Good afternoon.
Since taking over at Queens Park Rangers the back pages have unleashed a cavalcade of potential transfer targets for stone faced supremo.
The Mail among others have suggested that Heurelho Gomes and Steven Peanut are in the mix. Let’s hope this is the case.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly brimming with contempt for Gomes. If you’ll indulge me lapsing into pop psychologist mode, the guy is guilty of nothing more than being a man who is perceived as weak.
You’ve heard the line that ‘goalies are a different breed’? Well that is 100% true. And no more so in the manner in which they are perceived. A goalie makes a howler and no matter how many great saves he makes afterwards, in the subconcious of most people it’s all about simply waiting for him to revisit that state of fiasco.
But your striker. Ah, your striker… No matter how godawful he has been, all he has to do is hit a screamer, shin one in when it’s needed the most and the elevation from bum to born again folk hero takes anywhere between 1.3 and 3.3 seconds (depending upon alcohol consumption of the supporter).
With Peanut I’m equally unhurried to hurl abuse. His problem is that it isn’t his fault we insisted on buying him. The double negative is clue to the daftness of that situation.
Spurs fans seem pretty much split on him. Some see him as a potentially useful squad player. Some see him as being less useful than a marzipan ironing board cover. A few fun seekers are calling it a cheeky bit of business by Levy & Co. Mmmn.
The hope is that we flog them and that their fees can go towards a striker that works. Pav’s agent has recently said that he’s had 4 enquiries him. But these are worthless unless they come anywhere close to THFC’s valuation. One figure being bandied about was a bid of £7M. Utterly pointless in even reporting it. As per rumoured interest to deal on Andrey Arshavin at €8M by some interested parties. He cost twice that.
Defoe’s sale to Liverpool is fantasy. Arry had a gun put to his head as it was over 3MP. It’s only the fact that Adebayor is on a loan that’s keeping him in the Lilywhite as far as Levy & Co are concerned.
Spurs have very few options to realistically raise raise cold hard case this winter and it’s vital that if there’s a whiff of truth in people like Sparky being interested we vend asap.
The alternative is to save a few buttons by loaning them out ala Bentley and J****.
with thud coming back peanut won’t get near the team, gomes has been unlucky and did well, minus the unbelievable howlers which made me want to murder the dude, but for comedy value alone i’d love to see him on loan in a blue and white mouthguard crying after falling over a floating crisp packet, gio gone, kranky maybe, jarvis not a bad shout wouldn’t mind being cover, would prefer hoillet or some sexy brazilian we’ve never heard of but will all get the name of on our shirts, some bloke on another site not to be named mentioned a striker giroud?montpellier to replace pav, he also said we should sign ba at the start of the season, we could always give coubilay a run for enthusiasm over pav, more hair than rooney at that age
QPR fan here. Well written article but I have to question why you think just because we finally have some money we will blow it by paying roughly double these players’ value. You claim that it is hardly worth mentioning offers of Pav for £7m, but he’s hardly played in ages – it doesn’t matter how much you paid for him, no one is going to pay anything like £15m. He was offered to QPR and we said “no” – there is probably a reason he remains unsold. I think your Harry is a great manager and like him a lot but that is totally unrealistic.
Same with Pinnear. A good buy for us at £3m, but ludicrous for £6m – he’s a 29-year-old reserve who is a good honest prem player but no superstar.
There is an element of bluff on both sides, no doubt, and Spurs will be playing on our desperation and the fact that you have pretty well the best reserves in the country (greedy sods!). But unusually for Jan there is quite a bit of choice in this transfer window.
Every club has to sell fringe players at a loss. We have about 15 perfectly adequate Championship cloggers to ship out but its proving v hard to find a Champ club prepared to pay their wages let alone transfer fee.
Still, would be amazed if come the end of the window QPR and Spurs didn’t do some business.
There is a new report saying we have asked about Krankjar (spelling?) who I think would be great for us – any of you guys heard anything about that? Cheers.
Krancjar would be good in most teams.
To be honest though, there is plenty of talk but not much action on the transfer front. Maybe there is a new realism creeping in, but I am beginning to wonder if we are not seeing the beginning of the equivalent of the equivalent of the Estate Agent’s chain creeping in.
