Sunderland AFC Transfer Rumours/Discussion 2008/2009

yabadabado

tainio has joined on a 3 year deal for an undisclosed fee its on spurs and bbc website .he should be a goog signing for sunderland no world beater but a good solid player .i suppose he will be the DMF

Mr.Nice Guy

I see Sunderland are playing Vitoria Setubal on Setanta Ireland right now.

1-1 all so far.

Anyone know the team line-up?

Ekels

With Richardson, Reid and Tainio, I think Steed Malbranque may be right to expect a year on the wing, or maybe off the front man. But I couldn't see him being signed as another centre midfielder.

Ekels

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=790054

I think Malbranque is the most important player in this deal. Disappointing that no indication has been given as to whether he will sign for Sunderland, by him or Sunderland.

Nick Colgan has signed a one year deal. He'll probably be third choice and help out with training or something, if and when they sell Fulop.

King John V

Supposedly Stoke have tabled a £6m offer for Fulop. It's a massive profit on the £500,000 they paid for him. I actually think they can do well this season. Apart from Kaboul, the Spurs players will bring a massive amount of PL experience, something that was missing at times last season.

SuprSi

As a Spurs fan I'll be sorry to see Malbranque go, Tainio too. Both are good players, and Tainio, if played in the centre of midfield, is a very good player who will do a job for you. He's been with Spurs for a good while and has rarely disappointed, and has the added benefit of versatility. Steed always gives his all, and while it often doesn't come off, he's scored quite a few goals for us over the years and contributed enough for me to be sad that he's leaving.

As for Kaboul, well we bought him for quite a high price. He was supposedly the next Desailly - tall, quick, strong, able to read the game. I saw him when Spurs played a pre-season against St. Pat's and he looked good (I know it was only St Pats!!) but he never really took off at Spurs. I feel he will develop into an outstanding defender in a few years but he's very raw at the moment, and as a result he is quite error prone. With the right coaching he'll do very well.

And finally Chimbonda. I've always been a fan, despite his attitude. He's a superb defender - excellent at reading the game and has a great leap. The only problem is that he's only good playing at right back, or maybe as centre half if needed. On the left he drifts out of games, doesn't track as well, and doesn't read the game well. He also doesn't really have much to offer going forward and I've been frustrated so many times seeing him fly up the line with Lennon and then turn back as he doesn't trust his cross, or can't beat a man/pick out a pass. Still, he would definitely improve your team.

All in all, if you get all four players, you will have significantly upgraded your team and I reckon you'll do quite well this coming season.

King John V

Kaboul may well be an up and coming talent but I can't see him being afforded too much settling in time. The earthquake comment (albeit from his agent) won't endear him to the fans nor will his hesitation about signing the contract. But the reasoning behind the quartet bid is probably a combo of experience (Chimbonda, Malbranque + Tainio) and youth (Kaboul). Certainly a squad upgrade if it happens.

King John V

Chimbonda officially signed...

Requiem4adream

Diouf on his way too it appears. Keano obviously no fears of working with stroppy, difficult players (chimbonda, diouf and possibly kaboul). Then again i cant see any of them going off on one in front of him!!!

I think this overall trend of signing average/decent players to build a solid squad is a really good long term strategy. He'll be looking at a 7th - - -> 12th place finish this season, anywhere in that bracket is progress upon to build for a top 6 challenge in a few seasons. Outside the big 4, there are realistic enough ambitions for a lot of building clubs and sunderland def one of them.

King John V

Also, according to the Mirror:

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is ready to turn to £12million-rated England winger Stewart Downing with his summer-long chase for Celtic star Aidan McGeady seemingly doomed to failure.

That would certainly be a massive upgrade if it came off.

Im_No_Superman

King John V wrote: »

Also, according to the Mirror:

That would certainly be a massive upgrade if it came off.

Cant see it happening tbh. Especially with Liverpool and Spurs reportidly interested in Downing aswell.

leninbenjamin

Requiem4adream wrote: »

Diouf on his way too it appears. Keano obviously no fears of working with stroppy, difficult players (chimbonda, diouf and possibly kaboul). Then again i cant see any of them going off on one in front of him!!!

