NUFC summer activity prediction thread

[Hughesy]

I don't think we are resting our hopes on Ba, are we?

[geordiemonster]

I just want to know who people thought we were going to sign as strikers this year?  Who did you think we were going to buy that is much better than Ba and Erdinc?

 

Daniel Sturridge would have been my first choice.  Until I read this:

 

On 12 June 2011, Chelsea slapped a £20 million price tag on Sturridge to put off potential suitors, showing that Sturridge is in their plans

 

From wiki

[Andy]

We're two weeks into the window man, and we're at least being "active" which is more than some people expected. Let's see what our squad looks like in September before we start slashing our wrists. No matter how much money is available we're obviously going to struggle to attract the likes of Gameiro considering we were just promoted a year ago and can't offer European football... Cabaye and Ba could potentially be very shrewd acquisitions to push us on to the next level so that next season we can hope to attract a higher calibre of player. Ba is a risk, obviously, and I'm sure the club are aware of that - as Hughesy says I doubt we're resting our hopes on him alone.

 

Having £30,000,000 in the bank isn't going to rectify the damage that has gradually been inflicted on the club since SBR left - I feel like we're moving forward but there isn't going to be a quick-fix.

[TRon]

We're two weeks into the window man, and we're at least being "active" which is more than some people expected. Let's see what our squad looks like in September before we start slashing our wrists. No matter how much money is available we're obviously going to struggle to attract the likes of Gameiro considering we were just promoted a year ago and can't offer European football... Cabaye and Ba could potentially be very shrewd acquisitions to push us on to the next level so that next season we can hope to attract a higher calibre of player. Ba is a risk, obviously, and I'm sure the club are aware of that - as Hughesy says I doubt we're resting our hopes on him alone.

 

Having £30,000,000 in the bank isn't going to rectify the damage that has been gradually been inflicted on the club since SBR left - I feel like we're moving forward but there isn't going to be a quick-fix.

 

That's the sensible view. Seems like some just need any excuse to have a dig at the people running the club though.

[Wullie]

And yet Liverpool paid £35m for someone who was injured at the time, and has been struggling with injuries ever since.

 

Still passed his medical though. It takes a pretty big problem to fail a medical like, given the players we've signed (and sold) that have subsequently barely managed to get on a football pitch.

 

I can only assume those who say they aren't even slightly concerned about resting our main goal hopes on a player with a very dodgy knee (Ba himself admits it is not 100% and never will be and typically only plays half the games in a season in recent years) are just being deliberately obtuse.

 

What about Erdinc?

 

Wouldn't know him if he slapped me in the face tbh. His statistical record doesn't look fantastic in a relatively poor league and it's a bit worrying that he doesn't seem to get in the Turkish side (or even the bench) ahead of Colin Kazim Richards or Tuncay but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Fairly uninspiring though, would you not agree, given the money at our disposal and our current striking options?

[ponsaelius]

If we get Cabaye, Ba, Erding, Naylor and a quality winger like N'Zogbia it's been a good summer.

 

Ultimately if we are going to spend big money on a top player, we're going to have to offer them top wages and also try and attract them to the club. I don't think we're in a position to be making massive signings because we simply can't attract them right now, if we did splurge a load on one player the chances are we're going to have overpaid for somebody who isn't top quality.

 

That lot there would cost about £20 million.

[Baggio]

If Erding, Ba and Cabaye were the end of our summer dealing then I could understand people being upset at that however I very much doubt they will.

 

That's without taking into account that both strikers will be a big improvement on what we've currently got and I'd like to think Cabaye would be an upgrade on Nolan too.

[Wullie]

If we get Cabaye, Ba, Erding, Naylor and a quality winger like N'Zogbia it's been a good summer.

 

Assuming they all perform and Ba's knee doesn't pop after a week...

[Guest]

And yet Liverpool paid £35m for someone who was injured at the time, and has been struggling with injuries ever since.

 

Still passed his medical though. It takes a pretty big problem to fail a medical like, given the players we've signed (and sold) that have subsequently barely managed to get on a football pitch.

 

I can only assume those who say they aren't even slightly concerned about resting our main goal hopes on a player with a very dodgy knee (Ba himself admits it is not 100% and never will be and typically only plays half the games in a season in recent years) are just being deliberately obtuse.

