The Official Silly Transfer Thread for January 2017

[ToodlesMcToot]

The only stats I am concerned with is 36 24 36.

No stat for trunk length??  :005:

[Woolly Mammoth]

So much on here that has sod all to do with actual transfer speculation so sorry if this has been mentioned before but latest rubbish from EPL Transfer news is that Fulham are exploring the possibility of signing Kyle Lafferty from Norwich and Frazier Cambell from Palace.

Please stop posting messages WITHOUT a graph!  We like pretty things to look at :)

Then I shall post a photo of both my wife and my girlfriend.

[Woolly Mammoth]

 064.gif

The only stats I am concerned with is 36 24 36.

Rather an odd shape for a Woolly Mammoth?
I would have thought more 36 58 36?

064.gif

[Woolly Mammoth]

The only stats I am concerned with is 36 24 36.

No stat for trunk length??  :005:

Only Tree Trunk when I am foraging for Foliage.

[sunburywhite]

 Bodurov never got another club after we let him go

[TXWhite]

 :group hug:

Bodurov never got another club after we let him go

He was too good - would've given teams an unfair advantage.

[Hoppus]

Raphael Gellar on Twitter (on a possible Nir Bitton transfer): Yes, it is very possible

I dont know much about Bitton, just seen the usual YouTube videos.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Try this thought experiment: Say we got an offer for Cairney today that met our valuation. Would you expect us to sell him today? Or would you expect us to look around for a replacement and to wait to see if an even better offer came in? You seem to expect other clubs to sell to us immediately. I suggest that they are not quite that stupid. And that if you thought about it for a couple of seconds that even you may come to realise that is the reality.

Is that what we did with McCormack? Did we wait until we'd found a replacement and to see if an even better offer came in? I must have missed that. I must have missed us doing that when we sold almost an entire team last summer, all of whom, except Matilla and Bodurov, were offloaded before the season started and in almost every case, before we'd signed a replacement. The same happened the season we came down - a whole team offloaded by the end of July. But of course none of that is reality right?

I emphasised that point because you seem to deny that there could be any reason why Fulham can't buy who they want at the price they want when they want with a simple click of their fingers.

But, of course, there are other factors and considerations such as getting players off the books. I am sure that you would have been first on here saying we need a major clearout on both those occasions even if neither of us would agree with the detail. Most of those who left went for very little or for free. That's what happens in the early part of the window.

And who knows what happened with McCormack. Maybe he was restive and was determined to move on as he regularly is and we were happy to get him out of the building. Maybe, as someone said, getting McCormack's fee at that time helped us with FFP.

The reality still is that most of the significant transfers happen late in the window and mainly on the last day. That Fulham sign key players then and not before is a feature of the system, not an obvious failing of the club.

[Carborundum]

Raphael Gellar on Twitter (on a possible Nir Bitton transfer): Yes, it is very possible

I dont know much about Bitton, just seen the usual YouTube videos.

If this happens, the club's player liaison team will face a dilemma when helping him find new accommodation close to Motspur Park.  Should it be Nir Bitton from Surbiton or Nir Bitton from Norbiton?

[colinwhite]

Calm down boys it's only the 6 th of January. We all want early signings but has any club signed players yet ?  The club might just surprise us. If we get a striker in before Blackburn that would show the that even the powers behind the scenes are doing a good job would it not ?

[Mince n Tatties]

Raphael Gellar on Twitter (on a possible Nir Bitton transfer): Yes, it is very possible

I dont know much about Bitton, just seen the usual YouTube videos.

They want near 10 million for him as Espanyol after him.

[westcliff white]

FUlham after Ibrahim Cisse from Standard Liege according to some on Twitter, make of that what you will

[Mince n Tatties]

FUlham after Ibrahim Cisse from Standard Liege according to some on Twitter, make of that what you will

Jolslover will have a field day with that name...lol

[Mince n Tatties]

Calm down boys it's only the 6 th of January. We all want early signings but has any club signed players yet ?  The club might just surprise us. If we get a striker in before Blackburn that would show the that even the powers behind the scenes are doing a good job would it not ?

Yes agree

You are correct Colin,but the other side of the coin is you dilly dally like we did in the last window and IMO panic buy a bit with the likes of Jozabed and the Martin loan at last minute,when I believe we had the chance to sign permanent striker..
I say get in while the Iron is hot before the rest do...

[toshes mate]

If you want to make a point along the lines of, "most" business happens toward the end of a window, fine, I don't dispute that. Just as "most" clubs don't get promoted; "most" clubs will lose or draw "most" of their games rather than winning them. But things like getting promoted, winning, and signing players early in the window still happen very often nonetheless. Signing players late isn't inevitable, nor is playing a quarter of the season with Matt smith up front, as we likely will. The "reality" is that to achieve anything positive this club needs to perform exceptionally well in the transfer market, just as it does on the pitch, but Currently, as the selling activity I just mentioned and indeed your own statistics show, we are exceptionally bad at this, in terms of timing at least. 

I think you are spot on with this Statto.  During our rise under MAF we were a buying Club with ambition and although FFP has changed some of the nature of the dealings I do believe that Fulham's higher management echelons (above SJ that is) could polish up their strategy when it comes to retaining quality players who have demonstrated a commitment to Fulham but have been sold on - Steve Sidwell and David Stockdale in the Brighton side to name but two examples.   As a Club we have need to have a focus on the business we are in, which is, I assume, to rise to the best football level we can in the professional game because otherwise why not just sell the Craven Cottage site and let the whole thing collapse?  SJ has shown a lot of ability to get players performing at a better level than we may have anticipated on their arrival.    SJ needs to be properly supported within the Club and anticipation of a Martin (or even McCormack) style problem is a reason for having strength in depth.

