Thoughts on this summer's transfer window

[Dave]

Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us? Considering the manager has already been totally open about the actual competition we qualified for being far from our top priority, was there any benefit over finishing say 8th? The prize money difference isn't massive, and none of our players were desperate to get away beforehand. We didn't need to finish 5th before last season started.

 

The one big benefit is supposed to be that you can convince players new and old that you're close to and capable of doing something. Finishing top four, getting into the competition everyone really cares about. Building the club and trying to do it again. Trying to win something. Finishing higher up the league and getting into Europe gives you that extra exposure. Pardew has repeatedly stated that this is his aim. We took advantage of poor seasons from Chelsea and Liverpool to finish above them, something nobody expected.

 

And with the extra exposure and that unexpected advantage we've done nothing. We've just admitted to the world that it was a one-off, a flash in the pan. Finishing so high in the Premier League hasn't benefitted us in the slightest.

 

I agree to some extent, but ultimately the goal is to finish up as high as possible, and 5th is therefore better than 8th. Last season was a great achievement.

 

Obviously our lack of movement is very much against that goal, but the prize and the end of it all, is league positions & cups, and we achieved our best league position since proper ages ago.

 

Exactly, if you're going to ask questions like "why bother finishing 5th" you may as well admit that football is basically pointless. There are many achievements in football beyond getting into the Champions League.

 

We did extremely well last season and had a great time, to dismiss that because of a poor transfer window is idiotic.

 

Absolutely.

 

Why bother finishing 5th? Fkn hell.

 

Luckily nobody has asked that, certainly not me. Nice attempt though, both of you.

 

What were you asking then?

 

You said "Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us?", and went on to say that we might as well have finished 8th for the good it has done us.

 

5th made all the difference. It was a flat out fantastic season, and gave me an unbelievable amount of pride coming above the likes of Chelsea, and yes, Liverpool and Sunderland.

 

For someone often having a go at the balance sheet brigade, you seem to take a very businesslike approach to what constitutes an achievement.

 

I have never said it doesn't constitute a great achievement. You've hastily erected a rather pitiful straw man.

 

I'm asking what difference it has made for the club going forward, over a hypothetical finish of 8th. What have we done to progress as a club that we couldn't have done had we finished 8th? Here's a tip: Cisse aside we signed all of the current brilliant first team off the back of finishing 12th. Some not even that.

 

By finishing 5th, I reckon the group of our key players truely believe together they can build on what we have. Finishing a hypothetical 8th, I think they would have been pushing for moves.

 

Think people are seriously underplaying how big an achievement it is that we've kept everyone together when you see our rivals have lost the likes of van der Vaart, Modric, van Persie, Song, etc.

 

Why weren't they pushing for moves last summer then? Everyone could see that we had some very good players. Or in the case of Cabaye and Ba, why join us in the first place?

 

They came to play in Europe I guess, which they are doing.

 

And if we slip away to 7th or 8th this season, do you think they'll still believe? Apart from obviously lessening the chances of that happening, showing some ambition would have helped to show the current team that we're serious about finishing as high up the league as realistically possible. Doing nothing now means we're almost certainly going to be in deep s*** next summer IMO.

 

Let's be clear here: by showing ambition I mean spending around £12m. If that's going to bankrupt the club then perhaps Ashley's not running it quite as brilliantly as made out.

 

I don't think that will happen and if it does they'll be in their rights.

 

I also think we shouldn't just spend for the sake of it. I think it's clear Debuchy is the number one priority and will be come January. Sure, there'll be people who'll say there should be a plan B etc, but 4 words. "Bryan Ruiz, Papiss Cisse".

 

Number one priority, but we're willing to play a significantly inferior player instead for over half the season? What a pile of wank.

[Guest]

Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us? Considering the manager has already been totally open about the actual competition we qualified for being far from our top priority, was there any benefit over finishing say 8th? The prize money difference isn't massive, and none of our players were desperate to get away beforehand. We didn't need to finish 5th before last season started.

