Lets not call them mercenary lets call them stop-gaps

What's the beef with buying a £#%&!ing stock-gap player then, or just someone that can do a job for a couple of years.

Or does every player that every plays for us either have to be one of the worlds best in their position or been playing in the reserves since they were jolted into their mums chuff

stock-gap, we should have signexd Alex Oxo-Chamberlain.

Probably because the budget doesn't allow for stop gap/dead money signings?

Money spent needs to be seen as 'an investment' and while not all investments work out, it's still preferable from the clubs pov to have someone who 'might' turn a profit than someone they know is just money going out.

Originally Posted by Jez Quigley

stock-gap, we should have signexd Alex Oxo-Chamberlain.

ffs

just had a £#%&!ing email about stock levels

Originally Posted by Jez Quigley

stock-gap, we should have signexd Alex Oxo-Chamberlain.

Quigley....oh, what a goal!

we've done it in the past with larsson an blanc, to name but two. owen, even. seems to me that most of the names bandied about wouldn't improve us even short-term (parker) or may not be available (diarra).

Shut up about Scott Parker ffs Harri.

What you mean by your bizarrely termed "stock gap" players is in fact aging, not very good payers. So just £#%&!ing say it instead of £#%&!ing up the term stop-gap. .

no value, innit

Whilst none of us are happy with our midfield, there isn't anyone who could come in and easily do a job for a year or two.

People rave about Parker but is he really any better than Carrick or Fletcher?

Originally Posted by Lok

Whilst none of us are happy with our midfield, there isn't anyone who could come in and easily do a job for a year or two.

People rave about Parker but is he really any better than Carrick or Fletcher?

Yes, you tell that by the fact that after a short settling in period he's part of a fantastic midfield at Spurs whilst ours is £#%&!ing woeful. We are scraping wins in spite of our midfield whilst they are kicking arse because of theirs.

That said he would cost the earth, is 31 years old and his strength is in his work rate and covering rather than anything too creative as he has Modric to do that next to him. We have players that can do that albeit to a lesser degree so anyone suggesting we should be trying to sign him needs their head examining.

Originally Posted by BryanRobson'sLiver

Yes, you tell that by the fact that after a short settling in period he's part of a fantastic midfield at Spurs whilst ours is £#%&!ing woeful. We are scraping wins in spite of our midfield whilst they are kicking arse because of theirs.

That said he would cost the earth, is 31 years old and his strength is in his work rate and covering rather than anything too creative as he has Modric to do that next to him. We have players that can do that albeit to a lesser degree so anyone suggesting we should be trying to sign him needs their head examining.

You know, despite Parker having one good season in a relegated team at 31, I still bizarrely think Carrick can do what he does and a bit more. Parker would £#%&!ing stink playing in our midfield 'cos he's as mediocre as it is.

Originally Posted by dunk

Probably because the budget doesn't allow for stop gap/dead money signings?

Money spent needs to be seen as 'an investment' and while not all investments work out, it's still preferable from the clubs pov to have someone who 'might' turn a profit than someone they know is just money going out.

yep.

the club's strategy in the transfer market is all based around "resale value"

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

You know, despite Parker having one good season in a relegated team at 31, I still bizarrely think Carrick can do what he does and a bit more. Parker would £#%&!ing stink playing in our midfield 'cos he's as mediocre as it is.

Bullshit, I've seen Parker break sweat and I'm pretty sure Carrick doesn't even know what that is. Also Parker had cracking seasons for Newcastle and several for Charlton before the last one at West Ham. He's by no means a the best that there is but what he is is hard working, knows how to pick a pass and adds something other than standing in front of the back 4 and looking gormless like Carrick. He's sort of half what Roy Keane was but at the moment we haven't got a central midfield 2 that are half what Roy Keane was.

Carrick is £#%&!ing terrible and is in his 4th season now of being £#%&!ing terrible, its been a long time since even the most deluded united fan stopped believing that he was just in a patch of bad form and that he would come good again. In terms of footballers going backwards in their progression he's up there with Robbie Fowler and Nicky Barmby.

Originally Posted by BryanRobson'sLiver

Yes, you tell that by the fact that after a short settling in period he's part of a fantastic midfield at Spurs whilst ours is £#%&!ing woeful. We are scraping wins in spite of our midfield whilst they are kicking arse because of theirs.

That said he would cost the earth, is 31 years old and his strength is in his work rate and covering rather than anything too creative as he has Modric to do that next to him. We have players that can do that albeit to a lesser degree so anyone suggesting we should be trying to sign him needs their head examining.

It's not the point. Parker is the metaphor for a potential 'stop-gap'.

If we'd of investigated it in the summer he'd of been £6m, and given Spurs wage structure doesn't even get above about £70k a week you'd imagine he'd be on less than VDV & King etc tbh. Selling Knutsack, Diouf & Obertan would have covered every penny of the transfer & wages & shown infinitely more value to the team than those three plebs.

Regardless, we're in a period of such midfield mediocrity with the current squad, & it's polarised in the talent stakes by the kids. But Fergie, & pretty much everyone, knows that experience is a huge asset so dropping them in now wont be make or break, it will simply be break.

So why not find a potential midfield player who can help in the meantime.

Another one that is out there, conceivably, is Lucho Gonzalez at Marseilles - pretty sure he is desperate to leave & is out of contract at the end of the summer. He's played CL & so we wont go for him, but it's an experienced player probably available for very little outlay that will help transition through to the youth for a season or two.

