Hmmm on the fence on this one, you'd think he'd be a decent signing at this level and Loach has lost his way and a new start will probably do him good. INteresting to see what sort of fee we'll got for Loach compared to the money being mooted when Spurs were interested a while back.
Exactly this. I'm a bit sceptical but if our aim is premiership, then getting people who know what it takes to be in the premiership will go a long way to help us to actually get there.
Is it seen as EITHER Cudicini or Almunia..or is it possible we want both? As things presently stand, with Loach leaving, Bond would be Number 2 behind whichever we signed. Maybe Zola wants both?
Not a bad signing in my opinion. Was playing in a team aspiring for top 4 so will always be under immense pressure, he could easily do a job for a lower end prem team! How anyone can say he is worse than Heaton is beyond me regardless of what Cardiff fans say, he was a reserve goalkeeper where ever he went for a reason!
It would only be fair to slaughter Almunia and Fitz Hall before they sign - given that that is exactly what a number of people will do as soon as they do I mean why bother to give them a chance?
God forbid anyone that has a different opinion to yours. Mixture opf views on here about both players, personally i can see both of them doing a great job for us.
I think all of us have to remember we are STILL in the Championship. Yes, we have PL aspirations and yes we probably have more chance of promotion under our new regime but it's a tough league and we will have lots of rivals for those coveted top few places. So it may not harm to keep our feet on the ground regarding our potential new signings... Adopting that approach I'd say....Hall is a decent defender with lots of experience and two promotions from our division, the most recent being just two seasons ago. Almunia, for all his occasional blunders, has played dozens of games for one of the Top 4 sides in the country, including a Champions League final. He also played last season for a side who got out of the Championship. Pudil's a Cech international. Abdi's a full Swiss international. Cudicini can probably claim to have been the best Number 2 keeper at a club over the past few seasons. Vydra was transfered just two years ago for over £3 million! Tommy Smith more than held his own in the Prem last season and knows our division well too. Any one of the 3 big Italian strikers we are being linked with would be the icing on the cake! Point being..we are not in the Prem yet and we are not building a side to win the Champions League. Our aim is to get out of the Championship as fast as we can. A year ago we were bringing in the likes of Mirfin, Garner, Yeates etc. No disrespect to those players but the ante now has been well and truely upped..but I feel that when you read criticism of some of the players we are after, we all have to remember where we actually still are.
It looks to me as if GF is trying to add experience to the spine of the team - Almunia (La Liga, Premiership and Champions League) Tiny, Nos, One Size (all Prem experience) JE (captain with bags of experience), Then slot in from Lloyd, Hodson, Thommo, ****o, Pudil, Hoggy, Murray, The Prince. Up front...........watch this space
:sign15: Spot on. All keepers have howlers, it's just they are more noticeable. I would be more than happy with Cudicini or Almunia as know a lot more about them that I do about Heaton. It would be lovely to get one of the big Italian names we are being linked with but I believe it's doubtful. If we can sign Pudil, Smith, Hall, a GK, a nd a couple of strikers we would be in with a chance. Add those to the youngsters like Murray and Hoban (who apparently played well last night) and it's looking pretty good.
I don't think we should rule out the chances of Inzaghi and Del Piero..I understand the club are very serious about trying to get them. Even if we do, I'd still love to see a potential 20 goal a season striker up top too..Sam Baldock or somebody. The two veteran Italians would get us loads of publicity but neither are going to be 40 games a season players, maybe not even 90 minutes a week players. Re the keepers..I'm not totally sure we are not after BOTH Cudicini and Almunia. Zola may want 2 experienced keepers and may not be happy with having Bond as his Number 2 just yet. I hear that Forestieri, who we thought was joining us on loan this season, has joined the Udinese squad? So our Udinese loanees so far look like being Pudil, Vydra and Abdi. But of course, the beauty is we have access to far more should some of our other targets fall down.
Yes, just making it easier by lumping all the Pozzo loanees under one heading! There'd be too many commas otherwise!
I work with a West Ham fan who said Baldock was excellent last year but wasn't played enough. He's not very old so will have a resale value. Some of the Mariappa money should help us get him. I do hope your right about Derek and Phil as they would probably help with bums on seats as well as the playing side. Anybody else in the pipeline you know about.
Think he'll be a cracking signing personally, big character, big bloke, experience gotta be better than anyone we've had over the last few years. How people can say he's useless is beyond me. Every keeper makes the odd howler, Championship would be a walk in the park. e are looking for good pro's to get us out of this league not ones that are good looking or say the right things. Fitz Hall has been there and done it in the Championship so again another decent signing imo, forget what he's said or done in the past your never gonna speak to the bloke just watch him play for our club, get over it.:dismay:
You really are VERY miserable aren't you, not everyone is going to be singing and dancing about every new possible signing, that's football for you.
I have to say I am not keen on Alumunia, I'm not sure why? As I cannot recall having seen him play, but for some reason he does not inspire me with confidence, I would have preferred to keep Loach TBH!!!
