January Transfer Window 2014

First topic message reminder :

Same here hammersmith, the plastic fans drive me crazy! In 2003 i could count the amount of city/chelsea fans i knew on 1 hand, now its like an epidemic!

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Bild are going on with stories that Moyes has met Kroos' agent.

Good to see they are getting linked with proper names again, seems to have come on a lot stronger after the Mata deal. Just takes a bit of confidence in their ability and ambition

Yeah, saw that in the news today. 18 months left on his deal, be very surprised to see Kroos leave but, as you say, United are now showing ambition n that's an attractive sign. Can't see Bayern selling for anything less than £30m, judging by the Mata deal in comparison. Patrick Herrmann was also being scouted.

As for Shaw, I don't see it. If United make the bid, City need to replace Clichy & Chelsea need to replace Cole. It would start a bidding war that United would only lose, due to the fact they would outpower United financially & the fact United need to focus elsewhere.

Cavani too old? That's peak age for a striker from 27 on-wards to 30. Can't see it anyway, if United get top 4, RVP & Rooney would stay. No top 4, Rooney would leave, however, Cavani wouldn't want to come. These rumours just getting ridiculous really now.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Thats fine, but you'd expect them to have at least 6 players for those 4 spots, if not a couple more. So Cavani, Mata, Januzaj, Rooney, RVP, Welbeck as those 6 would be very good. Still dont think it will happen, like ive said each time ive posted on this, but its not impossible.

Tbf its working pretty well for Citeh having a boatload of attacking talent

Mata arrives for his medical in a suit by helicopter.

Then is greeted by Moyes in a track suit.

By 3 wheeler?

GSC wrote:Mata arrives for his medical in a suit by helicopter.

Then is greeted by Moyes in a track suit.

Sounds about right.

Professional.

Who is that?

Antonio Nocerino - loan till end of the season

Jack Sullivan ‏@jsullivanwhu  12m
Marco Borriello has signed !

Forza West Ham!

never really get exicted by players from italy coming to this league, very rarely have great success adapting to a league that is worlds away from where they have been playing

of course few execptions like zola and di ciano but they werent really big players in italy and for them you have shevenchkos, crespos, verons who all failed dramatically

Its pretty level really. Seems to work better outside of the huge players

Giaccherini's done pretty well for Sunderland. Borini hasn't. It's a strange old game.

Odemwingie having a medical at Stoke in a swap deal with Kenwyne Jones

i think its much more swayed to flops than hits

aqualini
balotelli
bianchi
casiraghi
corradi
borini
dalla bona
maccrone
materazzi
macheda
montella
rossi
taibi
dossena
dino baggio

are some of the purely italians in the league who havent hit the heights they could have or did else where. and thats not including foreign players who came over and flopped like veron, shevenchenko, weah and crespo

the only italian hits that i can think of were successful:

vialli, zola, di caino, carbone, di matteo, ravinelli cudinci (even then he's been a bench player for a big majority)

Kenwyne's one of the biggest jokes in football. Turns up, bullies a defence one week then goes missing for five months doing precisely nothing. Both very average players in that deal.

Nocerino is just a Gattuso. Should add bite to WHU. Borriello looked a good player about five years ago, haven't heard much since. There definitely worth the gambles.

Don't forget Santon   

aqualini
balotelli
bianchi
casiraghi
corradi
borini
dalla bona
maccrone
materazzi
macheda
montella
rossi
taibi
dossena
dino baggio

I would argue against the ones in italics, whilst think theres questions marks over the bold ones.

Santon, Giaccherini both names I would say are doing well. Our history with Italians isnt bad, Diamanti, Di Michele and Di Canio all relatively well liked. I would say its much more about buying the right player than just Italians arent successful here

ours isnt if you count possebon as italian and not brazilian!!

veron who played majority of career in italy and taibi added to that. with macheda and rossi who other than one goal didnt make any impact at all

its not that impressive

Macheda came through the Utd youth anyway. I always liked Aquilani and am unsure as to whether he was given a fair crack at Liverpool in his preferred position. He had to go though as he was never fit. Balotelli is/was an overrated waster who should never have been signed by Citeh.