 

The one big benefit is supposed to be that you can convince players new and old that you're close to and capable of doing something. Finishing top four, getting into the competition everyone really cares about. Building the club and trying to do it again. Trying to win something. Finishing higher up the league and getting into Europe gives you that extra exposure. Pardew has repeatedly stated that this is his aim. We took advantage of poor seasons from Chelsea and Liverpool to finish above them, something nobody expected.

 

And with the extra exposure and that unexpected advantage we've done nothing. We've just admitted to the world that it was a one-off, a flash in the pan. Finishing so high in the Premier League hasn't benefitted us in the slightest.

 

I agree to some extent, but ultimately the goal is to finish up as high as possible, and 5th is therefore better than 8th. Last season was a great achievement.

 

Obviously our lack of movement is very much against that goal, but the prize and the end of it all, is league positions & cups, and we achieved our best league position since proper ages ago.

 

Exactly, if you're going to ask questions like "why bother finishing 5th" you may as well admit that football is basically pointless. There are many achievements in football beyond getting into the Champions League.

 

We did extremely well last season and had a great time, to dismiss that because of a poor transfer window is idiotic.

 

Absolutely.

 

Why bother finishing 5th? Fkn hell.

 

Luckily nobody has asked that, certainly not me. Nice attempt though, both of you.

 

What were you asking then?

 

You said "Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us?", and went on to say that we might as well have finished 8th for the good it has done us.

 

5th made all the difference. It was a flat out fantastic season, and gave me an unbelievable amount of pride coming above the likes of Chelsea, and yes, Liverpool and Sunderland.

 

For someone often having a go at the balance sheet brigade, you seem to take a very businesslike approach to what constitutes an achievement.

 

I have never said it doesn't constitute a great achievement. You've hastily erected a rather pitiful straw man.

 

I'm asking what difference it has made for the club going forward, over a hypothetical finish of 8th. What have we done to progress as a club that we couldn't have done had we finished 8th? Here's a tip: Cisse aside we signed all of the current brilliant first team off the back of finishing 12th. Some not even that.

 

By finishing 5th, I reckon the group of our key players truely believe together they can build on what we have. Finishing a hypothetical 8th, I think they would have been pushing for moves.

 

Think people are seriously underplaying how big an achievement it is that we've kept everyone together when you see our rivals have lost the likes of van der Vaart, Modric, van Persie, Song, etc.

 

Why weren't they pushing for moves last summer then? Everyone could see that we had some very good players. Or in the case of Cabaye and Ba, why join us in the first place?

 

They came to play in Europe I guess, which they are doing.

 

And if we slip away to 7th or 8th this season, do you think they'll still believe? Apart from obviously lessening the chances of that happening, showing some ambition would have helped to show the current team that we're serious about finishing as high up the league as realistically possible. Doing nothing now means we're almost certainly going to be in deep s*** next summer IMO.

 

Let's be clear here: by showing ambition I mean spending around £12m. If that's going to bankrupt the club then perhaps Ashley's not running it quite as brilliantly as made out.

 

I don't think that will happen and if it does they'll be in their rights.

 

I also think we shouldn't just spend for the sake of it. I think it's clear Debuchy is the number one priority and will be come January. Sure, there'll be people who'll say there should be a plan B etc, but 4 words. "Bryan Ruiz, Papiss Cisse".

 

Number one priority, but we're willing to play a significantly inferior player instead for over half the season? What a pile of w***.

 

And then for 4 and a half years have a player we don't really want?

[Dave]

Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us? Considering the manager has already been totally open about the actual competition we qualified for being far from our top priority, was there any benefit over finishing say 8th? The prize money difference isn't massive, and none of our players were desperate to get away beforehand. We didn't need to finish 5th before last season started.

 

The one big benefit is supposed to be that you can convince players new and old that you're close to and capable of doing something. Finishing top four, getting into the competition everyone really cares about. Building the club and trying to do it again. Trying to win something. Finishing higher up the league and getting into Europe gives you that extra exposure. Pardew has repeatedly stated that this is his aim. We took advantage of poor seasons from Chelsea and Liverpool to finish above them, something nobody expected.

