The Kaiser speaks

[TonyGilroy]

What if the "bids" require us to pay rather than be paid.

What if, so far, we can only get rid of these players on loans with us paying half the wages. We simply don't know the facts but hanging on until the last moment may be a risky, but well thought out, policy.

[VicHalomsLovechild]

   Everybody cried out for youth we got it. Everybody wanted more info from the club we got that too. We get the full match on the club site after the games now as well. Clearly someone at the Club is listening. Reinvestment was patchy in MAF's final years and Felix is repeating it as he's also repeating his previous success but he's a man under pressure and it's what you do when you're under pressure.
  His chopping and changing has made an already difficult task harder for a new team and it makes it harder to see where things may be working well.
  Aside from results and I know they are what allows a club to progress. I'm happy with most of the changes. A few good results will benefit all, players and supporters and I really hope Tuesdays win is a start.

[westcliff white]

i do not believe he had one iota to do with that statement other than read and put his name to it. For me the club knew they had to do something and did it to try to appease the fans.

Where on earth is Sarah these days, maybe I or someone should tweet her to find out what she is up to.

[Bedford White]

I'm not entirely convinced by Magath the manager, but I think that he actually is doing what he believes to be in our best interest. I think we can all agree that lack of investment was the major issue in our fall from the Prem, that was compounded by some of the worst possible management from Jol.

When Magath arrived he had too little time to effect the outcome of the season given that the team had been virtually ruined already. In the closed season he cleared out all the old, disfunctional, jaded players that had been contaminated with Jol's lethargic disease and promoted our youth. Perhaps many on here are right in that too many experienced heads were lost.

A few cute signings could instil the level of confidence we've been missing thus far. I for one have faith that we can still turn this season around, much as Reading did a few seasons back. I'm still not sure about Felix but he's 10,000 times that manager Jol ever was for us! 

[Holders]

What if the "bids" require us to pay rather than be paid.

What if, so far, we can only get rid of these players on loans with us paying half the wages. We simply don't know the facts but hanging on until the last moment may be a risky, but well thought out, policy.

All enquiries have to be evaluated and pursued or discounted as applicable. In our position (on Mitro and Ruiz in particular) it's obvious that it's a buyer's market. If it were my money (and it's sometimes helpful to view it from that perspective) I certainly wouldn't loan out Ruiz and pay perhaps half his wages when his contract is running down.  That would be financial nonsense and there may be better options. Much happens at the end of the window.

On the other hand, if he were not to leave I would not be excluding him from my team selections either.

As someone said above, perhaps the officials at the club are not, actually, as ignorant or incompetent as the paranoia on this board can sometimes lead us to believe.

[FulhamStu]

I am sure Felix said that if Ruiz and Mitro were still here after the transfer window closes things would be re-assessed, by which he would mean re-integrated back into the squad.   If this happened it would surely be like 2 new high quality signings ?    We must get in a top defensive MF player as a matter of urgency.

[westcliff white]

we have, he is called fotheringham

[Holders]

I am sure Felix said that if Ruiz and Mitro were still here after the transfer window closes things would be re-assessed, by which he would mean re-integrated back into the squad.   If this happened it would surely be like 2 new high quality signings ?    We must get in a top defensive MF player as a matter of urgency.

I hope that's correct. I also agree about the need for a good midfielder.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

There is a lot of hope amongst some posters but can they realistically believe that we will satisfy the hope that "A few cute signings could instil the level of confidence we've been missing thus far", for example.

Look at what we have brought so far: McCormack, Budurov and Stafylidis look solid acquisitions and look settled and useful plus possibly Hoogland. Eisfeld looks promising to me. And then we have Hutchinson, Voser, Fotheringham, Taggart (injured) and Chihi (unseen).

None of our acquisitions on paper are Premiership quality if we are really aiming for promotion. Several are of doubtful Championship quality. Just think what you would have thought if we had been linked with any of these at this point last season.

Most people have been saying we need two or three quality players. Most say Championship quality but again I would say Premiership quality like a Murphy. Many said we need an experienced goalkeeper. So what do we do? We bring in Kiraly! Underwhelming does not adequately describe that.

We have yet to see investment in the squad this summer after squandering money on Mitroglou. Outgoings match earnings with Ruiz and Mitroglou still in the bank.

The deeds do not match the words on ambition, quality or investment from either Magath or Khan.

[absent cottager]

Hmmm, did anyone actually foresee Murphy being as important for us as he would turn out to be, when he was signed, by Sanchez?! Would he have been just another journeyman ageing player if not for the coaching nouse of hodgson. The most frustrating thing for me at the moment is the players are there the squad is good enough, to compete in the championship, but the organisation or the traing isn't right. Not that it can't be sorted out, but it's just not right.

[cmg]

Hmmm, did anyone actually foresee Murphy being as important for us as he would turn out to be, when he was signed, by Sanchez?! Would he have been just another journeyman ageing player if not for the coaching nouse of hodgson. The most frustrating thing for me at the moment is the players are there the squad is good enough, to compete in the championship, but the organisation or the traing isn't right. Not that it can't be sorted out, but it's just not right.

I think it's fair to give credit to Hodgson for facilitating a revival in a career that seemed to be fading away (and Sanchez for spotting the possibility). However, Murphy had established a pretty big-time career with Liverpool with whom he won FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA cup and was considered their most tactically astute player, even in front of Gerrard. He gained nine England caps at a time when the contenders for midfield were Becks, Butt, Scholes, Hargreaves, Lampard and Gerrard - and, of course, he should have had a few more with us. He was, for a season at least, the best English player of his type around.