Keane saw first hand Ferguson dealing with a lot of players like this, so i think he knows well exactly what's involved in getting the best out of these type of players.

it's certainly progress one way or the other. Chimbonda for me could be the most important signing they make this summer. The likes of Malbranque and Diouf are no doubt much better players, but Sunderland were so weak defensively last season so i think it's where the greatest impact will be felt this window.

King John V

Taiwo is supposedly another target to cover LB. Along with Chimbonda's experience and a decent CB they could be much tighter in defence next season. With Kenwyne Jones' injury at least 1 if not 2 decent strikers will surely be the next priority.

andrewie

Diouf has signed! Four and a half year deal.

Melion

Strange signing for Keane to make. And even stranger for Diouf to move to a club like Sunderland, cant see it going well or lasting long

yabadabado

i think diouf is a good signing for sunderland ,hes a quality player.the team is taking shape now if they get 1 or 2 more defenders i think they can really push on

Bounty Hunter

Malbranque having his medical at Sunderland now, good signing IMO as would be that LB Taiwo if the get him.

Gordon, Chimbonda, Taiwo, DC, DC(Kaboul?), Edwards, Richardson, Malrbranque, Reid, K Jones, CF

one or two more additions and they could be doing quite well, the above looks like a mid table team to me

The Rooster

I thought Tainio was predominantly a defensive midfielder. I remember him being linked with United a few years back as a possible Keane replacement.

Bounty Hunter

The Rooster wrote: »

I thought Tainio was predominantly a defensive midfielder. I remember him being linked with United a few years back as a possible Keane replacement.

i knew i forgot someone Tainio to start as a DM is needed in the above lineup with Richardson moving to RM and C.Edwards dropping to the bench

SuprSi

The Rooster wrote: »

I thought Tainio was predominantly a defensive midfielder. I remember him being linked with United a few years back as a possible Keane replacement.

He is - he's like a terrier and best at man-marking, but can cover ground. Having said that I've seen him score some great goals for Spurs so he's not afraid to move forward if needed.

King John V

I think he (Tainio) played in that defensive role in the Cobh friendly. Malbranque would definitely add a much needed touch of class. Kaboul's agent said this morning that Kaboul wasn't interested in the move. Other rumours were hinting towards a move for Anton Ferdinand (around £7m).

eirebhoy

They look to be signing Balde. They just need an experienced player to partner him now. Beside the right player it makes up for his lack of tactical knowledge and he's one of the most dominant centre halves out their with excellent heading and tackling ability as well as pretty decent pace.

Flamed Diving

They are making decent signings this summer. When I look at their squad last year I'm amazed they were able to stay up.

King John V

They've just signed Malbranque. 4 year deal.

Ekels

King John V wrote: »

They've just signed Malbranque. 4 year deal.

Great bit of business there. At £7million he represents real value and quality. Richardson was spark in the Sunderland midfield when he wasn't injured, but now there's an extra spark to start a fire.

On Diouf, I think he's an excellent signing. Again, at £2.5million he represents value and quality. I'm not always convinced of his effectiveness, but given that they're only paying £2.5million for him, using him as a squad/ utility player, on either wing or up front, would represent value.

King John V

Ekels wrote: »

Great bit of business there. At £7million he represents real value and quality. Richardson was spark in the Sunderland midfield when he wasn't injured, but now there's an extra spark to start a fire.

On Diouf, I think he's an excellent signing. Again, at £2.5million he represents value and quality. I'm not always convinced of his effectiveness, but given that they're only paying £2.5million for him, using him as a squad/ utility player, on either wing or up front, would represent value.

+1. Diouf can be a bit volatile but he does bring an extra bit of quality and his price is certainly good value.

A striker and experienced centre back have to be the next priority. Supposedly Keane is prepared to bid up to £10m to bring in Saha. He's a top player when fit but only averages about 10 games a season...too injury prone. Jonny Evans would be an excellent, youthful addition if available but very unlikely to be sold.

