Yorkie

Spot on really, combined with Shak's post aswell - not that i think Raul would do class. Raul would be a trophy signing and a needless one at that. Did Owen play with him much over there, btw?

IS he? Yeah. Which is paper talk, we don't know what he's asked for or what we're prepared to offer. Again paper talk, one paper reports £3.3 million where as the local paper report a minimal fee. Yeah, that's all hypothetical. Earlier in the thread - i said that if he was on smaller wages and there was a smaller fee, it'd be a decent enough deal. Is there? Allardyce doesn't seem to think so or otherwise he still wouldn't be chasing him. This regads to everything else and i still stand by this tbh. Not worth the hassle. There are loads of other players that are more appropriate, it's all a matter of opinions isn't it. Besides, i'd like to see us spend big on a centre-back. Apologies for the insult.

He's never going to be first choice - if he was, he would have been by now - and McClaren clearly isn't that fussed, so he might aswell concentrate on his club career. You can see why he's done it.

Is that the guy that went to Palermo or Chievo or something after the World Cup, and was hated by like everyone? No, that was Ahn Jwang han (or something like that), he scored against Italy and knocked them out of the world cup while playing for Perugia at the time.

Signing a good player and raising the club's profile. Hundreds of players that could do that. I'm with Midds.

Can understand where he's coming from i suppose. But in fairness to McClaren and to various predecessors - Carragher's just never really done owt for England.

Out of interest, what was Bergkamp's scoring record like in the Premiership in his last few seasons? Was still crucial to how Arsenal played. Well... yeah? But that was at his club. Raul would be moving. You could say he's crucial to the way Madrid play, he probably is in fairness, but to move to Newcastle? He'd hardly have the same impact and role here, would he? I'm honestly not going to go into this. Raul come to Newcastle? No.

If Martins left, aye. Cybertenner he won't.

Aye, his domestic record is fairly pants tbh. This'd be more pointless than Edmilson in all fairness.

Aye. We're short on strikers like. We have Viduka, Owen & Martins who are good enough, two of them have clauses to leave and are vulnerable at the moment. If both of them leave (one of them pretty much nailed on to be staying now, the other i would be gobsmacked if he buggered off), i might consider Raul. And i'd take Shola as fourth choice tbf.

Aye. We're short on strikers like.

There are two scenarios for Edmilson. The first; he's being brought in to be our number 1 defender, to play alongside Taylor, and be this experienced centre-half that'll bring our younger defenders on. The second; he's another squad-filler like Rozehnal, just bolstering the defensive options. If the prices are correct, and his 6-month injury lay off is an accurate assessment, neither scenario is worth it. Especially when there will be so many other options out there. We could go anywhere on the continent and pay five million Euros for a decent defender. The first isn't worth it because: He's brought in to lead a Premiership defense, when he's got no Premiership experience and apparantely can't even speak English. It'd take him a while to adapt and he's got an immediate injury to comprehend, on top of a poor medical record. Plus, it'd be more profitable to spend big on a top defender. The second isn't worth it because: He'd be a squad player on a fucking massive wage. On top of all the adaptability/injury problems. What i'm saying, and my general point over the whole Edmilson debate is, it's just not worth the hassle. You just have to look at the facts. I don't have to have studied his career and watched him play every game for Barca - it's blatantly obvious that we could go elsewhere and sign someone more appropriate.

So you are arguing against him even though you know nothing about him? Have you ever seen him play? You fucking thick? "I know nowt about him". Aye mate, seen every game he's played. I don't need to have seen him play to know that i'd rather opt against the signing. / He's injury prone / He'd apparantely command huge wages / Barcelona are apparantely asking for a significant transfer fee / He's totally inexperienced in this league / He can't even speak English / Either way, he'll have had a six-month injury lay-off meaning he may not come back the same player and will further hinder his ability to adapt to a totally different league / He's in his thirties, again hindering his ability to adapt to the league / From a human point of view, we'd be asking him to move him and whatever family he has into a completely new lifestyle, again hindering his ability to adapt to the league There's just no need, there are so many other options!!!

You could say the same about Rozehnal. Which bit are you referring to? All bold bits are irrelevant, so presumably you're referring to the better options bits. If that's the case, then in this case - i'm just as oblivious to Rozehnal's technical ability that i am to Edmilson's. I know nowt about him. But he's regarded as one of the top centre-backs in the French league, he has an excellent appearance record showing no injuries, Sam's wanted him for yonks - clearly having scouted him an awful lot in 2007, and he's the coccyx of a very strong Czech side. I'll trust Sam on this one, for now.

Ah, well either way. The risk factor still stands. Who, in July, agrees a signing to go through January the 1st, anyway? Just don't see the bother in the hassle over this. Not pro this signing at all. Fortunately, i reckon we've probably moved on anyway.

