gissing canary

[quote user="nutty nigel"] I hope the reason we didn''t get Wayne Thomas has something to do with the fact he is not as good as what we already have. I agree we need leadership and a voice at the back but if ability counts for nothing then my mother-in-law could provide a loud and intimidating presence at a fraction of the cost of Wayne Thomas. Anyway, I have seen an improvement in the organisation of our back four this season, am I the only one that noticed? I have said elsewhere and will say again here that I would be happy to improve any position in the side if we could get better than what we have. But this idea that just anybody is better than what we have is plain ridiculous.   [/quote]   I havent been to see them since the West Ham game, but still IMO I would have your mother-in-law over Doherty!  

I am fed up with all these foreign investors coming into the league, but I dont mind Hammers fans, purely as loads of the ones I know, said "oh we cant have Sven we need someone who knows the history of the club........"They have someone who knows the history now and buys loads known average premiership players on huge money, they dream of getting 5th (odd dream with all the cash) but wont get their as they dont (other than noble) have 1 top top class player.  Ljungberg is a reject, Dyer is crocked and Bellamy, ask alan Shearer, he will not get more than 10goals a season regularly!They can have the money, and go on about it, but they appointed a manager who buys known gash!  They will get shown its not just about money, by their best player, Mark Noble.  Cost nothing, has heart and can play, the rest of the money they have thrown away!Davenport, on what planet is he 3mill?  and is already 5th choice centre back.  Upson 7.5mill????  as good as Curtis Davis, or Rozenhal at Newcastle, who cost a fraction?  Boa Morte, 5.75, for a 29 year old, who lost his place in the team he is so bad??  Bellamy 7.5, paying an extra 1.5mill even though Benitez realised he useless, Dyer - crocked 6mill??Andy Hammer, keep your sugar daddy, if anyone appoints a manager like Sven / Alladyce / Boothroyd they will save that money, West Hams own arrogance caused them to appoint a man, who has no idea what to do with money and wastes it.  He has made 2-3 good signings - Parker, Neill and maybe Faubert.

I agree with the Second one, but I think interestingly maybe play spillane for chadwick, and allow Fozzy to create, as it seems to be what he wants to do?  And then Russell and Spillane could do the defensive work, allowing the over laps, which will be used a lot now!  

I have only written about people coming on going not those staying and being on the same wages.  I wanted to see if we had saved money, and that only concerns those coming and going. In response to cluck, i agree, the pitch is the most important part, but finances are an inevitable part of the game.  I dont think we can just avoid them, everyone has a price, every manager says it pretty much.  Also without parachute payments we have seen income cut, and we cant just demand the club signs player after player and moan and whine when they dont, without understanding the problems they are facing.  

I will say before I start, I think this has been an extremely impressive area of the clubs (Grants) management this summer and in Jan.  We have discussed a lot on here the levels of money making in transfers, but it is clear we needed to cut costs with the 7 mill of parachute payments vanishing, and I was wondering how well we have actually done.   Here is my assessment of the wage situation, let me know what anyone else thinks:   GKs: Marshall - Ok he must be on a decent wage, but as a direct replacement for Green, is he earning more, I doubt it. Gilks - from Rochdale - he can’t be on much? Lewis -on loan I do agree that Gallagher makes this area seem less than business savvy at the moment, but I think he will go soon, and hope he does, as he seems like a fighter, but is clearly 3rd or 4th choice, so good luck to the guy, but he must be on a heavy pay packet, as he got a new one when green left.   DFs: Colin - from PSV must have been on a decent wage. Hughes - rumours of 6-8k a week, seems like a great saving! MLJ - dead wood, or unlucky, but either way he was billed as a top pro on signing, probably not too expensive though. Fleming - captain, and must have been paid very well?  Semmy - All 4 were replaced by 1, this must be a huge saving in money, and IMO a real rise in class?  And a huge drop in average age!   MFs: Safri - talk of WBA and wanting 10, signed when in premier league gives idea of 8k a week? Etuhu - don’t know his salary, but with the talk of Southampton competing when we signed, maybe 6-7k? Robo - went a bit ago - but money well saved! Lappin - I don’t think he can be on much, coming on 75 k in Scotland? Fozzy - No club, in Germany, he must be on a very small wage, I hope! Chadwick - Wanted to come to the area, but from another championship club - over 5k a week? Russell - See Chadwick, or maybe he is on more? Le Judge - looks class, from a good side, signed to them from Inter?  Must be one of the top earners at the club now?  And good on Football Manager! Smith - on loan - I think he might be earning a decent amount, at Chelsea and after last year at QPR?  But are we paying all his wages? Here we are probably spending more on salaries, but again a real dropping on age, and actually having 2 players for every position.   STRs: Thorne - 8k a week, cr*p - enough said. McVeigh - must have earned a fair amount - and lazy. Hendo - Probably not on much? Earnie- Had to be the top earner on 12k ish? Brown - from Sunderland, but not thought of that highly, a chance to prove, any ideas? Jamie - desperate to come back, got 3 years, so surely not a big wage? Dave - Might be on a decent amount, but coming from Czech, maybe not too much, as unproven? Must be cheaper each week, and as a group, much better than the ones we had before?   I may have missed a few people here, but to me it seems we are saving a bit, but maybe not as much as we needed to, other than in defense.  This may explain why the transfer money has disappeared, as we need to cover the wages, if parachutes aren’t around now.  

