alpine_saint

Just offering my initial reaction, and my reaction after it has sunk in. I've been consistent in saying I am open-minded pending him actualy playing and showing his abilities.

Slept on it, still underwhelmed. We've waited (some more patiently than others) most of the summer for key areas we have all identified to be strengthened. Then its a loan, and then the manager himself describes it as a "risk". Good luck to Goolie, hope it works out for both sides.

Teams in Austria change their name to reflect their sponsor. For example SV Superfund Kapfenberg, Red Bull Salzburg, SK Puntigamer Sturm. I am pretty certain that the Liebherr family do not own Grazer AK.

Yes.

In fairness, its a reasonable point you and Turkish have made. We dont know if Antonio and Papa would have delivered as permanent signings, we just felt confident they would because of how they performed as loans. No way to be 100% sure of no Sagnowski Syndrome. I suppose I will feel better once Goolie has shown what he is made of in a few games' time..

Well, I really hope so. I am just not comfortable with loans. I think they perform to a misleading level (not bothered, or other extreme - Saganowski Syndrome), and therefore no basis on which to build a promotion campaign.

Nope. I said we should have signed someone properly, and if we feel he is too much of a risk we should have looked elsewhere.

You were the focus of that call ban too, you know. Why should I be banned for describing my reaction as "underwhelmed" ? And why have you lot reacted so violently to it ?

Just read it. Even AP is describing it as a "risk". And surely he is a Serie B player, not Serie A. Maybe he has gone up with Cesena, but he hasnt got a proven record at Serie A level.

Of course I did, and I hope it works out. But considering the critical nature of our activity in the market over the next few days, this has left me a little underwhelmed. Why is that so hard to understand ?

For what, FFS ? I am discussing the merits of a transfer. Why is there so much footstamping because not everyone thinks it is so bloody wonderful ?

Thanks for elaborating, R. I suppose I am arguing that we should have parted with a few 100K more on a player with a higher confidence level to deliver what is needed.

Because it is not the sort of player I envision doing the sort of job that we need done at this level. We will find out soon enough, I suppose.

I would have put the aforementioned 1m on someone closer to home with much higher probability of success.

I saw this but didnt start a thread because of the abuse I would have got. Two thoughts occurred : 1. Players cant hack the pressure, or manager ? 2. The pressure this season was entirely predictable; the writing was on the wall, for months. Maybe the team isnt properly prepared - AGAIN ??

Nothing wrong with that. Nevertheless, until he is seen in action, I remain underwhelmed.

By the time we decide that, the season will be over the half-way mark. I aint going to lie, the sort of signing I was looking for was someone like Danns or Stock, where we had put some more serious money down and secured his services as part of the aim of building this team to compete in the Championship that AP keeps referring to.

I have been accused several times of demanding signings for the sake of it. Sod their quality. Well, I reckon a lot of people on here feel obliged to applaud a signing just because its a signing. Nobody has a f**king clue if he will deliver. Most people dont even know who he is. Look at the abuse anyone who questioned the Dickson signing got. Now look how that has worked out.

What facts ? You reckon we only failed to deliver in one match during that period, that being Wycombe ? must have imagined Brentford, Exeter, Colchester, Oldham, Swindon...

If we are looking at loan signings and thinking "maybe he'll work out", it seems to me that there is no prospect of shoe-ins coming up or the competition / price for them will be too high.

Rubbish again. You cant force someone to stay and sign a contract if they dont want to.

Erm, how about avoiding altogether ?

Rubbish. Professor's post represents the most sensible and balance perspective posted on this move so far. I only said I was underwhelmed and it feels wrong. I remain open-minded.

Definitely looks like we wont make any more permanent signings.

WTF are you on about, Spock ? The whole concept of debate is to discuss opinion, and feeling and emotion play a role in forming an opinion.