 

And with the extra exposure and that unexpected advantage we've done nothing. We've just admitted to the world that it was a one-off, a flash in the pan. Finishing so high in the Premier League hasn't benefitted us in the slightest.

 

I agree to some extent, but ultimately the goal is to finish up as high as possible, and 5th is therefore better than 8th. Last season was a great achievement.

 

Obviously our lack of movement is very much against that goal, but the prize and the end of it all, is league positions & cups, and we achieved our best league position since proper ages ago.

 

Exactly, if you're going to ask questions like "why bother finishing 5th" you may as well admit that football is basically pointless. There are many achievements in football beyond getting into the Champions League.

 

We did extremely well last season and had a great time, to dismiss that because of a poor transfer window is idiotic.

 

Absolutely.

 

Why bother finishing 5th? Fkn hell.

 

Luckily nobody has asked that, certainly not me. Nice attempt though, both of you.

 

What were you asking then?

 

You said "Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us?", and went on to say that we might as well have finished 8th for the good it has done us.

 

5th made all the difference. It was a flat out fantastic season, and gave me an unbelievable amount of pride coming above the likes of Chelsea, and yes, Liverpool and Sunderland.

 

For someone often having a go at the balance sheet brigade, you seem to take a very businesslike approach to what constitutes an achievement.

 

I have never said it doesn't constitute a great achievement. You've hastily erected a rather pitiful straw man.

 

I'm asking what difference it has made for the club going forward, over a hypothetical finish of 8th. What have we done to progress as a club that we couldn't have done had we finished 8th? Here's a tip: Cisse aside we signed all of the current brilliant first team off the back of finishing 12th. Some not even that.

 

By finishing 5th, I reckon the group of our key players truely believe together they can build on what we have. Finishing a hypothetical 8th, I think they would have been pushing for moves.

 

Think people are seriously underplaying how big an achievement it is that we've kept everyone together when you see our rivals have lost the likes of van der Vaart, Modric, van Persie, Song, etc.

 

Why weren't they pushing for moves last summer then? Everyone could see that we had some very good players. Or in the case of Cabaye and Ba, why join us in the first place?

 

They came to play in Europe I guess, which they are doing.

 

And if we slip away to 7th or 8th this season, do you think they'll still believe? Apart from obviously lessening the chances of that happening, showing some ambition would have helped to show the current team that we're serious about finishing as high up the league as realistically possible. Doing nothing now means we're almost certainly going to be in deep s*** next summer IMO.

 

Let's be clear here: by showing ambition I mean spending around £12m. If that's going to bankrupt the club then perhaps Ashley's not running it quite as brilliantly as made out.

 

I don't think that will happen and if it does they'll be in their rights.

 

I also think we shouldn't just spend for the sake of it. I think it's clear Debuchy is the number one priority and will be come January. Sure, there'll be people who'll say there should be a plan B etc, but 4 words. "Bryan Ruiz, Papiss Cisse".

 

Number one priority, but we're willing to play a significantly inferior player instead for over half the season? What a pile of w***.

 

And then for 4 and a half years have a player we don't really want?

 

Eh?

[Lotus]

I have a worry that the club will look back on this window and see it was an opportunity missed to really compete for a CL place. I don't think we'll come as close again next year. Our squad will be very stretched this season. We won't have the 'surprise package' thing going on like we did last season and Cisse will not average a goal a game throughout the year.

We've missed a trick which is a shame.

Not saying we'll fall away but, 6th-8th will be a fair position given our 1st team squad.

[Mick]

 

And if we slip away to 7th or 8th this season, do you think they'll still believe? Apart from obviously lessening the chances of that happening, showing some ambition would have helped to show the current team that we're serious about finishing as high up the league as realistically possible. Doing nothing now means we're almost certainly going to be in deep s*** next summer IMO.

 

Let's be clear here: by showing ambition I mean spending around £12m. If that's going to bankrupt the club then perhaps Ashley's not running it quite as brilliantly as made out.

 

That's part of the problem, the club hasn't grown, we're better off financially beause of cost cutting and not because of growth.

