like Balotelli, Aspas, Ilori, Luis Alberto etc.

Downing would cost around £40-50M these days. I genuinely think if Klopp wasn't at the helm I would have lost interest all together. At least we're pleasing on the eye now whereas under Rodgers and his final six months plus we were beyond woeful.

It's all a bit shit really but then Saturday comes the whistle is blown you forget about it for 90mins.
Transfer fees, really? Just watch the actual football and let people you never meet spend their millions.

[Smiffy]

It's not your money, why would you care?

It's just a bit demoralising seeing your £30M striker miss one on ones that Redknapp's gran could finish. At least there was an excuse with the budget buys and we tend to do better with them anyway. Our best players have been the bargains, Hyypia, Henchoz, Suarez, Torres (in hindsight obviously), Alonso, Garcia....

[Smiffy]

Transfer fees, really? Just watch the actual football and let people you never meet spend their millions.

It plays a part but it's not the whole picture, obviously. I feared the worst when we signed Mane for £30odd but in todays terms that's a relative bargain when you saw what happened later in the market.

It's just demoralising like I said above and if I find it tedious given how one eyed I am about football then surely others must.

[Ian]

Basically everything that isn't the actual football itself is an endless avalanche of insufferable bullshit.

And even the actual football itself is more boring than my probably-rose-tinted nostalgia specs tell me it is.

Not that teams trying to bore each other to death with posession isn't exciting. Art 'n' that, right?

[Smiffy]

I found myself getting annoyed with Carragher of all people as he looked to blame Mignolet for an error that wasn't really his doing, poor goal to concede against Stoke but there's a bit of a vendetta out against both keepers and for all the talk of our defence, with the exception of Spurs and Chelsea, it's nowhere near as bad as reported. Few errors here and there but mostly indivudual, still kept four or five sheets and have conceded maybe 2/3 goals more than the likes of City, Arsenal and United whilst arguably being the most attack minded of the bunch.

[Manc]

I'm still convinced Aquilani is a badger.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I found myself getting annoyed with Carragher of all people as he looked to blame Mignolet for an error that wasn't really his doing, poor goal to concede against Stoke but there's a bit of a vendetta out against both keepers and for all the talk of our defence, with the exception of Spurs and Chelsea, it's nowhere near as bad as reported. Few errors here and there but mostly indivudual, still kept four or five sheets and have conceded maybe 2/3 goals more than the likes of City, Arsenal and United whilst arguably being the most attack minded of the bunch.

They're all trying to get Joe Hart a move there.

[Kikó]

If you want to lose all interest in football, read The Numbers Game. Basically sucks out all fun and enjoyment of football making you wish you'd ended it all before you had spent so much money on a Luis Nani bedsheet.

[igor_balis]

WBA's official facebook posted a Jason Koumas screamer the other day and on one hand it was a brilliant nostalgia trip to when I gave a shit, but also a stark reminder of how little I give a shit these days.

[igor_balis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT8lzy_AGxI

:drool: :(

[ScousePig]

People talking about football is pretty boring isn't it?

[Offshore Toon]

What ruins it for you, Offshore?
It feels like I've watched every passage of play countless times before, plus I don't care about the outcome anyway, so there's absolutely no excitement.

[Giggles]

Jurgen is having a right seethe over Draxler going to PSG.

[Lewis]

If Patrice Evra came back [and was rubbish]. :drool:

[bruhnaldo]

Uncle Pat :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've just had this thought. The transfer list. Is it an actual list?

[phonics]

Yep, it's an actual list that is then distributed to other clubs to tell them who's available.


Throughout the year, the PFA maintains an online Transfer List, which gives clubs direct access to players that are currently available.If you are out-of-contract, or your existing club has stated in writing that you may seek new opportunities – it is vital that you add your details to the Transfer List.

The Transfer List is a simple tool for managers, coaches and scouts as they search for a suitable signing, and once registered for the service clubs can contact listed players directly via the online platform.

In order to allow clubs to contact either you directly or your representatives, please ensure contact details are kept up to date.

Clubs can search for players based on pre-set criteria such as position, transfer status, previous experience, age and height.

The Transfer Directory is used in all four tiers of professional football in England but it also attracts interest from much further afield. International enquiries have come from the MLS, A-League, SPL and as far afield as India and China.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Patrice :drool:

http://www.manchesterlalala.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/evra-suarez-celebration.gif

Hero.

[Lewis]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/05/14/article-0-04EEF807000005DC-678_306x327.jpg

:cool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dYetGXUSbY

Lest we forget that he took Park Ji Sung under his wing too.

