Cacofonix the Bard

Sturridge close to signing for Chelsea apparently. Madness. They'll meet his wage demands but how's he think he's going to get a game there?

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I've long since given up on the idea that any of our Academy lads will turn out to be any good but this caught my eye: Finnish hitman Dalla Valla scored 20 goals in 28 appearances for the U18s last term: 20 in 28 would seem to be a very good record, no?

He'll never crack the big time.

The only signings I get excited about are players I've watched regularly in the Premier League and have a high opinion of. Foreign signings always leave me worried that they won't adapt while obscure youngsters just make me think we'll add one to the barrow-load of cheap foreign youngsters who've not made it for us in the last 10 years. The number of players who fall into that category is staggering.

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I mentioned him in the first post as well. He'd be a brilliant option to send on 20 minutes from the end with his pace, power and dynamism. The two lads we've got doing that role now have hardly set the world on fire this season.

In the Newcastle games I've seen this season. You're probably right though.

I reckon Riera's a better option, especially in Champion's league. He'd cost loads due to being English, even in a firesale, and probably wouldn't be content to sit on the bench.

I've seen him play full back more often than on the wing but you may be right

Far more skillful than Cisse IMO, and we've got worse strikers on our bench at the moment.

Aye, he's quality actually. An oversight.

Very good.

Can't think of a single player at West Brom, Hull or Middlesbrough I'd like us to nick. However, I wouldn't mind seeing us sign one of Obafemi Martins or Jonas Gutierrez. Martins has never shown anything other than the odd glimpse of form but there's the possibility that we might get the best out of him. Looks a powerful, skillful player and we could do a lot worse if we want a cut price striker to put on the bench. Jonas is a dynamic player who scraps for the ball and is good at bombing forward. He seems to be capable of only powering forward in straight lines, like Dossena, but it gets the job done. I've seen him play in either full back positions and I reckon he'd make a decent, versatile option off the bench. We've looked ok with Carra at right back but if Rafa wants an attacking full back to have on the bench, I think he'd be a decent option.

Have WBA been holding out for more money all season? How'd they balance the books without a shirt sponsor?

I've seen a lot worse play for us. There were loads of people making 'give him time' type statements about Diouf for a lot longer than they did Keane. Not sure whether his attitude was up to it but his occasionally having to play as a lone-striker in the absence of Torres didn't help either. Getting rid of him made sense and he's proved himself a petty and rather dislikable c***, but like the other fella in this thread I'm not convinced that particular quote's a dig at Rafa. It could be taken in a couple of different ways.

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He's looked a shadow of the player he was last season, and he was a poor man's Garcia last season. Don't see that we should sell him though. On a good day he's very effective in a couple of positions, and will hopefully mature into a player who has fewer bad days.

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