Half-time musings....

[Prawn Sandwich]

Quick hypothetical based on tonights game.....

Would you consider a January player-swap with Liverpool? Gerrard for Ruud.

Sh!tty choice - all but the insane would deny that Stevie would be the perfect replacement for Keane and would give us that engine in midfield we've been missing consistently this season.

But we lose, on form, one of the very best goal-scorers in the world....

Sod it - I'd take the swap on the basis that a suitable replacement could be bought in up front on loan (Morientes would be perfect but would he come?) until the summer when he dip into the market or buy-out whoever had come in if they'd performed.

[Robert25]

It would be a trade of excellence in one area for another. Ruud is our best striker, and the obvious logic is Smithy, Saha, and Rooney would cover the loss. But sometimes a player cannot ever be replaced totally. All the skill and savy Ruud brings as a striker would be gone.

We'd have Gerrard, hell of a player he is, but then the strikers become weaker. face it no gerrard as of yet. We have to let a youngster develop or get a player on the market. My answer:No!

[Prawn Sandwich]

I know what you mean but I still think the swap could be the best thing for the club in the long term. We'd certainly get more years out of Gerrard than Ruud.

I also inserted the caveat that we would need to replace Ruud at the time of transfer with someone like Morientes. If that could happen then any lessening in potency of the strikeforce would be more than offset in a stable and competitive midfield which should ultimately create more goals in the long term as our offensive midfielders are freed up to do what they are best at...

Tough choice either way though.

[phishy]

Is van nistlerooj rated at 30 million quid? I dont think so..
If I were a manyoo fan, the move makes so much sense..

[Prawn Sandwich]

Is van nistlerooj rated at 30 million quid? I dont think so..
If I were a manyoo fan, the move makes so much sense..
Put it this way - it would take at least £30m to tempt Man U into selling him.

What transfer value would you place on Henry? Raul? Ronaldo? Shevchenko? Ruud is generally acknowledged as being more or less on a par with these players so I don't think the £30m figure is invalid.

[Achtung]

Peter: Ok, here's another riddle. A woman has two children. A homicidal murderer tells her she can only keep one. Which one does she let him kill?
Brian: That's not a riddle. That's ... that's just terrible.

Not a decision I'd want to have to make...

[Coach_McGuirk]

Put it this way - it would take at least £30m to tempt Man U into selling him.

What transfer value would you place on Henry? Raul? Ronaldo? Shevchenko? Ruud is generally acknowledged as being more or less on a par with these players so I don't think the £30m figure is invalid.
That's about right (although, if you could somehow start a rumor that ManU were interested in signing RvN from themselves then I'm sure Chelsea would throw 5 million extra into the pot. ;) )

Good to see you're still alive, Prawn. Getting any more sleep these days, or is the smaller version of you still keeping you up 'til all hours of the night?

[Prawn Sandwich]

Hey Coach - yup, still here causing mayhem wherever I troll.... ;)

The antichrist is still up to it's old tricks - just when you think you can grab a few zzzzz's the little bugger decides it's time to play

How's life with you anyway? Your dad still ok???

[arsenalgirl30016]

Hey Coach - yup, still here causing mayhem wherever I troll.... ;)

The antichrist is still up to it's old tricks - just when you think you can grab a few zzzzz's the little bugger decides it's time to play

How's life with you anyway? Your dad still ok???

Prawn-
How old is the little one? I remember thinking that mine (he is 4 now) must have some sort of magical power to know just when I am falling asleep, etc. to start to cry and wake me up! It does get better-although I never miss a 7:30am game start now! (that can be good or bad) and he does enjoy watching footie with me!

[yossarian]

Peter: Ok, here's another riddle. A woman has two children. A homicidal murderer tells her she can only keep one. Which one does she let him kill?
Brian: That's not a riddle. That's ... that's just terrible.

Not a decision I'd want to have to make...

Are you saying this is SAF's version of "Sophie's Choice" ?