[Lewis]

Looking back, those United teams were packed with heroic figures. Javier Hernandez, Park Ji-sung, Nani, Rafael, Anderson, Antonio Valencia... I don't really know who fills those roles now, since the likes of Paulp Ogba and 'Zlatan' are too good to really enjoy. If Henrikh Mkhitaryan beats three defenders he will more than likely follow it up with the correct decision. Nani kept you guessing.

[Lewis]

It's between Eric Bailly and Daley Blind, I think. Maybe Marcos Rojo if he keeps it up. Marouane Fellaini would have been an icon by now if United had won two titles in his time, so he's probably a bit unlucky there.

[randomlegend]

It's definitely Bailly.

[Lewis]

I would love to see him take a penalty.

[Lewis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CunmL56j9M

Wot? Look at the comments. Andrea Pirlo is probably somewhere in there SEETHING.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Pak Ji Sung Tae Cool, it says on that thumbnail. I think that's them trying to say 'tackle'.

[Giggles]

Patrice :drool:

http://www.manchesterlalala.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/evra-suarez-celebration.gif

Hero.

That's the most glorious gif I've ever seen.

[Reg]

Haha, Evra was great. His Instagram is funny and a little weird, well worth following.

When he brought that fake arm onto the pitch. :D

[Spikey M]

That's the most glorious gif I've ever seen.

Not a gif but probably the best moment in football trolling history.

https://youtu.be/7657Hb27K4c

[Giggles]

Not a gif but probably the best moment in football trolling history.

https://youtu.be/7657Hb27K4c

:D Never seen that before. Brilliant.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I had forgotten about that.

What a moment.

[bruhnaldo]

I will always secretly love Adebayor for that. Glorious.

[Gray Fox]

We'd all love to have done what he did, but never would have. He actually went and did it. What a man.

[Shindig]

Henry did it first.

[phonics]

If Loftus Cheek gets forced out the club on loan in January, Chelsea should be banned from signing any player under 20 for the next five years. So mistreated.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Problem with Loftus Cheek is he's lazy and eased well off the gas as soon as he got his contract, whenever that was.

[Adamski]

Do we have Birmingham fans on here? Rangers are close to signing Jon Toral from Arsenal on loan, he was at Birmingham last year and won their player and fans player of the year.

[phonics]

He's good and should do better than Zememalemalem as he can put himself about a bit (but not that much). Good set piece delivery and likes a long range shot.

edit: Saying that though, Nicklas Bendtner was also amazing at Birmingham.

[Adamski]

Zelalem was decent I thought, but yeah a bit lightweight. Would expect Toral to be another level up being 3 years younger and played 2 years or so Championship football.

[phonics]

Problem with Loftus Cheek is he's lazy and eased well off the gas as soon as he got his contract, whenever that was.

I can imagine it's pretty easy to rest on your laurels when you know the next game you're going to get is for Vitesse Arnhem.

Did you know Marko Van Ginkel is leaving this year? Remember him?

Who's the french striker that has been banging them in for years? He's looked great everytime I see him play, then you spend 30 million on a 22 year old Belgian and don't use him either. It's madness.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's just signed a new contract with us I think. Going on loan to, er, somewhere. PSV.

[phonics]

I tried looking through the Chelsea website and couldn't find him. Turns out he's at Ajax on loan.

I mean look at the state of it:

http://i.imgur.com/D9JvLJ2.png

Put a couple of Old Man Marcel Desailly types in that squad and you'd be challenging for mid-table.

[-james-]

Has any Chelsea youth player made it into the first team since John Terry? They're clearly not all useless, is it entirely a money spinning/laundering thing, or are they just relying on sending Kenedy off on loan and having him come back as Romario?

[phonics]

If Ake doesn't replace Cahill by next season there's something fundamentally wrong with the club. He's a truly impressive player.

And how a guy called Jamal Blackman doesn't have a career at the highest level is a clear sign the game has gone.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Has any Chelsea youth player made it into the first team since John Terry? They're clearly not all useless, is it entirely a money spinning/laundering thing, or are they just relying on sending Kenedy off on loan and having him come back as Romario?

Carlton Cole for a time, Ryan Bertrand started the Champions League final that we won, and various others have done so sporadically, but the reality is that we hire exclusively foreign coaches and they buy in ready made players for £20 million even as backups, because if they don't win everything in the first season, they get sacked.

If Wenger had the same axe hanging over him the whole time I suspect his outlook would have been entirely different.

The player farm is probably money laundering though. It's all tied in with the Great Mystery of Michael Emenalo.

[Adamski]

If Ake doesn't replace Cahill by next season there's something fundamentally wrong with the club. He's a truly impressive player.

And how a guy called Jamal Blackman doesn't have a career at the highest level is a clear sign the game has gone.

Someone who isn't a first pick at Bournemouth should definitely be starting for Chelsea next season.

