The January Silly Season thread

[Riverside]

It is clear that with the new "Head Coach" in place and our position in the table that the January Silly Season is upon us  :clap_hands:

So lets open the thread - so we can look back on the 1st of Feb and see how many rumours became facts .

So far rumoured

Outs
Berba
Ruiz - loan
Boateng - loan

Ins
Anderson - loan
Zaha - loan
Young - loan
( anyone else from Man Utd ???)
+ Dempsey

[Furby]

Well to counter act the Berba out rumour......

Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov has made his position clear to the west London club as a result of several inquiries being lodged - notably from West Ham.
The former Manchester United striker was one of the many names on the Hammers target list this January but the player has given them and all others an immediate thumbs down.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian has forged a special relationship with the fans at Craven Cottage and made it clear to the club's management he wants to stay and help score the goals to ease the club from relegation danger.
The front man scored 18 goals for the club last season and has managed four in what has been a very poor first half of the campaign for the team.
The Hammers - along with several other relegation threatened-clubs - have made their interest known but Berbatov will not be moving.
A source said: "He's a target but has no desire to go anywhere."

Taken from:

http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/37319-berbatov-scuppers-loan-advances.php#.Uq9A9JGSeXs

[cmg]

Well to counter act the Berba out rumour......

Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov has made his position clear to the west London club as a result of several inquiries being lodged - notably from West Ham.
The former Manchester United striker was one of the many names on the Hammers target list this January but the player has given them and all others an immediate thumbs down.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian has forged a special relationship with the fans at Craven Cottage and made it clear to the club's management he wants to stay and help score the goals to ease the club from relegation danger.
The front man scored 18 goals for the club last season and has managed four in what has been a very poor first half of the campaign for the team.
The Hammers - along with several other relegation threatened-clubs - have made their interest known but Berbatov will not be moving.
A source said: "He's a target but has no desire to go anywhere."

Taken from:

http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/37319-berbatov-scuppers-loan-advances.php#.Uq9A9JGSeXs

Wow. that's the kind of stuff I like to read.
The quality journalists involved even managed to sniff out those three secret goals he got for us last season.

[alfie]

Well to counter act the Berba out rumour......

Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov has made his position clear to the west London club as a result of several inquiries being lodged - notably from West Ham.
The former Manchester United striker was one of the many names on the Hammers target list this January but the player has given them and all others an immediate thumbs down.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian has forged a special relationship with the fans at Craven Cottage and made it clear to the club's management he wants to stay and help score the goals to ease the club from relegation danger.
The front man scored 18 goals for the club last season and has managed four in what has been a very poor first half of the campaign for the team.
The Hammers - along with several other relegation threatened-clubs - have made their interest known but Berbatov will not be moving.
A source said: "He's a target but has no desire to go anywhere."

Taken from:

http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/37319-berbatov-scuppers-loan-advances.php#.Uq9A9JGSeXs

I reckon he might want to have a word with his agent then,.

[cmg]

Well to counter act the Berba out rumour......

Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov has made his position clear to the west London club as a result of several inquiries being lodged - notably from West Ham.
The former Manchester United striker was one of the many names on the Hammers target list this January but the player has given them and all others an immediate thumbs down.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian has forged a special relationship with the fans at Craven Cottage and made it clear to the club's management he wants to stay and help score the goals to ease the club from relegation danger.
The front man scored 18 goals for the club last season and has managed four in what has been a very poor first half of the campaign for the team.
The Hammers - along with several other relegation threatened-clubs - have made their interest known but Berbatov will not be moving.
A source said: "He's a target but has no desire to go anywhere."

Taken from:

http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/37319-berbatov-scuppers-loan-advances.php#.Uq9A9JGSeXs

I reckon he might want to have a word with his agent then,.

If I had an agent, the only thing I'd want to say to him would be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiSHcHM0PA#

[west kowloon white]

Apparently Berba is a really nice guy and far removed from your usual ...
Would be be impressed with him if he stayed ,played like the the last couple of weeks and helped us out of the mire.

[Fulham_Surrey]

i think he only goes if Arsenal try to buy him.  And that is almost impossible given Wenger's stance so  I reckon he is staying.

[Arthur]

The 32-year-old Bulgarian has forged a special relationship with the fans at Craven Cottage and made it clear to the club's management he wants to stay and help score the goals to ease the club from relegation danger.
The Hammers - along with several other relegation threatened-clubs - have made their interest known but Berbatov will not be moving.

Frankly, it sticks in my gullet when I read a remark such as this being attributed to him. This is the player whose attitude has stunk to the heavens until recently. Jol's woes are no excuse. Berbatov, while happily pocketing an astronomical salary, has been content - far more so than any other player - to do as little as possible to prevent us sliding further and further into the relegation mire. Then, having played his unholy part in jeopardising our PL future, his agent lets it be known that Berbatov doesn't want to stick around; he would much prefer to jump our sinking ship in the January transfer window.

Now it would seem that he has had a change of heart; the team and its supporters are worthy of his great ability after all - and doubtless he expects that we shall all be grateful for his altruism. If ever there was an example of a player considering himself more important than the club for whom he plays, this has to be it. Regrettably, however, his unedifying sense of self-importance will also doubtless be reaffirmed by the Club and from the stands.

To my mind, if Berbatov really wants to help ease our relegation worries, he should go to West Ham and play for them as he has for us for most of this season. It would be, by far, the biggest favour he could do us.

