The Kraken

I had a similar chat with LGTC on another thread, about which positions Adkins had highlighted for improvement at the start of the summer. I think we both agreed that CB, CM and CF were all major targets from the outset. We got Cork in early, we bid for Sharp early, and the Jemal deal started early. After Sharp we chased Rodriguez for a while then seemed to lose our way and wouldn't pay over the odds, and with £12M in our pocket it's easy to see we were being rinsed on prices. So yeah, I wouldn't blame the chairman at all for not shelling out over the odds there. For CB, I think it's much less forgivable what happened. Jemal fell through, whether for him or the club being disagreeable. I'm sure we have always had an interest in Gorkss, only because I heard we enquired about him even before the Jemal interest came to light. Not signing Gorkss was a big mistake IMO, he eventually went to Reading for less than £1M. We showed we were willing to spend 4 or 5 times that amount on a forward, yet I consider CB to be the position where we need to strengthen the most, and I think he would have complemented Fonte fantastically. To let him slip through our fingers, go through the Fontaine episode and then end up with a last minute loanee does not reflect well, and with Seaborne and Jaidi now out I hope we don't suffer as a direct result of it.

That's all true. But to go to the extent of wishing your national team to lose, simply because they have a few big-heads in the team and haven't progressed beyond the 1/4 finals of a major tournament in 15 years, is slightly bizarre IMO.

So would you feel different had we won the WC in 2010?

What a very strange thread. But deciding to hate your own footballing country just because they're not as good as you'd like them to be is truly weird.

To these points; I'd be very surprised indeed (especially given Adkins said so himself) if most of these players had not been identified by the club at the start of the summer. Adkins words on the OS were "we highlighted a number of players in this position [CB] at the start of the summer". So it's fair to assume that there was a list, although you're right to say there was an order of priority. The only one I'd say that was not the case was Hooiveld, who I think was more of a panic search when all other options had fallen through. But I thoroughly think we dropped the ball with not signing a top quality centre-back, time will tell with Hooiveld but my suspicions are that he will be no better than the backup we already have. I'm much more forgiving of the failure to bring in a striker. We know we had a bid accepted for Billy Sharp in excess of £3M but the player clearly wanted too much money. We also put in substantial bids for Rodriguez that the club didn't accept. Paying £6M plus for that type of striker, when you could have paid the same amount in summer 2010 for Javierr Hernandez, just didn't make financial sense. And when Barnard returns it's not as if we're massively short of attcking options, with Lambert, Connolly and Barnard backed up by Lallana, de Ridder, Guly and even Forte. Fairly healthy options, I'd say, and if a more cost-effective option becomes available in the New Year window then all the better.

I'm really not sure whether to laugh at all this or not, as it just seems a bit cruel. Nah, f*ck it, I'm laughing. Thanks MLG, you are an unintentional comedy genius.

If this guy turns out to actually be decent I'm going to suggest he must have been playing in disguise for a number of years, nobody seems to have anything good to say about his previous appearances.

No you don't, I could give you any number of examples of how this isn't a pre-requisite.

That's my take on it. He can't be far away from 100% fitness, just maybe a bit rusty with a lack of first team football. But he's a 6'4" centre half, not exactly a twinkle toes midfielder, so less succeptible you'd have thought. If, after 10 days training with his new teammates, he can't displace Martin (who is effectively our 4th choice centre back) then I'll begin to wonder what this transfer is all about.

He'll have had 10 days between signing and his first game. He may not have been match sharp when he arrived but there would be something pretty wrong if his fitness was that bad that after 10 days training he's still only 80%.

Similar for me; old man is an Everton fan and he had me supporting them until 9 or 10 when I went to a Saints game, and that was that.

Exactly, and now with Seaborne out for goodness knows how long and a complete unknown of a signing (who, lets be honest, isn't setting pulses racing) it could be our problem area.

Without signing a dominant centre half and top centre forward, I think we'll finish 7th or 8th. I have doubts Connolly can carry on with his scoring, and still not sure about Barnard at this level. But with Lallana, Guly and our other attacking options I think we'll do ok. But in defence I think we could get found out a bit, and if we're without Fonte for any significant stretch we could get properly undone.

Yes, and their chairman and manager confirmed that. Warnock went public about our negotiations with Gorkss dragging on for 3 weeks. Bristol City's website published the story of Fontaine not joining us, but not due to a failed medical. Our bid for Rodriguez was turned down and confirmed by Burnley and also Paul Jewell, who also had a bid turned down with Ipswich for the player.

???

Our bids/negotiations for Billy Sharp, Kasper Gorkss, Jay Rodriguez and Liam Fontaine have all been documented in the press or, in the case of Fontaine, on BCFC's official site. And all with direct quotes from representatives of their clubs.

This is an internet chat forum. About football. The whole point is to create discussion about various facets of our football club, including how good or bad potential new signings may be. That involves using all evidence to hand. If I just want factual information I'll stick to the OS.

This was all talked about on here a week or two back, on the Simon Clifford thread. I think everyone agrees that various of the principles he looked to implement made sense. But putting a man with zero experience of football in charge of all footballing operations and spending large sums of money on innovative training methods which subsequently neglected spending on much needed playing staff was a show of madness. And promoting that same man and an understudy in Clifford (who also had no experience of league football management) to be reserve team managers with a view to taking over the first team within a year or so was just lunacy.

No it isn't. Past performance for other clubs is a very good indicator of how a player will fare for us. You're right that it's no guarantee of anything, but to suggest that it's difficult to ascertain how good a player is by looking at his previous form with other clubs (or various other valid methods of research) is just plain daft. We had a good idea that Lambert and Barnard would score goals at league 1 level, as they'd done it before. We had a good idea that Fonte and Jaidi would make a solid defensive duo at League 1 level, as they'd consistently played very well at a higher level of football. Same for many players we've signed, it's even a massive part of the scouting process.

There's no reason that the two are mutually exclusive. Edit: Missed half the thread, this has been covered already *facepalm thingy*

He was made to look much better than he was by having Gareth Bale play at left back behind him.

Round of applause for you, that joke gets funnier every time I hear it :lol:

None taken at all. Maybe I just don't quite comprehend just how sad the true nature of an internet wind-up merchant is, but it seems like a massive waste of time to me. For me, if you're going to take the time to make outlandish claims which everyone can see and hold you to, then it's good to have a benchmark to hold them to. Maybe just a poor idea on my behalf, I suppose.

Fair enough, that's one way of looking at it, and a fair one I'd suggest. But ensuring that £500 goes to a worthwhile charity is another way of looking at it too, which is fair, altruistic, and something I'd do per year anyway. It's a question of value, I guess.

I find myself in agreement with Alpine Saint. I'm off for a wash after saying that.