I dont really rate Carlisle, and havent seen much of thomas, but I agree, and am concerned we are only after a loan, as the doc needs to be permanently replaced.  

Its because they agreed a deal, like Cardiff to save them, but the season people lend to dodgy companies or people is to get high rates of return (US Subprime rings a bell), and now they are crippled, and they have left the Inland Revenue to last as leeds did, and thats the trigger, but i dont think the cause, they are crippled with debt. I feel most sorry for Cook, as he gave up his money from Fulham, just to see the club go down anyway. But does anyone know, do they have a good centre back or creative midfielder??  

Glad we are having sensible approach here!   Give him time, we wont see the best of him till after christmas.  And he needs our support, look at West Ham and Tevez, he came good, after an poor first half of the year, and he looked out of depth and had a dodgy first touch at points.   Evra, Vidic, took time too, just relax, support him and we will see the best of him, dont worry, class is class.  

Well done Joe. I hope Marshall doesnt mean we never see him in a Norwich jersey.  This season looks to be good for him, I cant remember if he is gone the whole year, or just 3 months?    

The guy is nervous enough as it is!!  Lets not give him another reason to get nervous, but I completely agree with the sentiment!  He needs to go!    

[quote user="Saint Canary"]No he is not going to get 15-20 a season but I don''t think Grant brought him here to do that.  He is a battering ram, simple as that, someone for another striker to play off.[/quote]   Agree. Also if we bought him as a new player in the summer, having seen Dave, Jamie, play we would have been bigging this guy up!  Give him time, big men get about 10goals, and set up others. Crofty, hucks, jamie, martin, smith, and russell, should all benefit from him!  

Yeah, but I think Norris might be cheaper, but I would take Sodje and Norris as the 2 priorities, over another striker. I think we can get the goals, but at the moment we need the service!  

A lot has changed in a year on player values in the top flight, if they are deemed to make a difference, also sunderland are dumb!   I mean chopra has gone up 10 fold, we would have taken 500k for etuhu last year.   The world has gone crazy, especially sunderland, so dont get too carried away with numbers.  And i dont think grant would have allowed a get out clause for a guy he values this highly unless its 5mill plus.  

Great post. I know loads of west ham fans thinking they were gonna push for Europe?!?!?!?  And some of them, when they were linked with Sven were going nuts, "hes Cra*p", "doesnt know anything" - well done Sven.  Curbs is over rated, and signed known players for big money who are only ever good enough for upper mid table, Ashton is their best player with parker.  