Ekels

King John V wrote: »

+1. Diouf can be a bit volatile but he does bring an extra bit of quality and his price is certainly good value.

A striker and experienced centre back have to be the next priority. Supposedly Keane is prepared to bid up to £10m to bring in Saha. He's a top player when fit but only averages about 10 games a season...too injury prone. Jonny Evans would be an excellent, youthful addition if available but very unlikely to be sold.

It's catch 22 with Saha. I'm really unsure whether Sunderland should bother. Definitely would be a brilliant player for Sunderland if he stayed fit. I'd take him for something in the region of £5-7million. £10million is too much of a gamble because he'd have no re-sale value at 29.
Kevin Doyle would be the most viable option. A similar enough player to Saha. When Jones returns, they'd be dangerous.
I still haven't seen Michael Chopra's name on the exit list. Fascinating that they're holding onto him. I don't think he has any potential, whereas someone like Stokes has.

Centre-half is problematic. They still have a sizeable amount left in the kitty. About £21million has been spent. Surely if Taiwo costs £7million, another £20million will be spared for a centre-half and striker. If £5million was left over, Stephen Hunt would be an option.

Ekels

Looking at Sunderland's squad there, there are plenty of players who may be surplus to Sunderland's requirements: Etuhu, Kavanagh, Connolly, Wallace, Prica (?), Anderson, Yorke, Collins, Higgingbotham and maybe Miller and McShane.

It's odd that the likes of those players haven't been released or sold.

Flamed Diving

Ekels wrote: »

Looking at Sunderland's squad there, there are plenty of players who may be surplus to Sunderland's requirements: Etuhu, Kavanagh, Connolly, Wallace, Prica (?), Anderson, Yorke, Collins, Higgingbotham and maybe Miller and McShane.

It's odd that the likes of those players haven't been released or sold.

Because they would have a bunch of 15 year olds on the bench?

Ekels

Flamed Diving wrote: »

Because they would have a bunch of 15 year olds on the bench?

I didn't mean get rid of every one of those players. Maybe 5 or 6. Even at that, take the youngsters out of their squad and it still comes to 33 players or so in his squad.

King John V

Rangers are showing interest in Etuhu so he could be leaving. I thought Collins was actually pretty good last season. Justifies his place in the squad at least.Yorke has a playing/coaching role so it's experience that he brings. But yeah, the rest would be mostly fringe players, could be sold on once cover is bought in.

I'd love to see Hunt joining. His work rate would be massive. They seem to have a load of strikers but bar Jones none of them stand out as match winners. Stokes is a talented prospect but consistency is needed. Chopra and Murphy are reasonably good at that level so hopefully last season will stand to them.

Fanny Cradock

The Rooster wrote: »

I thought Tainio was predominantly a defensive midfielder. I remember him being linked with United a few years back as a possible Keane replacement.

Yeah, he's predominately a DM but I believe he has played as an AM and also at RB.

Ekels wrote: »

I still haven't seen Michael Chopra's name on the exit list. Fascinating that they're holding onto him. I don't think he has any potential, whereas someone like Stokes has.

Centre-half is problematic. They still have a sizeable amount left in the kitty. About £21million has been spent. Surely if Taiwo costs £7million, another £20million will be spared for a centre-half and striker. If £5million was left over, Stephen Hunt would be an option.

That's a very harsh statement. Chopra was played mostly at RW last season. He got his head down and did the job without much fuss, and the few times he did play in attack he managed to bag some vital goals. As Keane said himself, "Stokes could be a top, top player in four or five years or he could be playing non-League". I personally don't rate the guy. And if he has a repeat season like last season this year I would imagine he would be shown the door.

Also, I'm not quite sure where you are getting your figures from. I don't remember Sunderland mentioning how much they had to spend. Certainly there were rumours abounds regarding a £50 million budget but these were never confirmed by the club.

