NUFC summer activity prediction thread

[ponsaelius]

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?

 

Pretty good tbh. He often played out wide in a 4-3-3 with Hoffenheim, can dribble reasonably well, strike the ball competently with either foot.

 

It's worth noting that even though he seemingly appears like a bit of a journeyman crock with this whole West Ham saga, he was a very highly rated striker a few seasons ago. I remember him being linked to the likes of Juve, Arsenal etc for big money.

[Dokko]

I'd want him to quit the national team if we signed him, in fact it would be written in to his contract if it were me bringing him in.

 

I'm worried about his knee, but it's due to his knee we are in a position to sign him for free, if he could pass a medical Stoke would have had him for £7.5m and we'd all be thinking we've missed out on a good player.

 

We have a thing for signing injured players and tbh. HBA transfer has a lot more risk to it, and still does IMO, and could easily blow up in our faces just as much as Ba's knee.

 

I'm also more worried about spending £6m on a player who only managed 8 goals in an average league, considering dodgy knee bloke nearly scored as many in half a season in a relegated team in a tougher league I think some are worried about the wrong signing.

[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?

 

Pretty good tbh. He often played out wide in a 4-3-3 with Hoffenheim, can dribble reasonably well, strike the ball competently with either foot.

 

It's worth noting that even though he seemingly appears like a bit of a journeyman crock with this whole West Ham saga, he was a very highly rated striker a few seasons ago. I remember him being linked to the likes of Juve, Arsenal etc.

 

Cheers mate! Sounds good!

[ShearMagic]

I'd want him to quit the national team if we signed him, in fact it would be written in to his contract if it were me bringing him in.

 

I'm worried about his knee, but it's due to his knee we are in a position to sign him for free, if he could pass a medical Stoke would have had him for £7.5m and we'd all be thinking we've missed out on a good player.

 

We have a thing for signing injured players and tbh. HBA transfer has a lot more risk to it, and still does IMO, and could easily blow up in our faces just as much as Ba's knee.

 

I'm also more worried about spending £6m on a player who only managed 8 goals in an average league, considering dodgy knee bloke nearly scored as many in half a season in a relegated team in a tougher league I think some are worried about the wrong signing.

 

Strikers are prone to bad seasons though - and he scored 15 in 31 the season before last.

 

He also only played 22 games, so 8 in 22 is not a terrible record. He was on track for 16 goals if he played 38 games.

 

For example - Drogba only scored 11 in 36 this season, is he a bad striker? Of course not.

[ShearMagic]

I'd also much rather bring in 5/6 good quality players for that £35m, rather than 1 or 2 'stars'. We need depth.

[Wullie]

Good post from TT there, fair points.

[Dave]

Wish people would stop using Wikipedia for their stats like.

[Disco]

Bring back

 

http://image.allmusic.com/00/agg/cov200/drg100/g111/g111337dnn0.jpg

[Guest]

Wish people would stop using Wikipedia for their stats like.

 

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur28631.html

[Wullie]

Wish people would stop using Wikipedia for their stats like.

 

 

Try to avoid whenever possible. Usually accurate up to when whoever was meticulously logging them got bored. Doesn't differentiate between substitute appearances either.

[ShearMagic]

Wish people would stop using Wikipedia for their stats like.

 

It's just so easy

 

Soccernet has 8 in 33 (28 starts, 5 sub appearances). Makes more sense, and a fair bit different to what wikipedia said. Also 15 in 30 the year before, not 15 in 33.

[Dave]

Wish people would stop using Wikipedia for their stats like.

 

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur28631.html

 

Wasn't on about Ba.

 

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur23860.html

[Guest]

Wish people would stop using Wikipedia for their stats like.

 

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur28631.html

 

Wasn't on about Ba.

 

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur23860.html

 

Those stats probably favour him more tbh. 1 goal every 292 minutes (just under 1 in 3 games).

[johnnypd]

for me these signings aren't a bit underwhelming because there's significant risk of them going wrong. yeah, we can have no complaints if Erdinc suffers a crisis of confidence and can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo, or if Ba is out for 12 months with a fucked knee one week after signing. that's the risk element of those transfers, the substantial worry that one or neither will work out.

 

but that's only half the equation - it's the limited upside they have in the event they are successes that worries me just as much. Erdinc's track record isn't fantastic - this past season doesn't look like an off year, statistically it's similar to what's gone before - average in an average league. so even if he is a success here, adapts, fits into the system etc, he's still a mid-table striker.

 

Similar with Ba to an extent - he's an alright player and i think he's worth signing on a free as backup, but the massive risk he represents as a walking injury means that we shouldn't be putting too much faith into him.

 

Considering Ba's A/ not a world beater B/ costing us nothing in transfer fees and C/ could get injured at any time i would want our other signing to be of a higher calibre than Erdinc. plough the money saved picking him up on a free to regroup and go after a better player.

[ponsaelius]

We've tried to go for the cream of the crop though. Gameiro was that, he rejected us for better opportunities. Who else is there out there?

