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Should we Buy Dean Ashton? Forgeddaboutit!


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He's had a bad injury, it takes time to get back 100%. Even when players (human beings) reappear on the pitch they're rarely at 100% for quite a while after a serious injury.

 

He's got a good record prior to going to West Ham, even last season he played 31 games, plus he's a good player.

 

He'd improve our team and that's the bottom line.

 

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I don't understand why so many people are turning their noses up at Ashton. He's as good a player as we can expect to land. And I mean that as praise, really. He hasn't got into the England squad for nothing.

 

Apart from the injury worries, I agree totally - many of the players people mention as poss targets on here are totally non-starters.

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I don't understand why so many people are turning their noses up at Ashton. He's as good a player as we can expect to land. And I mean that as praise, really. He hasn't got into the England squad for nothing.

 

Apart from the injury worries, I agree totally - many of the players people mention as poss targets on here are totally non-starters.

And if you look at his injury record, apart from that one serious one, his record is really good.  Sure it takes a player a long time to get over an injury like the one he had, but if he has recovered then I see no reason to think he's always injured as many people are making out.

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I posted this in another thread, but is more suited in here:

 

Disagree that pre-injury Ashton is over-rated. He certainly isn't as good as Shearer, but I've never seen them as similar players.

 

Do people not remember the Liverpool vs West Ham Cup Final. It would have been remembered for decades as the Ashton final for years to come if Gerrard hadn't gatecrashed it towards the end.

 

You could describe that as a one off game, but for the 18 months or so before, Ashton looked very good when the rest of the team looked good. At times he also looked like one of two (the other being Rooney) English strikers who have the ability to dictate a game.

 

He got injured, and it was an injury that can take a year of playing to find old form, and I feel that many people have watched Ashton this year and said overrated. As I see it, he has done well considering his injury and the team he plays for. Towards the end of the season, I thought he was starting to look like his old self again.

 

The injury makes him a risk, but if he continues in this vein, and a manager like Keegan could get the best out of him on a consistent basis, he could become a player who could make a difference for us and England in big games.

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we should be looking to improve on Viduka not buy a younger version with the very same weaknesses (lack of pace, lack of movement, lack of fitness). he's not even as skilful or creative as Viduka either, though he is stronger and more powerful.

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He's had a bad injury, it takes time to get back 100%. Even when players (human beings) reappear on the pitch they're rarely at 100% for quite a while after a serious injury.

 

He's got a good record prior to going to West Ham, even last season he played 31 games, plus he's a good player.

 

He'd improve our team and that's the bottom line.

 

No it's not... improving the team is good providing it's a substantial improvment. Getting Warren Barton back in the team to replace Stephen Carr would have been an improvement, but it wouldn't have taken us anywhere. Obviously, that's a daft example, but you know what i mean. If we're buying a new centre-forward this summer, they need to be really, really good, and take us forward. Settling for a mere 'improvement' isn't going to do an awful lot for us. That's the category that Ashton would fall into, imo.

 

Is someone going to come at me with that whole "you think of someone, then!" line? :razz: Just to cover myself, i don't really know, but i don't think it's Ashton. I fancy choosing blindly and taking a shot at Gomis. I'd quite like Darren Bent, though.

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A fit Dean Ashton would significantly improve our team, imo.

 

We should spend the money on a time machine, then go back to 2005 and kidnap him.

 

Or buy him and hope he's just been really unlucky the past few years.

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Guest iliketoonarmy

An old Viduka is better than a young Ashton in many ways.

Westham fans don't give a shit to him though.

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I have to wonder if people that are saying yes have seen him play in the last year and a half. West Ham fans are far from desperate for him to stay for a reason.

Funny that becasue a quick scan of a West Ham forum shows the vast majority think he should be starting for England this week and want him to sign a longer contract.

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http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/06/03/newcastle-eye-west-ham-ace-dean-ashton-72703-21015136/

Newcastle eye West Ham ace Dean Ashton

 

Jun 3 2008 by Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle

Dean Ashton

 

NEWCASTLE United are sounding out West Ham over a potential bid for Dean Ashton.

 

The 24-year-old is unsettled at Upton Park despite having two years left to run on the contract he signed two summers ago for the east Londoners.

 

Ashton has just returned from the Caribbean with England following a disappointing personal performance during the 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago.

 

But the Hammers are still keen to get Ashton, who finished as their top scorer with 11 goals last term, to sign a new deal.

 

Ashton is said to be disgruntled that Freddy Ljungberg, among others, is earning a substantial amount more than he is, even though the ex-Arsenal ace netted just twice for Alan Curbishley’s side last season.

 

However, Ashton is yet to commit to a new deal, leaving Curbishley and his board to come up with the goods or face the prospect of losing their prized asset.

 

Ashton has been compared to Alan Shearer since breaking on to the scene with Crewe, another product of former Alex manager Dario Gradi’s impressive conveyer belt of talent which also includes David Platt, Neil Lennon and Danny Murphy.

 

He burst on to the scene with Norwich in 2005 in the Premier League, but his run of seven goals in the last third of the season wasn’t enough to prevent the Canaries going down.

 

And after City failed to regain their place in the top flight the following season, despite his 17 strikes in the Championship, Ashton’s days in East Anglia were numbered.

 

In January 2006, West Ham made their move to sign the player for £7.25m.

 

Now, though, with Ashton in contract limbo, his future is unclear.

 

A source close to the East End club told the Chronicle: “We know that Newcastle are interested in signing Dean.

 

“And Alan Curbishley is aware of this.

 

“There have already been a couple of rounds of contract talks with Dean before he went on international duty with England, but nothing is decided.

 

“We think that deep down Dean might want to stay but, like any player, he wants to have a contract that reflects his performances.”

 

A move for Ashton would certainly give Toon fans a major lift after a quiet summer so far. However, if he does quit the Hammers, he could cost up to £11m.

 

For Norwich have a 15% sell-on clause for Ashton, and this would be reflected in any transfer fee as far as West Ham are concerned, especially as the Hammers don’t have to sell their star striker as he is under contract for another two years.

 

Ominously for Newcastle, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson also has Ashton on his wish-list should other targets fall through.

 

Fergie has been eyeing Lyon ace Karim Benzema and today was reportedly keen on signing Blackburn’s £15m-rated star Roque Santa Cruz.

 

Meanwhile, another name linked with United today was Argentine star Pablo Aimar after the player was put up for sale by Real Zaragoza at £6.5m.

 

:: UNITED season ticket holders can expect to receive their renewal forms tomorrow following a delay. Closing dates for returning forms have also been extended.

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We won't do much better than Ashton. Even with his injury record, we won't be able to attract better. Paying upto 10 mill for him is a risk we have to take. It might very well not come off, but we have little choice but to take the risk.

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We won't do much better than Ashton. Even with his injury record, we won't be able to attract better. Paying upto 10 mill for him is a risk we have to take. It might very well not come off, but we have little choice but to take the risk.

 

I disagree, we also have a choice not to take the risk. I know it sounds crazy but I think it could be done.

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