Right now we can actually sign players i just wanted to get a general opinion of the players apparently/probably coming in. Just rate the players out of 10, obviously being the highest of how happy you're of them coming in. Almunia Pudil Anya Abdi Vydra Hall Beleck and anyone think we'll bring anyone else in apart from the above?
Almunia = 8 - Top goalkeeper Pudil = 7 - Has looked good in pre-season, attacking left back we could do with as I don't rate ****o Abdi = 7 - Again, looked good in pre-season, fits the system well and has good vision Hall = 9 - Perfect signing for a team trying to get out of the NPC, good centre back and will be instrumental if can keep him injury free. Don't feel I can comment on Anya, Vydra and Beleck, but I'm a bit indifferent to all of them.
Good news to see we have covered a number of postions that need filling. Even better that they've had time to gel and get used to each other and Zola's ideas.
Almunia - 8... Give it 5 games and our fans will begin to appreciate what a good goalkeeper he is, he'll be under much less pressure than at Arsenal and will thrive, he is a remarkable shot stopper, does no one remember him single handedly stopping Barcelona at the emirates one night? Pudil - 9... We will have the best left back in the league, hands down. Anya - 8... Haven't seen enough of him to comment, in video's he's everything we were missing though, I predict on days he will tear teams to shreds, and other days he will go missing, but that will be the beauty of having options. Could be lethal when brought on with 20 minutes to go against tiring legs. Abdi - 10 This guy will be by far the best central midfielder playing in our division next season, think Ferrie Bodde from a couple of years ago at Swansea, Abdi is a class above Vydra - 7 IF he stays fit, he'd be a very good player at this level, but I worry given previous injury problems, very highly rated though, I imagine he'd be better technically than many in this division. Hall - 7 good solid Championship defender, Neuton or Angella and we're very strong in that position. Beleck - 9 I think this guy could seriously be lethal next year. As for more, we will see at least another 3-4 permanent signings before Palace, Tommy should be one of them. We could be a massive threat next year.
I suppose, compared to last season it's really 8 players adding in McGinn. Good news is that there is still nearly 3 weeks of training for the group before first league game.
Almunia - 7 Not a bad goalkeeper, could still do a job here in the Championship Pudil - 9 Has been brilliant in pre-season, I think he'll cause a lot of troubles for defenders bombing forward this year, looking to him to get assists in double figures and pitch in with a few goals. Anya - 7 Will be a good impact player I feel. If he can work on his end product then could be very good. Abdi - 8 Will pull the strings in the middle, expect everything to go through him. Will be one of our most important players. Vydra - ? No idea, not seen him yet. Hall - 8 Good Championship defender, maybe not as good as Mariappa last year. Beleck - ? Haven't seen him, but potentially very good from the sounds of it.
Very pleased with Almunia, Hall, Abdi and Pudil. Can't really comment on Anya, Vydra and Beleck as I haven't seen enough of them. I hope one of Vydra and Beleck provide us with the cutting edge up front (cue Moses Ashikodi jokes...)
I haven't been to a pre season game as they are generally fairly dull so can only go on what others say. So based on this I'll go with Almunia 9 You don't play the number of games he did for Arsenal without a lot of talent. Hall 9 Two promotions and very experienced. people talking about him being a center back but wouldn't be shocked to see him at right back. Wouldn't be shocked to see one of Hodson, Thompson or Doyley to be moved on. Possible loans for the first two. Pudil 8 A quality attacking left back with the sweetest left foot. Abdi 8 A central midfielder with an abilty to unlock a defence is something we desperately needed and it sounds though he may be it. Anya 7 By all accounts is sh1t of a shovel but is there a finished product. If there is he could be very dangerous. Beleck and Vydra can't comment as one has played 30 mins and the other none at all. I suspect this may not be it. Possibly Smith and lots of people seem to think it's a done deal. How they know this anybody's guess but would be a good signing. We have been linked with so many other players who knows who else we might get. Another playmaker and a striker would be on my list. Whoever else we do or don't get I'm just pleased it's all sorted and we can really start to look forward to some exciting times. COYGB:drinking:
I wouldn't even call it that, the players I have high hopes for, namely Pudil, Abdi and Beleck I do so for a reason. They are both physically and technically better than most players in this league, how they adapt that's another thing, but on paper they would walk into any other team in this division. As for the prediction of more signings, that's not optimism, it's what I've been told.
Btw, technically Hall has had 3 promotions from the Championship, including two in a row. He was on loan to Newcastle when they went up 3 years ago, then at QPR when they were Champions the following season!
Am I the only one not particularly fussed about Almunia? Signing a former Arsenal number one is a coup, and on a good day he is too good for this division, but he is at least as prone to mistakes as Loach was.
almunia is 35 and so he shud get a 1 year deal! look at iwelumo he is on a 2 year deal and we cant get rid of him! and hall is injury prone? so it makes sense
Almunia seemed to veer between being brilliant and bad. Was rated so highly at one stage he was talked of as an England keeper..then maybe became a bit of a scapegoat for Arsenal's wobbly defence. Personally I think he will do well at our level but it's only a guess. You can never be 100% sure with any new signing. What I would say is this. Quite often, players reputations 'grow' when they are not in a side. You can't get criticised for mistakes when you're not actually playing in the first place. Many here, myself included at first, might have preferred Cudicini or Heaton as our keeper next season. But when you think about it, Heaton and Cudicini have barely played in the last few seasons..their reputations grew as they sat on the bench behind Gomes/Friedel and Marshall, interspersed with a few cup appearances. Almunia was (until 2010-11) considered his club's number one and by playing so much, he was therefore exposed to the possibility of making more errors.
Almunia will do well for us Kuszack and Foster were derided for silly mistake at a title winning PL side, yet they both were a class above here
I think those are some very clever signings, with 1 year contracts a good move for the older players. Any loanee can be hit and miss depending on the club and style of play but I think these guys could do very well if they put the effort in. Bit like Cleverley did.
Point out a goalkeeper who isn't prone to mistakes. David James was the England number one for many years and we all know what he was capable of. They're just an easy player to pick on. Loach got all kinds of stick for The Tottenham goal yet we missed countless chances including an open goal from Deeney. What happens everybody sings his name and Loach suffers abuse. Who should we have signed and don't say Heaton as nobody knows anything about him apart from he's been a number two wherever he's been.
To those who know the rules: is it true that we could play all the loanees as they are overseas loans?
Almunia was born in Spain, but was never called up for them. He eventually became a British national after fulfilling residency requirements, and because he had never played for Spain, he could have been called up for England.
Almunia - 8 Dont really know enough about ther others to comment but Beleck looks amazing and I hope he can do what it says on the tin.
No no! But it was heavily talked about in the media here and Cappello was said to be considering him as he is now English qualified. Then a certain Joe Hart appeared on the scene and the rest is history!
Btw I think Almunia will be the first Spanish born player to represent WFC? We did sign a Spaniard once but he mysteriously never appeared for the first team..was he called Sietes or something? Pudil and Vydra will be our first Czechs (in the past most of the czechs associated with WFC were of the bouncing kind!!) and Beleck will be our first from Cameroon. Abdi will be our second Swiss and hopefully an improvement on the first!
http://www.football-league.co.uk/regulations/20110629/section-6-players_2293633_2125731#52 52.2 only lists the English domestic leagues, so seems to me it could be read as: you can only loan from domestic leagues, or the rules only apply to domestic league loans. I can't see the football league allowing a loophole though
Looks like Smith plus maybe Angella and Neuton, could also see a proven striker arrive before 18/08/12 * indicates judged purely on potential as not yet witnessed them live.
