January Transfer Window - Part One

[Brfcrule1]

Funny you should mention this Zac because it seems as though there are others that agree. A few months ago there was a documentary on the bbc with Lord Sugar interviewing many respected managers,players & agents & owners which included our very own Jerome Anderson. They interviewed the Wigan owner Dave Whelan about what his biggest concerns in football are and he said the biggest worry is players wages and he said something needs to be done before it spirals out of control. A lot of the teams lower down the table agreed and I agree but whether the EPL will ever listen to DW who seems like a really nice well respected chap is anyone's guess. I personally think it is wrong when players like Phil Jones are offered 80,000 a week but still go to Man Utd and is more than likely to be on more than that,and this for a 19 year old I just think it's wrong. Even the Cahill deal to Chelsea stalling due to the greedy players wage demands personally I think players should be paid according to their experience 80,000 a week for a 19 year old is quite frankly obscene and should not be allowed to happen. If true about Onnuha's salary that is also obscene no way should one player still young and been frozen out the picture at City be commanding such wages. By the way that transfer 118 on twitter seems rubbish they are now predicting Pavlyuchenko to Everton on loan will be soon & they say tevez & Silva involved in swapping clubs seems made up garbage to me.

[AmazinTim]

Good transfer news boys! Bolton are on the verge of singing NY Red Bulls center back Tim Ream to replace Gary Cahill. As someone who holds partial-season ticket to the Red Bulls, I can say that this is great news for Rovers as Bolton are almost sure to go down now. Tim Ream has had an abysmal career for the national team, being directly responsible for a handful of late goals that have seen opponents level or take the lead, in only a handful of appearances.

For New York, he had a great rookie season and has been mediocre at best ever since. As a direct replacement for Gary Cahill, I don't expect Bolton have half a prayer of staying up. One more team between us and the drop.

[Hughesy]

Good transfer news boys! Bolton are on the verge of singing NY Red Bulls center back Tim Ream to replace Gary Cahill. As someone who holds partial-season ticket to the Red Bulls, I can say that this is great news for Rovers as Bolton are almost sure to go down now. Tim Ream has had an abysmal career for the national team, being directly responsible for a handful of late goals that have seen opponents level or take the lead, in only a handful of appearances.

For New York, he had a great rookie season and has been mediocre at best ever since. As a direct replacement for Gary Cahill, I don't expect Bolton have half a prayer of staying up. One more team between us and the drop.

Is he that bad?

I have heard off a Bolton fan who has done some digging into the player, that he looks very ropey and has done some massive blunders etc.....Good news if he's shabba!

[Amo]

Good news if he's shabba!

[AmazinTim]

Is he that bad?

I have heard off a Bolton fan who has done some digging into the player, that he looks very ropey and has done some massive blunders etc.....Good news if he's shabba!

Great rookie year, mediocre at club level after that. He is very prone to making blunders and is no leader in the back line. With Marquez out last year it was almost comical how many goals Red Bulls let in, ESPECIALLY from set pieces. It felt like 2 set piece goals a game for 5 games, too lazy to look it up though. For the national team, he's been directly to blame for several poor results, even as a sub.

He is certainly capable of moments brilliance here and there,

, but his massive lapses have been way more prevalent lately. As a Red Bulls supporter, I won't be sad to see him leave, I think we can bring in better players.

[bluebruce]

Surely if he is so bad he just won't play much. Bolton are going to be a lot poorer without Cahill though. If we keep Samba we'll have gained advantage over them this window.

[mjwood00]

I actually though Hughes bought very poorly at City. The difference in quality between his and Mancini's signings is vast, as was the value for money and potential return on investment.

I still cry at the amount of money being spent on Wayne Bridge every week.

Our great ex-Chairman's current job is to try and get rid of his ex-manager's legacy of waste.

[braddock]

Surely if he is so bad he just won't play much. Bolton are going to be a lot poorer without Cahill though. If we keep Samba we'll have gained advantage over them this window.

We can afford to lose Samba more than they can afford to lose Cahill.