 

What about Erdinc?

 

Wouldn't know him if he slapped me in the face tbh. His statistical record doesn't look fantastic in a relatively poor league and it's a bit worrying that he doesn't seem to get in the Turkish side (or even the bench) ahead of Colin Kazim Richards or Tuncay but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Fairly uninspiring though, would you not agree, given the money at our disposal and our current striking options?

 

Depends how you look at it. We were never going to be pushing top 5 this season with or without Carroll, however his sale has allowed us to make transfers, and look for a system that will be easy on the eye and help us aim for 8th pushing higher which imo would have been the aim with or without Carroll. Watching France playing in their two matches looked to me the sort of system we'll have here. A holding midfielder (Tiote), someone who'll keep possession (Cabaye) and one other as an extra body in there, to allow a more fluent game in the final third (the likes of Ben Arfa, Erdinc, Jonas, hopefully N'Zogbia, etc).

 

If we get to that with £15m in the bank to push further in January or next summer and still look at 6th to 8th, I think it's a job well done.

[Dave]

If we get Cabaye, Ba, Erding, Naylor and a quality winger like N'Zogbia it's been a good summer.

 

Ultimately if we are going to spend big money on a top player, we're going to have to offer them top wages and also try and attract them to the club. I don't think we're in a position to be making massive signings because we simply can't attract them right now, if we did splurge a load on one player the chances are we're going to have overpaid for somebody who isn't top quality.

 

That lot there would cost about £20 million.

 

Depends who leaves tbh.

[ponsaelius]

If we get Cabaye, Ba, Erding, Naylor and a quality winger like N'Zogbia it's been a good summer.

 

Assuming they all perform and Ba's knee doesn't pop after a week...

 

You could say that first bit about just about any signing ffs.

 

What are you expecting us to get, a 20 goal a season striker? They're few and far between and cost about £25 million a pop - at a bare minimum.

 

[ryanegg]

I was just thinking reading about Gervinho and one reason for us not going for him is because of the ACN. Wouldnt Ba be in the tournament aswell being Senegalese?

[ponsaelius]

Mackems spent £13 million on Gyan, a player with a similar/worse record than both of our targets and he came and scored 10 goals in a poor, defensive side. You don't know how it's going to work out, these 2 could come in and score 10 goals a piece. Which would be brilliant, tbh.

 

They might not - but then we could have signed Gameiro for 12 million and he might have also struggled. Wullie is happy to admit he's never seen any of these players, but also willing to criticise them as signings. Bizarre.

[Wullie]

If we get Cabaye, Ba, Erding, Naylor and a quality winger like N'Zogbia it's been a good summer.

 

Assuming they all perform and Ba's knee doesn't pop after a week...

 

You could say that first bit about just about any signing ffs.

 

What are you expecting us to get, a 20 goal a season striker? They're few and far between and cost about £25 million a pop - at a bare minimum.

 

Well yeah, but you can say it with a bit more authority if his knee is dodgy to the point it'll fail a medical. Might as well table a double bid for King and Woodgate on that logic (see what I did there?). Even Dan Gosling passed a medical.

 

We should be looking to improve on Andy Carroll imo. And he cost us nowt.

[Guest]

If we get Cabaye, Ba, Erding, Naylor and a quality winger like N'Zogbia it's been a good summer.

 

Assuming they all perform and Ba's knee doesn't pop after a week...

 

You could say that first bit about just about any signing ffs.

 

What are you expecting us to get, a 20 goal a season striker? They're few and far between and cost about £25 million a pop - at a bare minimum.

 

Well yeah, but you can say it with a bit more authority if his knee is dodgy to the point it'll fail a medical. Might as well table a double bid for King and Woodgate on that logic (see what I did there?). Even Dan Gosling passed a medical.

 

We should be looking to improve on Andy Carroll imo. And he cost us nowt.

 

Demba Ba in Bundesliga & Premier League last season = 13 goals in 29 games

Andy Carroll in the Premier League last season = 13 goals in 25 games

 

So Ba was less injury prone, scored as many goals which included over half of them in a new league and shite team...and he'd cost us nowt.

[Wullie]

Mackems spent £13 million on Gyan, a player with a similar/worse record than both of our targets and he came and scored 10 goals in a poor, defensive side. You don't know how it's going to work out, these 2 could come in and score 10 goals a piece. Which would be brilliant, tbh.