[Ichabod Magoo]

Either the press is schizophrenic or Berba is.  I'll check back in late January to see who should have been diagnosed sooner.

[Burt]

Ah yes, it's not even January yet but the silly season is in full swing!

Thanks for kicking off the thread Mr Riverside!

[FFC1987]

Wish list would be Will Hughes please.

[Craven Mad]

Wish list would be Will Hughes please.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[Junichi]

Bracing myself for the inevitable Carlton Cole rumours.

I think Ruiz leaving would be a good idea. He's a good lad, and has moments of quality, but nowhere near the consistency we'd expect from a £10m + player. I'd say we could make around £5/6m from him if he went to Germany/Holland, where he'd be able to play at a style and pace he could flourish in.

I think Riise will stay, he seems to have new life pumped into him with the appointment of Rene, and he's trying hard every game now, although I do believe we will buy a LB this window. I really hope Berba stays, but that could go either way at the moment. I hope Adel Taraabt gets shipped back to QPR, Rene doesn't seem to condone style over substance, so having him here is pointless. Boateng needs to leave on loan, if only for his World Cup ambitions.

So, who comes in?

I'd be happy enough with Clint and Zaha on loan, they'd definitely add new dimensions to the squad. In terms of a left back, Buttner would be ideal, or perhaps Emilio Izaguirre from Celtic, who has plenty of pace, can get forward, and defend well.

A young, vibrant, creative midfielder is what the general consensus seem to want, and I think the ideal man would be Ajax's Siem De Jong. He'd definitely be worth the 10m plus price tag, and would bridge the gap that Moussa and Danny Murphy left. In fact, De Jong is quite reminiscent of Murphy in the way he plays. Would he come to us? Who knows. If you look at teams like Southampton, Norwich and Swansea, they're able to attract certain big names, why can't we?

In terms of a striker, I'd love for us to put in a loan bid for Jovetic. He's really not getting much playing time, and it would help him get used to the English game, instead of wasting away on the Man City bench.

If all else fails, we always have Carlton Cole to fall back on.

COYW

[valdeingruo]

Wish list would be Will Hughes please.

Ive been banging on about Hughes for awhile now, could really do something for us, failing that I wouldnt mind De Marcos or Chantome.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[grandad]

For goodness sake get over this Dempsey love in. He is past it now. He has done very little in the MLS this last season. He will never be the same player he was when with us.

[Junichi]

For goodness sake get over this Dempsey hate-fest. He still has some skills. He hasn't had much game time in the MLS last season. He could be the same player he was when with us...but the fans should give him a chance.

049:gif

[Victor Meldrew]

For goodness sake get over this Dempsey love in. He is past it now. He has done very little in the MLS this last season. He will never be the same player he was when with us.

I agree his time is spent, but he will fight for the cause over the space of 90 minutes, whereas players like Ruiz won't. That in itself warrants him a move to Fulham if only for 2 months. He will get us points one way or the other, not cost us.

[Barrie]

Demspey could go the easy route and join West ham, but the fact that he looks likely to be rejoining us shows courage and means clearly that he is desperate to restore his reputation and standing with the fans.  I like that.  And if he comes back here with that kind of determination and plays a part in keeping us up, then all that has gone before will be forgotten as far as I am concerned.

[HatterDon]

Demspey could go the easy route and join West ham, but the fact that he looks likely to be rejoining us shows courage and means clearly that he is desperate to restore his reputation and standing with the fans.  I like that.  And if he comes back here with that kind of determination and plays a part in keeping us up, then all that has gone before will be forgotten as far as I am concerned.

uh, not so much. Clint is a professional footballer. He works for Seattle now, and his reason for seeking european football during MLS break is to keep his form up with the World Cup coming up. The idea that he's obsessing over how Fulham fans feel about him two seasons after he left the club is ludicrous. These guys, like everyone else with a job and a family, are obsessed with being the best they can and making sure that their family's are secure. Several years ago I left a company I was working for and set myself up in business. After a time, I secured two or three contracts with my former company. I did so NOT because I owed them anything, but because they were paying me a decent bit of money for a decent bit of work.

When it comes, Clint's decision will be based on how much pitch time he can get -- not because he owes something to Fulham or Tottenham fans. I can't believe the naivete on here.

[Northern Cottager]

Demspey could go the easy route and join West ham, but the fact that he looks likely to be rejoining us shows courage and means clearly that he is desperate to restore his reputation and standing with the fans.  I like that.  And if he comes back here with that kind of determination and plays a part in keeping us up, then all that has gone before will be forgotten as far as I am concerned.

uh, not so much. Clint is a professional footballer. He works for Seattle now, and his reason for seeking european football during MLS break is to keep his form up with the World Cup coming up. The idea that he's obsessing over how Fulham fans feel about him two seasons after he left the club is ludicrous. These guys, like everyone else with a job and a family, are obsessed with being the best they can and making sure that their family's are secure. Several years ago I left a company I was working for and set myself up in business. After a time, I secured two or three contracts with my former company. I did so NOT because I owed them anything, but because they were paying me a decent bit of money for a decent bit of work.

When it comes, Clint's decision will be based on how much pitch time he can get -- not because he owes something to Fulham or Tottenham fans. I can't believe the naivete on here.

But he could get pitch time and probably a better wedge over at West Ham?