Acquisitions - moving in the right direction.

[Interpolic]

I like the fact I'm getting trolled in my own thread

 

The ego on you in this thread's hilarious, and this post sums it up.

[Interpolic]

We do appear to be being a bit smarter with the players we bring in though without a doubt, ensuring they fit the bill financially, culturally, etc.  I'm all for that and I think they've done incredibly well getting the likes of Cabaye and Tiote in.  Players like Obertan, Gosling, Santon and Marveaux are bigger risks due to injury/form/fitness/etc though, and it's very easy to go on like things are hunky dory after 7 games. 

But yes, we appear to be putting more thought into the players we bring in and that's great.  It fucked me off when we used to spunk a fortune on a player like Albert Luque without any thought on the mentality of the player, how he'd fit into the dressing room, and how he'd fit into the team. 

 

cut out the parts which deal with the 'level of ambition' or whether or not we've brought enough enough of the right kind of players - on reflection, I think I was trying to highlight how we're now managing to hit with the majority of our transfers (very few reds, mostly amber/green). Could even look at other Premiership clubs over a similar period and see how successful they have/haven't been  - I don't have the info to hand but my hunch is that several of our competitors are still bringing in talented but unsuitable players along with "name" players who don't bring the improvement in performance that their wages and transfer fee suggest.

 

You cut out the bits that you didn't agree with. 

 

I started to quote a few of the arrogant, patronising quotes you've made in your "own thread" and couldn't be arsed anymore, there were too many and I got bored.  It's almost as if you've become over-excited at the only decent post you've made in 2 years and reacted to every reply like a know-it-all egomaniac, it's a real shock.

[aussiemag]

We do appear to be being a bit smarter with the players we bring in though without a doubt, ensuring they fit the bill financially, culturally, etc.  I'm all for that and I think they've done incredibly well getting the likes of Cabaye and Tiote in.  Players like Obertan, Gosling, Santon and Marveaux are bigger risks due to injury/form/fitness/etc though, and it's very easy to go on like things are hunky dory after 7 games. 

But yes, we appear to be putting more thought into the players we bring in and that's great.  It f***ed me off when we used to spunk a fortune on a player like Albert Luque without any thought on the mentality of the player, how he'd fit into the dressing room, and how he'd fit into the team. 

 

cut out the parts which deal with the 'level of ambition' or whether or not we've brought enough enough of the right kind of players - on reflection, I think I was trying to highlight how we're now managing to hit with the majority of our transfers (very few reds, mostly amber/green). Could even look at other Premiership clubs over a similar period and see how successful they have/haven't been  - I don't have the info to hand but my hunch is that several of our competitors are still bringing in talented but unsuitable players along with "name" players who don't bring the improvement in performance that their wages and transfer fee suggest.

 

You cut out the bits that you didn't agree with. 

 

I started to quote a few of the arrogant, patronising quotes you've made in your "own thread" and couldn't be arsed anymore, there were too many and I got bored.  It's almost as if you've become over-excited at the only decent post you've made in 2 years and reacted to every reply like a know-it-all egomaniac, it's a real shock.

 

 

[HawK]

We do appear to be being a bit smarter with the players we bring in though without a doubt, ensuring they fit the bill financially, culturally, etc.  I'm all for that and I think they've done incredibly well getting the likes of Cabaye and Tiote in.  Players like Obertan, Gosling, Santon and Marveaux are bigger risks due to injury/form/fitness/etc though, and it's very easy to go on like things are hunky dory after 7 games. 

But yes, we appear to be putting more thought into the players we bring in and that's great.  It f***ed me off when we used to spunk a fortune on a player like Albert Luque without any thought on the mentality of the player, how he'd fit into the dressing room, and how he'd fit into the team. 

 

cut out the parts which deal with the 'level of ambition' or whether or not we've brought enough enough of the right kind of players - on reflection, I think I was trying to highlight how we're now managing to hit with the majority of our transfers (very few reds, mostly amber/green). Could even look at other Premiership clubs over a similar period and see how successful they have/haven't been  - I don't have the info to hand but my hunch is that several of our competitors are still bringing in talented but unsuitable players along with "name" players who don't bring the improvement in performance that their wages and transfer fee suggest.

 

You cut out the bits that you didn't agree with. 

