The Summer 2018 Transfer Thread

[Alan]

Loftus-Cheek wouldn't be a bad call at all, a season long loan could be highly possible there, I reckon he'd compliment Neves perfectly. Gomez and Alexander-Arnold would be a no go though I reckon, TAA will probably play second fiddle to Clyne next season and I can see Gomez being pushed across to the middle to take Klavan's place so there won't be three competing for one position. I'd have either here though on a short term basis.

I have a feeling that we won't be taking loanees from other Prem teams.

I'm basing that on absolutely nothing. Just a hunch.

Hasn't Loftus-Cheek been playing as a weird forward this year?

 

[Jinky]

RLC was Palace’s best player before he got injured (playing an advanced role). However, his wages and attitude have been questioned before.

 

[Parkins left foot]

I have a feeling that we won't be taking loanees from other Prem teams.

I'm basing that on absolutely nothing. Just a hunch.

Hasn't Loftus-Cheek been playing as a weird forward this year?

Unlikely we will want loans from other Premier league teams unless it's with a fixed price full purchase if desired

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

No, it's not a ludicrous argument: it's one based on maths. Of course Norris played against Bristol and Yeovil. He also played against Soton and Man City. I'm not looking to fall out with you, simply making the point that you can't use the number of clean sheets Ruddy has to argue that he should keep his place. Put any number of keepers in the Wolves team this year and they'd equal that number of clean sheets.

That isn't even my argument. It's that he's being made out to be a massive weak link, that it's a formality that we should chuck in our reserve keeper who has a grand total of 0 league appearances above the fourth tier when the reality is that he's had a good season overall with a handful of mistakes (and all keepers make mistakes). He hasn't kept that many clean sheets by fluke, has he. I guarantee you that none of De Vries, Ikeme, Kuszczak, McCarey, Martinez, Burgoyne or Lonergan are keeping that many. They've been our options since 2012. It's not like we could have stuck a traffic cone in goal and been just as well off.

There are some games I'll grant you where he's had nothing or virtually nothing to do and he's kept a clean sheet more or less by default. There are other times when he's made big positive contributions to a game. His presence is generally a settling one for our defence and more often than not he takes pressure off by claiming crosses that in seasons past, we've been accustomed to seeing attackers meet because whoever's in nets for us is resolutely glued to their line.

I think some made their minds up a while back about him; which is fine and all, that's opinions for you, but given what Leeds, Reading and Burton collectively offered, I'm not sure how he was really meant to make his case in those games. As I say he isn't saving those Villa goals, that's bullshit. Yesterday is up for debate but I'd say it would be very harsh to blame him. Didn't look like his fault in real time (albeit from the other end) and doesn't really look like it now I've seen it again.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

That isn't even my argument. It's that he's being made out to be a massive weak link, that it's a formality that we should chuck in our reserve keeper who has a grand total of 0 league appearances above the fourth tier when the reality is that he's had a good season overall with a handful of mistakes (and all keepers make mistakes). He hasn't kept that many clean sheets by fluke, has he. I guarantee you that none of De Vries, Ikeme, Kuszczak, McCarey, Martinez, Burgoyne or Lonergan are keeping that many. They've been our options since 2012. It's not like we could have stuck a traffic cone in goal and been just as well off.

There are some games I'll grant you where he's had nothing or virtually nothing to do and he's kept a clean sheet more or less by default. There are other times when he's made big positive contributions to a game. His presence is generally a settling one for our defence and more often than not he takes pressure off by claiming crosses that in seasons past, we've been accustomed to seeing attackers meet because whoever's in nets for us is resolutely glued to their line.

I think some made their minds up a while back about him; which is fine and all, that's opinions for you, but given what Leeds, Reading and Burton collectively offered, I'm not sure how he was really meant to make his case in those games. As I say he isn't saving those Villa goals, that's bull$#@!. Yesterday is up for debate but I'd say it would be very harsh to blame him. Didn't look like his fault in real time (albeit from the other end) and doesn't really look like it now I've seen it again.

Correct. He is not perfect but he is a premier league keeper in the championship.

 

[slink]

I thought Ruddy was a good signing at the start of the season and i still do now but i would say that he has let more errors creep into his game lately. All keepers make errors but the better keepers make less of them or recover to save themselves and earlier in the season most of his mistakes were small and not costing us goals or didn't look that bad. He's made a couple of mistakes recently and he's looked uncertain from crosses into the box and began to punch the ball more which doesn't really suit him if you ask me, he doesn't look a great puncher and i wasn't against giving Norris a game recently but on the whole i would say Ruddy more than deserves to keep his place.

