TRon

If you could be as objective about your hero Taylor that view might mean something. He's not my hero, i just don't go on like some jumped up prick about a young lad learning his trade in a tough league and in a dead environment. You do though. That's what I'm saying. But i don't though, i just find his harsh criticism mind numbingly boring. Has anyone offered close to £3m for Taylor yet on a wage package like Rozenhal's? Do tell...

If you could be as objective about your hero Taylor that view might mean something. He's not my hero, i just don't go on like some jumped up prick about a young lad learning his trade in a tough league and in a dead environment. You do though. That's what I'm saying.

If you could be as objective about your hero Taylor that view might mean something.

I don't think Rafa Benitez gets enough criticism in England because his team is geared to cup football, and he's won cups. Liverpool get found out in the Premier where their safety first approach means they miss out on points against weaker teams. Romania will be hard to knock out of this tournament if they get through the group stages, similar to Greece last year.

Lies! This idea is copywrite Mort/Ashley. I'd also add that it's not good enough just to pick up any old bunch of "upcoming 20-23 yr olds" and say job done. There are scouts from teams from all over the world looking for these players, and to think we're going to spot a young player's talent without a bunch of other teams also noticing is naive. So we're either going to have to pay a decent amount for a select few of these players, or adopt a scatter gun approach and get in a lot of cheapies. Either approach is going to cut into the transfer and wage budgets though, and poor choices here could end up being just as costly as poor choices in more developed players. So buying the wrong up and coming youngsters could be costly you say? No shit Sherlock.

Even if 1 in 4 of the £2m-£4m range move up a level it pays for the whole strategy. Exactly. Also, even the less successful buys like Darren Ambrose were good value in that we got our money back.

If Arsenal are in for him he'll go there.

We had this strategy under SBR before he was deemed too senile to continue. It was quite successful as well for the most part but then we brought Souness into our club and the devastation begun.

Don't know anything about the player, but as a rule I am more impressed that we are targeting players who aren't 'names' because that indicates we are doing our homework. Shushy. I was going to compare with a time when perhaps we didn't do our homework but then the thread will be completely shagged so ...

Ditto that. Geremi's legs might have gone but he made us tick in some ways.

Don't know anything about the player, but as a rule I am more impressed that we are targeting players who aren't 'names' because that indicates we are doing our homework.

We'll get our money back because I don't think he was as bad as he was made to look under Allardyce. To be fair, most of our defenders looked shell shocked due to the immense pressure they were under because of Sam's suicidal approach.

On the button.

The important factor isn't Deco's undoubted quality, it's whether he would be prepared to come here. I doubt it so I wouldn't waste too much time over the prospect.

Modric looks a clever little player but I'm not too disappointed we lost out to Spurs. He's hardly a midfield dynamo and I can see why a lot of the big CL clubs didn't make a move. He's a bit lightweight and there'll be matches where Spurs might get over-run in midfield next season.

I think Larsson is one of those players who are currently under-rated, but might well become a highly effective member of the squad. Some players look great individulaly others contribute more to the team pattern. Could be a very astute buy. The best signings aren't always the most spectacular ones.

I agree about Kazim-Richards playing down the middle. Turkey lacked any physical presence in the opposition penalty area, and that was a real problem for them in creating or getting on the end of chances. K-R looked physically a lot stronger than Nihat. On the whole, I was disappointed in Turkey. They looked like a group of talented players who hadn't been knitted together into a team. Turkey looked a bit pedestrian to me. No pace in forward positions.

Paolo Maldini was widely regarded as being one of the best left backs of his generation both at club level and internationally. Was that because he was great at going forward or because he was a brilliant defender? I said in the other thread, because he looks a good prospect as a defender, there is always going to be interest in Enrique. He's still a bit raw, but I've seen foreign players take a lot longer to adapt to the English game. We have made so many bad signings in the past, it's no surprise when we look to have made a half decent one, the vultures are already hovering to take him off us. Keep Enrique and if Zigic is any good then buy him, otherwise thanks but no thanks.

If they're desperate enough to give us £10m...they'll probably agree to give us 12. So let's ask them for 15

I think a lot of people probably share those concerns even if they don't say it because it is still early. If the Modric deal had come off it probably would have settled everyone down a bit easier.

Didn't want to leave sunny Barcelona, now he is being forced out, is willing to play for a mediocre London club for location reasons only. I don't know why he doesn't just retire and save us the prospect of seeing him picking up wages for going through the motions.

Damn. Now Liverpool will be forced to give us £10m. That'll teach them...

KK does seem to have been here an age now without any major signings. I did think we'd have been further down the road to securing a few targets, and my concern is that the longer we leave it, the smaller the pool of players becomes as Fat Sam was moaning last year.

I'm a little concerned then by the boys quality, to be frank if Tuncay and Emre are considered better than him then I hope we are not looking at him. I know absolutely bugger all about him, not exactly a huge follower of the fantastic turkish league and youtube is such a liar. It is a selection question, that probably any other manager wouldn't answer the same way. They are playing different (in comparison to Arda) and the Turks will play against the biggest favourite of the Group first. They want to take the safer option, i think. Bet, he will play against Switzerland. If you are good enough, you'll get picked no matter what formation you are playing. Would England leave out Gerard or Rooney, because they want to play a bit more defensive against team X ? The turkish national team hardly supplies the premiership with the leagues best player. If we are interested in a Turkish player then they need to be of the relative standard of a Gerard or a Rooney is to the the Turkish team. (and before you start I don't mean as good as those two players, I mean as relatively better than the rest of the national team). Isn't he only 19 or something? Maybe he's still on the verge of establishing himself in the national team?

You are all getting excited as if Liverpool have actually made an offer of £10m, whereas the reality is, some journalist from The Sun has plucked a figure out of his arse, doubled it and stuck it in the story.