John

Well said 306. Not every signing will be in the superstar or NRC category. We will buy the odd player like Harewood who will not put bums on seats or excite but who will improve the squad, do a decent job when needed (in Marlon's case on those occasions Big John is out or rested). Marlon and John would not very often start a game as our two strikers and if we now add a player like Defoe to the striking options then I think few would complain about Marlon's name being added to the squad. In Martin & Randy I still trust. :notworthy:

Juninho & Ravenelli did not join them because of our former chairman though tricella. Sidwell went for money and to play for Chelsea reserves and Distin just went to the highest bidders. We want players who are good, want to play football for us and our manager and who still have ambition. Those two are no great loss but NRC would be.

Boro managed to sign high profile players in the past and you don't get a football club much less tempting for a foreign player than them. Give them and the club they play for enough money and they will come.

And Troglodyte he would most likely prefer to sign for Spurs! :oops:

My concern as well TLR but surely West Ham would not try to start a bidding war with their reputation on the transfer market? :winkold: Nakamura from Celtic & Boruc? Is this part of a cunning plan for Celtic to get into the Premier League through the back door? But, if Martin wants him and there is something to this one, then I'm happy to back his judgement on this one and on any other.

The difference with these 4 teams Amo is that West Ham, Portsmouth and Newcastle have won things in the past and might one day win something again. The other team never has and never will.

The first time that could be claimed since those loan deals made the news Tricella. :winkold: Is anyone else sick to the teeth of West Ham who should have been relegated buying players like they have just stolen someone's credit card and raising the bar on all transfer fees and wages? They could be another Leeds, but they should already be half way there if the powers that be had any nerve. I also think this NRC deal needs to be done and dusted before the U21 tournament starts. If he wants to come he will come this week, if he does not he will drag it out waiting for someone else to bite and I don't expect MON to wait for him whilst other targets get signed by others. As far as Koumas is concerned he is good going forward but will not track back. This sounds like the player trying to tempt us to come in for him but if MON wants him then I back his judgement.

I wonder whether Jake Findlay might have fancied a game as he is a local Streetly driving instructor?

Must have been thinking of us back then as well then! :winkold:

ne (non) plus ultra: Nothing further; the uttermost point; perfection.

Talk Sport claim Barton to Newcastle is dependant on Parker to West Ham. If that is right, where does that leave NRC to us (part of a treble or not)?

A group of us were in Amsterdam & Rotterdam last weekend (25 years to the day) and watched the Ajax v AZ game. I mentioned Klaas-Jan Huntelaar & Wesley Sneijder to a couple of their fans in a bar. They seemed to think Wes was a done deal to Valencia but I mentioned that as far as I knew they had yet to agree a price. As far as Huntelaar was concerned they seemed to think he was destined for a big foreign club. When I suggested that we could be that big club it was clear that news of Randy's revolution had yet to hit Amsterdam. Time for a quick 20m bid for the pair to show that we are now players at the top end of the market, after all if you don't ask you don't get? :winkold:

...is being delayed by them.

NRC's agent seems to be keeping his players options open when he talks of our interest. I suspect that NRC might prefer to hang on to see whether anyone else comes in for him. I don't want to see us missing out on players because a deal for Parker does not come off or someone comes in for NRC in 2 weeks time. How about telling West Ham that we will match their bid for Parker, if any early outcome to our interest in NRC?

No, but we were looking to take him on as a ball boy!

I can't see why we are even looking at the possibility of Luke and Gabby going on this thread. I doubt if they would like to think we were even considering the prospect. Who knows whether Charlton would want Luke or that Luke would want to go? My guess is that Charlton will sell Bent to the highest bidder and hope that is not their former manager and then buy someone of their own choice. If Luke does move it should be on loan for a few months in the knowledge that he will come back rather than be sold, if he was sold it would not be to someone in the league below - he is better than that. Fergie might like the look of Gabby but this is no longer the former chairman he is dealing with and I suspect at the end of next season Gabby might think his ambitions can be achieved here and he is young enough to wait. This chap on the icbrum forum may have a track record Gabby but he's not saying too much yet is he? Sounds a bit like me saying expect 4 new signings before the new season starts for a total of £20m plus, I suspect the bookies would give us both odds on.

Just heard Craig Bellamy on SKY Sports. Did anyone else catch him? I read it that he seems resigned to leaving but it is clear he is reluctant to do so and the mention of playing for clubs before whose ambition was to qualify for the CL and to now playing for one that has ambition to win it suggests that he might see a move to us as a step backwards as did Stanley Victor and Baros in the past, with not the best end results for us. I may be reading it wrong and I guess he has no choice but to boost Liverpool at this point, but I'm still more than a bit concerned about the prospect of us signing him. But, in Martin I trust.

Chelsea did not want him then. A good World Cup but who rated him before that? There are better midfield players out there and now Manchester United are out of the race for one let's sign one up!

Possibly I was a bit harsh Stewie, but he has not played a lot of late and I can't see him playing for another club in the PL when he does leave Manchester United. I just don't think his heart would be in it and we want players at the peak of their form or with potential, I think OGS's best days are behind him.

I think the club may have some idea of the sort of names that we talk about V111AFC. :winkold:

Well Kingrollo, I understand that Martin wants all the deals done before pre-season training, so I suspect we will try to have our deals done sooner rather than later but that depends to some extent on the selling clubs and players not wanting to listen to any other potential offers. I think that Distin will go where the money is best for him (Portsmouth?) and I think Martin might prefer a central defender that puts who he will be playing for before the salary he will be getting in making his decision. I would like to see Bent join us but I think he might want to stay in London or sign for a top 4 club, Mido may be the striker Spurs want out rather then Defoe, but I can't see Defoe wanting to stick around as 1 of 4 strikers next season. I wonder whether Defoe would be player enough to resist the hope of one of the top 4 coming in for him and to move from London to us or is as you suggest Bellamy just waiting to pick up his losers medal next week? Or does Martin have another name in mid. We just might find out within the next 2 -3 weeks.

And if he does why would we want such an ageing injury prone ex-Manc?

Agreed Spoony, I can't see us signing all of those players and those that we don't buy are bound to be left very dissapointed that they will not be joining Randy & Martin's Villa. :winkold:

We all do Pelle and I hope a couple of those big names are in our shirt next season.

Yes I do Pelle, he just struck me as someone who would want to come, who would be happy to be part of our squad, who is whole hearted and although he might not be the sort of big name we have now set our sights on, I don't think every signing we make this summer will be in the shock & awe category.