Pirlo... he went for nothing to Juve, we should have flogged Carrick & got him for £#%&! all.

Anyway, I agree that in our current circumstance, a short-term fix is a good idea - we'd all prefer Schweinsteiger, De Rossi, Wilshere etc, but we're skint so £#%&! it.

Originally Posted by BryanRobson'sLiver

Bullshit, I've seen Parker break sweat and I'm pretty sure Carrick doesn't even know what that is. Also Parker had cracking seasons for Newcastle and several for Charlton before the last one at West Ham. He's by no means a the best that there is but what he is is hard working, knows how to pick a pass and adds something other than standing in front of the back 4 and looking gormless like Carrick. He's sort of half what Roy Keane was but at the moment we haven't got a central midfield 2 that are half what Roy Keane was.

Carrick is £#%&!ing terrible and is in his 4th season now of being £#%&!ing terrible, its been a long time since even the most deluded united fan stopped believing that he was just in a patch of bad form and that he would come good again. In terms of footballers going backwards in their progression he's up there with Robbie Fowler and Nicky Barmby.

Of course you have, he has to really pound those short little legs of his to move at that tectonically slow pace.

Carrick hasn't been terrible for 4 years. He hasn't been great for 18 months though there have been signs of improvement in a very bad midfield and he was impressive for the last 2 or 3 months of last season. Had he been at West ham I'm sure he could've managed to get relegated with them.

Get Phil Jagielka in and play him CM, stop £#%&!ing about.

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

It's not the point. Parker is the metaphor for a potential 'stop-gap'.

If we'd of investigated it in the summer he'd of been £6m, and given Spurs wage structure doesn't even get above about £70k a week you'd imagine he'd be on less than VDV & King etc tbh. Selling Knutsack, Diouf & Obertan would have covered every penny of the transfer & wages & shown infinitely more value to the team than those three plebs.

Regardless, we're in a period of such midfield mediocrity with the current squad, & it's polarised in the talent stakes by the kids. But Fergie, & pretty much everyone, knows that experience is a huge asset so dropping them in now wont be make or break, it will simply be break.

So why not find a potential midfield player who can help in the meantime.

Another one that is out there, conceivably, is Lucho Gonzalez at Marseilles - pretty sure he is desperate to leave & is out of contract at the end of the summer. He's played CL & so we wont go for him, but it's an experienced player probably available for very little outlay that will help transition through to the youth for a season or two.

Pirlo... he went for nothing to Juve, we should have flogged Carrick & got him for £#%&! all.

Anyway, I agree that in our current circumstance, a short-term fix is a good idea - we'd all prefer Schweinsteiger, De Rossi, Wilshere etc, but we're skint so £#%&! it.

big baroners spot on as per

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Of course you have, he has to really pound those short little legs of his to move at that tectonically slow pace.

Carrick hasn't been terrible for 4 years. He hasn't been great for 18 months though there have been signs of improvement in a very bad midfield and he was impressive for the last 2 or 3 months of last season. Had he been at West ham I'm sure he could've managed to get relegated with them.

Do you think Parker would have managed to hand City an FA cup semi final win on a silver platter or do you think that would have been beyond him?

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

It's not the point. Parker is the metaphor for a potential 'stop-gap'.

If we'd of investigated it in the summer he'd of been £6m, and given Spurs wage structure doesn't even get above about £70k a week you'd imagine he'd be on less than VDV & King etc tbh. Selling Knutsack, Diouf & Obertan would have covered every penny of the transfer & wages & shown infinitely more value to the team than those three plebs.

Regardless, we're in a period of such midfield mediocrity with the current squad, & it's polarised in the talent stakes by the kids. But Fergie, & pretty much everyone, knows that experience is a huge asset so dropping them in now wont be make or break, it will simply be break.

So why not find a potential midfield player who can help in the meantime.

Another one that is out there, conceivably, is Lucho Gonzalez at Marseilles - pretty sure he is desperate to leave & is out of contract at the end of the summer. He's played CL & so we wont go for him, but it's an experienced player probably available for very little outlay that will help transition through to the youth for a season or two.

Pirlo... he went for nothing to Juve, we should have flogged Carrick & got him for £#%&! all.

Anyway, I agree that in our current circumstance, a short-term fix is a good idea - we'd all prefer Schweinsteiger, De Rossi, Wilshere etc, but we're skint so £#%&! it.

Great point.

Originally Posted by BryanRobson'sLiver

Do you think Parker would have managed to hand City an FA cup semi final win on a silver platter or do you think that would have been beyond him?

He got £#%&!ing relegated in the season Carrick and VDS managed that.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Of course you have, he has to really pound those short little legs of his to move at that tectonically slow pace.

Carrick hasn't been terrible for 4 years. He hasn't been great for 18 months though there have been signs of improvement in a very bad midfield and he was impressive for the last 2 or 3 months of last season. Had he been at West ham I'm sure he could've managed to get relegated with them.

It's very easy to just say Carrick has been shit post-Rome. For the most part, that has been true, but he showed some great form in the tail-end of last season, particularly next to Giggs. Makeshift and almost by accident as the partnership may have been, he was fantastic at Stamford Bridge in the CL, for example. He has shown much better signs in the last 6 months or so than he did in the 18 months before that. When he does play well, he's vital to us. He played well at the weekend considering it was his first start. We're a better side with him in it. He needs a run of games.