PS - you're seemingly forgetting his 6-month injury, which is the blatantly obvious turn-off for me. Regardless of the fee, and regardless of whatever we pay him a week, we'll have paid him a lot of money to do absolutely nothing, but use up our medical appliances and sit on the injury tables; merely hoping that a cultured and 30+ defender who's played nowhere but Spain, might adjust to the Premiership whilst trying to fit into a completely new lifestyle. Just not worth it. I say there's better options than Andrade... there is a mountain of better options than Edmilson.

Fairly sure those figures were mentioned somewhere. Was why we'd supposedly 'backed off'... Someone can correct me if i'm wrong and i'll humbly apologise - but i'm fairly sure there was something like that said.

Well, no one can judge that at all, but i'll hedge my best and say with confidence that he wouldn't be. Chances are, he wouldn't even be first choice. And even if he were to be, there's a colossal array of other continental players who are more appropriate and/or cheaper, who could do the same job. He's an injury prone player who, on the whole, is regarded as mediocre. Personally know absolutely nothing about him, but other than Sicko2ndbest and his list of world class individuals, no one's said owt startling about him. Can't even speak English apparantely? Hardly the experienced player that we need to bring on the likes of Taylor and Huntington and the rest. If he's going for £1m or something, and is on half those wages, and on a short contract like two years or something - it's a decent deal, because he's got some experience and can cover more than one position. And is another body on the cheap. £3.3m + £80k a week for three years or whatever it was, accumulates to something totally daft and not worth it. Could get someone so much better for that.

If he costs £3.3m and is on £80,000-a-week, it's perfectly pointless.

Well they moved on Crespo even though he's infinitely more marketable than someone like Kalou. Also players like Carvalho and even Essien were not household names until they arrived at Chelsea. In fact, since Kenyon arrived Cole, Ballack and Shevchenko have been their only 'galactico' type signings that come to my mind. He may or may not displace Cole, but I certainly think he's got a good chance and I think he knows that. Unless he asks for a move they won't be looking to sell. Tbh, Bridge would be guaranteed 38 games in a black and white shirt. He'd be guaranteed around ten games in a blue one. If he had any sense, he'd bugger off. Totally pointless him staying there when he could get week-in, week-out football at around 16 other Premiership clubs. We'd sustain his wage packet n'all.

Thing is Campbell only managed 20-odd games last season. Well worth it for free at the time, but a year on and a few million and I'm not sure. We missed a good opportunity to sign him and Roeder made a mistake to turn him down, but we should move on to other targets now. I think it's the most important part of the pitch to have consistency. The same two CB's playing week-in, week-out is essential IMO. Ferdinand-Vidic, Carragher-Agger, Carvalho-Terry. Split those partnerships up and you start to see problems. I'm sure Campbell would come and give us 15-25 games and he'd play well in most of those, but he'd be another short term fix who would disrupt the back four by coming in and out of the side. I'd rather bring someone in who will play practically every game of the season. Campbell might be a bad example, i have to admit, because you're not wrong. Still, if we're going to buy a Number 1 centre-back (ie, one immediately above Taylor and Rozehnal) i think i'd rather they were Premiership-based. If we were to break the bank for a top centre-back. Names that stand out for me are the likes of Yobo, Campbell, Toure, Woodgate. Unfortunately you'd probably have a decent case for saying that not one of those are realistic (obviously Woodgate), but they're just examples. Which is why i suppose it's a better bet looking on the continent. I just don't know. The money could well be there, and in an ideal world we might be able to stick a £10m bid in for Yobo and get him. But it's difficult to see. Meh. I'm sure Sam's got something up his sleeve. That's been pretty much my whole attitude towards signings in all honesty. Only one player i really, really wanted us to go for was Viduka - because it would have been daft to miss out on a free. And he got him. All his other signings i've just nodded along happily with. Leave it to Sam, he's done alright so far.

Would be absolutely gobsmacked if Mourinho preferred Bridge over Cole next season.

For £6.7m, I think he'd have been a snip tbh. We're thin on the ground for CH's and he'd have been a great addition personally. Meh, still think there are better options. Would rather just go for Campbell for £3m or something. Pricey for a 32-year-old but unquestionably worth it, imo.

Was the obvious name that i knew someone would throw in my face.

Glad we're not interested in the likes of Andrade, actually. A couple of years ago, aye, it would have been an immense signing, but he'll be into his thirties come this season and as a cultured centre-back, i just feel it's the wrong time for such a significant league change. I wouldn't take to the knife if someone like him were to come through the door, obviously - because he's got an excellent track record, but i could see him being more likely to be an expensive flop, rather than a major success story. Better options out there, imo.