Transfer Window: Summer 2008

A selection of the very best posts and/or most memorable threads on KUMB since the current Forum launched in 2002.

Moderator: Gnome

Post Reply
User avatar
James P
Posts: 16265
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Romford
Has liked: 28 likes
Total likes: 171 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by James P »

Up the Junction wrote:Anyone agree that we don't need a top class striker?
It depends on whether you consider Ashton and Bellamy to be top class. A club the size of West Ham, with no European football to swell the fixture list, cannot support three top class strikers in my opinion. Would this potential striker be happy joining us with the knowledge that he will be played in a rotation system with the others? Players will accept this sort of arrangement at the big four because being at those clubs brings a whole host of other benefits. West Ham don't offer these. We don't have the Pros of CL football, huge profile for additional player revenues, high chance of cup finals and medals, elite level wages, and increased likelihood of international recognition to outweigh the large Con of limited playing time.

Of course if you don't think Ashton and Bellamy are top class and seek improvement on these, we need to question why on earth we spent what we did on them in the first place?
User avatar
carnage
Posts: 22524
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:22 pm
Location: KFC
Has liked: 84 likes
Total likes: 707 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by carnage »

Up the Junction wrote: Anyone agree that we don't need a top class striker?
Did you miss "another" out of your post out of interest?
User avatar
NedN
Posts: 3474
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:03 am
Location: Denver, USA
Has liked: 132 likes
Total likes: 586 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by NedN »

I agree ashton and bellers are class, but if we're selling cole and maybe zman, we need to bring another striker in, and it would be nice to get one who is a decent player and offers us something completely different than what we have, or one that can play on the wing as well. That's why I mentioned Arshavin
User avatar
Whufc06
Posts: 10011
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:46 pm
Location: Upminster
Has liked: 122 likes
Total likes: 367 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Whufc06 »

James P - I dont think it is realistic to rely on either of Ashton or Bellamy to stay fit for a large proportion of the season.
Scaloni Is The Messiah
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:44 pm

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Scaloni Is The Messiah »

rare as rockinghorse shat wrote: To answer your question, Ashton, Bellamy, Zamora, Sears, Cole.
We don't need another striker really, but can we take the risk with the injuries staying away?
As long as he doesn't get another serious injury (6 weeks +), I think Ashton will be a different proposition next season than he has been this. And with that in mind, things do change. A lot depends on whether Bellamy is expected to recover fully and not suffer recurrences. If that can't be near-enough guaranteed, I think we need to buy another striker. It's far from certain Sears will be a success over time and if he turns out not to be ready and Bellamy gets injured, we face a season with Ashton/Zamora/Cole, which isn't ideal given their similar styles and what we know about Cole and Ashton's apparent inability to play with each other. On paper, those five are fine. But that does rather rely on three very questionable things being certainties. a) Bellamy staying fit for the majority of the season, b) Ashton staying fit for the majority of the season, c) Sears being ready for week-in week-out premier league football. Imagine if none of those risks came off. We'd be in the ****.
User avatar
kthammer
Posts: 4548
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2004 12:26 pm
Location: No longer KT, now E2

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by kthammer »

And when Ashton and Bellamy get injured we're back to Bobby, Cole and the Kid again?
User avatar
carnage
Posts: 22524
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:22 pm
Location: KFC
Has liked: 84 likes
Total likes: 707 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by carnage »

Ashton has only really been injured once for us hasnt he really,the ankle, He has had a couple of strains but has been "fit" since November really.
Scaloni Is The Messiah
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:44 pm

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Scaloni Is The Messiah »

davids cross wrote: "I think his wealth has gone down from £1.2 billion to £1.1 billion, so I don't think he has too much to worry about!" he said.
Am I right in saying that's a loss of £100m? Bloody hell, you're doing alright if you can laugh off that kind of loss. That's about three years' transfer budgets.
User avatar
rare as rockinghorse shat
Posts: 55216
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 2:43 am
Location: **** the board
Has liked: 3 likes
Total likes: 77 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by rare as rockinghorse shat »

carnage wrote:Ashton has only really been injured once for us hasnt he really,the ankle, He has had a couple of strains but has been "fit" since November really.
Was thinking the same mate.

Can he really be classed as 'injury prone' when he had his ankle ****ed in a challenge and then a medial injury which can happen to anyone at any time.
User avatar
Whufc06
Posts: 10011
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:46 pm
Location: Upminster
Has liked: 122 likes
Total likes: 367 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Whufc06 »

rare as rockinghorse shat wrote: Was thinking the same mate.

