Chez

Lorient are going to be able to afford a Premiershp player on his wages - which you would assume were healthy as its a second contract.

can play centre forward?

Mara was signed to replace Broja, not Long (who didn't need to be replaced - proven by the fact we could send him out on loan for half a season) the difference is Broja worked out straight away. Actually, my mistake, Broja wasn't signed to replace Ings, Armstrong was. Another situation where we aimed lower (as you suggested) to ensure we got someone in, but that didn't work out.

Ings left 2.5 years ago. Mara replaced Broja, who replaced Ings - and that worked out, so maybe Mara would work too. It hasn't.

makes sense -`setting our sights lower' to ensure we get someone in. Apparently that is the right approach for success.

We obviously signed Mara believing he was good enough at this level or we wouldn't have signed him. We did exactly what you just said we should do: set our sights lower. But now you are saying we shouldn't have set our sights lower, we should have signed a better quality striker.

Has anyone at the club actually said that? If so, fair enough, but otherwise, how do you know we didn't table exactly the same bid but failed because he chose West Ham over us?

You kind of did though: Going for less quality players because you know you can get them doesn't sound like a great plan to me. Besides, we got the lower quality forward - it was Mara. Everyone forgets about that signing because he hasn't worked out yet. If he has been the nuts, how many would be saying "yeah, we got this brilliant young striker but we've never replaced Ings."

obviously the three times he played for England.

Fair enough. If we had signed no other players, just a centre forward, we'd of have a line up, something like: McCarthy KWP Salisu Bednarek Perraud Ely Romeu JWP Armstrong Adams New centre forward Bench: Caballero, Lyanco, Stephens, Djenepo, Tella, Diallo, Armstrong, Walcott

But all you are really saying here is that if we hadn't spent money on crap signings we'd of have more to spend on good signings. We needed a decent left back and more creative attacking options. It's not signing players in those positions thats the problem, it's who we signed.

If we had loaned AArmstrong out to Burnley and he'd scored a few goals, would you be saying the same thing?

BBC say £21m, even cheaper. They really didn't want him hanging around like a bad smell after his fall out with the manager. Was on fire for Brighton before then too. Decent player. Technically very good, but in Mitoma they have a talent that is already firing so they may not miss him.

lot of decent headed goals in there, but not much else. Don't see much stuff carrying the ball. Maybe I need to watch some other videos focused on his skills not just his goals.

they were linked to him back in October, maybe even earlier. I think this might just be a rehash rather than a genuine update. Some have suggested Everton don't have the funds, a FFP is crippling them, but Im sure they'd find a way. Udinese wont be letting him go cheaply though and my guess they wont allow him to go at all in this widow unless someone offered crazy money.

Willo Flood alongside him

I scanned his twitter posts - it's an almost endless stream of incorrect transfer `news'.

The "Sports Journalist, presenter, occasional writer" Andy Turnswood (that's not you is it?) suggests Djenepo is going out on loan to Watford until end of season, with £8m option to buy.

Sure has. Sadly he's scored his one great goal per contract already. 🙂

A new acronym for Turkish: OEMBG

That DM position has been a massive problem for us with Lavia out, Diallo shite and JWP not really working out there. Bolster the centre and possession, chances and goals will probably improve. In terms of a striker, perhaps the problem is more along the lines of we need a £30m type striker to make a difference, but £30m strikers ain't coming here/won't be allowed to leave in January (I realise that doesn't excuse the summer). I guess you could pay £30m to prise away a guy that is only really worth £15-£20m from his current club. But we did that with Carrillo. I mean the long of short of it is the club don't want to sign another Carrillo.Unless a player of the right quality is gettable, they ain't going to spend for the sake of spending. I'm an Ings man, but if it was my money and it required a £20m fee and £150k a week for the next 3.5 years I might have my worries, assuming Ings would even come back, and Villa had a replacement that would enable him to depart.

Salisu not going to Newcastle last January and missing out on £40m is a stark reminder that you need to choose carefully when you sell players, as the window of opportunity can close fast. We'll get what, £15m, maybe £20m for him in the summer? Slightly different situation here with Lavia, as the contract has another 4.5 years to run and our league position is more precarious than last year, but if we go down his value could fall. However, I don't think there is any chance he will go in this window.

Can't see JWP going anywhere now and if we sell Lavia the books will start to balance. KWP is going to need a £100k a week contract to stay here. Maybe he is worth that. Adams is another that no doubt wants paying similar sums to stay. Not sure he is worth the contract, but his value is going to fall as he gets closer to walking on a free. Very interesting summer. Just need to stay up to retain a portion of control of these potential moves.

Very well. Contract is running down, and there was talk this week of the asking fee had reduced (Sheff United turned down £15m from Bruge in summer), but Sheff United are going for promotion, so I doubt they will sell now unless its a hefty offer. Just the kind of player we need to add some power in the midfield. Can't see it happening though.

when there us no speculation about any of our players, that's the time to worry. As a business and a football club, getting `too good to turn down offers' is what we need, followed by fantastic reinvestment in players that are equally brilliant. We have been a bit low on both in recent times, hence the league position and £90m debt we now have.