Desert Fox

Purple Canary, I agree. There is no way on earth we are going to risk letting Steer go on loan without bringing a third keeper. The only question is whether we would bring in short term cover on a short contract (e.g. Hanheman) or someone to potentially challenge Ruddy for No1. As we cant loan any more players, my hunch would be teh former as the latter woudl probably require a three year contract, which would mean that we have four keepers on our books when/if Steer returns from loan. 

[quote user="cityangel"][quote user="211203"] Also I guess you can only bring in so many players without it being too disruptive.  But I still wouldn''t be surprised if someone like Lansbury or Pacheco slots in late on, or another really good addition to the squad pops up. [/quote] Thought we were only allowed two loanees from the premier which we now have ?? [/quote]   Thats right, but there is nothing to stop us buying these players, assuming PL has a role in mind and that parent clubs would sell at the right price. Also, as both are under 21s, they would not count towards the 25 man squad limit.

[quote user="CambsCanary"]Johnson has also played LB for Leeds a few times - suspect he''ll get in ahead of Steven Smith and maybe even Lappin for that position.[/quote]   I suspect that we have three viable LBs in Tierney, Drury and De Laet (if nott playinmg as  afirst choice CB) before Lappin and Smith come into contention.

[quote user="Grif"]De Laet has been brought in as the 4th DC. Lambert has stated this point several times. Try and keep up people.[/quote]   How you can you possibly know what is going through PL''s mind. He has clearly stated that he views pace at the back as being essential. This could (as opposed to will) mean that De Laet (who has pace to burn for a defender) is a first choice. Whatever happens, injuries, suspensions and the need to ensure that we pick the most in form players is going to mean that most of the core squad will get game time this year.

Cov Canary,Have you got some local intelligence reagrding a deal? Also, as he is 6 foot 3, does he play CB or FB. I would be interested in whether he is potential cover for Martin or not.

Ooops - please ignore the previous post as I can now see the list refers to last season. Still think QPR will struggle though.

[quote user="G"][quote user="DOGGER"]I think this year we could have easily beat the following teams,West HamWiganWolvesBlackburnBlackpoolSunderland ...........and could matched the following, VillaNewcastleWBABoltonStokeFulhamOn that basis about 10th to 13th Obviously we are to strenghten as well as the other teams so i would say at best about 12th [/quote] No, just no. I can''t believe some people on here, top 10? Do you realise how hard this league is? For me i think we will stay up i wouldnt expect any less but not by much by the bare minimum. In a bit of shock at how confident people are on here, our signings have been good but not the best, have we had any that have experienced a losing streak, although it could work for us they will hate it and give everything to get out of it but getting youngsters to lift there head will test Lambert to the extreme.   This season will come down to how good Lambert is not how good our players our in my opinion. If he can keep there head up, confidence high and team spirit. If he does this the team will perform well enough to STAY UP, not finish top 10. I hope I eat my words but I can''t see it. [/quote] Dogger, I am surprised that you have left QPR of the list. They dint have a great second half of the season, havent really strengthened their squad, have manager who has struggled to make an impression on the PLpreviosuly and are about to lose their star player. By your reckoning they will be top 7!!!

[quote user="lincoln canary"][quote user="Yorkshire Canary"]Spurs have one of the poorest defence records in the premiership. If he cannot get into their defence then how good is he? Add to that Russell Martin has to be one of the first names on our teamsheet he is a star and getting better[/quote] Make no mistake this guy is the future England right back, he is absolute quality. Can''t believe spurs loan him out! Would be a tremendous signing and would have to be picked ahead of Martin.[/quote] Are you confusing him with Kyle Walker who is ahead of him in the Spurs pecking order and who will almost certainly play for Engalnd later this year? Both are called Kyle, play RB and were signed from Shef Utd together by Spurs. Naughton is a good player too, but he is coming up for 23 and has only ever played in the Championship or the SPL, unlike Walker who played the second half of the season for Villa in the PL and who looks like (well to me anyway) as a shoe in for Spurs fisrt choice right back this season.Even so, Lambert is obviously trying to ensure that he has strong compeition in every position. If we did sign Naughton, this would only leave Fox and Ruddy without real competition in their roles.It has also be stongly rumoured that QPR already have a deal in place for Naughton.

