Let the silly season begin

[dalliance]

Let the silly season begin

Not quite. He only began in the job on July 1 because he was contractually tied to Everton. So a month was wasted

Well yes, but Pellegrini only started 2 weeks before him and City got their business done early. Which really points to this being a sporting director issue rather than a manager one: City have that infrastructure in place and United evidently don't.

[Borracho]

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They also have infinite money!

Now Sky Sports News is saying Coentrao has signed. I'm so confused. And tired. Bed time.

[dalliance]

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It seems Real Madrid are trying to pull the plug on the Coentrao move because they themselves failed to sign a fellow named Siqueira from Benfica in time.

He plays for Granada and has just joined Benfica on loan.

[dalliance]

Let the silly season begin

They also have infinite money!

Well yes but they knew their targets and they didn't waste time on the ones that they saw weren't going to happen like Falcao and Cavani.

[Borracho]

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I told you I was confused.

[Janik]

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You sound perfect for a job as director of football at Manchester United.

[Sean of the Shed]

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You have to assume that the Coentrao deal has not gone through, otherwise somebody, surely, would have updated his Wiki page.

[Janik]

Let the silly season begin

At first glance at the comings and goings, Stoke would appear to have had a good transfer window. A number of aging players, some of limited ability have gone shrinking an oversized squad, and talented younger players have joined. However, the squad balance it has left is just bizarre. There are barely any defenders or strikers, but legions of midfielders, both central and wide. Even side to side is imbalanced, with loads of competition for places on the left and hardly anyone who is comfortable on the right.

Players Leaving
Florent Cuvelier (Sheff United)
Rory Delap (released, Burton)
Matthew Lund (released, Rochdale)
Carlo Nash (released, Norwich)
Michael Owen (released, retried)
Mamady Sidibe (released, CSKA Sofia)
Matthew Upson (released, Brighton)
Dean Whitehead (released, Middlesbrough)
Cameron Jerome (loan to Crystal Palace)
Michael Kightly (loan to Burnley)
Ryan Shotton (loan to Wigan)

Player Leaving and then Re-joining
Jermaine Penant

Players Joining
Marko Arnautovic (Werder Bremen)
Oussame Assaidi (Liverpool, loan)
Stephen Ireland (Aston Villa, loan)
Mark Muniesa (Barcelona B)
Erik Pieters (PSV)

Agreed future transfers
Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution) – will join on 1st Jan

Which gives this current squad

Goalkeepers
Asmir Begovic
Thomas Sorensen
Jack Butland – must be going out on loan in a World Cup year

Defenders
Geoff Cameron – Right Back, the only one at the club, but US fans will tell you that is not his natural position, he is more a central player, either in defence or midfield
Mark Muniesa – Left Back, can also play Centre Back or Left Midfield
Erik Pieters – Left Back, can also play Centre Back
Andy Wilkinson – Left Back
Robert Huth – Centre Back
Ryan Shawcross – Centre Back

Midfielders
Charlie Adam – Central Mid
Stephen Ireland – Central Mid
Steven N’Zonzi – Central Mid, can also cover Centre-Back
Wilson Palacios – Central Mid
Glenn Whelan – Central Mid
Marc Wilson – Central Mid, now playing in his preferred position, but can cover Centre Back or Left Back. Or Right Back at a push...
Maurice Edu – Central Mid, to be loaned out?
Jamie Ness – Central Mid, to be loaned out?
Jermaine Pennant – Right Wing
Brek Shea – Left Wing
Oussama Assaidi – Left Wing
Matthew Etherington – Left Wing

Forwards
Mark Arnautovic – either a striker or a winger (?right winger)
Jonathan Walters – either a striker or a right winger
Peter Crouch – Centre Forward
Kenwynne Jones – Centre Forward

It all makes sense if Hughes is planning on adopting a 3-6-1 formation. But otherwise he has left himself with a number of players who can’t get injured or suspended (that’ll work with Huth and Shawcross) or putting players out of position to cover gaps.

