Wednesday 1 August 2007
Diawara staying is vital to our hopes
The weather is up in the mid-90's in Chicago and my son and I are enjoying ourselves in the sweltering heat and the new barbie's getting a good going over too. I remember my old one back in Kent and it rusting before we got good use out of it, no chance of that here.
The season is now just 9 days away but the transfer window has another month to travel. Pards came out and said two things that caught my eye the last few days. One was that he hoped to bring in two more players, ones "who carry experience." No sign of those yet although Kieron Dyer's imminent £6m move to West Ham may well open the door for us to snatch Hayden Mullins, although his Premiership wages appear a stumbling block. A striker still looks a good possibility especially with Varney, Dickson and Bent all injured. Andy, you can call me Andrew, Cole is the latest name doing the rounds.
Super Al also stuck his head on the block and said that "everyone I want for this season's Championship challenge will now stay." However rumours persist that Bordeaux are stalking Souleymane Diawara, but will not match what we paid for him 12 months ago. Now I wouldn't necessarily blame Diawara if he went back to Ligue 1 but I think we will be a lot lesser of a side without him. I understand he has been very commanding at the back during the friendlies and a number one starter, although interestingly he sat on the bench tonight at Aldershot.
I rate him and think he will be the best defender in the fizzy's, locked on. I hope he stays, at least for a season, and although he's probably now the highest paid player at the club, a certain Mr Murray should be staring at his own navel if Diawara's agent engineers him a move away from The Valley at a big monetary loss because the financial benefits of keeping the Frenchman could be far more valuable.
To throw another curved ball (sorry that is a baseball phrase that I've said a lot recently, even my son has started saying it) into the defensive mix is the story that Stoke have offered £400,000 for Jon Fortune. I would think if Diawara stays this would more likely be a loan deal and would join the likes of Dickson and Sam getting some game time elsewhere. ¶ 22:36
The season is now just 9 days away but the transfer window has another month to travel. Pards came out and said two things that caught my eye the last few days. One was that he hoped to bring in two more players, ones "who carry experience." No sign of those yet although Kieron Dyer's imminent £6m move to West Ham may well open the door for us to snatch Hayden Mullins, although his Premiership wages appear a stumbling block. A striker still looks a good possibility especially with Varney, Dickson and Bent all injured. Andy, you can call me Andrew, Cole is the latest name doing the rounds.
Super Al also stuck his head on the block and said that "everyone I want for this season's Championship challenge will now stay." However rumours persist that Bordeaux are stalking Souleymane Diawara, but will not match what we paid for him 12 months ago. Now I wouldn't necessarily blame Diawara if he went back to Ligue 1 but I think we will be a lot lesser of a side without him. I understand he has been very commanding at the back during the friendlies and a number one starter, although interestingly he sat on the bench tonight at Aldershot.
I rate him and think he will be the best defender in the fizzy's, locked on. I hope he stays, at least for a season, and although he's probably now the highest paid player at the club, a certain Mr Murray should be staring at his own navel if Diawara's agent engineers him a move away from The Valley at a big monetary loss because the financial benefits of keeping the Frenchman could be far more valuable.
To throw another curved ball (sorry that is a baseball phrase that I've said a lot recently, even my son has started saying it) into the defensive mix is the story that Stoke have offered £400,000 for Jon Fortune. I would think if Diawara stays this would more likely be a loan deal and would join the likes of Dickson and Sam getting some game time elsewhere. ¶ 22:36