 

They might not - but then we could have signed Gameiro for 12 million and he might have also struggled. Wullie is happy to admit he's never seen any of these players, but also willing to criticise them as signings. Bizarre.

 

Not at all, but I can only go on what I hear. I've never seen Joe from the Dog and Duck either but I wouldn't want us signing him to play up front.

 

My main worry about Ba is his knee, not his ability, and putting stuff in his contract about appearances won't help us one bit if he breaks down in September. We've had enough crocks but I hope he plays every minute. I absolutely love having an ultra-dependable physical specimen like Coloccini, it makes for a much more solid team.

 

I'd be more than happy if these two were complimented by a striker with a proven track record and yet potential to improve.

[Baggio]

The whole point was that even though we might not get a better striker than Carroll we can come away with a better team than the one Carroll played in if the money is invested wisely.

 

 

[S.S.R.]

Mackems spent £13 million on Gyan, a player with a similar/worse record than both of our targets and he came and scored 10 goals in a poor, defensive side. You don't know how it's going to work out, these 2 could come in and score 10 goals a piece. Which would be brilliant, tbh.

 

They might not - but then we could have signed Gameiro for 12 million and he might have also struggled. Wullie is happy to admit he's never seen any of these players, but also willing to criticise them as signings. Bizarre.

 

Not at all, but I can only go on what I hear. I've never seen Joe from the Dog and Duck either but I wouldn't want us signing him to play up front.

 

My main worry about Ba is his knee, not his ability, and putting stuff in his contract about appearances won't help us one bit if he breaks down in September. We've had enough crocks but I hope he plays every minute. I absolutely love having an ultra-dependable physical specimen like Coloccini, it makes for a much more solid team.

 

Great, that's him fucked pre season.

 

I don't see the point in worrying about Ba Knee-trouble - it wont stop us signing other players should they become available. I'd rather have someone like him used sparingly, than have someone like Ranger fully-fit but not - yet? - up to the task.

[ponsaelius]

Mackems spent £13 million on Gyan, a player with a similar/worse record than both of our targets and he came and scored 10 goals in a poor, defensive side. You don't know how it's going to work out, these 2 could come in and score 10 goals a piece. Which would be brilliant, tbh.

 

They might not - but then we could have signed Gameiro for 12 million and he might have also struggled. Wullie is happy to admit he's never seen any of these players, but also willing to criticise them as signings. Bizarre.

 

Not at all, but I can only go on what I hear. I've never seen Joe from the Dog and Duck either but I wouldn't want us signing him to play up front.

 

My main worry about Ba is his knee, not his ability, and putting stuff in his contract about appearances won't help us one bit if he breaks down in September. We've had enough crocks but I hope he plays every minute. I absolutely love having an ultra-dependable physical specimen like Coloccini, it makes for a much more solid team.

 

I'd be more than happy if these two were complimented by a striker with a proven track record and potential to improve.

 

Fair enough, matey. I'm not going to lie that I've got similar doubts about Ba. Then again I saw him play enough games and do well for Wet Spam and Hoffenheim to be excited about what he can offer.

[Guest]

He's played 30, 33, 17 & 29 games the past 4 seasons. One season apart, that's not too bad an injury record.

[Baggio]

While Ba's knee is a worry he has still managed to play his fair share of games over the past 4 years, it's not the appearance record of a crock.

[ponsaelius]

The 17 season I believe was also because he went on strike aswell as injuries.

 

(Not that that little nuggest doesn't bring up further worries, mind )

[Disco]

So long as him and Ben Arfa don't form a union we'll be reet.

[Ikon]

Haven't seen much of Ba this season apart from his goals tbh. I know he's athletic and that, how about the technical stuff and his general play?

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

Dzeko cost Man City £27m. He had a good record in Germany. He hasn't had a fantastic start to his career in the Premiership. He may adapt, he may not. West Brom bought Odemwingie for £1m from Moscow Lokomotiv. He scored 15 Premiership goals last season. DJ Campbell scored 13 Premiership goals for Blackpool. The cost of the player doesn't always correlate with their performance. Any player we buy from a foreign league is a bit of a gamble. They may adapt or they may not.

 

Last seasons top goal scorers in the Premiership: -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/top_scorers/default.stm