[bluebruce]

Don't reckon. Let's not get carried away with Hanley finally having a good spell of form. And Dann is injury prone and has failed to impress. Nelsen is out for the rest of the season in all likelihood, which leaves us with one dependable centre half in one of the leakiest defences in the league, one incapable of clean sheets even with Samba. Mind, I confess I'm not well up on Bolton's other defensive options. What I do know is that losing Samba would be a real tonic to our relegation rivals.

[Mercer]

Well Steve, you've talked about competing in the market at a good level and players hitting the ground running.

Who is the next pearler to follow Modeste in ?

[FFP83]

I actually though Hughes bought very poorly at City. The difference in quality between his and Mancini's signings is vast, as was the value for money and potential return on investment.

I still cry at the amount of money being spent on Wayne Bridge every week.

Our great ex-Chairman's current job is to try and get rid of his ex-manager's legacy of waste.

You do understand it was easier for Mancini to bring players into a stronger team that Hughes had to build right?

Like we could have signed better players the season after we won the league than we can now.

Hughes inherited a very average squad. He bought what he knows in RSC, sensible at the time as RSC was prolific for us.

He tempted Kolo Toure and Adebayor from Arsenal, a major achievemnet in itself and both great players at the time.

Wayne Bridge and SWP were better players at the time. He knew Bellamy well and I think the City fans took to him but he wasnt glamourous enough for Mancini.

Kompany who is now their captain was a great signing. Tevez won them their first trophy in 50 years.

Shay Given was one of the top keepers in the league. Zabaleta still plays for them as does De jong.

Yes he bought a couple of clangers as do ALL managers even Fergie. But overall I think Hughes left a very talented squad behind for Mancini to build on.

People in this country like knocking people, I seem to remember Rovers fans not being happy with 10th place finishes cos the football wasnt pretty enough

Well Steve, you've talked about competing in the market at a good level and players hitting the ground running.

Who is the next pearler to follow Modeste in ?

He said on SSN that he had four or five active bids in?

Modeste must hae been one.

AJ is another?

2 or 3 more. Hammil apparently? WE NEED A RIGHT BACK!!!!!!!!!

Can Black bring any realistic rejects from Sunderland who would help us? I prefered the thought of Clement loaning Chelsea youngsters and fringe players to be honest

[Torgeir]

RSC has been prolific the season prior. When they bought him he had been injured and almost didn't score any goals. £18m is, in hindsight, a pretty poor buy.

Adebayor is on 225K a week, I have a feeling he didn't care too much about who was manager.

Man City has a nice new stadium in a big city and tons of cash.

[mjwood00]

Shows how bad our January is that we are talking about City but I disagree that it was easier for Mancini than Hughes. There was no increase in club stature under Hughes, no trophies, no CL, so only the manager's persuasion.

He chose and bought poorly.

Great manager though and would have him back in a heartbeat.

[beatrix]

It is becoming obvious that due to our general financial position including our owners reluctance to provide funding for players

who could make a difference to us staying up or not, we will come out of this transfer window at best in a neutral position.

If Samba does go which I think he will and Hoilett, we will be in a much worse position for the rest of the season.

For me the huge issue behind the scenes is the astronomical bill for players wages which is surely unsustainable.

They are not brain surgeons they kick a football on a generally part time basis ( training 2 hrs per day, playing maximum twice

per week ) Never mind marquee signings which are not going to happen in our current situation, someone at the club needs to

drastically reduce the wage bill and quickly.! For the longterm future of our club we need to introduce sound business practice

and control spending to live within our income, whatever that is specially next season in the championship. :!:

[Sparky Marky]

They are not brain surgeons they kick a football on a generally part time basis ( training 2 hrs per day, playing maximum twice

Id say its harder to become a premier league player than a brain surgeon actually .

[The_Expert]

Id say its harder to become a premier league player than a brain surgeon actually .

Statistically speaking, you are probably correct SM, but you know what they say about statistics...

