The view from the grassy knoll

[Number 9 0]

Have City made two tiny bids for popular players, which will certainly get knocked back andstrangely become public knowledge, unusual for City. Is this a rouse to keep supporters happy to be linked with such names, yet we haven''t spent anything, might not do so.

I hope we sign a couple of prem quality strikers sooner than later, just seems to have unfolded rather strangely last few days.

Trust McNally & Hughton

[Stig 0]

Different manager, more tactile and ambitious approach to staying in the premier league. Things are gonna be different now, I just hope it comes off!

[Houston Canary 0]

I love the title for this thread!  :)

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

I don''t feel that they are "tiny bids," but rather realistic starting points for negotiation.

 

Besides, I hope that the rumours are true that Swansea have accepted our bid at first try. It is clear that Graham doesn''t fit into Laudrup''s plans, for one reason or another, so he needs the cash quickly to get in a replacement. Kenwyn Jones seemingly the most likely and fittingly, a very different style of player to Graham.

 

Celtic are holding out for more, but ultimately it will be down to the player. If Hooper''s over-riding wish is to play in the Premiership in order to be noticed with a view to playing for England then he will get his wish. Lennon said that every player has his price so a bit more might do it if the player is keen on the move.

 

McNally made similar noises about Grant Holt last Summer, ie: "He is our player, contracted to us etc. etc. yet we all knew that if the big man wanted out and the the right bid came in we would sell.

 

We are about the level of club that would suit Hooper''s initiation in the Premiership. Reading and QPR are reportedly interested, but both are much more likely to go down this season than we are. 

 

This is a similar situation in many ways to the Ashton purchase. Lower league star (with respect to Celtic** and the SPL) with ambition needing to use a lesser Premiership club (with respect to NCFC) in order to get his foot in the door with a view to better things eventually. Ashton ultimately ended up disappointingly, for him I should think,  at West Ham, but we had been relegated so the need was for haste.

 

**Celtic might well be a class apart in the SPL, but most of Hooper''s goals have come against much more moderate opposition than he would encounter in the Premiership. For this reason there is that element of risk about signing the player that the big boys and others with less need for re-enforcements would want to take. Norwich City''s purchasing power means that there has to be an element of risk about all their signings. 

[Number 9 0]

We don''t know for sure what value the bids were, suspect McNally went in V Low to open negotiations.

Did they expect to get both players or was it just twisting the knife to play one against the other and get best deal?

As for making it public knowledge?

[S10 Canary 0]

I did wondered whether the bids were serious or whether they were just put in as a show for supporters. Thinking rationally though, I would hope dearly the board have more savvy than to mess around like that.

[The Voice Of Reason 0]

there your have it!

we are all chuffed to bits that we have been on tv bidding for players, mmm we are left with hoping and lets try to be positive.