Can he really be classed as 'injury prone' when he had his ankle f*cked in a challenge and then a medial injury which can happen to anyone at any time.
Its not so much that he is injury prone more the fact that he hasn't looked the player that we bought since his ankle injury
User avatar
James P
Posts: 16265
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Romford
Has liked: 28 likes
Total likes: 171 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by James P »

Whufc06 wrote:James P - I dont think it is realistic to rely on either of Ashton or Bellamy to stay fit for a large proportion of the season.
I think you're probably right. In that case though, I think the correct action would be to seek to replace one or other, rather than simply add to the pool. Having contingencies for injuries is one thing, but having a transfer/squad policy based on the expectation of our £7m strikers breaking down throughout the season is the sort of wasteful, muddled thinking which finds you with a huge wage bill and empty transfer fund but still massive gaps in quality on the pitch when any given match kicks off.
Scaloni Is The Messiah
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:44 pm

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Scaloni Is The Messiah »

rare as rockinghorse shat wrote: Can he really be classed as 'injury prone' when he had his ankle f*cked in a challenge and then a medial injury which can happen to anyone at any time.
He did have some problems at Crewe. eg...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 470678.stm

Not sure how bad they were, though.

From http://www.gfdb.com/Player.3943.Dean-Ashton.aspx re his second season at Crewe:

"His second season at the club was disrupted by injury and a temporary loss of form, but in spite of this he scored ten times"

According to Physio Room, he also had a groin strain in January 2006 and a Hamstring injury at the start of May that year. So I think all in all there probably is a case for calling him injury-prone. I just hope we're over the worst of it.
User avatar
hongkonghammer
Posts: 975
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:48 am
Location: Hong Kong

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by hongkonghammer »

Lot of talk about Riise going to Newcastle. As they will get relegated he won't go there but why not the Boleyn? Good option at left back and left midfield which are both problem/short of cover positions IMO. 27, prem experience. Sign him.
User avatar
carnage
Posts: 22524
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:22 pm
Location: KFC
Has liked: 84 likes
Total likes: 707 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by carnage »

I'll ask again. Where is the evidence of Ashton "breaking down regularly" since he has been with us? Apart from the impact ankle injury while on duty for England.
Scaloni Is The Messiah
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:44 pm

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Scaloni Is The Messiah »

hongkonghammer wrote:Lot of talk about Riise going to Newcastle. As they will get relegated he won't go there but why not the Boleyn? Good option at left back and left midfield which are both problem/short of cover positions IMO. 27, prem experience. Sign him.
I really don't rate him. I see him being a perfect Newcastle signing in an Alan Smith sort of way. The times I've seen him play this season I've been very unimpressed and he's not getting any younger.
User avatar
carnage
Posts: 22524
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:22 pm
Location: KFC
Has liked: 84 likes
Total likes: 707 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by carnage »

Scaloni Is The Messiah wrote: a Hamstring injury at the start of May that year..
But fit enough to play an important part in the Cup Final that year 2 weeks later...
Scaloni Is The Messiah
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:44 pm

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Scaloni Is The Messiah »

carnage wrote:I'll ask again. Where is the evidence of Ashton "breaking down regularly" since he has been with us? Apart from the impact ankle injury while on duty for England.
http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_ ... njury.html

OK, only five injuries since he's been here. But when you take into account how long he's been here and how long two of those injuries put him out for, he's spent a lot more time on the sidelines than on the pitch. I'm a huge fan of his, but I do think it's fair to call him injury-prone at the moment.
Scaloni Is The Messiah
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:44 pm

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Scaloni Is The Messiah »

carnage wrote: But fit enough to play an important part in the Cup Final that year 2 weeks later...
So are we only counting serious injuries? Not just one/two week ones? If so, he's still had two which have meant he's missed about 12/13 months of the 26 since he signed.
User avatar
carnage
Posts: 22524
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:22 pm
Location: KFC
Has liked: 84 likes
Total likes: 707 likes

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by carnage »

Scaloni Is The Messiah wrote:
So are we only counting serious injuries? Not just one/two week ones? If so, he's still had two which have meant he's missed about 12/13 months of the 26 since he signed.
Back Injury - missed 0 games, came on as sub v Lvierpool on the 30th.
Hamstring injury - missed 1 game, played an important part in the Cup Final 2 weeks later.
Groin strain - missed 1 game, FA Cup v Blackburn
MCL ligament - missed 6 games.
Scaloni Is The Messiah
Posts: 9296
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:44 pm

Re: Summer Transfer talk

Post by Scaloni Is The Messiah »

They add up, though, don't they? Fact is, he's yet to play more than four months for us without getting some sort of injury. I'm certainly not wanting to attack the guy, but surely you have to admit his injury record as been far from sparkling since he arrived? And as he had his problems at Crewe too, I don't see why it's such an issue to describe him as injury-prone.
Post Reply