[quote user="NCFC4LIFE"][quote user="YellowLittle1"][quote user="NCFC4LIFE"]He has never played in the Prem! this i know! and barnett has played 6 games in the prem two of them subs apperances! [/quote] Your words were Barnett had a "one or two sub appearances" He played 10 games. 1 Subsitute. On the West Brom and Norwich official site. But anyway, I don''t think Upson is the ticket. I think Whitbread and Barnett are Premier League quality, not 100% sure about Ward. Either way, we need a centre half.[/quote] Agree 100% that Leon and Zak are the two that should start the season at CB. Ward will be a half decent 2nd choice but we need a fourth and we need an experienced defender!! Someone who has been there and done it!! But who? [/quote]   I strongly ssupect that PL will be looking to involve De Laet - especially the way he has talked about his pace and how essential this will be in the PL. Not sure he will displace Tierney early, so he could figure as a CB.

Why on earth would we be wanting another LB when we already have:TierneyDruryDe LaetLappin (as a last resort)Smith (although admittedly he is unlikley to make the 25 man sqaud)RB is more of a concern if Martin gets injured or suspended. The main cover appears to be De Laet, and if he is needed in this position we would be down to just three CBs. So my guess is that we will be looking at a right sided CB who could also play RB if needed or at the very least to esnure that De Laet is free to play the utility role in defence.

Looks like Chambers could be leaving Forest for not a huge fee as he only has 12 months left on his contract. I thought he was one of the best CBs in our division last year. I wonder if we are monitoring the situation.I assume the rumours about Illunga are rubbish as we are well covered in the LB slot.http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/football-league/championship/8898/6/reading-set-sights-forest-star-chambers

[quote user="San Miguel"] i''d like to see an experienced centre back come in - Ward, Whitbread and Barnett are fine but Whitbread has well documented injury concerns and Barnett has only just come back from a long term injury himself. Upson could be a good option, what with his Norfolk connections.  He may have been on £40-50k pw at West Ham but he''s not stupid - a player on a free transfer at his age is not going to demand "at least what i was on at West Ham". Also talks about Illunga and Gabbidon.  I''d prefer Upson out of those and Martin Taylor personally.   Would also like to see Adeyemi stay - even if just out on loan again for next season.  Bradford didn''t go as well for him as i''d hoped but in some friendlies i watched him play in he looks really promising. [/quote]   One of my friends is a season ticket holder at Bradford. He said that under Peter Taylor Before he departed), Adyemi looked very lost becuase they played hoofball and the games was bypassing him. Also, that he was played out on the right rather than through the centre. My friend would be happy if he returned to Bradford (now sans Peter Taylor and playing better football) and thinks he is a long way off being able to play in the PL. I would be astonished if we didnt try to loan him out again as part of his development.

[quote user="willo2"]For what it is worth, my opinion is that PL has bought wingers so that our full backs stay in a more solid back four next season. We were exposed with the diamond at times last season, when our full backs pushed forward at every opportunity, so the wingers give us a more solid 4-4-2 option or even 4-5-1 away with Wes off Holt/Morrison. and  2of Johnson/Croft/Fox sitting. Just my thought. [/quote]   Willo, Completely agree - these formations would also enable Crofts/Johnson to sit back more and give more protection to the back four. Speedy wingers will also keep the opposition''s full backs from pushing too far forward, and if our wingers are grafters, they can also provide better protecton to the FBs.

[quote user="Salopian"]We have some experience, in Ward, and we could probably do with some more. The problem is that experience can often mean a lack of pace, although experience can compensate in other ways. Of our present defenders only de Laet and Barnett are blessed with good pace, however willing Tierney and Martin may be.Barnett and De Laet are both fairly in experienced at the Premiership level. I hope that PL can solve this particular problem because last year our defence was caught out several times by quick championship wingers and strikers, and we shall face even more of this next season. Last year our defensive record was not good, compared to the other top half teams, and we really must tighten up.[/quote] I agree completely about exposure to pace - this is a real worry with the step up in class.   However, I think you are over egging the experience that Ward, De Laet and Barnett have in the PL. I woudl be surprised if they have started more than 15 games collectively.   You point about wingers has perhaps not gone un-noticed by PL and I wonder if this has partly influenced the recruitment fo Bennett and Pilkington?