 

I started to quote a few of the arrogant, patronising quotes you've made in your "own thread" and couldn't be arsed anymore, there were too many and I got bored.  It's almost as if you've become over-excited at the only decent post you've made in 2 years and reacted to every reply like a know-it-all egomaniac, it's a real shock.

 

 

[Stu]

We do appear to be being a bit smarter with the players we bring in though without a doubt, ensuring they fit the bill financially, culturally, etc.  I'm all for that and I think they've done incredibly well getting the likes of Cabaye and Tiote in.  Players like Obertan, Gosling, Santon and Marveaux are bigger risks due to injury/form/fitness/etc though, and it's very easy to go on like things are hunky dory after 7 games. 

But yes, we appear to be putting more thought into the players we bring in and that's great.  It fucked me off when we used to spunk a fortune on a player like Albert Luque without any thought on the mentality of the player, how he'd fit into the dressing room, and how he'd fit into the team. 

 

cut out the parts which deal with the 'level of ambition' or whether or not we've brought enough enough of the right kind of players - on reflection, I think I was trying to highlight how we're now managing to hit with the majority of our transfers (very few reds, mostly amber/green). Could even look at other Premiership clubs over a similar period and see how successful they have/haven't been  - I don't have the info to hand but my hunch is that several of our competitors are still bringing in talented but unsuitable players along with "name" players who don't bring the improvement in performance that their wages and transfer fee suggest.

 

You cut out the bits that you didn't agree with. 

 

I started to quote a few of the arrogant, patronising quotes you've made in your "own thread" and couldn't be arsed anymore, there were too many and I got bored.  It's almost as if you've become over-excited at the only decent post you've made in 2 years and reacted to every reply like a know-it-all egomaniac, it's a real shock.

 

The bit in bold: I've always been headstrong in my opinions - that's one of the reasons why we don't get along as you're too much of an airy-fairy who gets wound-up by people who don't love everyone and everything. Can't think why you thought this was a ground-breaking point to make in this thread, it's a real shock.

 

Sorry for giving people who bothered to respond to something I posted a response must remember to be more of an ignorant cock to be 'liked' by you

 

Give it a rest Neil, you're the one supposedly 'staying out of my way' on the forum - too many drinks on a Thursday night, eh? No PM either, I'm disappointed.

 

EDIT: an endorsement by aussiefag - top work!

[UV]

I like the fact I'm getting trolled in my own thread

 

I like the fact you consider pointing out holes in your heavily flawed argument is trolling

 

Is this better:

 

Great thread Stu, you've spotted that there's an understandable tendency to overrate new signings and over criticise many of those who have been at the club a while or have left, and using this have quite cleverly managed to convince a lot of people that this means that the same transfer policy which has been in place post-Alardyce (with the single exception of Coloccini) is the route to success. 

[Stu]

I like the fact I'm getting trolled in my own thread

 

I like the fact you consider pointing out holes in your heavily flawed argument is trolling

 

Is this better:

 

Great thread Stu, you've spotted that there's an understandable tendency to overrate new signings and over criticise many of those who have been at the club a while or have left, and using this have quite cleverly managed to convince a lot of people that this means that the same transfer policy which has been in place post-Alardyce (with the single exception of Coloccini) is the route to success. 

 

Nice work good to see you've come around to logic

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joking aside, the list in the OP is of course my own opinion, I don't know where James and you got this idea that I had somehow derived an unbreakable formula for the success of a transfer - as it turns out, the majority of the people responding to the thread appear to hold the same sort of views about our signings over the past 7-8 years. As it is a subjective review, there are going to be discrepancies; however, I don't think quoting the works of Phil K is going to sway anyone's argument.

 

The advantage that the newer signings have over the older ones is that they're (for the most part) not tarred with the negativity of failure - since relegation we've been on a generally upward curve, so it's natural that signings made around this period are going to be looked upon more favourably than those who signed during the downward spiral of the post-Robson years.

 

No-one seems to have pointed this out (feel free to link the post if I've missed it) - which I thought would have been an obvious one, rather than the personal abuse some people want to get involved in.

 

The point someone made about Kuqi vs Diatta is valid, upon reflection, why should two players who only came in as emergency cover be graded differently?

 

[mrmojorisin75]

is the upshot of this thread that (a) we've had a fairly patchy transfer record in the past with some expensive failures and (b) we may or may not have turned a corner in signing duds 'cause our most recent signings looks good?