For all it's awful what has happened to Ikeme, Ruddy is by far the better keeper and i guarantee that he would not have as many clean sheets and we would have conceded more goals if he was still no1. I think Ruddy is more than ok for next year especially with Norris in there too but if a quality keeper becomes available we won't hesitate to sign him.

 

[Alan]

I really think Ikeme is getting way too much blame for having a shambolic defense in front of him but hey ho. I know the arguments around that sort of thing so I'll just say I disagree and duck out.

 

[LG Wolf]

I think Ruddy suffers from not having much to do at times meaning he isn’t ‘properly’ in tune with the game.

Had he already have had to make 2 or 3 saves before Burton’s goal yesterday he may well have been that touch sharper and got his body behind the shot instead of going for it with his legs. He has such long periods without having to make a save it’s no wonder he’s a little rusty when a ball comes near him.

 

[LG Wolf]

That said, he’s the first position I’d want to upgrade in the summer. Casillas please, which is 100% a strong possibility.

 

[Langers]

TBH if it was any other keeper, I don't think there'd have been any issue made of the Villa goals or even Burton's goal yesterday. There does seem to be a small number of fans who are quick to jump on any mistake Ruddy makes (or is supposed to have made).

Blaming him for the Villa goals just seems bizarre to me and having seen it back, I don't really think yesterday's is the catastrophic error some have made out out to be.

He's not the best keeper in the world but generally he's been a good influence, a key part of our defensive unit and he's been a good signing. Our best keeper in a long time IMO.

Yes, we should upgrade on him in the summer if we can but that's the case in all areas of the squad if we have the opportunity to do so.

 

[slink]

That said, he’s the first position I’d want to upgrade in the summer. Casillas please, which is 100% a strong possibility.

Casillas isn't an upgrade.

 

[Parkins left foot]

We should remember that he cost us feck all as far as transfer fees are concerned (though assume that we have given a few pounds in wages since then)

Value for money has been more than acceptable - can we improve on him, clearly yes but he has had a positive influence on this season

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I really think Ikeme is getting way too much blame for having a shambolic defense in front of him but hey ho. I know the arguments around that sort of thing so I'll just say I disagree and duck out.

He wasn't a very good keeper at all. Mid-table Championship has always been the limit of his ability and he frequently dipped way below that.

 

[Alan]

He wasn't a very good keeper at all. Mid-table Championship has always been the limit of his ability and he frequently dipped way below that.

I think that's massively undervaluing him but we've always been pretty polar on Ikeme in general.

 

[Deano]

I think Ruddy has been a very good signing for us and his experience has been valuable to us. He’s made a good impact in terms of using that experience and also making important saves and commanding his area well.

I do believe his performances have dropped off a bit in the 2nd half of the season though. Little mistakes have crept in to his game which may in part be due to having to be at full concentration in games where he hasn’t really got anything to do which can be difficult. I do also think though that other than things you can put down to a “mistake” there are things you can see where a top goalkeeper should do better. I’d put yesterday’s goal in that bracket, it’s not an easy one, as people have pointed out it’s come through a crowd of bodies fast but by the same token it’s gone straight through him and while you can’t call that a mistake it’s a shot that should be saved imo. We do need to upgrade on him in the Summer.

 

[slink]

I think that's massively undervaluing him but we've always been pretty polar on Ikeme in general.

He was a lower Championship keeper for me. He made the odd worldie save but he wasn't strong enough on crosses, his distribution was too slow and not great when he did decide to play it and he was far too often beat from distance with shots that should have been regulation saves.

 

[The Bear]

Luke Shaw anyone?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43451782

Probably be available for around £15-20m I reckon. Still a good player, and would probably fit a wing-back role. Plus we'd have Douglas as decent cover for any injuries.

He'd certainly be better than the last LB we had from Utd. Mendes could have a word with his mate Jose to help make it happen.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He still has the potential to be brilliant. Needs to lose that massive arse though.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd also look at Cedric Soares for the other side if Saints go down (I don't think they will).

Johnny mentioned Daryl Janmaat yesterday, he would also be a good fit. Seems to be in a jobshare with Femenia at Watford.

 

[slink]

A pre season with Nuno and his team would get him fit, see Matt Doherty and he would be ideal in the wing back role if he can get back to being the player he was when Utd signed him.