King John V

They were linked with Zigic last week, the 6'8'' Serbian striker at Valencia. At the rumoured £5m he'd be worth a shot to fill the Jones role. A nuisance to defend against at least.

Ekels

King John V wrote: »

They were linked with Zigic last week, the 6'8'' Serbian striker at Valencia. At the rumoured £5m he'd be worth a shot to fill the Jones role. A nuisance to defend against at least.

I'd loan him until January then.

Ekels

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Yeah, he's predominately a DM but I believe he has played as an AM and also at RB.



That's a very harsh statement. Chopra was played mostly at RW last season. He got his head down and did the job without much fuss, and the few times he did play in attack he managed to bag some vital goals. As Keane said himself, "Stokes could be a top, top player in four or five years or he could be playing non-League". I personally don't rate the guy. And if he has a repeat season like last season this year I would imagine he would be shown the door.

Also, I'm not quite sure where you are getting your figures from. I don't remember Sunderland mentioning how much they had to spend. Certainly there were rumours abounds regarding a £50 million budget but these were never confirmed by the club.

Keane did state that he would ask for as much, if not more money as last season.

Be realistic, you've not said whether you feel Chopra did well on the wing, just that he "got his head down and did the job without much fuss." They look to be signing good midfield players. I just don't rate Chopra.

And regarding Anthony Stokes, you're totally dismissing the fact that he's only just turned 20. He was 19 all last season. Hardly at his peak, or anywhere near his best. You're already shrouding a youngster in negativity, without mentioning his development or need to settle into the Premiership.

yabadabado

i think if keane gets a centre back and a striker he will have done really well.cant see hunt joining now they have plenty of midfielders who are about the same level as hunt.any word on the LB from marseille.
doyle would be a good signing or try in get saha on loan with a option to sign if things work out on the fitness front evans would also be a good signing but i doubt they will get him.

anyone see keane's interview after the game when he was asked bout kaboul

King John V

Ekels wrote: »

I'd loan him until January then.

I think Stoke or Hull were planning a loan move but cash strapped Valencia will want an out right sale. Bent is another decent option. Alot of people don't rate him but I reckon a club like Sunderland where he'd be a key striker could relaunch his career. I wouldn't like all of Keane's 1st team buys to be in the 27+ age bracket and at 24 Bent has plenty of youth on his side.

Ekels

yabadabado wrote: »

anyone see keane's interview after the game when he was asked bout kaboul

No, what was the reaction?

Ekels

King John V wrote: »

I think Stoke or Hull were planning a loan move but cash strapped Valencia will want an out right sale. Bent is another decent option. Alot of people don't rate him but I reckon a club like Sunderland where he'd be a key striker could relaunch his career. I wouldn't like all of Keane's 1st team buys to be in the 27+ age bracket and at 24 Bent has plenty of youth on his side.

Bent scored another hat-trick for Spurs tonight. Not sure whether they'll let go of him or not.

King John V

yabadabado wrote: »

.any word on the LB from marseille.

Supposedly they had a bid of £7m for Taiwo, the Marseille LB rejected. Man city are also in the running for him but I think his club are holding out for a fee closer to £9.5m. There's a thing in his contract that his older club get a cut of future resales so Marseille are upping their price to accomadate for that.

King John V

Ekels wrote: »

Bent scored another hat-trick for Spurs tonight. Not sure whether they'll let go of him or not.

He'll either jack up his price or seal a 1st team position at Spurs, especially with Keane gone. Not good for Keano.

yabadabado

Ekels wrote: »

No, what was the reaction?

id say its a dig at harry

http://www.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/07/30/Prem-Keane-on-Kaboul/?facets/football/

Ekels

yabadabado wrote: »

id say its a dig at harry

http://www.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/07/30/Prem-Keane-on-Kaboul/?facets/football/

Heehee. What a legend.

And,"Pascal [Chimbonda] has come in but I'm looking for one or two others. Generally speaking, I'd like three more players but one or two may have to move on."

OPENROAD

Ekels wrote: »

Heehee. What a legend.