The Special Juan wrote:Macheda came through the Utd youth anyway.  I always liked Aquilani and am unsure as to whether he was given a fair crack at Liverpool in his preferred position.  He had to go though as he was never fit.  Balotelli is/was an overrated waster who should never have been signed by Citeh.

not strictly true, we signed him when he was a 16 year old, a fair bit of his development was in italy. from 16 onwards you cant change the player only tweak and improve bits

My mistake

You can also add that keeper who played for Utd to the list. I can't remember his name but I think he was Italian.

compelling and rich wrote:i think its much more swayed to flops than hits

aqualini
balotelli
bianchi
casiraghi
corradi
borini
dalla bona
maccrone
materazzi
macheda
montella
rossi
taibi
dossena
dino baggio

are some of the purely italians in the league who havent hit the heights they could have or did else where. and thats not including foreign players who came over and flopped like veron, shevenchenko, weah and crespo

the only italian hits that i can think of were successful:

vialli, zola, di caino, carbone, di matteo, ravinelli cudinci (even then he's been a bench player for a big majority)

Cudicini was the best keeper in the league from 2000 to 2004. Then Cech usurped him.  

And how dare you call Crespo a flop. 20 goals in 49 PL games is not the form of a flop (factor in he had to share goals with Drog, Lamps, Robben, Gudjohnsen, Joe Cole and Duff). He's far from it. His play with Drogba in 05/06 was brilliant. He's been our best number 9 since Hasselbaink!

Dalla Bona came through the Chelsea youth system.

CFCNick wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:i think its much more swayed to flops than hits

aqualini
balotelli
bianchi
casiraghi
corradi
borini
dalla bona
maccrone
materazzi
macheda
montella
rossi
taibi
dossena
dino baggio

are some of the purely italians in the league who havent hit the heights they could have or did else where. and thats not including foreign players who came over and flopped like veron, shevenchenko, weah and crespo

the only italian hits that i can think of were successful:

vialli, zola, di caino, carbone, di matteo, ravinelli cudinci (even then he's been a bench player for a big majority)

Cudicini was the best keeper in the league from 2000 to 2004. Then Cech usurped him.  

And how dare you call Crespo a flop. 20 goals in 49 PL games is not the form of a flop (factor in he had to share goals with Drog, Lamps, Robben, Gudjohnsen, Joe Cole and Duff). He's far from it. His play with Drogba in 05/06 was brilliant. He's been our best number 9 since Hasselbaink!

Dalla Bona came through the Chelsea youth system.

Yep Crespo's goal scoring record and link up pay with drogba in 05/06 was pretty good. He was no flop with a goal record of nearly 1 goal every 2 games.

Crespo was decent. Right player at the wrong time I feel.

Taibi! That's it.

I feel most are underrated actually.

Allesandro Pistone.....now that was a player   

LOMBARDO

What a star.....

Didn't he manage the club for a while Mysti?

Juan Mata has been the best player in the Premier League for the last two seasons.

Reports now are suggesting Man Utd and Southampton are in talks regarding a fee for Luke Shaw.

I had suggested that if Man Utd couldn't get Champions League players in this window they should go for young prospect like Shaw and Ross Barkley.

I think Everton are holding firm. But I can't think if a better player for united than barkley

Hmm over £22m for a player under 20? It could destroy Shaw just like Carroll's £35m fee destroyed him.

Fits the bill, but, they need a competent central midfielder to steady their ship at the moment.

Liverpool looking at Xherdan Shaqiri who seems surplus at Bayern.

I don't think the fee destroyed Carroll. It was a stick that he was constantly hit with though.

I've said it before that he wasn't that bad for Liverpool. I doubt Shaw will be under that kinda microscope.

Al rumours about Shaqiri, just as back up to Salah. They won't be.

Yes freeky player manager for a bit.

I think Shaw would be ok due to the fact he would probally start every game.