[quote user="Mahogany"]I have a feeling that S.Smith may be in Lambert''s plans for next season. He came here with pretty high praise and Rangers had wanted to keep him. He injured during the close season didn''t he? If he can stay fit and train with the rest of the squad hopefully he will settle in the area. He could be a really useful member of the squad, and would save us the expense of bringing in another defender. (Though I would quite like to see Taylor brought back). Upson was on massive wages at West Ham (like 50k massive) and now that he''s a free agent he''ll probably expect the same or more. There''d be no better way of ruining the team spirit at the club than bringing someone in on twice the wages that anyone else is getting.[/quote] You are having a laugh re Smith. With De Laet, we now have three players capable of playing left back plus Lappin in an emergency. If Lambert had rated him highly, he would no have been loaned out to Aberdeen last season. We are most exposed at right back in terms of cover, although I think/hope that De Laet can also play there too or perhaps Korey Smith. There is no way that Francomb is ready for the PL. This leaves CB. Although we are ok in numbers (Tierney can also play this position), the concern of most fans is not so much quantity, but quality, particulalry in terms of PL experience.  Our defence wasnt that tight last year and with the step in class, we will be more exposed, particularly concerning pace.

Nutty, I am simply making a polite request to take it elsewhere – every time I log on to the FF or similar transfer speculation threads (which admittedly I am a sucker for), I don’t want to see a pointless debate about something in the past that clearly is not going to be resolved. It is very very very boring for the rest of us – get my point? Yes it is a public forum and you have a right to post, but the board does have some rules including the ones about not diverting a thread and endlessly posting about the same issue. Pete''s light touch moderation is relaint upon us all acting like grown ups. Can I suggest that if you and others want to carry on this debate, that it does not take place on a thread about transfer speculation. Is that an unreasonable request to make? . If the thread was labelled “arguments about the past”, I absolutely promise not to read the thread and leave you in peace. Alternatively, if everyone agreed to let bygones be bygones, we can all focus upon next year.

And the relavence of all this to FF or other GKs is ......????How about starting another clealry labelled thread where this private argument can be carried on and let the rest of us focus forwards on next season.

According to the barrow boy, Joe Lewis will be sold this summer. At the very least this should involve some cash for us."Asked if goalkeeper Joe Lewis would be able to remain at the club the candid director of football added: “No and I won’t be able to keep hold of George Boyd either. The chairman promised both Joe and George if they helped to get us up he would listen to offers".

[quote user="jas the barclay king"]Fraser Forster will want first team football if he comes here.. if ruddys on form Forster woont get it.. come January would he be looking to be off?we need a keeper 34-35 with premiership experience who can do a job when needed and wont be expecting to play every week.... Maik Taylor, Marcus Hahnneman are 2 names that spring to mind. [/quote]Both are 39 (not 34-35) and have been ditched by clubs at a similar level to us. Whilst keepers retire later than outfield players, neither of these would be number one (in my opinion) and would just be back up.

It looks like Kuszczak - so not much of a merry go round. http://www.wba.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=245998There does not seem to be any takers for Green, and Villa are rumoured to be in for Given. Potential candidates for transfer include Foster and Gordon, both of whom are likley to be very expensive. I would love to see Boruc here (PL was at Celtic with him), but cant see him leaving Serie A for us.

[quote user="Buckethead"]Q.P.R[/quote]That seems to be the case judging by the chatter on the QPR boards. If so, we will  be able to directly judge if this was a lucky escape or missed opportunity for us or in terms ofwhether he makes the grade in the PL. It will certainly be interesting to compare Morrison vs Graham vs CMS at each of the promoted teams and for roughly similar transfer values give or take £0.5M.

http://services.pinkun.com/forums/pinkun/cs/forums/2570065/ShowPost.aspx

Scrappy, Ridgewell hasnt played CB for years (Villa reserves), except for when both Dann and Jiranek were injured this year.

DDD, And the last time that Celtic had six guranteed group phase CL games was....??? As opposed to 38 games in the strongest and most wathced league in the world.

Completely agree Mr Carrow about Tierney. We will inevitably alos lose our fair share of games, but we must take points off our relaistic competition (e.g, Fulham, Wolves etc) and look to build a bridge head in the division where we can gradually add to the quality of our squad like Stoke and Bolton have. Even if we had a huge transfer war chest, we will not attract marquee signings until they are convinced we are a mid-table side or we let them have relegation clauses such as Demba Ba.