[beak]

Let the silly season begin

"Judge me on my signings" -- Joe Kinnear

"You're a cunt, Joe" -- BEAK

[StanBowles]

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JT Captain Leader Legend wrote: WTF? Des Lynam is Irish?

Sorry what?!

Palace signed a shedload of players with 'something to prove' - the owners look like they don't want to break the bank, a feeling most fans share.

I haven't seen much of Mariappa since he was at Watford but he has to be an upgrade on Delaney or Ramage. Bannan is a Holloway favourite - 23, hard working at least - though the thought of him and 5'6'' Jonny Williams in central midfield is exciting if nothing else...
Puncheon looked lively if not a little selfish on Saturday. Jerome I know very little about, but I don't know if he'll score goals...

[garcia]

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did JFK really say "judge me on my signings"?

[Janik]

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Yep. Funny innit.

[dalliance]

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Is it also true that he's not even been going to Newcastle's games this season? I know he wasn't at the weekend game nor the Man City opener.

[Janik]

Let the silly season begin

From this side of the morning of the Ireland signing looks a good one for Stoke. Not because there is a large chance of him succeeding or anything like it, but because the opportunity cost for Stoke was near as dammit nil.
He won't be costing that much in wages or loan fee and with the numbers off the wage bill Stoke are temporarily flush, there is no long term financial commitment, given he was signed in the last few hours when Stoke had at most 24 players for their registered squad (likely to drop to 21 with loan outs) he isn't using up a place that could be better filled by somebody else, and with the amount of cover Stoke have for his position they are never going to face having to pick him as the only realisitic option.

If the unlikely happens and he rediscovers his talent, Stoke will have gained a creative player for very little. If he doesn't, then he can sit in the stands and Stoke are not noticeably worse off.

[Jimmy Bignutz]

Let the silly season begin

Özil began his career with Rot-Weiss Essen, a German fourth-ter team, who'll get €800,000 from this move, due to a FIFA ruling, which is neat.

[Gangster Octopus]

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I was wondering if Southampton got owt for Bale's move.

[Tramp The Dirt Down]

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I read somewhere yesterday that Spurs renegotiated when Southampton were in financial difficulty and they ended up with a reserve keeper.

[Ray de Galles]

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Jimmy Bignutz wrote: Özil began his career with Rot-Weiss Essen, a German fourth-ter team, who'll get €800,000 from this move, due to a FIFA ruling, which is neat.

I went to an Eminem gig at their ground once, he was predictably terrible but I liked the stadium even if they wouldn't open the shop so I could buy a souvenir.

[Ray de Galles]

Let the silly season begin

Tramp The Dirt Down wrote: I read somewhere yesterday that Spurs renegotiated when Southampton were in financial difficulty and they ended up with a reserve keeper.

Similar to Arsenal renegotiating for Soton to drop the add-ons to the Walcott deal in exchange for a relatively small lump sum.

[Janik]

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Ugo Ehiogu only moved from Villa to Middlesbrough after West Brom agreed to a lower sum than the 50% they were entitled to from the transfer that took Ehiogu to Villa Park initially.

Kuddly Ken, Wealdstone and Jermaine Beckford. GO will fill in further details shortly.

[Etienne]

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I've read that Hamilton get 20% of the McCarthy fee, which should prove quite useful.

[dalliance]

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Oh yes, that sort of money will take care of all their bills for the next 18 months or so.

[dalliance]

Let the silly season begin

And Standard Liege are £2m richer from the Fellaini deal too.

[StanBowles]

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Carlton Cole to resign for West Ham. Apparently.

[Felicity, I guess so]

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Haven't time to look back thru all this just now, so apols if anyone has already mentioned/answered this:

is the departure of Sunderland's best black player (Sess, that's right- Bramble is still there...) in any way connected to the new manager and his, er, worldview?