[phonics]

Didn't play for the first 10 or so. Hasn't missed a game outside of Chelsea (as he can't play against them) since. The guy is immense. Was great at Watford last year too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Not sure he's a Cahill replacement, more of a David Luiz (it's not just the hairstyles).

I'm in an apparent minority of really liking Cahill, sure he arses up from time to time but he gives you a lot as well.

[Manc]

Do January transfers ever pay off? Suarez comes to mind.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Vidic and Evra.

[Max Power]

Robert Huth

[Manc]

Vidic and Evra.

Why were they allowed to piss off again?

[Ian]

Vidic was famously one of the worst headers of the ball in the history of English football so that explains that one.

And with Suarez on the way there wasn't much point in Evra any more.

[Spikey M]

Everton have signed some bloke from the Championship.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38520520

[mo]

League One.

[Giggles]

League One.

£11m.

[bruhnaldo]

League One.

£11m.

Ademola Lookman.

[Spikey M]

Might have been League 1 tbh.

[bruhnaldo]

Fair play to admit that. Top lad. Top poster.

[Manc]

Stop.

[ScousePig]

Vidic was famously one of the worst headers of the ball in the history of English football so that explains that one.

Clueless you mate.

West Ham can fuck off trying to nab Defoe. Not even having a fuck you, pay me.

[Lewis]

http://cdn.soccerbible.com/images/archive/best_loan_deals_img5.jpg

:cool:

[randomlegend]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38523114

Has nobody posted this?

[Jimmy Floyd]

As if Les Reed and his bowling ball head is still running things down there.

[Lewis]

He's probably still dining out on annoying Steven Gerrard.

[Reg]

Chinese Super League clubs face caps on spending after 'burning money' http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38524429


A spokesperson for China's General Administration of Sport said clubs in the country were "burning money".

The spending was also described as "a grave phenomenon" in a question and answer session on the organisation's official website on Thursday.

The spokesperson added that the government body would "strengthen examination and supervision of clubs' financial affairs, progressively control clubs' expenditures on first-team players and ensure favourable financial conditions".

Also on that page is a link to "China aims to become football superpower 'by 2050'". What? How'd they come up with that number? Who the hell knows what football will be like in over 3 decades.

[Jimmy Floyd]

strengthen examination and supervision of clubs' financial affairs, progressively control clubs' expenditures on first-team players and ensure favourable financial conditions

This is the most far eastern sentence ever written.

[Lewis]

Why 2050 anyway? How long did it take Iceland to become decent (which, scaled-up, would presumably produce some players)?

[Gray Fox]

Have Liverpool been linked to Fonte yet? It goes against our transfer model, but Southampton and all that.

[Manc]

Fonte is a chancer.

[bruhnaldo]

Wilf Zaha is an Ivory Coast international now?

[ScousePig]

Where's this boring cunt Chris Sutton suddenly come from? He's been sounding off about Jermain Defoe going to West Ham like they're best mates and knows he wants to move there: "he'd much rather play at West Ham than Sunderland, let's get that right." Why is this exactly?

Now he's saying Defoe should 'dig his heels in'. Attention seeking nonce.

[Boydy]

Bigger club, innit.

[ScousePig]

London club, innit.

Correct.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yes, why wouldn't he want to play in the Championship next season.

[ScousePig]

We're not in the championship.

He can move on a free if we're relegated.

We've been in much worse positions than this and not gone down.

[Boydy]

Correct.

That is correct also, yes.

[Disco]

Yeah I can't imagine why he'd want to go back to the club he started at rather than go down with one several hundred miles from where he's spent most of the rest of his career. It's the most obvious transfer ever.

[John]

I always enjoy how wounded Scouse gets whenever someone issues even an implied insult to Sunderland.

[niko_cee]

Another win for seethemaster Sutton.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_medium/public/thumbnails/image/2016/09/12/15/sutton.jpg

[John]

I spent a good ten seconds looking at that waiting for the Gif to start so he's got me seething by proxy.

[ScousePig]

Hearing your enjoyment lessens the wound somewhat, John. Why is it you can't make a couple of posts in here without someone having a dig or becoming patronising?

Back to the original point, why is it Sutton feels he can act like he knows what Defoe wants? They're a London club and they're slightly better than us. That's it. It's not like Arsenal or Spurs are sniffing. Then it would be obvious.

It's obviously feasible he might want to go, but nobody is arguing otherwise.

[ScousePig]

https://mobile.twitter.com/5liveSport/status/817678189539401729

[Adamski]

How can sunderland be pleading poverty in that league? Utter joke of a club.

[Waffdon]

Chris Sutton :cool:

[ScousePig]

How can sunderland be pleading poverty in that league? Utter joke of a club.