[Guest]

Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us? Considering the manager has already been totally open about the actual competition we qualified for being far from our top priority, was there any benefit over finishing say 8th? The prize money difference isn't massive, and none of our players were desperate to get away beforehand. We didn't need to finish 5th before last season started.

 

The one big benefit is supposed to be that you can convince players new and old that you're close to and capable of doing something. Finishing top four, getting into the competition everyone really cares about. Building the club and trying to do it again. Trying to win something. Finishing higher up the league and getting into Europe gives you that extra exposure. Pardew has repeatedly stated that this is his aim. We took advantage of poor seasons from Chelsea and Liverpool to finish above them, something nobody expected.

 

And with the extra exposure and that unexpected advantage we've done nothing. We've just admitted to the world that it was a one-off, a flash in the pan. Finishing so high in the Premier League hasn't benefitted us in the slightest.

 

I agree to some extent, but ultimately the goal is to finish up as high as possible, and 5th is therefore better than 8th. Last season was a great achievement.

 

Obviously our lack of movement is very much against that goal, but the prize and the end of it all, is league positions & cups, and we achieved our best league position since proper ages ago.

 

Exactly, if you're going to ask questions like "why bother finishing 5th" you may as well admit that football is basically pointless. There are many achievements in football beyond getting into the Champions League.

 

We did extremely well last season and had a great time, to dismiss that because of a poor transfer window is idiotic.

 

Absolutely.

 

Why bother finishing 5th? Fkn hell.

 

Luckily nobody has asked that, certainly not me. Nice attempt though, both of you.

 

What were you asking then?

 

You said "Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us?", and went on to say that we might as well have finished 8th for the good it has done us.

 

5th made all the difference. It was a flat out fantastic season, and gave me an unbelievable amount of pride coming above the likes of Chelsea, and yes, Liverpool and Sunderland.

 

For someone often having a go at the balance sheet brigade, you seem to take a very businesslike approach to what constitutes an achievement.

 

I have never said it doesn't constitute a great achievement. You've hastily erected a rather pitiful straw man.

 

I'm asking what difference it has made for the club going forward, over a hypothetical finish of 8th. What have we done to progress as a club that we couldn't have done had we finished 8th? Here's a tip: Cisse aside we signed all of the current brilliant first team off the back of finishing 12th. Some not even that.

 

By finishing 5th, I reckon the group of our key players truely believe together they can build on what we have. Finishing a hypothetical 8th, I think they would have been pushing for moves.

 

Think people are seriously underplaying how big an achievement it is that we've kept everyone together when you see our rivals have lost the likes of van der Vaart, Modric, van Persie, Song, etc.

 

Why weren't they pushing for moves last summer then? Everyone could see that we had some very good players. Or in the case of Cabaye and Ba, why join us in the first place?

 

They came to play in Europe I guess, which they are doing.

 

And if we slip away to 7th or 8th this season, do you think they'll still believe? Apart from obviously lessening the chances of that happening, showing some ambition would have helped to show the current team that we're serious about finishing as high up the league as realistically possible. Doing nothing now means we're almost certainly going to be in deep s*** next summer IMO.

 

Let's be clear here: by showing ambition I mean spending around £12m. If that's going to bankrupt the club then perhaps Ashley's not running it quite as brilliantly as made out.

 

I don't think that will happen and if it does they'll be in their rights.

 

I also think we shouldn't just spend for the sake of it. I think it's clear Debuchy is the number one priority and will be come January. Sure, there'll be people who'll say there should be a plan B etc, but 4 words. "Bryan Ruiz, Papiss Cisse".

 

Number one priority, but we're willing to play a significantly inferior player instead for over half the season? What a pile of w***.

 

And then for 4 and a half years have a player we don't really want?

 

Eh?

 

It seemed like you were implying forget Debuchy and sign someone else if it meant just getting a body in this month.

[BottledDog]

I have a worry that the club will look back on this window and see it was an opportunity missed to really compete for a CL place. I don't think we'll come as close again next year. Our squad will be very stretched this season. We won't have the 'surprise package' thing going on like we did last season and Cisse will not average a goal a game throughout the year.