 

People say Sturridge but he's not going to be sold is he. Another thing with Sturridge is, before his loan nobody would have advocated spending large sums of money on him. It's only now he's gone on a little goalscoring spell that his stock has risen. If you try and buy a striker off the back on a very good season/goalscoring spell you pay big money, sometimes it's far more sensible to go for somebody who hasn't had their best season yet or has gone through a lull - but you think he has the qualities and ability to do well for you, which I'd hope is what we think about Mevvy.

[Ash]

These signings are fine from my point of view.

 

Come next summer, Shola and Lovenkrands will both be out of contract and probably allowed to leave. Providing we still add some good players this summer (N'Zogbia and one other on top of the rumoured signings), we can then look to improve further after a positive finish in the league that means we're capable of attracting a higher quality of player.

 

If we play our cards right, we could end up with Best being our 4th or 5th choice striker rather than him being 3rd this season which for me would show a strong strikeforce.

[Wullie]

for me these signings aren't a bit underwhelming because there's significant risk of them going wrong. yeah, we can have no complaints if Erdinc suffers a crisis of confidence and can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo, or if Ba is out for 12 months with a fucked knee one week after signing. that's the risk element of those transfers, the substantial worry that one or neither will work out.

 

but that's only half the equation - it's the limited upside they have in the event they are successes that worries me just as much. Erdinc's track record isn't fantastic - this past season doesn't look like an off year, statistically it's similar to what's gone before - average in an average league. so even if he is a success here, adapts, fits into the system etc, he's still a mid-table striker.

 

Similar with Ba to an extent - he's an alright player and i think he's worth signing on a free as backup, but the massive risk he represents as a walking injury means that we shouldn't be putting too much faith into him.

 

Considering Ba's A/ not a world beater B/ costing us nothing in transfer fees and C/ could get injured at any time i would want our other signing to be of a higher calibre than Erdinc. plough the money saved picking him up on a free to regroup and go after a better player.

 

Very good summation of what I think too.

[ponsaelius]

ForumSceptic: These players aren't good enough, very underwhelming.

 

Joe Bloggs: Who do you suggest we buy instead?

 

Sceptic: Dunno, I don't know anybody else, it's not my job to be scout!

 

Joe Bloggs: So how do you know these players we are signing are underwhelming?

 

Sceptic: Answer pending...

[JH]

Two weeks man, two weeks. This is a good start surely?

[Ikon]

[Ronaldo]

These signings are fine from my point of view.

 

Come next summer, Shola and Lovenkrands will both be out of contract and probably allowed to leave. Providing we still add some good players this summer (N'Zogbia and one other on top of the rumoured signings), we can then look to improve further after a positive finish in the league that means we're capable of attracting a higher quality of player.

 

If we play our cards right, we could end up with Best being our 4th or 5th choice striker rather than him being 3rd this season which for me would show a strong strikeforce.

 

Jesus, can you imagine the possiblity of Smith, Shola and Lovenkrands leaving on exactly the same day? Heaven on earth.

[Ash]

These signings are fine from my point of view.

 

Come next summer, Shola and Lovenkrands will both be out of contract and probably allowed to leave. Providing we still add some good players this summer (N'Zogbia and one other on top of the rumoured signings), we can then look to improve further after a positive finish in the league that means we're capable of attracting a higher quality of player.

 

If we play our cards right, we could end up with Best being our 4th or 5th choice striker rather than him being 3rd this season which for me would show a strong strikeforce.

 

Jesus, can you imagine the possiblity of Smith, Shola and Lovenkrands leaving on exactly the same day? Heaven on earth.

 

Harper too.

[Guest BlacknWhiteArmy]

These signings are fine from my point of view.

 

Come next summer, Shola and Lovenkrands will both be out of contract and probably allowed to leave. Providing we still add some good players this summer (N'Zogbia and one other on top of the rumoured signings), we can then look to improve further after a positive finish in the league that means we're capable of attracting a higher quality of player.

 

If we play our cards right, we could end up with Best being our 4th or 5th choice striker rather than him being 3rd this season which for me would show a strong strikeforce.

Shola's not going to leave without stepping in at the end of the season in the midst of a huge injury crisis, score ten goals in eight games and get a new three year deal.

[Ketsbaia]

Can't believe the negativity - even on here. We're only halfway through June and we've overachieved with one signing, almost did so with two others and are still pursuing quality players. Ba is on a free transfer!!! The bonus is that he's very good and we'll structure the contract so theres little risk for us. OK, I'm not excited about Erding, but after having a good think I still can't think of who else we can buy thats realistic, excellent and affordable.

 

We're probably going into next season with a stronger squad, plus the returns of HBA and Gosling. If being active in the transfer market is a bad thing, just remember how it was in January - a hell of a lot worse.

[Sifu]

Can't believe the negativity - even on here. We're only halfway through June and we've overachieved with one signing, almost did so with two others and are still pursuing quality players. Ba is on a free transfer!!! The bonus is that he's very good and we'll structure the contract so theres little risk for us. OK, I'm not excited about Erding, but after having a good think I still can't think of who else we can buy thats realistic, excellent and affordable.

 

We're probably going into next season with a stronger squad, plus the returns of HBA and Gosling. If being active in the transfer market is a bad thing, just remember how it was in January - a hell of a lot worse.