Harry certainly is

King John V

There seems to be talk about a move for Balde. Do people rate him or reckon he could offer Sunderland something extra?

leninbenjamin

King John V wrote: »

There seems to be talk about a move for Balde. Do people rate him or reckon he could offer Sunderland something extra?

he looked solid for a period under MON, but since then he's kinda turned into their Winston Bogarde. i reckon you'd need to build the entire defence around him and put an awful lot of work into him to get him to be good enough for the Prem. if there were no alternatives he'd probably be worth a punt, but there are much better players out there. he's probably on the level of Titus Bramble tbh.

eirebhoy

As I said already, beside someone like Sami Hyppia he'd be immense. He'd have everything you need in a centre half except distribution and confidence with the ball at his feet (Hyypia leading the line would make up for his poor reading of the game). I can't emphasise how good he was alongside Mjallby at Celtic. He was poty in a season Larsson scored 44 goals and Celtic got to the UEFA cup final. He's a big improvement on Nosworthy.

Judging by a couple of games in pre-season he still looks to be the same player he was at his best. Celtic's centre halves since then have all been poor or inexperienced though.

Fanny Cradock

Ekels wrote: »

Be realistic, you've not said whether you feel Chopra did well on the wing, just that he "got his head down and did the job without much fuss." They look to be signing good midfield players. I just don't rate Chopra.

And regarding Anthony Stokes, you're totally dismissing the fact that he's only just turned 20. He was 19 all last season. Hardly at his peak, or anywhere near his best. You're already shrouding a youngster in negativity, without mentioning his development or need to settle into the Premiership.

He's an attacker, not a winger. Despite this, much of his time on the pitch last year was spent filling in for the injured Edwards. But for the record, I think he did well over all. 6 goals in 33 games playing, for the most part, out of position, which was one less less goal in as many games as their top scorer, Jones, who I rate very highly. I've seen enough from Chopra to make me think that he could do a very good job for them. Admittedly as a 3rd striker. At 24, I don't think he is at his peak either.

As for Stokes, I've not, as you so colourfully describe, shrouded him in negativity. I simply quoted Keane - who seems to think he could go either way as a player - and I then followed this up by stating that I don't rate him. Why? Well, in the one season I've seen him play, I though he played poorly and I saw little in the way of the promise that initially surrounded him. Yeah, he's 20, and I understand that he can still develop. However, if there isn't an improvement after a year then I could see Keane justifiably shipping him.

Let us reconvene this discussion after May 2009.

Im_No_Superman

Daryl Murphy signs a new one year extension to his contract. Good to see his still in Keanes plans, I think he is a good player, his form is very dependent on his confidence, so this should be a good boost for him before the start of the season. Ive been impressed with Keanes signings so far this summer especially Malbranque and Chimbonda. If he could secure another centre back or two they should push on this season.

Daryl Murphy has signed a one-year extension to his Sunderland contract.

The new deal means the Irish forward, 25, has committed himself to the club until 2012.

Murphy, who joined the Black Cats from Waterford in 2005, told the club's website: "It's pleasing. I've always wanted to stay here and it's nice to get the the extension.

"It's a big club, the supporters are great and we're going in the right direction.

"It's a different club to the one I joined three years ago."

Meanwhile, manager Roy Keane has also agreed to let Ross Wallace go on loan to Coca-Cola Championship side Preston on a season-long deal.

Wallace had turned down a move to Deepdale last month but has now agreed to join Alan Irvine's side with the option of a permanent deal in January.

http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3892029,00.html

Fratton Fred

yabadabado wrote: »

id say its a dig at harry

http://www.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/07/30/Prem-Keane-on-Kaboul/?facets/football/

Harry has been in Africa for the past ten days so it's obviously not a recent night out.

Still. imagine a night out with Roy Keane. I bet that would be a barrel of laughs:rolleyes:

Sunderland where just part of the agents attempts to get his player a better deal. When a player says he would not sign for a team, even if there was an earthquake, its usually a pretty strong hint he doesn't want to go.:D