We've missed a trick which is a shame.

Not saying we'll fall away but, 6th-8th will be a fair position given our 1st team squad.

 

Agreed.

[Mick]

 

 

I don't think that will happen and if it does they'll be in their rights.

 

I also think we shouldn't just spend for the sake of it. I think it's clear Debuchy is the number one priority and will be come January. Sure, there'll be people who'll say there should be a plan B etc, but 4 words. "Bryan Ruiz, Papiss Cisse". Don't have a problem with hanging on if we think we can get the right player for the right deal again.

 

Buying Debuchy wouldn't be for the sake if it and don't think just because a failure turns into a positive in one transfer window means it will again.

[Dave]

Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us? Considering the manager has already been totally open about the actual competition we qualified for being far from our top priority, was there any benefit over finishing say 8th? The prize money difference isn't massive, and none of our players were desperate to get away beforehand. We didn't need to finish 5th before last season started.

 

The one big benefit is supposed to be that you can convince players new and old that you're close to and capable of doing something. Finishing top four, getting into the competition everyone really cares about. Building the club and trying to do it again. Trying to win something. Finishing higher up the league and getting into Europe gives you that extra exposure. Pardew has repeatedly stated that this is his aim. We took advantage of poor seasons from Chelsea and Liverpool to finish above them, something nobody expected.

 

And with the extra exposure and that unexpected advantage we've done nothing. We've just admitted to the world that it was a one-off, a flash in the pan. Finishing so high in the Premier League hasn't benefitted us in the slightest.

 

I agree to some extent, but ultimately the goal is to finish up as high as possible, and 5th is therefore better than 8th. Last season was a great achievement.

 

Obviously our lack of movement is very much against that goal, but the prize and the end of it all, is league positions & cups, and we achieved our best league position since proper ages ago.

 

Exactly, if you're going to ask questions like "why bother finishing 5th" you may as well admit that football is basically pointless. There are many achievements in football beyond getting into the Champions League.

 

We did extremely well last season and had a great time, to dismiss that because of a poor transfer window is idiotic.

 

Absolutely.

 

Why bother finishing 5th? Fkn hell.

 

Luckily nobody has asked that, certainly not me. Nice attempt though, both of you.

 

What were you asking then?

 

You said "Ultimately what good has finishing 5th last season done us?", and went on to say that we might as well have finished 8th for the good it has done us.

 

5th made all the difference. It was a flat out fantastic season, and gave me an unbelievable amount of pride coming above the likes of Chelsea, and yes, Liverpool and Sunderland.

 

For someone often having a go at the balance sheet brigade, you seem to take a very businesslike approach to what constitutes an achievement.

 

I have never said it doesn't constitute a great achievement. You've hastily erected a rather pitiful straw man.

 

I'm asking what difference it has made for the club going forward, over a hypothetical finish of 8th. What have we done to progress as a club that we couldn't have done had we finished 8th? Here's a tip: Cisse aside we signed all of the current brilliant first team off the back of finishing 12th. Some not even that.

 

By finishing 5th, I reckon the group of our key players truely believe together they can build on what we have. Finishing a hypothetical 8th, I think they would have been pushing for moves.

 

Think people are seriously underplaying how big an achievement it is that we've kept everyone together when you see our rivals have lost the likes of van der Vaart, Modric, van Persie, Song, etc.

 

Why weren't they pushing for moves last summer then? Everyone could see that we had some very good players. Or in the case of Cabaye and Ba, why join us in the first place?

 

They came to play in Europe I guess, which they are doing.

 

And if we slip away to 7th or 8th this season, do you think they'll still believe? Apart from obviously lessening the chances of that happening, showing some ambition would have helped to show the current team that we're serious about finishing as high up the league as realistically possible. Doing nothing now means we're almost certainly going to be in deep s*** next summer IMO.

 

Let's be clear here: by showing ambition I mean spending around £12m. If that's going to bankrupt the club then perhaps Ashley's not running it quite as brilliantly as made out.