HR has said that he is reluctant to let players go because it will weaken the squad. So like selling your house, you need to have a replacement before you can move. I recall the story that Bassong was on his way to you last deadline day, but the deal was called off when we failed to buy Cahill.
Of course there’s an element of brinkmanship in the Jan window, it’s the desperation of buying clubs that’ll swell the coffers of the selling club. Our guy Levy is the master at ‘turning a pound around’ and your chairman risks millions by dropping out of the premiership, what would you do if you were either of them, my money’s on Levy..each and everytime..PS Hope you stay up anyway, West London’s much easier to get to ;-)
I say sell Peanut and Krankie and invest in Ryan Taylor from Newcastle, he can cover both left and right midfield, and defence and takes fantastic free kicks consistently…
That Ryan Taylor is some player if he can cover both left and right midfield, and defence and takes fantastic free kicks, he is practically a one man team….I say sell the majority of our 1st team and sign him up…it would save us millions…might be a good Keeper as well, maybe a replacement for Friedeggs! :shifty:
I agree, you most certainly are…. ;-)
Kisses and Hugs sweetheart :kissing: :winke:
I wrote on yesterday’s blog that I had doubts about whether we should try and buy Samba, and then I saw this http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Blackburn-transfer-gossip-Club-demand-wantaway-Chris-Samba-repays-them-six-figure-loan-article854533.html
My comments were about the character of a player that would threaten to go on strike in order to get a transfer. Now I see that he is reportedly earning £60k a week, and is in debt to the tune of a “sizeable six-figure lump sum” to Rovers over a loan that they made him to build an extension to his home.
There appears to be something very strange about a player earning all that money, and being in debt at the same time. For me, yet another red flag.
Hope this link works:
Right i want to make a ase for Gomes i played in goal and also a striker and even though iam blowing my own trumpet i was very good at both. Sadly a disease of the spine meant like just like Gomes gaffs it stopped me from playing professionally. Lets take a look at Gomes he helped us get into Europe twice and helped knock us out once he had a record eight clean sheets and all of them had King in our defence. This was the problem Gomes trusted Kings speed to cover his back but last season he never had the same back four two games running all where injured King Dawson Bassong Kaboul Gallas where all used even Corluka and half a game Woodgate, This had a dramatic affect on Gomes who started making sill mistakes and then the rest of his game suffered by him wandering of his line and getting beat like previous Keeper Robbo the end came with us getting knocked out by Ady goals and finishing 5th. Harry blamed Gomes and brought Friedel in Ady and Parker Friedel has bean lucky after leaking 8 goals with last years defence Dawson Kaboul Ekotto the only new player was young Walker who went of at half time. The luck Friedel got was King playing in the next few games and a stable defence now its started changing he has let some soft goals in Swansea Wolves just to name the latest so i would sooner have Gomes who comes and punches crosses or catches them who has finished higher than Friedel and played at a higher level Champios league and his still young in Goalkeeping years and could have improved with his long rest. The big problem with Friedel he doesn’t do silly gaffs but his keeping from any type of cross is diabolical and leaves me shitting myself till its cleared and we have both records with crosses we cant score yet we leak them in defence. Pienaar just like a few of our other players has suffered injury and has never had any kind of run in the first team and Harry noes he is a good player and we have too play QPR yet away and we should have learned a lesson from the Stoke game . We still have to face Villa Keane Hutton Stoke Crouch Palacios Woodgate the last thing we want is more players with something too prove.
Frieel has done a great job since his arrival, but in my view, the defence has been a lot better this year.
At the moment, of the three, Gomes is the only one that you can anticipate will still be playing in 3-5 years. Apart from his moments of madness, he has made many incredible saves, and there is no doubting his bravery. I for one, will be sad to see him go before Brad and Carlo. Manure paid £16.5 mill for DeGea, and I think not only is Gomes better than him, but also question letting him go now, when we are going to have to pay that sort of money to replace him.