Carroll's problem was similar to the kid I am not allowed to talk about and in a way matas. Bought by one manager. Then a new one comes along and isn't a fan of that players playing style. The manager also feels responsible when he himself has purchased him so would normally give him more starts and time to prove himself

Juan Mata deal confirmed.

Apparantly we're after Scott Dann.

The fee didn't destroy Carroll, a lack of ability did for him

FreekShow wrote:I don't think the fee destroyed Carroll. It was a stick that he was constantly hit with though.

I've said it before that he wasn't that bad for Liverpool. I doubt Shaw will be under that kinda microscope.

It eventually took it's toll on him I think. Shaw won't be under the microscope, you're right, but he's younger than Carroll was when he moved. I remember reading an article not that long ago about a player who admitted struggling under the burden of his high fee but I can't remember who it was. It might have been Carroll but I don't know.

The Special Juan wrote:

FreekShow wrote:I don't think the fee destroyed Carroll. It was a stick that he was constantly hit with though.

I've said it before that he wasn't that bad for Liverpool. I doubt Shaw will be under that kinda microscope.

It eventually took it's toll on him I think.  Shaw won't be under the microscope, you're right, but he's younger than Carroll was when he moved.  I remember reading an article not that long ago about a player who admitted struggling under the burden of his high fee but I can't remember who it was.  It might have been Carroll but I don't know.

He actually picked up on form during the end of Dalglish's tenure but Rodgers didn't fancy him and that was that.

I think it shows weakness if any player uses their transfer fee as an excuse for failure.

FreekShow wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:

FreekShow wrote:I don't think the fee destroyed Carroll. It was a stick that he was constantly hit with though.

I've said it before that he wasn't that bad for Liverpool. I doubt Shaw will be under that kinda microscope.

It eventually took it's toll on him I think.  Shaw won't be under the microscope, you're right, but he's younger than Carroll was when he moved.  I remember reading an article not that long ago about a player who admitted struggling under the burden of his high fee but I can't remember who it was.  It might have been Carroll but I don't know.

He actually picked up on form during the end of Dalglish's tenure but Rodgers didn't fancy him and that was that.

I think it shows weakness if any player uses their transfer fee as an excuse for failure.

I think he was the right player in the wrong team, like Giroud at Arsenal.

I didn't realise that Mata's stats were so good, 28 assists and 32 goals in two seasons is pretty ridiculous.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I didn't realise that Mata's stats were so good, 28 assists and 32 goals in two seasons is pretty ridiculous.

There was some speculation that he was moving abroad so to see him stay in this country is great. Fantastic player. Good luck to him.

FreekShow wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I didn't realise that Mata's stats were so good, 28 assists and 32 goals in two seasons is pretty ridiculous.

There was some speculation that he was moving abroad so to see him stay in this country is great. Fantastic player. Good luck to him.

Always said him and Suarez were my two best players in da league. I stand by it. He's majestic to watch on TV and live

He's probably in my top 3 technically gifted players in the PL with Silva at number 1 and Mata tied with Cazorla. A great signing but it's just one player. More are needed.

The Special Juan wrote:He's probably in my top 3 technically gifted players in the PL with Silva at number 1 and Mata tied with Cazorla.  A great signing but it's just one player.  More are needed.

United have signed Mata, and I hear that Moyse was in Germany recently checking out Dante.

What does the group think of that as a potential signing for United..?

I have never been that convinced by Dante as a defender. Not sure centre back is that much of a need for Man United with Vidic, Evans, Smalling and Jones. They definitely need two full back. Luke Shaw would fit the bill on the left but they need someone to replace Rafael on the right. They also need to solve their midfield problem. They never replaced Roy Keane and haven't replaced Paul Scholes.

Apparently Essien has failed the first part of his medical at AC Milan, sad to see such a top player ruined by injuries.

The Fourth Lion wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:He's probably in my top 3 technically gifted players in the PL with Silva at number 1 and Mata tied with Cazorla.  A great signing but it's just one player.  More are needed.

United have signed Mata, and I hear that Moyse was in Germany recently checking out Dante.

What does the group think of that as a potential signing for United..?

I think he's good, but only "good". He does a job but surely there are better players to target?