 

that's more or less what i got out of it like

 

there's a lot i could say with my thoughts on this thread but rather than be negative i'd say that what might be a major difference from the past is we now have a man doing the scouting and player assessment who (i think) isn't involved financially in the deals or even involved on a first team coaching level, so his choices are removed from a lot of different pressures that other club managers would face

 

i can only see this as a good thing

 

he'll sign some shit at some point, make no mistake, but presently the club look fully justified in handing a lot of power over to the guy as he seems like he's going to find more gems than duds at the moment

[Stu]

Yeah, same with Gosling and Obertan really. I was being facetious. I just don't buy into this 'we don't make bad signings any more' thing that seems to be spreading.

 

 

"moving in the right direction" =/= "we don't make bad signings any more"

[Stu]

Mid-season re-appraisal of the summer signings...

 

Contrast that with the 'success rate' of signings under the new transfer policy:

 

Jan 2010  Danny Simpson  Manchester United  £TBC  First choice RB for the club

Jan 2010  Wayne Routledge  QPR  £TBC Effective in the Championship, found out in the Prem

Jan 2010  Mike Williamson  Portsmouth  £TBC Effective in the Championship, capable in the Prem

Jan 2010  Fitz Hall  QPR  Loan

Jan 2010  Patrick Van Aanholt  Chelsea  Loan

Feb 2010  Leon Best  Coventry City  £TBC Barren in the Championship, on-fire in the Prem

Feb 2010  Jóan Símun Edmundsson  B68 (Faroe Islands)  Loan tbc Development Squad

Jul 2010  James Perch  Nottingham Forest  £TBC Shaky at best in the Prem

Jul 2010  Dan Gosling  Unattached  Free Not seen enough of him to judge, in and around squad though

Jul 2010  Sol Campbell  Unattached  Free Brought in for 'experienced cover', didn't do a lot

Aug 2010  Cheick Tiote  FC Twente  £TBC First choice CM for the club

Aug 2010  Hatem Ben  Arfa  Marseille  Loan

Jan 2011  Hatem Ben Arfa  Olympique Marseille  £5.75m  First choice ATT/MID/DEF/GK for the club - hasn't broken through yet

Jan 2011  Stephen Ireland  Aston Villa  Loan 

Feb 2011  Shefki Kuqi  Unattached  Free Brought in for 'experienced cover', didn't do a lot

Jun 2011  Yohan Cabaye  Lille  £TBC First choice CM for the club

Jun 2011  Demba Ba  Unattached  Free First choice ST for the club

Jun 2011  Sylvain Marveaux  Stade Rennes  £TBC Looks capable in the Prem - injured

Jul 2011  Mehdi Abeid  Unattached  Free Development Squad - knocking on 1st team squad

Aug 2011  Gabriel Obertan  Manchester United  £TBC First choice RW for the club - has been found short of confidence/decision making. If the former, it can be worked upon, if the latter - he's a dud.

Aug 2011  Davide Santon  Inter Milan  £TBC Hasn't played yet (still)

Aug 2011  Rob Elliot  Charlton Athletic  £TBC Brought in for 'cover'

 

 

[Fenham Mag]

I think Marveux should be red.

[Stu]

Already?

[Disco]

If Ben Arfa is green I'd say fair enough. Should both be yellow IMO though.

[oldtype]

 

Yeah, same with Gosling and Obertan really. I was being facetious. I just don't buy into this 'we don't make bad signings any more' thing that seems to be spreading.

 

 

"moving in the right direction" =/= "we don't make bad signings any more"

 

Maybe a better way to phrase it would be "we don't make expensive bad signings anymore."

 

Then again, that might just be because we don't make a lot of expensive signings full stop

 

To be fair though, everyone we've bought for a significant sum of money within the last 2~3 years has been pretty decent.

[Sifu]

I agree with Stu about Marveaux.

 

I'm hopeful that Marveaux's latest injury will be the last of his injury problems. He has showed some glimpses of good football and he does have 5 years or so left. Won't write him off yet.

[Stottie]

Not all recent acquisitions but fingers crossed this weekend we'll have out

Krul

Colo

Tiote

Cabaye

Ba

 

all of whom would have a very good shout at getting in the ManUre team this weekend (de Gea, Evans, Carrick(?), Giggs(?), Wellbeck). Evans isn't first choice, but he's going to get a lot of games.