If we'd carried on yo-yoing then fair enough, but despite 10 consecutive seasons in the premier we're supposedly £100m+ in debt.

Utter joke is right.

[John]

Hearing your enjoyment lessens the wound somewhat, John. Why is it you can't make a couple of posts in here without someone having a dig or becoming patronising?

Back to the original point, why is it Sutton feels he can act like he knows what Defoe wants? They're a London club and they're slightly better than us. That's it. It's not like Arsenal or Spurs are sniffing. Then it would be obvious.

It's obviously feasible he might want to go, but nobody is arguing otherwise.

Sutton is being a bit more strident than you'd like over an issue on which your disagreement with him is a matter of degree and you're here giving it 'how very dare he'. It's the same any time someone somewhere says something negative about Sunderland, leaves them off a list you think they should be on, or offers a compliment to another club you think should equally be offered to Sunderland. It's funny, and I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking so. If you take that as condescension or a dig then carry on, but that just shows you're precious elsewhere too.

They were his first professional club and it wouldn't be unreasonable to think he feels he has business to attend to there given he left under something of a cloud. Sutton is not expressing a controversial opinion.

[ScousePig]

Who do you support John?

[Boydy]

How do you not know that by now?

[Max Power]

Why would Sunderland sell? The moment they do they are relegated. West Ham looking a bit embarrassing chucking bids left, right and centre for anyone and everyone like they were in the summer.

[ScousePig]

How do you not know that by now?

Rangers? I've barely posted for years.

I'm just surprised he doesn't seem to understand that a fan might be a bit biased towards their club. If I was extreme with it then fair enough, but I'm not.

[ScousePig]

Why would Sunderland sell? The moment they do they are relegated. West Ham looking a bit embarrassing chucking bids left, right and centre for anyone and everyone like they were in the summer.

There's no logical reason from our point of view. Even if we get silly money, it's not going to match his worth to us ie possible survival.

[bruhnaldo]

No way could they sell him, that's a death certificate. Same time it's not hard to understand why he would want the move.

[Shindig]

I've heard Moyes is getting nowt to spend so a sale would probably be on.

[Manc]

Who do you support John?

How hard is you dad?

[Smiffy]

Back to the original point, why is it Sutton feels he can act like he knows what Defoe wants? They're a London club and they're slightly better than us. That's it. It's not like Arsenal or Spurs are sniffing. Then it would be obvious.

Slightly? Defoe would see more of the ball and gain more chances at West Ham. Sunderland are bottom of the table for each whereas West Ham are more top ten.

Do you A) stay in the North East, get one or two chances a game at best whilst spending the majority of the being a spectator? Or do you B) move back to London to a club you left in a poor manner, a club that creates more chances and spends more time on the ball than Sunderland.

To be fair to West Ham most their problems arise from being shit at the back this season and a bit lightweight upfront. Defoe would sort out one aspect and I imagine they'll comfortably finish in the top ten by time season ends.

There's no decision to be made, really. It's not like he hasn't earned it.

[Baz]

Klopp should sign Franck Kessie before Chelsea agree a deal. Replacement for Lucas.

[ScousePig]

Slightly? Defoe would see more of the ball and gain more chances at West Ham. Sunderland are bottom of the table for each whereas West Ham are more top ten.

Do you A) stay in the North East, get one or two chances a game at best whilst spending the majority of the being a spectator? Or do you B) move back to London to a club you left in a poor manner, a club that creates more chances and spends more time on the ball than Sunderland.

To be fair to West Ham most their problems arise from being shit at the back this season and a bit lightweight upfront. Defoe would sort out one aspect and I imagine they'll comfortably finish in the top ten by time season ends.

There's no decision to be made, really. It's not like he hasn't earned it.

Of course there's a decision to be made. From an individual point of view he's been in great form for most of his time here, and it seems he really enjoys it here despite our struggles and living in the third world. Nobody could have predicted he'd be this good in his mid thirties, and there's no guarantee he'd do the same if he went to West Ham. You're talking like they create chances for fun and are doing well in the league, and it's not the case. You could argue it's a step up, but it isn't a big one by any stretch.

Anyway, the original point was that Sutton is acting like he knows Defoe wants to go to West Ham. He doesn't.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why wouldn't he? He might have heard via a mutual pal, like Tim Sherwood.

[Offshore Toon]

For the record, I think its quite sad when an adult is blindly biased just because he 'supports' a club. Ultimately, you lose all credibility when you show you have a bias. Hearing two fans argue when they're on complete opposite ends of the spectrum due to being biased is one of the most frustrating and pathetic scenarios possible.

[Kikó]

Yeah but he's biased so you can't expect him to be reasonable.