Said it before and I’ll say it again..and again… Gomes lacks nothing..but courage! Have you seen Friedel crying like a stood-up tart? Gomes is as talented as any, but boy, oh boy, for a guy built like the proverbial, he’s very ‘sensitive’ isn’t he?
He’s like the lion offov the Wizard of Oz…..
Any of them, Hartley, except Toto, he had balls, little ones, but balls nevertheless ;-)
All Gomes needs is proper coaching and confidence building, couple this with a regularish defensive understanding and he is our future shot stopper. When he came at first he regularly punched at everything, frequently giving possession to the opposition. He improved for a short period and then suddenly started flapping again, confidence dropped and the errors came to the fore. Use Brad to coach him and get the best out of what could become a Top Top Goalkeeper. Just Saying.
Nah, Raz, got to disagree. Parks was bought in when he went wobbly the first time..then Cudicini when he went again and finally out of desperation we had to bring Brad in. The guy goes to bits when under pressure. All keepers make mistakes, but Gomes’ seems to have them in huge runs. Having Dawson in the middle doesn’t help, anymore than having a constantly changing defence, however the penalty area is his domain, and he just doesn’t boss it well enough
This is one that we will never agree on, but I happen to think that the defence last year has to bear a significant amount of the blame for Gomes’s problems last year.
In terms of “saves made”, he was 6th in the PL last year. Three of the other 5 GK’s were in relegated teams. If you consider that, it suggests that there were 14 teams whom protected their GK better than we did for Gomes.
I know he has made some howlers, but our run to the CL coincided with both him and Bale putting in some great performances.
A couple of further stats: He holds the record in the PL for the least home goals conceded in a season, as well as the record for the most clean sheets in the Eredivise. That is not the pedigree of poor keeper. As far as his getting knocked about is concerned, I know it’s an issue with you, but who are we to say how much pain he felt.
He is young enough to learn, great shot stopper, one of our ongoing problems is the unsettled defence and it looks as if little is being done to address this. Bassong, Charlie and Pav out, with 2 good CB`s in (Vertonghen & Samba) then splash the cash on …………. ……………and we`re ready for the Champions League 2012/13.
Saw some snippets of Vertoghen, and he looks the business-could we? should we?, personally I’d make the Goons an offer they can’t refuse and kidnap Vermalen, they need the cash, he needs a decent team to play for
Vermalen is def the Diamond in the Rough there but it`s your pipe dream, Wenger says Spurs Who ?
We`re so far in front of the Gooners we`re not seen as their competition anymore, they only recognise Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Stoke these days and Sunderland shortly.
He produced probably one of the greatest goalkeeping display’s I’ve ever had the nail-biting pleasure to witness. I recall Jennings c1975 keeping Wolves at bay single handedly, two of the best of Peter Shilton’s long and esteemed, during a LC 1-0 defeat at the Lane and in their 3-1 win as potential champions, but Gomes’ v Arsenal was way above either of those. But….he’s hesitant, goes down quicker than a whore on a bonus, and screams like a child. His lack of bravery is so evident-and you listen to the oppositions crowd the next time he plays- they can see it Dub!, he gives our opponents a chance-you know he’s going to do it-you just know it’s going to happen.
Peter (The Cat) Bonnetti, saw him make a save against Leeds c1967 FA Cup, Greenhoff shot towards keepers left was deflected towards the right of goal, Bonnetti changed direction in mid air, have never seen a keeper do that before or since, hence the name The Cat.
Because it was widely thought that Daines would be half decent, and I understand we’d agreed to sell him to Ipswich originally, but our then board of directors took Arsenal’s higher bid after we’d been relegated-never clapped him when he returned though, he could’ve said no.
@essex
I don’t think that is lack of bravery. It may well be lack of toughness, but as I said earlier, who are we to know how badly a player is feeling the pain, or even the extent of an injury.
I recall an occasion when he left the ground in an ambulance, and on another occasion, he played two or three games in preference to Cudicini in spite of heavy strapping to his thigh.
I do think that your choice of words may be unfortunate in this instance.
Not too sure if I’ve pissed you off. It wasn’t my intention, and apart from Gomes, we do tend to have converging opinions on most issues. It, just that you normally choose your words better.