I think its been a long long time since we could  have had that number of players in their team without an RTG-level exaggeration of our lads' abilities. Had we kept Jose Enrique, it would have been six.

 

Anyway, what I want to say is that with such a strong spine, we should really be looking to eliminate the weaknesses on the flanks. The five I've mentioned are clearly not mid-table club players, so the transfer policy needs to adjust to suit. Its not as if we haven't had a big fee coming in....

[Colos Short and Curlies]

This weekend Simpson would probably get a game for ManU

[Spider Jerusalem]

I think Marveux should be red.

 

Definitely I'm afraid.  Was always going to be a high risk signing and has lost a season of his career here all ready after playing about a game and a half in anger.  Not his fault mind and hopefully he'll turn it around.

[Colocho]

I think Marveux should be red.

 

Definitely I'm afraid.  Was always going to be a high risk signing and has lost a season of his career here all ready after playing about a game and a half in anger.  Not his fault mind and hopefully he'll turn it around.

 

He is 25 years-old and has started 65 league games in his career (33 of which were the season before last). Massive gamble, that won't pay off, imo.

[David Icke - Son of God]

I think Marveux should be red.

 

Definitely I'm afraid.  Was always going to be a high risk signing and has lost a season of his career here all ready after playing about a game and a half in anger.  Not his fault mind and hopefully he'll turn it around.

 

He is 25 years-old and has started 65 league games in his career (33 of which were the season before last). Massive gamble, that won't pay off, imo.

 

Fucking hell, I'd hate to go to Aspers with you

[Guest Roger Kint]

I think Marveux should be red.

 

Definitely I'm afraid.  Was always going to be a high risk signing and has lost a season of his career here all ready after playing about a game and a half in anger.  Not his fault mind and hopefully he'll turn it around.

 

He is 25 years-old and has started 65 league games in his career (33 of which were the season before last). Massive gamble, that won't pay off, imo.

 

Fucking hell, I'd hate to go Anywhere with you

 

Surely?

[David Icke - Son of God]

I think Marveux should be red.

 

Definitely I'm afraid.  Was always going to be a high risk signing and has lost a season of his career here all ready after playing about a game and a half in anger.  Not his fault mind and hopefully he'll turn it around.

 

He is 25 years-old and has started 65 league games in his career (33 of which were the season before last). Massive gamble, that won't pay off, imo.

 

Fucking hell, I'd hate to go Anywhere with you

 

Surely?

 

[Stu]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1060783/hubbard:-the-premier-league's-best-signings-of-the-season?cc=5739

 

The best signings of the season

By Norman Hubbard

 

It is a safe assumption that, somewhere in the Premier League this weekend, a chant of "what a waste of money" will go up. Yet assess the dealings of the last 12 months and it is notable how well much of it has been spent. Swansea, Newcastle and Norwich have been particularly successful in the transfer market, and Anthony Pilkington, scorer of eight goals from the wings for the Canaries, is especially unfortunate not to earn a place on this list. But there are other fine buys, like Scott Parker, a nominee for the PFA Player of the Year award, and Jean Beausejour, a cause of Wigan's unexpected revival, who still do not figure in ESPN's top ten buys.

 

10. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City, £38 million)

There are fewer excuses for failure when paying out huge fees, but Manchester City certainly chose wisely when signing Aguero. The Argentine has allied speed, skill and deadly finishing in a year where his class has been a constant. He is closing in on 30 goals and while all of City's other strikers can be faulted - Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli for their temperament, Edin Dzeko for his performances - Aguero could end the season as top scorer for the champions.

 

9. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea, loan)

It is a problem many managers never experience but a loan signing who does too well can be troublesome. Sigurdsson's eye for goal may make it harder for Swansea to recruit the Icelander on a permanent contract. However, it has also taken City safely into mid-table and enabled them to add incision to their trademark passing game. Indeed, Brendan Rodgers was bold in introducing Sigurdsson, omitting a less adventurous midfielder and reaping the rewards in the shape of seven goals.

 

8. Nikica Jelavic (Everton, £5.5 million)

It is fashionable to mock the Scottish Premier League but, as David Moyes has proved, scouting trips north of the border can profitable. Former Rangers striker Jelavic has been a revelation in his brief Everton career, finishing with ice-cool composure and delivering on the big stage, whether an FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool or a trip to Old Trafford. Together with another inspired January signing, Steven Pienaar, he has restored optimism to Goodison Park and it is telling that not since 1912 had an Everton player reached ten goals in as few minutes as the Croatian.