And Naahh.. can't say I'd be in favour of Keef rustling around in my frontal lobes, to be honest, and as for big Chris, I'm not sure how he'd get his hands inside anyone's head.

[Mercer]

For me the huge issue behind the scenes is the astronomical bill for players wages which is surely unsustainable.

Never mind marquee signings which are not going to happen in our current situation, someone at the club needs to

drastically reduce the wage bill and quickly.! For the longterm future of our club we need to introduce sound business practice and control spending to live within our income, whatever that is specially next season in the championship. :!:

Absolutely imperative.

[beatrix]

Id say its harder to become a premier league player than a brain surgeon actually .

Brain surgeons save lives footballers dont. Some of them cant even be bothered to try or turn up for training.

[67splitscreen]

Hughes being linked in the Mail for Kranjcar @ 3m, think Arry will bite, class player on his day.

[Resigned Rover]

Hughes being linked in the Mail for Kranjcar @ 3m, think Arry will bite, class player on his day.

Totally agree and their midfield could do with some creative flair as they severley lacked any in their games against Newcastle and MK Dons.

[FFP83]

Shows how bad our January is that we are talking about City but I disagree that it was easier for Mancini than Hughes. There was no increase in club stature under Hughes, no trophies, no CL, so only the manager's persuasion.

He chose and bought poorly.

Great manager though and would have him back in a heartbeat.

He chose and bought poorly..........cos YOU say so? oh ok sorry.

Totally ignore Kompany arguably being their best player and Tevez was the man that transformed that club (even though hes the worst example of a professional going)

Hughes even said in the media that Mancini won the FA cup with his team!!!

I didnt say Hughes raised the profile of the club but he did make the squad significantly stronger and then when Mancini inherited that squad it was easier for him to add to it because of the already established stars.

Bit like QPR now, hughes has to buy good teams rejects like Alex, Onuoha and Krankjaer but if he gets them and a couple of others then next season it will be easier for him or whoever would be in charge to attract slightly better players cos they will be playing with Alex and Krankjaer instead of Hill and jones for example.

Also Hughes is going for Alex, Samba, AC Milan defender and Onuoha - he clearly feels QPR need a stronger defence, I wish Kean would buy a right back!!!!

[trueblue]

I'd just like to know where the money is coming from for all these players we are signing

[Stuart]

I'd just like to know where the money is coming from for all these players we are signing

A charitable trust?

[bellamy11]

Hughes had to employ a different buying strategy to Mancini too. Namely, he bought from clubs in and around City's level (at that time) to simultaneously hamper them. The likes of Barry, Lescott, Toure and Adebayor strengthened City, but they also served to weaken Villa, Everton and Arsenal.

In part because of that, City are now in a much stronger position to attract the real game-changers (e.g. Aguero). Hughes provided the stepping stone. City no longer have to worry about the likes of Villa and Everton - they can compete with the likes of United and Chelsea on a much more level playing field in terms of attractiveness.

[m1st]

It is becoming obvious that due to our general financial position including our owners reluctance to provide funding for players who could make a difference to us staying up or not, we will come out of this transfer window at best in a neutral position.

...

Never mind marquee signings which are not going to happen in our current situation, someone at the club needs to drastically reduce the wage bill and quickly.! For the longterm future of our club we need to introduce sound business practice and control spending to live within our income, whatever that is specially next season in the championship. :!:

As the Championship is as realistic an option for our owners as European competition, I thought the following, which is taken from a blog on the BBC's Sports website from last June ahead of the Football League's AGM, might be of interest:

Each division has a working party to discuss methods of controlling costs and reducing debt. League Two already has a salary cap in place that limits a club's spending on players' wages to 60% of turnover. Clubs in League One are looking at the possibility of introducing a similar system.

The solution being proposed in the Championship is a variation of Uefa's Financial Fair Play Initiative, the long-term aim of which is to make sure that clubs will only be able to spend what they generate. In other words, they must live within their means. Premier League clubs will sign up to the Uefa initiative and those that do not meet the criteria risk danger of exclusion from European competition as early as the 2014-15 season.