Its not nonsense at all. Come on then give me three centre backs who we could have signed this season that were within our operating budget and would have improved the squad. Its all very well criticising the club but you have not presented a solution to the problem. Its very easy to just say sign someone better, but surprisingly enough there is more to signing a footballer than that.
I use wfcforums, then Wikipedia and then urban dictionary. Only after that do I resort to mainstream media.
Not much point replying to you if you don’t read my post. Where did I say I wanted 3 new CBs this summer? I made it clear what my strategy could have been. 10 million centre back this summer, release Britos, have Cathcart as a very capable back up/rotation option. Are you telling me that the Pozzo scouting network can’t come up with a 10 million centre back better than Britos? Are you telling me that Giraldi can’t spend an entire summer in 2019 and not come up with a reasonably priced prospect superior to a 32 year old declining Mariappa? If so frankly I’d suggest we show Giraldi the door and stop wasting money on the scouting network.
No idea what you are taking about with regard to Wilmot. He’s exactly the kind of signing I want. Can be 4th/5th choice and has the potential for rapid improvement. I want the aging sub par players released to free up squad space and wages for players exactly like Wilmot. New CB, Kaba, Cathcart, Wilmot and 2 other hot prospects looks good to me. Others will want to play safe and retain Prodl instead of a prospect Fair enough. But for heavens sake stop extending the contracts of Britos and Marriapa.
Firstly Jumbolina I read your post, I suggest you read mine. I make no reference to you ever saying we needed three new centre backs, so stop being so churlish. I have asked you to name three centre backs who could have improved the squad and were available at a reasonable price within our budget this summer. As of yet you have named none. Most clubs will have a list of several targets for each position, so that's why I asked you to give me a few recommendations. Secondly we have no idea what goes on inside our club. They may well have identified targets and been beaten to them, or priced out of the market. Tell you what to make it easy for you give me the name of the 1 £10m centre back who you believe is better than Cathcart that we could have picked up this summer.
I’ll ask you again: do you think our scouting network is incapable of identifying a CB in that range? Since you seem to be going down the bizarre route of declaring that the club could not find a single candidate and it is now my job to identify targets, I’d say Dawson would have been obtainable for 10-15m. However, I am sure our revered scouting network could have found a player of the required standard somewhere in Europe of even better value and potential upside. If they and Giraldi cannot with 6 months to plan it then they are not fit for purpose. The reality is they renewed Britos, decided to keep our CBS as the cheap option and focused elsewhere. This Marriapa contract is a statement of intent that they plan to do the same again in 2019.
Again you seem to insist on making up statements on my behalf. I suggest rereading posts before jumping to conclusions, as it really does make for tiresome reading when I repeatedly have to correct your posts. I would imagine our scouting network is certainly capable of identifying centre backs who could improve the team. I do not believe that this year the market was particularly healthy or good for buying teams. Look at the huge overpayments that have gone on all summer. There is not a chance we would have picked Dawson up for less than £15m in this market at the moment. In fact earlier in the window it was reported that West Brom were holding out for £20m. http://www.skysports.com/football/n...demand-40m-for-jay-rodriguez-and-craig-dawson Might I remind you that in an earlier post you said 'Are you telling me that the Pozzo scouting network can’t come up with a 10 million centre back better than Britos?' I'm sure they probably can, but why would you only for a defender who is just better than Britos? Surely we are looking for defenders who are actively going to improve the team? Britos won't play this season barring injuries. It remains to be seen if Giraldi is fit for purpose. However I would argue that over our last three seasons in the premiership the management have consistently strived to bring in competent premier league standard players. It amazes me when people look at our squad and say that the players are not good enough. We have an easily good enough squad to get a mid table position in this league. I would suggest that our hit rate on transfers is probably around the 50/50 mark since we have returned to the premier league.