 

7. Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle, £4.5 million)

Even at the time, the fee seemed ridiculously low. Cabaye was a France international who, with Lille, had just won Ligue 1. Now the whole deal seems too good to be true: Cabaye has dovetailed perfectly with Cheik Tiote, providing the brains to complement the Ivorian's brawn. A fine technician, he has shown the ability to pick a pass and, when shifted into a more advanced role by Alan Pardew in recent weeks, proved capable of scoring. And, like Newcastle, he is showing signs of peaking at the business end of the season.

 

6. Michel Vorm (Swansea, £1.5 million)

A week before the start of the season, Swansea City still did not have a goalkeeper to replace the departed Dorus de Vries. Then Vorm arrived, excelled on his debut at Manchester City and the notion that the newcomers would be the division's whipping boys started to look more unlikely. Arguably, the Dutchman was at his best in the opening months of the campaign, helping Swansea acquire momentum. As a footballing 'keeper, he suits Swansea's style of play. As a penalty specialist, he ensures opponents cannot be too confident when they get a chance from 12 yards.

 

5. James McClean (Sunderland, £350,000)

The mere mention of Steve Bruce's name can prompt criticism, but the former manager has, albeit indirectly, played a significant role in Sunderland's revival under Martin O'Neill. For the first half of the season, it seemed the free-transfer acquisition of Sebastian Larsson was Bruce's best bit of business. But, while the Swede has continued to impress, he has been overshadowed by McClean. The Irishman debuted in O'Neill's first game - Bruce had parked him in the reserves to allow him to acclimatise to life at Sunderland - and has meant that left wing is no longer the Black Cats' problem position. Strong, direct and a fine crosser, he is worth many times the minuscule amount Bruce paid for him.

 

4. Craig Bellamy (Liverpool, free)

Craig Bellamy has been Liverpool's most impressive signing this season

In its own way, Bellamy's success damns the former director of football Damien Comolli. While spending vast amounts on underachievers, Liverpool, without paying a fee, made one of the signings of the season. Bellamy is probably the best finisher at Anfield, a fast, feisty force who can be deployed either on the left or as the central striker. His monumental performance against Manchester City took Liverpool to the Carling Cup final and his free kick led to Andy Carroll's FA Cup semi-final winner. He has been underused, but that is not his fault.

 

3. Yakubu (Blackburn, £1.5 million)

It was no secret Yakubu was available. Loaned out to Leicester last season, unwanted at Everton, the consensus was that he was finished as a force in the Premier League. So his success this season must rank as one of the strangest elements of Blackburn's surreal season. The Nigerian has been an ever-present in the top scorers' chart, and arguably none of his rivals has been quite as cool a finisher. His brace against Manchester United brought one of the year's shock results and, in the unlikely event Blackburn do survive, they will do so principally because they fed 'the Yak' and he scored.

 

2. Papiss Demba Cisse (Newcastle, £9 million)

Such statistics are more meaningful after a long career but, in Premier League history, no one has a better goal-per-minute ratio than Cisse. An extraordinary volley against Chelsea may be the Senegalese's best strike but a natural scorer is best measured by the total and significance of his goals. If they propel Newcastle into next season's Champions League, his £9 million fee will have been repaid many times over. As it is, he is testament to the acumen of manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr.

 

1. Demba Ba (Newcastle, free)

Cisse has taken over as Newcastle's finisher now, but it should not be forgotten that Ba provided them with their initial impetus and that he helped rebrand them as the cleverest operators in the transfer market. After the 2011 sales of Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll, their two premier goalscorers, Newcastle had not spent a fee on a striker until Cisse's January arrival. Yet in the meantime, Ba's golden run of 15 goals in 15 games ensured Carroll was not missed and Pardew's side were a constant at the upper end of the table

[Stu]

Updated the OP. Added Cisse - green, aye? and downgraded Obertan from green to orange. Still don't think he's a 'bad' signing but perhaps hasn't contributed as much since October as it looked like he would.

[Fenham Mag]

Jul 2010  James Perch  Nottingham Forest  £TBC Shaky at best in the Prem