[Prawn Sandwich]

Prawn-
How old is the little one? I remember thinking that mine (he is 4 now) must have some sort of magical power to know just when I am falling asleep, etc. to start to cry and wake me up! It does get better-although I never miss a 7:30am game start now! (that can be good or bad) and he does enjoy watching footie with me!
I've got two for my sins! Eldest has just turned three and is a handful (has recently been diagnosed with Asbergers so the next few years are going to be interesting).

Youngest is getting on for 4 months now - she's a sweetie but knows the exact pitch to cry at to make you jump about 4 feet up in the air ;) not always the nicest way to wake up at 4am.....

[Kavster]

Is van nistlerooj rated at 30 million quid? I dont think so..
If I were a manyoo fan, the move makes so much sense..

When there was talk of the Spanish giants moving for Ruud IIRC, there were figures of ~£40m being thrown around...so the answer to your question is a frank "NO" :)

[phishy]

When there was talk of the Spanish giants moving for Ruud IIRC, there were figures of ~£40m being thrown around...so the answer to your question is a frank "NO" :)

lol, you mean you read that in some tabloid..
so pretty much you recall what you read.... nobody would pay 40 million quid for van nistlerooj.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Ruud is the best striker in Europe, so there isn't a chance in hell of him leaving. Before you start any Henry crap, look at the stats, particulary for Europe.

[Achtung]

lol, you mean you read that in some tabloid..
so pretty much you recall what you read.... nobody would pay 40 million quid for van nistlerooj.

Well, Chelski paid £24m for Drogba, so really £30-35m for Ruud isn't out of the question. Just as a matter of speaking, of course.

[Coach_McGuirk]

Well, Chelski paid £24m for Drogba, so really £30-35m for Ruud isn't out of the question. Just as a matter of speaking, of course.
What Chelski pays for players and what the rest of the clubs in the real world pay are 2 completely different things. Drogba's not even a first choice. Roman spends real cash like it's Monopoly money.

Now, if I could just figure out a plan whereby Everton somehow overtook Chelsea and won the League, maybe on the last day of the season after some catastrophic tactical blunder by Mourinho in Chelsea's final match, I would actually be almost as pleased as if Arsenal had won the title because, with all that cash Roman has spent, and all the smack Jose has talked, you've got to figure on a sacking of monumental proportions...

Ah, to dream... ;)

[haven]

Now, if I could just figure out a plan whereby Everton somehow overtook Chelsea and won the League, maybe on the last day of the season after some catastrophic tactical blunder by Mourinho in Chelsea's final match, I would actually be almost as pleased as if Arsenal had won the title because, with all that cash Roman has spent, and all the smack Jose has talked, you've got to figure on a sacking of monumental proportions...

Ah, to dream... ;)

I'm betting on him being sacked even if he wins the league, if he's properly defeated in the Champions League and domestic cups. It'd be totally unfair...but hilarious.

[nicephoras]

What Chelski pays for players and what the rest of the clubs in the real world pay are 2 completely different things. Drogba's not even a first choice. Roman spends real cash like it's Monopoly money.

I know - its great being a Chelsea fan.

P.S. You know better than that coach. Before his injury Drogba WAS first choice.

[phishy]

I know - its great being a Chelsea fan.


what, buying championships on a level that no other club in the world can compete with?? thats right NICE, no other club can compete with Abromavich's billions... that is great? that is embarrasing~ I am so happy that a billionaire didn't buy arsenal football club.. I would feel like a ********ing poser buying trophies... The biggest wallet on the block wins a trophy? it is a joke really. thank god he didnt approach AFC~

[Achtung]

What Chelski pays for players and what the rest of the clubs in the real world pay are 2 completely different things. Drogba's not even a first choice. Roman spends real cash like it's Monopoly money.

Well sure, my point being that realistically only Chelski and the Spanish gov...er, Real Madrid could afford a player of that caliber at this time, and that if that kind of cash was all that stood between them and Ruud, Henry, Sheva, etc. then they wouldn't have a problem paying. Of course said players would also require a desire to leave their clubs, something that none have shown obviously.