 

I don't think that will happen and if it does they'll be in their rights.

 

I also think we shouldn't just spend for the sake of it. I think it's clear Debuchy is the number one priority and will be come January. Sure, there'll be people who'll say there should be a plan B etc, but 4 words. "Bryan Ruiz, Papiss Cisse".

 

Number one priority, but we're willing to play a significantly inferior player instead for over half the season? What a pile of w***.

 

And then for 4 and a half years have a player we don't really want?

 

Eh?

 

It seemed like you were implying forget Debuchy and sign someone else if it meant just getting a body in this month.

 

Where did I imply that? If we want Debuchy, we should probably do something crazy like buy him.

 

We tried to get him for cheaper, fair enough - that's negotiation. It didn't work. If we're back for him in January then it only confirms that the club know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

[Guest]

Last summer, we were quoted £12m for Cisse, got him for £8-9m 4 months later.

 

I'm reckoning we're thinking along similar lines this year with Debuchy.

[loki679]

The Debuchy one does annoy me.  If Lille had been demanding crazy money for him then i'd fully support the club in walkng away but their price was very reasonable.  We lost the chance to signiificantly improve the weakest part of our side because they seemed to want to take the piss and get a bargain.

[Mick]

Last summer, we were quoted £12m for Cisse, got him for £8-9m 4 months later.

 

I'm reckoning we're thinking along similar lines this year with Debuchy.

 

On that basis we'll get Debuchy in January for £4 million.

[loki679]

Last summer, we were quoted £12m for Cisse, got him for £8-9m 4 months later.

 

I'm reckoning we're thinking along similar lines this year with Debuchy.

 

Totally different situation.  Freiburg were getting relegated and desperately needed money to strengthen.  Lille have a decent team, champions league money and have no such worries.

[Cajun]

The Debuchy one does annoy me.  If Lille had been demanding crazy money for him then i'd fully support the club in walkng away but their price was very reasonable.  We lost the chance to signiificantly improve the weakest part of our side because they seemed to want to take the piss and get a bargain.

 

I don't believe their price was their price tbh (at least the one quoted to the press).

 

Debuchy himself said they kept giving him different excuses as to why he can't leave, why should we believe we weren't given the same patter? They had just got a shit load of money for one of their players, his contract doesn't run out for years, if they didn't want to sell the only issue they had was convincing Debuchy they were trying to give him his wish which they obviously didn't do convincingly enough but they still win because he didn't kick up much of a fuss.

 

The failure is not moving on to another target rather than not signing Debuchy imo, not that it will stop some going on for the next season about how we would have had him if the stumped up *insert complete guess of an amount here*.

[Guest]

The Debuchy one does annoy me.  If Lille had been demanding crazy money for him then i'd fully support the club in walkng away but their price was very reasonable.  We lost the chance to signiificantly improve the weakest part of our side because they seemed to want to take the p*ss and get a bargain.

 

No-one knows how much Lille want. We do know from what the player has said though, they've moved the goal posts.

 

 

[Mick]

The Debuchy one does annoy me.  If Lille had been demanding crazy money for him then i'd fully support the club in walkng away but their price was very reasonable.  We lost the chance to signiificantly improve the weakest part of our side because they seemed to want to take the p*ss and get a bargain.

 

I don't believe their price was their price tbh (at least the one quoted to the press).

 

Debuchy himself said they kept giving him different excuses as to why he can't leave, why should we believe we weren't given the same patter? They had just got a s*** load of money for one of their players, his contract doesn't run out for years, if they didn't want to sell the only issue they had was convincing Debuchy they were trying to give him his wish which they obviously didn't do convincingly enough but they still win because he didn't kick up much of a fuss.

 

The failure is not moving on to another target rather than not signing Debuchy imo, not that it will stop some going on for the next season about how we would have had him if the stumped up *insert complete guess of an amount here*.

 

Why shouldn't people think that the mentioned fee which we didn't offer was genuine?  A fee of the equivalent to £6 million was mentioned and we didn’t bid that much so how do you know that £6 million wouldn’t have got him?