[Lewis]

I like how all of the original Chris Sutton chimp out was clarified by his actual comments. 'WHY IS THAT EXACTLY?' He explains why. 'NOW HE'S SAYING DEFOE SHOULD "DIG HIS HEELS IN"'. Yeah, because he accepts Sunderland won't want to sell.

John being a Rangers fan is a surprise though. Not to mention embarrassing. I've been sending him pro-IRA/paedophilia memes for years. :face:

[Smiffy]

Of course there's a decision to be made. From an individual point of view he's been in great form for most of his time here, and it seems he really enjoys it here despite our struggles and living in the third world. Nobody could have predicted he'd be this good in his mid thirties, and there's no guarantee he'd do the same if he went to West Ham. You're talking like they create chances for fun and are doing well in the league, and it's not the case. You could argue it's a step up, but it isn't a big one by any stretch.

Anyway, the original point was that Sutton is acting like he knows Defoe wants to go to West Ham. He doesn't.

http://s30.postimg.org/5bb8srxvl/screenshot_788.png

Compared to yourselves, aye. :checkit:

There's no guarantees with any signing but given he's done the business at every club he's been at it's fair to say he'll continue in that manner for West Ham (who are actually in a "false position".) He'll be 35 next birthday by which time your lot will be firmly in the Championship.

It doesn't need Sutton to validate a potential move but then I would be more inclined to side with someone who is 'in the game' as opposed to a blinkered supporter. You're doing no different to Sutton. Defoe is hardly going to come out and say he dislikes the area and wants to move back to London. He's too snidey. He'll be off in January for around £8-10M.

[Yevrah]

Sunderland would be mad to sell, but I can see entirely why Defoe would want to go back to West Ham.

[ScousePig]

For the record, I think its quite sad when an adult is blindly biased just because he 'supports' a club. Ultimately, you lose all credibility when you show you have a bias. Hearing two fans argue when they're on complete opposite ends of the spectrum due to being biased is one of the most frustrating and pathetic scenarios possible.

In comparison to the rest of the Sunderland message board, I'm very much a voice of reason. It's more natural to be biased towards your club when you're talking with neutrals, of course. Not saying you were referring to me specifically but I'm definitely not blindly biased. I'll just defend my club if someone says something I disagree with.

Jimmy, he might have heard from someone, but rather it reeks of Sutton trying to shout louder than anyone else to be heard due to him being a no mark.

[ScousePig]

I like how all of the original Chris Sutton chimp out was clarified by his actual comments. 'WHY IS THAT EXACTLY?' He explains why. 'NOW HE'S SAYING DEFOE SHOULD "DIG HIS HEELS IN"'. Yeah, because he accepts Sunderland won't want to sell.

John being a Rangers fan is a surprise though. Not to mention embarrassing. I've been sending him pro-IRA/paedophilia memes for years. :face:

I've explained why he might want to leave, not why he definitely does. There's a difference.

And the dig his heels in comment again implies that he wants to leave, and there's no evidence, or even any talk that this is true. Except from nonce breath.

[ScousePig]

http://s30.postimg.org/5bb8srxvl/screenshot_788.png

Compared to yourselves, aye. :checkit:

There's no guarantees with any signing but given he's done the business at every club he's been at it's fair to say he'll continue in that manner for West Ham (who are actually in a "false position".) He'll be 35 next birthday by which time your lot will be firmly in the Championship.

It doesn't need Sutton to validate a potential move but then I would be more inclined to side with someone who is 'in the game' as opposed to a blinkered supporter. You're doing no different to Sutton. Defoe is hardly going to come out and say he dislikes the area and wants to move back to London. He's too snidey. He'll be off in January for around £8-10M.

You've no idea we'll be in the Championship. We've been in worse positions many times before and been fine. Whereas in that time West Ham have been relegated and been in relegation battles.

And £8-10m? Reports suggest we've already turned down £13m.

What am I doing that's no different to Sutton?

[Smiffy]

You've been fine by virtue of the teams above being even worse but even the likes of Burnley and Bournemouth have surpassed Sunderland now. It's a one way street made worse by the fact you'll be passing Newcastle on the way. Either way, if you gave a player either option of West Ham or Sunderland in current predicaments then you would be choosing West Ham every single time.

You're also basing it only on this season but I'm sure you don't need me to remind you that West Ham finished 7th last season, some 20+ points clear of yourselves, qualified for Europe which in part has been why they struggled at the beginning of the season. It's a no brainer irrespective of what Sutton says.

[Lewis]

The 'dig his heels in' is suggesting that he would have to force the move, not that he definitely wants to force the move. You're basically moaning because he hasn't added a disclaimer that he is only speculating, which should be obvious to everybody.

[Reg]

I think Scouse has been fair, if a little over-theatrical. Sutton doesn't know what Defoe wants, and it definitely isn't obvious. He's the star at Sunderland, West Ham are having a bad season, and who knows if he'd like to go back.