Dawson 2om? WBA wanted 10 for Foster so not sure this helps you argument. Mawson was 15m. Other mid table clubs brought in CBs in the 10-15m price range so either our scouting network failed, the opponents scouting is poor and they have bought expensive players not as good as Cathcart or, more realistically, our club simply weren’t interested in upgrading the position. You may say that Britos and Marriapa won’t play but renewing their contracts is simply an indicator to me that the club don’t rank upgrading CBs highly on the priority list. I think they are wrong. You perhaps don’t (I wouldn’t like to speculate lest you get on your absurd high horse about having words put in your mouth). Not much more to say is there as we fundamentally disagree on these contract renewals.
Regarding your confusion regarding Wilmot, I refer you to your previous post which I was replying to. As for the rest of your post; if that is your very reasonable opinion, why on earth didn't you just say that? Rather than rant about next season as if it kicked off last week.
Not sure you’d read “a prospect player like Wilmot who may improve” as a negative, but I’ll put in “rapidly” improve if it makes it better for you.
If "may improve", as in "may not improve", is what passes for hopeful speculation, it explains a lot about your outlook. I realise now that when you say a player is poop, you are actually expressing your highest esteem for them.
I have high hopes for Wilmot and he’s the kind of signing I really like. Not sure how this isn’t clear to you in my follow up post. Still at least you got to use your favourite clever word “poop” again <giggle>.
Ah. That'd be because I was not referring to your follow up post, but the one where you say "he may" and therefore may not improve. If you wish to change your tone in a subsequent post fair enough, but don't expect me to be able to predict that your follow up post will say something more favourable than the one I read and commented on. Unlike yourself, again, in the post I originally commented on, I am not prepared to second guess the future as if I have lived it. Yes, you rate Wilmot, I have subsequently discovered, but you were not very convincing about how much you rated him in that post. May improve = May not improve, and no one reading the post I replied to would have assumed that you held him in particular regard. Don't blame me for what you wrote. Perhaps, if this requires any more explaining, we can go to PMs, so as not to share the tedium..
I predict you and him on the penalty spot performing your customary celebration before the end of the season. I am sure he will not be floppy then.
Lovely couple of quotes about him from Gracia. Really values his leadership and ability to play along the whole back line. Mapps making some of the comments in this thread look silly at the moment. A great backup option for a club like ours.
Totally agree, he is a reliable squad player who very rarely lets us down when he steps up into to the first eleven a great man to have on the bench.
Mapps rarely has a bad game. He's unrated by virtually everyone. Players like him are vital to any squad. His performance level is as good as anyone in his position. He's short for a central defender, but rarely gets beaten in the air. His timing and ability to leap high overcomes this problem. He often wins aerial duals against opponents much taller than him. He has pace and reads the game well, and will always defend with bravery by throwing his body on the line. He is at a club he loves playing for and off the pitch he's exemplary with his attitude to being a squad man. Top, top pro and he should be appreciated more by supporters.
He’s only played 2 games. Nobody is disagreeing he’s a good team man and good egg. I still believe he is substandard for the premier league and if he continues to be selected each week one or two clangers are guaranteed by end of November. Hopefully he proves my judgement completely wrong. One thing is for sure he is a miles better option than Prodl.
Which is pretty bizarre when you think about how the two were rated/performing towards the end of 16/17,
You joke, but I actually do know his mum (I'm dead serious). Suggesting she and HB1 are one and the same is one of the most outrageous slurs I've ever come across!
http://www.sportbible.com/football/...treak-naked-and-distract-opposition-20181109? At first glance (well, third or fourth tbh) I thought we had sold Mapps to a Dutch third division side...
The Guardian talking to Adrian Mariappa. https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ppa-vegan-fa-cup-quarter-final-crystal-palace
The finest, loyalist van that ever shuttled up & down either flank. You can keep your Henrys & your Beckhams. Pretty much my favourite WFC player. (If you say Pretty Much, you don’t offend the others.)
Just to be safe, I’d suggest: If you say Pretty Much, you’re pretty much guaranteed not to offend others.
If I have to see him chip the ball up the line and watch as it fades out of play once more I think I’ll go mad. Starting to think he’s doing it for a wind up now.