ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

How many beans make 5?

How many ' things' (for want of a better word) have to be in place for a transfer to take place?

The obvious springs to mind: to make rabbit stew, first catch your rabbit ? or, if you are Polish or Scouse, first steal your rabbit... (old Polish proverb adapted to fit here, before the PC mob write in.)

Deffo the cash. Maybe it's a willing buyer and seller, all 3 have to be together at the right time.

The cash used to be simple: transfer fee... see John Moores; not any more... more's the pity. Nobody seemed to whinge back then when Mr Moores, who was the Abramovich(?) of his time, stepped in. Now, there is the fee and the even bigger problem of the wages.

Does the Club have potential? is it on the right track? Is it in europe? ... all the boxes ticked there.

Wage structure I can understand: pay more to Joe Bloggs (he seems to be the only player we aren't linked with) and the others, rightly or wrongly, think they are worth the same.

Does the manager actually want him? Will he fit in the jigsaw? (Again, always assuming we know what our best 11 is and the best formation they will play in.) Will he want to come? Some players (and especially their WAGS) won't come north of Watford.

Q: What prompts these musings ( some might say ramblings)?

A: reports in various papers that Inter have bid £8M for Lampard, who has only been offered a 2-year contract when he wants 4. £8M is not the end of the earth even for us; yes, I know his wages, at £90k+, are part of the problem.

Sidwell may go to Villa for £5M and £30k per week... not the worst player in the world (debatable) and the price is in our range.... Yet all I hear is the sound of silence.... and, oh yes, the sound of Blue Bill fiddle-ing while Goodison burns.
Derek Thomas, Torbay N.Z. Posted 29/06/2008 at 07:57:24

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Michael Kenrick

Phew... there's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

Should the question be more like "How many words to make 5?" ? I think these are the ones you were looking for:

Why Haven't We Signed Anyone?

Sean Dylan
1 Posted 29/06/2008 at 14:27:20

Is that really Derek or Garth Crooks holidaying in New Zealand on speed?

Roy Coyne
2 Posted 29/06/2008 at 14:48:43

What's up mate? ? lost your wellies? Or are the sheep too quick? The only thing I would be tempted to steal is the time spent reading your post.

John Lloyd
3 Posted 29/06/2008 at 15:07:58

Ha ha I?m with Shaun, that was a ramble of Garth Crooks proportions. Funny that lad

Michael Hunt
4 Posted 29/06/2008 at 15:37:34

Bloody hell Derek, musings aplenty there. The answers my friend are blowing in the wind. If only the void that is the silly season could endeth forthwith!

Shaun Croker
5 Posted 29/06/2008 at 16:58:54

Is there no sanity left in this world. If this is a reference to no players being signed then at least let’s debate it properly. For starters, there has been an inflow of money. £5m for McFadden, £1.5m for Rooney (taking part in MU’s double!) and a big reduction in the weekly wage bill with all the plaers who have left for pastures new. Why no signings? Because until DM signs there will be none. I thik I’ll move to NZ.

Bilbo Baggins
6 Posted 29/06/2008 at 21:58:19

Shuan, Dont forget the Kilbane money and the smallest squad in the prem by a mile.

Alisdair Denny
7 Posted 30/06/2008 at 03:20:20

I thought Aston VIlla had the smallest squad, and were also about to lose their best player.
But I agree, it is disgusting that we haven’t signed anyone yet. I mean Newcastle have signed......, well I mean look at Aston Villa, they signed ..........Oh, well Portsmouth then, they have definately signed ...................... I must be thinking of Man City because they have definitely signed.........
Hmmm, it’s not only us who haven’t signed anyone then.

Keith Harrison
8 Posted 30/06/2008 at 08:04:48

No one can officially sign anyone until July 1st.
Maybe a reason why none of the above have signed anyone.

Just a thought!

John Hallj
9 Posted 30/06/2008 at 09:19:13

The transfer merry go round will start at midnight. We should have all of our preferences signed and sealed by the weekend. Moysey will blow 50 million on those he has lined up and everyone will love BK and KW forever and ever.

Then again if pigs could fly there would be crap everywhere and the place would be humming by the weekend.

I never said which weekend so here’s watching and listening and bloody hoping.

COYB

Patty Beesley
10 Posted 30/06/2008 at 11:19:31

Don?t forget we have also been saving Irvine?s salary since he went to Present NE as Manager.

Davey Wilson
11 Posted 30/06/2008 at 13:29:22

Not to forget the savings we have made by releasing 70% the youth set-up.

All the lucozade sport that we must have stocked up, not to mention the savings on the laundry bills for the dirty kits.

Combine all of the above and we should be able to afford to splash out on Andrei Arshavin’s left bollock.

Robert Faux
12 Posted 30/06/2008 at 19:08:48

Hey Davey! Throw in whatever transfer fee we’re supposedly getting for Shandy Van Der Meyde and we might be able to spring for a pube or two as well!