 

The highest offer I've seen from us was less than £5,500,000.

[Guest neesy111]

Last summer, we were quoted £12m for Cisse, got him for £8-9m 4 months later.

 

I'm reckoning we're thinking along similar lines this year with Debuchy.

 

Totally different situation.  Freiburg were getting relegated and desperately needed money to strengthen.  Lille have a decent team, champions league money and have no such worries.

 

Also £35m from the hazzard deal.

[Cajun]

The Debuchy one does annoy me.  If Lille had been demanding crazy money for him then i'd fully support the club in walkng away but their price was very reasonable.  We lost the chance to signiificantly improve the weakest part of our side because they seemed to want to take the p*ss and get a bargain.

 

I don't believe their price was their price tbh (at least the one quoted to the press).

 

Debuchy himself said they kept giving him different excuses as to why he can't leave, why should we believe we weren't given the same patter? They had just got a s*** load of money for one of their players, his contract doesn't run out for years, if they didn't want to sell the only issue they had was convincing Debuchy they were trying to give him his wish which they obviously didn't do convincingly enough but they still win because he didn't kick up much of a fuss.

 

The failure is not moving on to another target rather than not signing Debuchy imo, not that it will stop some going on for the next season about how we would have had him if the stumped up *insert complete guess of an amount here*.

 

Why shouldn't people think that the mentioned fee which we didn't offer was genuine?  A fee of the equivalent to £6 million was mentioned and we didn’t bid that much so how do you know that £6 million wouldn’t have got him?

 

The highest offer I've seen from us was less than £5,500,000.

 

Because the player himself said they gave him contradictory reasons as to why he can't leave? Surely if it was just us not offering enough they wouldn't have to change their story?

[Dave]

The Debuchy one does annoy me.  If Lille had been demanding crazy money for him then i'd fully support the club in walkng away but their price was very reasonable.  We lost the chance to signiificantly improve the weakest part of our side because they seemed to want to take the p*ss and get a bargain.

 

No-one knows how much Lille want. We do know from what the player has said though, they've moved the goal posts.

 

There's just as much chance of us knowing exactly what they want, we've made at least two bids as of five weeks ago. If they've moved the goalposts now, why won't they do the same in January? If we fail to get him then, will it be acceptable to hang on until next summer? If they've made it impossible for us to buy him, what's stopping the club telling us so?

 

I fucking refuse to believe there's absolutely nobody else out there that we could have got instead. Pardew has repeatedly told the fans on and off the record that we have two or three ideas for each target.

[Guest]

I think if he was as low as £6m, he wouldn't be at Lille now, whether that be at Newcastle, Bayern Munich or whoever. I think once they didn't sign a first-team full-back themselves, they decided to keep him at least through the Champions League group. I think we'll be back in and sign him then.

[loki679]

Lille president Michel Seydoux said: "Our price is £6m, because he is a quality player and we need to find a good replacement in the transfer market."

 

That's a quote from the mirror.

[Guest neesy111]

Amazing that people think Lille would sell a player before getting a replacement sorted.  That'll never catch on....

[Lotus]

I think if he was as low as £6m, he wouldn't be at Lille now, whether that be at Newcastle, Bayern Munich or whoever. I think once they didn't sign a first-team full-back themselves, they decided to keep him at least through the Champions League group. I think we'll be back in and sign him then.

 

Why? What will have changed?

[Guest]

I think if he was as low as £6m, he wouldn't be at Lille now, whether that be at Newcastle, Bayern Munich or whoever. I think once they didn't sign a first-team full-back themselves, they decided to keep him at least through the Champions League group. I think we'll be back in and sign him then.

 

Why? What will have changed?

 

What changed in 4 months with Cisse?

 

They'll have had their Champions League come January.

[S.S.R.]

The club are willing to wait for players to get them at the right price. If we finish lower, it is of no consequence to Mike Ashley.

 

Making profits on players goes above everything else. We risked going out of Europe to preserve the fitness of potential sales.