Not that I can see it happening but the boy Lukaku would be perfect for us, wouldnt he?

[Classic Jorge]

I wonder, now they've finally come round to Rich's view on FFP, if Chelsea would be willing to let him go to us now. I think he'd be a decent Giroud alternative, albeit a pacier one.

We'll end up with Demba Ba, wont we? :-(

[Monty91]

top, top, top, top striker.

[Red N White Army]

[Red N White Army]

[Classic Jorge]

You're looking at £40+ and £200kpw for one nowadays, arent you?

The likes of your Cavanis, Hulks, Falcaos, Lewandowskis and Agueros are literally out of our weach, wichard.

[Classic Jorge]

[Monty91]

Don't tell Tim Payton that. You'll have his cheeks even closer to bursting point.

[Peter]

Sounds rather likely. Pretty much the story of the last two windows in other words :-)

[Maravilloso Marvo]

How does that work? I thought spurs overtook us last summer in being able to attract players? Didn't you see all the world class talent they signed as they pushed on for the title?

[Classic Jorge]

Sagna, Arteta and Vermaelen will all need replacing and we'll probably go for a pacey No.10-cum-Winger too, that's £100m right there.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Easily overcome by a shrewd minded financy type person.

f**king enormous signing on wedge to start with.

[Monty91]

be third choice. And how much can a decent right back cost???

[Peter]

For thev ery best there will always be someone offering absurd amounts of money.

[Classic Jorge]

Plus, it's widely accepted that all of these golden handshakes come out of this season's pot too.

£100m doesnt go that far

[Monty91]

But that's no fault of our own...

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Peter]

Probsbly a centre back, possibly a midfielder and st least one forward.

There is a lot to do there and a lot thst can go wrong. And in a world cup summer with no guaranteed cl until august.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Classic Jorge]

The same for a new right back, more or less. And probably at least £10m for a new CB, which still only leaves us with 3 of them btw, and no cover now sagna's gone.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

My response was simply that if the will is there then such deals can be accomodated, we're big players now J, financially anyway.

The unknown is whether Ozil was a fortuitous one-off or the much fabled and loved 'statement of intent'.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Peter]

A top, top striker rather than a top, top, top top striker

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Billy Goat Sverige]

you have the scenario that if say Real buy someone we can get a player like Benzema possibly. Or Mandzukic from Bayern with Lewandowski going there.

[Monty91]

and then it's all down to whether we can find a top, top, top striker. Or at least a top, top one. I'd be a bit disappointed with a top one, personally.

[Classic Jorge]

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01011/four_tops_460_1011425c.jpg

[Peter]

And it isnt me going ape****e every summer over a new striker. I know why we havent bought one yet.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Classic Jorge]

[Monty91]

Which, as I said, is merely the natural scheme of things.

[Peter]

Play whether they need one or not. We werent reslly in the market for an ozil until ozil became available. When a player pf thst class comes up the big spenders will jump in, psrticularly where strikers are concerned.

Of course, if we can nick someone who becomes surplus, as with ozil, great. The lastt hing we need is to spend money on bringing in an ordinary player. We have seen how long it takes to get rid of them once they are on big money.

[Classic Jorge]

So that'll be a no then.

Mind you, he has come back with some beaded seat covers and a sack of charcoal briquettes.

[Peter]

And wenger hasnt found a lower status one that he thinks is worth the absurd fees thatg et sttached to sny half decent striker.

E.g. Suppose chelsea want 35 million for lukaku? You may laugh but someone may well pay it.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

We might start looking in the last week of August

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[Peter]

He probsbly would.

But it is a lot to put in place. It wont all come together smoothly. Striker is still going to be the most difficult part.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Monty91]

Surely our ambitions should stretch to a right right right back, at least?

[Peter]

And paying them more once they have provde worth it.

[Classic Jorge]

[Monty91]

and it is unknown whether we can/will stretch to that.

[Peter]

Given more time over the summer it is likely one of the money bags clubs would have offered much more.

150 grand a week isnt absurd. A top name striker could command double that.

[Monty91]

I don't believe there is any precedent of a club of our relative standing holding onto top, top, top players for too long. If Liverpool keep Suarez, that could be the first. Let's see if they do.

[Peter]

He isnt going to be as good as sagna is he :banghead:

[Rich]

I'd be very happy, I must say.

[Peter]

Two of them left at our choosing and one stayed for life.

Success.... Footballers like it :-)

[Rich]

Unless they want to sell players every year to pay his wages.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Two players arguably the best in the world, at their peaks. No?

[Classic Jorge]

[Monty91]

that keep their best players.