Sunderland simply can't sell. I don't know how on earth they've managed to get in debt though; that's awful considering their squad is one of the worst in the PL.

[ScousePig]

You've been fine by virtue of the teams above being even worse but even the likes of Burnley and Bournemouth have surpassed Sunderland now. It's a one way street made worse by the fact you'll be passing Newcastle on the way. Either way, if you gave a player either option of West Ham or Sunderland in current predicaments then you would be choosing West Ham every single time.

You're also basing it only on this season but I'm sure you don't need me to remind you that West Ham finished 7th last season, some 20+ points clear of yourselves, qualified for Europe which in part has been why they struggled at the beginning of the season. It's a no brainer irrespective of what Sutton says.

Teams above being worse? Being passed by Newcastle? Burnley have surpassed us despite only coming back up again this season, and I'm the one only basing things on this season? What are you on about?

Again, what am I doing that's no different to Sutton? That you're inclined to listen to some gobshite attention seeker just because he used to be a footballer is quite telling. The 'pundits' know very little - have you not learned that yet?

[ScousePig]

The 'dig his heels in' is suggesting that he would have to force the move, not that he definitely wants to force the move. You're basically moaning because he hasn't added a disclaimer that he is only speculating, which should be obvious to everybody.

Fair enough. I know you don't have to end each comment with an 'in my opinion' disclaimer, but there's a difference between stating an opinion and stating something as though it's a fact when it's not.

[Bam]

:D

Scouse, why do you react to everything? I remember many years, ago when we was both in the championship, he'd argue with everyone how Sunderland was as big a club as Man United. :D

[ScousePig]

If you'd said Aston Villa or something you might have got a bite.

[Bam]

:D

Anyway, I think we've binned Defoe off, looks like we've signed Scott Hogan and are now looking for another forward. Rest easy, Scouse.

[ScousePig]

He didn't fancy the HUGE step down is what I heard.

[Bam]

I heard that his little legs wouldn't allow him to step up.

[Offshore Toon]

What's the deal with this Scott Hogan? Why is everybody in for him?

[Bam]

Fuck knows, I think everyone hopes he's the new Vardy. Tbf he has a decent scoring record.

[Adamski]

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/401498/saido-berahino-rangers-plot-audacious-move-for-striker-with-interest-high-in-west-brom-man/

:D John

[Bam]

"He posted a 15-second video of him running with two angry emojis and the caption: “They say I ain’t fit #OK.”

:roflol:

[Offshore Toon]

Page not found.

[Bam]

I found it ok.

[Offshore Toon]

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/395294/west-brom-wantaway-saido-berahino-slams-claims-over-his-lack-of-fitness-with-post-to-social-media/

[Adamski]

Not sure why the link isn't working properly.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/2558474/saido-berahino-rangers-plot-audacious-move-for-striker-with-interest-high-in-west-brom-man/amp/

[John]

Lol at that whole thing. The idea that we could sign him, the state of the article (crash barrier Dembele is Belgian and it already has us selling him on for profit down the road), and the fact that it's apparently been removed from the Scottish version of the site but remains on the English one. The transfer window is filled with such nonsense, it's so good.

It's the worst patter ever, but that 'yer da sells Avon' rubbish gave me a laugh the other day when a Twitter account announced that Aberdeen had signed a Turkish bloke named Yerdas Selzavon, and the Sky Sports website ran with it, ostensibly because they thought the tweet came from the official Aberdeen account. So much faster than our Mark Kerr endeavour.

[Offshore Toon]

That was funny, but only once I saw the joke explained on Reddit.

[Bam]

So much faster than our Mark Kerr endeavour.

Hey, we done good with that. I got it on Talksport. :cool:

[John]

That was funny, but only once I saw the joke explained on Reddit.

It might be the worst 'banter' ever conceived. Prior to that Twitter business, which was primarily funny as they'd tricked Sky Sports into reporting a fake, the only fun to be had from it was some kid who'd actually signed his mate's dad up as an Avon salesman, because that's some serious effort and commitment to a terrible joke.

[Giggles]

What's the deal with this Scott Hogan? Why is everybody in for him?

I'd seen Red Bull Leipzig were looking at him too. Hasn't he spent most of his career injured?

[Adamski]

Lol at that whole thing. The idea that we could sign him, the state of the article (crash barrier Dembele is Belgian and it already has us selling him on for profit down the road), and the fact that it's apparently been removed from the Scottish version of the site but remains on the English one. The transfer window is filled with such nonsense, it's so good.

It's the worst patter ever, but that 'yer da sells Avon' rubbish gave me a laugh the other day when a Twitter account announced that Aberdeen had signed a Turkish bloke named Yerdas Selzavon, and the Sky Sports website ran with it, ostensibly because they thought the tweet came from the official Aberdeen account. So much faster than our Mark Kerr endeavour.