[Matty389]

Was just looking up on the last premier league season and saw that Ashkan dejagah doesn't have a club now... surely that would be worth a go? He was absolutely unstoppable when I used to see him play! One of my favourite Fulham players Of all time, really rated him

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Try this thought experiment: Say we got an offer for Cairney today that met our valuation. Would you expect us to sell him today? Or would you expect us to look around for a replacement and to wait to see if an even better offer came in? You seem to expect other clubs to sell to us immediately. I suggest that they are not quite that stupid. And that if you thought about it for a couple of seconds that even you may come to realise that is the reality.

Is that what we did with McCormack? Did we wait until we'd found a replacement and to see if an even better offer came in? I must have missed that. I must have missed us doing that when we sold almost an entire team last summer, all of whom, except Matilla and Bodurov, were offloaded before the season started and in almost every case, before we'd signed a replacement. The same happened the season we came down - a whole team offloaded by the end of July. But of course none of that is reality right?

I emphasised that point because you seem to deny that there could be any reason why Fulham can't buy who they want at the price they want when they want with a simple click of their fingers.

But, of course, there are other factors and considerations such as getting players off the books. I am sure that you would have been first on here saying we need a major clearout on both those occasions even if neither of us would agree with the detail. Most of those who left went for very little or for free. That's what happens in the early part of the window.

And who knows what happened with McCormack. Maybe he was restive and was determined to move on as he regularly is and we were happy to get him out of the building. Maybe, as someone said, getting McCormack's fee at that time helped us with FFP.

The reality still is that most of the significant transfers happen late in the window and mainly on the last day. That Fulham sign key players then and not before is a feature of the system, not an obvious failing of the club.

If you want to make a point along the lines of, "most" business happens toward the end of a window, fine, I don't dispute that. Just as "most" clubs don't get promoted; "most" clubs will lose or draw "most" of their games rather than winning them. But things like getting promoted, winning, and signing players early in the window still happen very often nonetheless. Signing players late isn't inevitable, nor is playing a quarter of the season with Matt smith up front, as we likely will. The "reality" is that to achieve anything positive this club needs to perform exceptionally well in the transfer market, just as it does on the pitch, but Currently, as the selling activity I just mentioned and indeed your own statistics show, we are exceptionally bad at this, in terms of timing at least. 

Most supporters would see last summer's comings and goings as an overall success, particularly Malone, Kalas, McDonald, Johansen and Ayite and that the squad was strengthen significantly.

I am unclear where our ambitious and better run Championship rivals have so far out manoeuvred us in the early transfer market:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/38482984

Barton to Burnley?
   

[Snibbo]

Calm down boys it's only the 6 th of January. We all want early signings but has any club signed players yet ?  The club might just surprise us. If we get a striker in before Blackburn that would show the that even the powers behind the scenes are doing a good job would it not ?

Yes agree

You are correct Colin,but the other side of the coin is you dilly dally like we did in the last window and IMO panic buy a bit with the likes of Jozabed and the Martin loan at last minute,when I believe we had the chance to sign permanent striker..
I say get in while the Iron is hot before the rest do...

Overall, the last window was the best in years.  Some great signings.  Not perfect but when is it ever for any club?

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

If you want to make a point along the lines of, "most" business happens toward the end of a window, fine, I don't dispute that. Just as "most" clubs don't get promoted; "most" clubs will lose or draw "most" of their games rather than winning them. But things like getting promoted, winning, and signing players early in the window still happen very often nonetheless. Signing players late isn't inevitable, nor is playing a quarter of the season with Matt smith up front, as we likely will. The "reality" is that to achieve anything positive this club needs to perform exceptionally well in the transfer market, just as it does on the pitch, but Currently, as the selling activity I just mentioned and indeed your own statistics show, we are exceptionally bad at this, in terms of timing at least. 

I think you are spot on with this Statto.  During our rise under MAF we were a buying Club with ambition and although FFP has changed some of the nature of the dealings I do believe that Fulham's higher management echelons (above SJ that is) could polish up their strategy when it comes to retaining quality players who have demonstrated a commitment to Fulham but have been sold on - Steve Sidwell and David Stockdale in the Brighton side to name but two examples.   As a Club we have need to have a focus on the business we are in, which is, I assume, to rise to the best football level we can in the professional game because otherwise why not just sell the Craven Cottage site and let the whole thing collapse?  SJ has shown a lot of ability to get players performing at a better level than we may have anticipated on their arrival.    SJ needs to be properly supported within the Club and anticipation of a Martin (or even McCormack) style problem is a reason for having strength in depth.

I think that you have answered your own points.

You cannot compare the rise under MAF with now because of FFP.

The loss of players like Sidwell and Stockdale that many fans would have wanted to keep is not directly down to the senior management but down to the manager. Yes, the senior management choose the wrong manager and the losses were a consequence. Quite a few did not want to lose Burn but that was a consequence of having Jokanovic as manager.

The club thought they had an ambitious deal for an striker in the summer but the selling club pulled out on the last day.

Strangely players are not queuing up to join Fulham.

Strangely Fulham can't force a club to sell or a player to sign or to accept an offer on the day we make one.

And with FFP our budget is severely limited so the club cannot throw money at the problem as in the early days under MAF.

[MJG]

Calm down boys it's only the 6 th of January. We all want early signings but has any club signed players yet ?  The club might just surprise us. If we get a striker in before Blackburn that would show the that even the powers behind the scenes are doing a good job would it not ?

Yes agree

You are correct Colin,but the other side of the coin is you dilly dally like we did in the last window and IMO panic buy a bit with the likes of Jozabed and the Martin loan at last minute,when I believe we had the chance to sign permanent striker..
I say get in while the Iron is hot before the rest do...

Jozabed was not a panic last minute buy. It may not have worked out but SJ wanted him for a while.