OK, let’s compromise, mental toughness then-see what I did there- ;-)
Sorry, logged off before I finished my point. Gomes is always ‘injured’, he’s always hurt and in pain, constantly grimacing, suggesting to the bench his arms fallen off or his legs broke. Watch Harry’s reaction and the rest of the bench, they don’t believe it either. Whenever he goes down, you’ll notice our reserve keeper doesn’t warm up. Now in 20 odd games, how many times has Friedel get or sought attention from the physio? Hardly ever you’ll find. I hate critising any Spurs player, but Gomes really does my head in with his play acting and constant ‘injury’ scares.
@Razspur.
For me,the greatest save I ever saw was Banks (not the Pele save) against Scotland in 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtC1pByt-os
@6.07
Just watched it via the link, brilliant save, never seen that game before. Perhaps deep fried Mars Bars, Tenants and drugs have an awful lot to answer for. Some of those players Scotland had were amazing-what went wrong?
Sorry Dub, just seen your post, pissed me off- Hell no chance, just blowing the cyber froth off a cyber pint in a cyber pub mate
That was the first defeat we suffered after the 66 WC. The Scots which had some great players in those days, then claimed that they were now world champs. The team that day had some of the best players Scots history http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0022/print.shtml
A few weeks later Celtic managed by Jock Stein, went on to become the first Brit team to win the EC. Stein then went on to manage Scotland.
I have a great memory around 1968’ish being at WHL to watch Spurs play Manure. At the time, we used to employ a RCC commissionaire to stand next to the ticket office in what is now Bill Nicholson Way. This particular one had the script down to a “t”. If you’ve ever seen them in action, you will know what I mean. The Comm said, “I don’t care who you are, you ain’t getting in here without a ticket” to Jock Stein who had come to watch the Scots who were playing that night.
That was also the era of great British Gk’s. Banks lost an eye and had to retire, but Shilton, Clemence, Big Pat, and Southall dominated as amongst the best in the world for 20 years.
Soz guys had logged off under orders, About 1970 Pele was basked who was bthe best Goalkeeper he had ever played against , his reply was, “There was 3 stand out goalkeepers, Gordon Banks, Lev Yashin and Peter Bonetti.” Had i not logged off i would have been retrieving the laptop from a place where the sun don`t shine, she might have hidden it in the Garage.
gomes :daumen:I believe he is a very couragous goalie when needed but cries like a baby after he hits the floor and the danger is over.If that had been him crashed into the post instead of FRIED EELS he would have gone down like a sack of potatoes for about 15 mins.
That’s my point Melc, the keeper should be the bravest and loudest of the team, but Gomes’ eagerness to show injury and his evident pain can only encourage the opposition, and by and large….it does, and also it raises the crowds expectations when we’re away from home-equally sends panic through our fans, namely yours truly
Jennings was amazing, why did we ever let him go, that tortured us for 7or 8 seasons, Hands big enough to hold the ball in one hand. Marshalled the defence superbly, very quiet and mild mannered off the pitch.
I understand that completely, all your points are great and valid and well put,what I dont understand is that as a profesional outfit washing around with millions that cant see it for what it is and do something about it.Why waste someone who has the potential to be 1 of the best in the world ,cos they are too slack or cant be arsed. its not as if hes the ginger pele :freu .or david jinx jenkins.etc
Regarding Jennings, at the time the board reckoned that he had come to the end of his useful life with us, and refused to offer him a new contract.
Such was the class of the board at the time, that on the day that he left, two of the directors turned their backs on him pretending that they had not seen him, rather than be embarrassed by their own paltryness, and having to say goodbye to one of the greatest players we have ever had.
40 grand though, and Ipswich offered 35 I think, but it was a disgrace, but I was only a kid and stupidly put 25 quid on us to win the league after we’d signed Ardiles and Villa the next season, naive or what!
To this day i can`t see any “Ungentelmanly Conduct” in the Dissallowed Goal by George Best on Gordon Banks in 1970 at Windsor Park. It was a perfectly good goal an should have stood. Banks was sleeping, Best was the Best and a Goal is a Goal. Watch it on u-tube,it`s a goal all day long.