Dembele is French but yeah.

[John]

Dembele is French but yeah.

The article says he's Belgian. That's part of the reason it's lol, whoever wrote it has clearly just Googled the name and wound up with the Spurs bloke.

[Adamski]

Ah haha. Yeah.

[Giggles]

Is there another Dembele apart from the Tottenham and Celtic ones? The former really missed a trick with the latter one.

[Adamski]

Ousmane at Dortmund.

He'd have cost a pretty high transfer fee from Fulham at the time.

[randomlegend]

Is there another Dembele apart from the Tottenham and Celtic ones? The former really missed a trick with the latter one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousmane_Demb%C3%A9l%C3%A9

[Jimmy Floyd]

We've recalled Nathan Aké. What scenes.

[Giggles]

Ousmane at Dortmund.

He'd have cost a pretty high transfer fee from Fulham at the time.

The Celtic one? Tottenham had him for £1m last January and it fell through because they wouldn't loan him back for 6 months.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/moussa-dembele-to-tottenham-fulham-pull-plug-after-loan-back-deal-stalls-a6846106.html

[phonics]

We've recalled Nathan Aké. What scenes.

Conte knows what's up :cool:

[Raoul Duke]

Bit weird as Zouma is coming back and Terry still has to be knocking about

[Amigo]

Rumour in Iceland saying Southampton have bid £34 million for Gylfi.

[mugbull]

I had a dream last night that Eric Bailly was white

[niko_cee]

Did I hear right that Chelsea want Llorente off Swansea and are going to Batshuayi the other way (on loan)?

:cab:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Moneyball.

[Giggles]

Did I hear right that Chelsea want Llorente off Swansea and are going to Batshuayi the other way (on loan)?

:cab:

It's the January window, basically fuck all is true. Only yesterday I seen Coutinho and Lallana were forcing moves to Tottenham and West Ham were giving £40m to Celtic for Dembele.

[Raoul Duke]

I've seen that Llorente thing in a couple of places. Makes zero sense and he's bobbins anyway.

Mind you, this Batshuayi is going to be Lukaku Mk II.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Pat Nevin reckons Batshuayi (they call it the blues) is the business, and that's good enough for me.

[CJay]

I can see the Llorente played for Conte at Juve angle, but the Batshuayi part of the deal is madness.

[Reg]

Didn't think Mou's points were that bad to be fair:


“I’m totally in favour,” Mourinho said to Fifa’s website. “As a club manager, if the expansion meant more games, less holidays and less pre-season for players, I would say no. But it’s important for critics to analyse and understand that expansion doesn’t mean more matches.”

One of the proposals for the restructuring of the World Cup would involve 16 groups of three teams, with only two matches per group before a knockout round of 32. The Manchester United manager believes this is the right structure for developing smaller nations and heightening excitement.

“This way, the two group matches are crucial, then the knockout stage is next which brings even more emotion,” Mourinho said. “Teams with less potential and experience will probably play two matches and go home. But they would do so having improved and gained experience on the pitch.”

Although re. the group matches, the last World Cup had its best matches during its group stage. If the two group matches were 'crucial', then we'd presumably see less crazily open, high scoring games (which 2014 had plenty of).

[Max Power]

It would be like the expanded Euros was last summer. Dull.

Just have a 200+ team tournament played over three months and get rid of tedious qualifiers breaking up the season all the time.

[Reg]

As a fan I'm against it but I can see why he's for it as a manager and football person (if his caring about small nations is to be believed).

[phonics]

Nobody created a thread so my thoughts on this are in the other thread


Had a look at this and if you draw both matches 0-0 and win one of the penalty shoot outs. You're guaranteed to go through. I'm sure the football on show will be SCINTILLATING.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why did Mourinho give a statement to FIFA's website about it in the first place?

[Reg]

Moneys.

A Fifa person might have just been at a normal press conference, I dunno.

[phonics]

Toral to Rangers is done. He'll be in the squad for the weekend apparently.

[phonics]

818799254546300928

That, ladies and gentleman, is a STAT.

[randomlegend]

Schneiderlin off to Everton for £22m.

[Magic]

Schneiderlin off to Everton for £22m.

:sick:

EDIT: £24m was the expected fee in the OP. JOKE!

[Adamski]

Toral to Rangers is done. He'll be in the squad for the weekend apparently.

It's just a friendly against RB Leipzig. We're on a winter shutdown.

Good to get a couple in but can't help but think we need a bit more experienced quality. I suppose January isn't the time for hat.

[Raoul Duke]

Cracking signing for Everton

[Giggles]

That's a shitter with the qualifying campaign not finished. McCarthy hopefully gets a move in this window.

