John Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 3 hours ago, villa89 said: The pennies will be saved to buy proven championship players that might help us get a playoff spot next season. If we go down and we should do everything possible to prevent that then a play-off spot should not be our target or the target of this football club. Our target should be guaranteed automatic promotion as champions and nothing less. Aim for less and we are likely to get less. The play-off places are a target for teams like Wolves and Ipswich who are not good enough and did not do enough in the summer to go for a top 2 place although they would have no doubt set a top 2 rather than a top 6 target for themselves before the season started. Our target remains currently a top 17 finish to this season. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 5 minutes ago, Zatman said: Naismith hasnt played in 6 games and he still has as many goals as our top scorer. We be stupid for turning him away but I know some people on here would take him if he was called Stefano Naismaithino and never saw him play I wouldn't take him if he was called Stefano Naismaithino and here's why: - He is nowhere near prolific in front of goal and we need goals. - He isn't a focal point of an attack, which is pretty much how we need to setup. - He's a 29 year old who rotates in an Everton team and wouldn't represent good value for money. I also wouldn't take him if he was called Steven Naismith, which he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 10, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted December 10, 2015 20 minutes ago, bobzy said: Completely disagree. Where does he fit in our team in any case? Do you play 2 up top and revert to a 4-4-2... which we're also not set up for? I'd rather not shape the team around Steven Naismith. He'd play off the left in place of Sinclair. We literally wouldn't have to change a thing. What are you disagreeing with? That we need to win the ball higher up the pitch? To me it's a glaring problem that we have. It's why we always end up sitting so deep defending for our lives on the edge of our box. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberman Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 20 minutes ago, Zatman said: Stefano Naismaithino Any youtube clips of this kid? Sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 7 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: He'd play off the left in place of Sinclair. We literally wouldn't have to change a thing. What are you disagreeing with? That we need to win the ball higher up the pitch? To me it's a glaring problem that we have. It's why we always end up sitting so deep defending for our lives on the edge of our box. Yes, exactly - I don't think our priority is to have a hard-working left winger nor that our main issue is not being able to win the ball higher up the pitch. I'm not saying Naismith is a bad player, he isn't, I'd just be disappointed if we signed him in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 10 minutes ago, rubberman said: Any youtube clips of this kid? Sounds good. no but he is a genius on Football Manager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 42 minutes ago, bobzy said: Yes, exactly - I don't think our priority is to have a hard-working left winger nor that our main issue is not being able to win the ball higher up the pitch. I'm not saying Naismith is a bad player, he isn't, I'd just be disappointed if we signed him in January. I can't agree with you there, I think that very much is a priority. We've seen how badly torched Richardson gets when he just has Gil or Grealish for protection. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dn1982 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 4 hours ago, villarocker said: People were mulling over whether Charlie Austin would be the right man for us last summer. When we go down, attracting Austin to us when we go down would be like attracting say Lukaku, Payet, Bolasie etc whilst still in the Premier League. Look at Brighton at the clubs at the top end of the Championship. Brighton have the likes of Zamora and Hemed up front, Middlesboro have Stuani & Fabbrini, Martin & Bent, Hull have Hernandez & Akpom. Look at Burnley lying in 5th place and their top signing cost a club record - believed to be around £6m. When we go down, we will not be seeing marquee signings of the past like Bent was. We need to get used to the fact that attracting players of a certain quality was difficult in the PL, in the Championship it will be almost impossible. We will be shopping around players that are going to make a lot of fans cringe. Right now, in January, I would target Gray from Burnley. He has already scored 9 goals in 14 games for them this season. He scored 18 in 40+ for Brentford last season so he's already proven at that level. I would pay whatever it takes to bring him here in January in the hope that he can score straight away safe in the knowledge that, if he doesn't and we go down, we will have a proven goalscorer for that league who is already settled in at the club. I would seriously plan for buying the better players, in positions that we need to strengthen, from the Championship so that they are settled before the start of the season and have had some PL experience too. I think that would give us a stronger chance of coming back at the first attempt and, at coming back stronger. So instead of targeting a player like Austin who has 6 months left and is proven in both the PL and Championship you'd target a striker who signed for about £9m in the summer and who's at a club that'll be there or there abouts for promotion? We should go all out for Austin who I reckon you'll get for £5m ish but if you are willing to spend £10m plus on a gamble they'll be better ones abroad . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Would take Naismith in a heartbeat. Good player and he has a set of bollocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Who is going to be stupid enough to sign for us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 3 minutes ago, sexbelowsound said: Who is going to be stupid enough to sign for us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 10, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted December 10, 2015 1 hour ago, bobzy said: Yes, exactly - I don't think our priority is to have a hard-working left winger nor that our main issue is not being able to win the ball higher up the pitch. I'm not saying Naismith is a bad player, he isn't, I'd just be disappointed if we signed him in January. Given our options at left back I'd disagree with you there. I think it would help a lot to have a hard working left sided player (he's not a winger). It may not be our main issue, but having players who could apply pressure higher up the pitch would be an asset and would help change the way we constantly fall back deep when not in possession. Opposition basically get a free run up to the halfway line when they get the ball these days. We apply zero pressure at that end of the pitch. That needs to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 (edited) 6 hours ago, Richard said: I'm more concerned by " whilst Crystal Palace, Leicester, Southampton, Tottenham and West Brom will also be scouting him tonight " no chance we can compete with any of them clubs not a prayer You say that but in the summer we beat Stoke and Leicester to players so we must've been doing something right despite coming off the back of a 17th finish. Edited December 10, 2015 by VillaChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Sounds like Ashley Cole is an option then. Will be strange seeing him if he does sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 He'd play off the left in place of Sinclair. We literally wouldn't have to change a thing. What are you disagreeing with? That we need to win the ball higher up the pitch? To me it's a glaring problem that we have. It's why we always end up sitting so deep defending for our lives on the edge of our box. Yes, exactly - I don't think our priority is to have a hard-working left winger nor that our main issue is not being able to win the ball higher up the pitch. I'm not saying Naismith is a bad player, he isn't, I'd just be disappointed if we signed him in January. As opposed to no one? In our desperate situation is say he's about the best we could hope for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 31 minutes ago, DCJonah said: Sounds like Ashley Cole is an option then. Will be strange seeing him if he does sign. Obviously a fantastic player in his day, but his fitness could be a concern, not appeared in a match day squad all season and hasn't played since March. At his age may not gain fitness again 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Thats the thing with him, he could turn out like illori in terms of fitness. Only sign if he is ready for first team. I would prefer Cissokho to be honest 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 14 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: I can't agree with you there, I think that very much is a priority. We've seen how badly torched Richardson gets when he just has Gil or Grealish for protection. Richardson gets torched because he's shite 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 11, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted December 11, 2015 8 hours ago, mikeyp102 said: Obviously a fantastic player in his day, but his fitness could be a concern, not appeared in a match day squad all season and hasn't played since March. At his age may not gain fitness again On the other hand. he was one of the fittest players I've ever seen (not like that you perverts!), so even a 60% ashley Cole could be a better option than what we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSV Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Cissohko won't be match fit either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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