[Monty91]

I wonder what changed :rubchin:

[Peter]

Already, or had you forgotten?

Anyway, point is who cares what they think when they join. Start winning things and surrounding them with great players and they will stay.

And of course our excellent, knowledgable fans will help convince them :-)

[Peter]

I thought everyone remembered that

[Rich]

after all.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

A sometimes overlooked fact.

[Monty91]

until such a time as FFP really levels the playing field.

[Classic Jorge]

[Peter]

Prob more chance of nicking a champions league win than a title.

We might win something in six weeks time, monty.

[Witharby 2-3 weeks]

Like having no money to replace aging world class players with younger world class players. That, combined with Sugar Daddy clubs, really put paid to winning stuff

[Monty91]

You really think we are that far away from winning the title?

[Alexism - Atheoist]

Because you know they won't dare let a good striker come to us so they'll have to pay more...

[Ashberto]

clubs like his Bournmouth FC.

[Rich]

[Peter]

I agree it isnt enough for them but it is something.

My point was you said winning s title is probsbly the best we can hope for. I was merely suggesting it was argusbly the hardest trophy of all to win. If we can win a title we can win anything.

And are we far away? Yes, at the moment. A couple of good signings and a bit of luck and we mightbe closer next season.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

We have never replaced aging world class players with younger world class players, we bought talent that developed.

In the period post Invincibles we have had outstanding talent that has developed into world class, though I do hate to use that term, but they collectively failed to take the next step of winning things and slowly one by one they drifted off and were replaced .... and the cycle goes on.

The arrival of the new super rich and profligate clubs is one factor but we managed by ourselves to f**k up some pretty good positions.

[Rich]

Forest, they can't spend any more because the revenue streams are so tiny.

So it'd be nice for these FFP rules to be relax to allow AFCB to do well.

Although that would f**k Arsenal over.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Especially if they don't win the League.

The media seem to be in agreement that Dzeko will move on at least so they will be looking around.

[Monty91]

did between 2005 and 2010 and basically take turns winning it.

So the best we can hope for is a won-off victory. And THAT'S assuming Wenger stays for a bunch more years.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Classic Jorge]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

It is not actually one you can in any way back up.

The FA Cup for example is for sure below the Premier League and Champions League in the aspirations of players at the top clubs, but to say they have no interest in winning it, or specifically that they “don’t give a ****�, is quite frankly utter *******s.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

[Peter]

Who knows how we sit financially for the next few years? And one win can feed another, players stay etc.....

Stop lowering the bar.

[Witharby 2-3 weeks]

but over the last 7 years we have had no money to invest, whilst Chelsea and City have spent over a billion £.

We did buy players at top money before the Emirates. People forget how much Henry, Reyes, Wiltord etc cost. We did not spend £30 on players when Utd and Chelsea were but we were out there with £13-16 million players constantly.

8 years of no money due to new Stadium and awful commercial deals are now over. A few new mid-range £20 million players are not beyond us now

[Monty91]

The domestics are fantastic accompaniments to winning proper trophies, but that is all.

Hence why the Chilien at City will be in a bit of trouble if the Carlin is the only thing he wins this season.

[Monty91]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Who knows what player becomes available and then clubs with the requisite financial strength decide if that player is an improvement on what is available.

Ozil is probably a good example.

I think we would all agree that he was never part of a transfer strategy or master plan devised last June, but he became available and the rest is history as they say.

For all we know Pellegrini might think Cavani and Aguero would be good together. I use the former simply as he is suggested to be available this summer and has complained about his tactical use in Paris.

[Peter]

Title win either. So according to you we are f**ked and ozil shouldnt be here.

[Peter]

We will always be a fair way behind the biggest spenders.

I think what you really mean is until we are in a position of financial strength again. If so, we sgree.

[Monty91]

purchase.

[The Tony]

[Monty91]

whilst there are billionaire-backed clubs knocking around.

[Peter]

You mean as long as clubs are merrily allowed to pump their own money into the club without restraint?

Yep, possibly. Of course, your argument about 'the odd title win' is a very obvious first sttempt at explaining liverpool's possible success this season, achieved against the same clubs we have been completely unable to compete with :-)

Nice try :-)

[Monty91]

in a dimmer light. That almost doesn't need saying.

[Classic Jorge]

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view/212814/kid-n-play-funny-o.gif

[Peter]

The rodgers revolution :banghead:

[Monty91]

and have not built a new stadium in that time either.

Still, fantastic achievement if they did it

[Peter]

Against our 30 odd million, although admittedly all our plus is ozil . Prior to that our net spending was in the negative.

So if we spend 50 million net over three years we should win the league :-)

[redgunamo]

[redgunamo]