[quote user="BBFF"] Russell asks for patience, we have been patience, 3 seasons worth of patience. If they cant prove it in ten matches they are not good enough for me.   FOOTBALL MUST COME FIRST [/quote]   I disagree.  We have been waiting 3 seasons, but this is grants team, and only now is it!!  As I have said before, Fabio Capello or Mourinho couldnt have done anything with that lot last year.  Grant has his own idea, and with fitness, and gelling, it will take time.  Hopeful star players like Dave Striker, will take time!  Have you not learned anything from Carlos Tevez (also Evra and Vidic), quality is quality, and takes time to adjust though.  10games he hadnt scored anything, but was working and trying, and I think u will find (west ham guys feel free to chip in) that the Hammers fans kept backing him, and I bet they are glad they did!  pretty much on his own kept them up - dont be too harsh to judge!   Moulding takes time - allow them to settle!  we also have decent money left over, from sales, to buy the last jigsaw pieces in Jan and first part of season will allow judgement of the key additions!    

grant will play doc over dublin, and i think chadwick over croft (undeserved!).  

I agree! What a deal - we got rid of the 3 unperformers for 1.75 (i include robinson). Great deal!  

Ha, I forgot about Jarrett.I know grant has done well, on paper.  Proof is in the pudding.   Sold 3.5 mill of striker, spent 1.6, sold 1.8 of midfielder spent 600k, he appears to have done well, and if he does well saving that much money, then hats off to the guy.Also I would like to praise grant here, he never dissed Hughes, as he realised he needed confidence, but then first opportunity to get him out (this has been on cards all summer) he sends him on his way, as with robinson.Wr now should have some serious cash on a centre back and centre mid, both needed, i feel!!

wrexham too!   and Sheff Wed and Notts Forest have huge debt problems, and are in the "leeds" bracket, of big clubs that spend loads, and are run by fools!  

I know its bad on hear, but come on, lets not ban free speech just yet! We have to put up with loads of people doing self adoring posts, and i dont just mean cluck and smudger, they express there hilarious opinions, i mean Bly Bly and others,m who post hundreds of posts, mostly self indulging.  Allow them to say what they want to say, or have some fun and go to the leeds forums!!

Marshall - I get Y grant has chased him looked good. Drury, Shackell, and Semi, all good / ish, did job, liked semi getting forward. Doc - Y is he here?   I dont get it, I went him a west ham and tottenham supporter, and rightly they were mocking.  Headers he is fine, but on the ground..... Russell - Welcome back, Div1 (the name the championship is rubbish) he is perfect for! Croft - most exciting player, for me, if hucks isnt fit.  Like someone else said we lack pace, and he looked leaner than before, and i would start him over chadwick on last nights showing who for me was lightweight, and moved inside far too much. Fozzy - nice touch, didnt do much, but first time i have seen him, and a good touch. Hughes - Please I pray this is cos Brellier, and Smith are out, and Safri is being annoying, but he will not ever get us promoted, poor passing, no vision, didnt even say many tackles.  Get rid of, ASAP! Dave - chasing poor balls, against prem defenders, no chance. Cureton - Bigman / Smallman, only works if the big man gets it, I felt sorry for him. Brown - I liked, against Div1 defenders, backing in, being strong, moving into the channels, he will be a handful on this showing, I dream or Iwan mark 2!    

I think we found out who didnt do there fitness exercises over the summer!!  

Also can anyone name the people in the photo, all these new signings, now and in jan mean i cant get them all, as havent been for a while to watch.  Players only, starting left to right top row, i get:   ___, shacks, brown, doc, dion, ___, ____, dave striker, ryan jarvis, ____, ____ hoose, ___, gally, marshal, lewis, gilks, ___, hucks, russel ___, crofty, le judge, ___, ____, drury, chaders, eagle, ___, semi.   Can anyone fill in the blanks, as i am shocked by how few i recognise!!  its embarrassing, but off to west ham tomorrow to get a look.  

We can all safely say that Gallacher is 3rd or even 4th choice keeper now.  He has almost no chance of making it into the team, and from what Grant said it sounds like he didnt even go to Holland!From my understanding he has 2 years on his current deal?  He must be on decent money, as he was given the deal as the No1, is he gonna become the next player to sit round never ever standing a chance of playing?I am not saying I dislike him, as he didn what he could, but clearly no way good enough, but mu worry is he might be here for 2 years never playing, as sop far there has barely been a mention of him being available, and every agent and club must know he is there for a free transfer?

Foxile, the reason we hate / dislike Walsh and Cottee, is you had them when they could play.  Both came to us, well passed it, and with no interest in the game left, other than a desire to pick up a huge fat pay check, neither seemed interested, or was any good.  But that should also apply to Peter Thorne!