[Adamski]

Claude Makelele appointed Swansea assistant manager :cool:

[Giggles]

Claude Makelele appointed Swansea assistant manager :cool:

Who have that shitshow got as manager now?


EDIT: Ah, Clement. I knew that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Chelsea 2005-10 mafia. Get Zhirkov involved.

[Weaver]

Dmitri Payet has told West Ham 'he doesn't want to play for them', according to Slaven Bilic.


West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says they will not sell Dimitri Payet despite the Frenchman asking to leave.

"We have said we don't want to sell our best players but Dimitri Payet does not want to play for us. We are not going to sell him," Bilic said.

"I spoke to the chairman and this is not a money issue. We gave him a long contract because we want him to stay."

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's a China candidate if ever there was one.

[Adamski]

He's one of those players you know would be utterly terrible at any club higher than Everton.

[Kikó]

What a waster he is.

[Raoul Duke]

Lesson: you probably shouldn't give players a massive contract off the back of one good season

[John]

Isn't he one of the 'legends' with a massive likeness of their jersey hanging in the stadium as well?

[Reg]

Wants to go back to Marseille apparently. His family aren't happy in London which is a good a reason as any, to be fair. But he should still train and play.

[Giggles]

It's funny because it's West Ham.

[Gray Fox]

I wonder if his family would suddenly settle in London if Chelsea, for example, made a bid.

[Lewis]

Teams like Arsenal and Chelsea cleverly put their training grounds close enough to the M25 for their players to live in nice places. West Ham train on a scrapyard in Romford, so where could you feasibly live to not have a ballache commute?

[niko_cee]

Not really transfer news, but the beeb's gossip column has Jesse Lingard signing a new deal at United worth £95,000 a week. Fucking hell.

[Giggles]

Fucking hell. If this TV money ever goes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I remember the outrage when Roy Keane (one of the top 3ish players at the time) went onto £50,000 a week.

[Mazuuurk]

I really don't rate Lingard much. He seems to run around a lot, but he doesn't really do much or seems to have much impact on the game really. For instance I think Rashford is way, way more impactful than Lingard is. So I don't get the hype at all. Am I missing something?

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's one of those players who fans (including me) don't get, but 'football men' love.

[niko_cee]

Luke Chadwick for the 21st Century.

[Mazuuurk]

So what is it he does that these Football men like?

[SvN]

He's a John O'Shea, in that he came through the academy, he gives it his all when he plays, but he'll never be quite good enough to regularly start. But that's okay, because he's fine with 15 starts per season and coming off the bench.

Top teams need that sort of squad player.

[Mazuuurk]

OK I can get that. But he seems to get large amount of starts anyway, certainly in proportion to his skill in my opinion. Hasn't he started more than Rashford this season for instance? Or Martial? Both whom are really much better I think (already).

And 95k a week seems steep for a squad player, even by todays standard.

[SvN]

Martial has only just started playing well. He was really quite poor for the first few months of the season. And regardless of how good he is, Rashford isn't a winger, even if he can "do a job" there. That's one of the downsides of having Ibrahimovic playing.

They've all roughly started the same number of games this season. Lingard's energy and work ethic will get him picked in a lot of games, a bit like Park Ji-sung used to play pretty much every big game for United.

£95k is definitely too much. I expect that as usual, it's inflated slightly by the press. But I'd rather we pay slightly more to a local player who's been at the club since he was 7, rather than paying market value to a foreign player who will want to leave within 18 months due to lack of game time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I can see him being on £95k a week, when you take into account he's a quota player for all the various quotas; he's an England international; he plays quite a lot for United and is pretty good; the TV deal; the fact that he could probably get that or similar to be a central figure for Southampton/Everton were he to leave; and the general fact that footballers' salaries are going exponentially upwards at the moment.

[randomlegend]

OK I can get that. But he seems to get large amount of starts anyway, certainly in proportion to his skill in my opinion. Hasn't he started more than Rashford this season for instance? Or Martial? Both whom are really much better I think (already).

And 95k a week seems steep for a squad player, even by todays standard.

Martial has only started playing well again recently, he was a bit crap at the start of the season (apparently due to DRAMA with his ex). Rashford is still eight years old and is definitely more of a striker which is probably why he's not been used out wide that much even if he's looked pretty good when he has played there.

Lingard is a decent squad player as has been said, and with all this noodle money swimming around, £95k is the new £40k.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Noodle money sounds trivial until you realise that 4 billion people eat almost nothing else.

[Adamski]

Noodles :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

My Korean colleagues find it genuinely weird that I eat a sandwich, and not instant noodles, for lunch.

[Adamski]

I find that weird too, if those are the two options.