EPL signing of the season?

Pro. F

K-9 wrote: »

Threads a joke if we are relying on the opinions of a couple of posters, everybody else seemed to get what signing of the season meant. Seems an obvious wind up at this stage.

Bullshít. You are more intelligent than this.

Morzadec

I would say that in most people's minds, Ozil has a bit more star quality than Mata and is a bigger signing.

What I mean to say, is that if last summer one was asked:

'Who is the third best player in the world after Messi and Ronaldo?'

I would have imagined Ozil's name to pop up on that list as a potential, alongside the likes of Ibra, RVP, Suarez, Iniesta, Bale...

I'm not sure if Mata's name would've popped up

(I know I'll get pulled up on the Bale inclusion - just remember how high his stock was at the end of last season, how much he was being talked about, and, in fairness, just how well he was playing.)

I say this as someone who had this type of debate with a range of football fans during the summer, and I'm pretty sure Mata's name was never mentioned.

He was still slightly behind Silva in the Spain team, whereas Ozil was considered, alongside Iniesta, as probably the best playmaker in world football.

Doesn't necessarily mean that Ozil will be better than Mata, but as we are not talking about their performances on the pitch and just their signing at the time made, you would have to hold your hands up and say that Ozil is just that bit bigger (and therefore under this criteria, better) of a signing

K-9

Pro. F wrote: »

Bullshít. You are more intelligent than this.

Over 200 posts on this thread, 60 or 70 posters all of whom barring a few seem to have no problem with the idea of the thread. The best was posters dismissing the thread because we've 11 games to go, and a couple of others also having Mata as the best signing.

Utopia Parkway

Pro. F wrote: »

By your measures of famousness the answer keeps coming back to Ozil. If you measure quality of the player and likelihood of that type of signing the answer comes to Mata.

Well if you think Mata is an actual better player than Ozil then that is another argument entirely and one I'm not that interested in. However by most unbiased standards I think it's fair to say that Ozil was a bigger signing for all the many reasons already outlined previously.

Personally I would have neither as signing of the season as I think that should belong to a player who has performed on the field and brought value to his team. Biggest signing being something else altogether.

Pro. F

K-9 wrote: »

Over 200 posts on this thread, 60 or 70 posters all of whom barring a few seem to have no problem with the idea of the thread. The best was posters dismissing the thread because we've 11 games to go, and a couple of others also having Mata as the best signing.

It is perfectly reasonable to view Mata as the biggest signing of the season. It is perfectly reasonable to mention the biggest signing as the best signing of the season, especially when that mention is qualified like Will did.

You are removing all context from what was said to discredit the notion that it could have been reasonable. Will I Amnt's first post, which cause the stir, was perfectly reasonable. The reaction to it was pathetic.

Will I Amnt

K-9 wrote: »

Threads a joke if we are relying on the opinions of a couple of posters, everybody else seemed to get what signing of the season meant. Seems an obvious wind up at this stage.

Obvious wind up? Get the boat kiddo.
I've explained my reasons more than enough times in this thread.
People have differing opinions , get over it.
I'm sick of saying it but the OP left it open to interpretation. By my interpretation there was 2 contenders and I picked 1.

Pro. F

Morzadec wrote: »

I would say that in most people's minds, Ozil has a bit more star quality than Mata and is a bigger signing.

What I mean to say, is that if last summer one was asked:

'Who is the third best player in the world after Messi and Ronaldo?'

I would have imagined Ozil's name to pop up on that list as a potential, alongside the likes of Ibra, RVP, Suarez, Iniesta, Bale...

I'm not sure if Mata's name would've popped up

(I know I'll get pulled up on the Bale inclusion - just remember how high his stock was at the end of last season, how much he was being talked about, and, in fairness, just how well he was playing.)

I say this as someone who had this type of debate with a range of football fans during the summer, and I'm pretty sure Mata's name was never mentioned.

He was still slightly behind Silva in the Spain team, whereas Ozil was considered, alongside Iniesta, as probably the best playmaker in world football.

Doesn't necessarily mean that Ozil will be better than Mata, but as we are not talking about their performances on the pitch and just their signing at the time made, you would have to hold your hands up and say that Ozil is just that bit bigger (and therefore under this criteria, better) of a signing

You don't just have to judge the biggest signing on who is most famous or most appreciated. You could judge it on who you think is the best player, how difficult or unlikely the signing was and things like that.

I am certain that Will I Amnt was talking about Mata's performances on the pitch, just not necessarily the ones this season, because there have been so few. So there is really no need to forget about quality and start investigating fame like you are doing here.

Liam O

Morzadec wrote: »

I would say that in most people's minds, Ozil has a bit more star quality than Mata and is a bigger signing.

What I mean to say, is that if last summer one was asked:

'Who is the third best player in the world after Messi and Ronaldo?'

I would have imagined Ozil's name to pop up on that list as a potential, alongside the likes of Ibra, RVP, Suarez, Iniesta, Bale...

I'm not sure if Mata's name would've popped up

(I know I'll get pulled up on the Bale inclusion - just remember how high his stock was at the end of last season, how much he was being talked about, and, in fairness, just how well he was playing.)

I say this as someone who had this type of debate with a range of football fans during the summer, and I'm pretty sure Mata's name was never mentioned.

He was still slightly behind Silva in the Spain team, whereas Ozil was considered, alongside Iniesta, as probably the best playmaker in world football.

Doesn't necessarily mean that Ozil will be better than Mata, but as we are not talking about their performances on the pitch and just their signing at the time made, you would have to hold your hands up and say that Ozil is just that bit bigger (and therefore under this criteria, better) of a signing

In the PL draft that was done start of last season he was picked 2 or 3 I think? On the phone so can't check yet but he was picked then I think and general consensus was that he was worthy of the position. Hardly did anything last season to reduce that stock did he?

Somehow I don't think this debate would be happening if he moved to Liverpool, City or maybe Arsenal.

Utopia Parkway

Liam O wrote: »

Somehow I don't think this debate would be happening if he moved to Liverpool, City or maybe Arsenal.

Well if he had the same lads wouldn't be proclaiming him the signing of the season for a start.:D

Kiddo? The mind boggles :cool:

Pro. F

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Well if you think Mata is an actual better player than Ozil then that is another argument entirely and one I'm not that interested in. However by most unbiased standards I think it's fair to say that Ozil was a bigger signing for all the many reasons already outlined previously.

I'm not in the slightest biased about the signing. My points stand when looked at objectively, so please don't insinuate that I am biased.

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Personally I would have neither as signing of the season as I think that should belong to a player who has performed on the field and brought value to his team. Biggest signing being something else altogether.

I agree with you. The reaction to Will I Amnt's perfectly reasonable post was still un-called for.

Pro. F

rarnes1 wrote: »

Kiddo? The mind boggles :cool:

The amount of shíte he has been getting from some posters, it's hardly surprising that he has a dig back.

Pro. F

Pro. F wrote: »

The amount of shíte he has been getting from some posters, it's hardly surprising that he has a dig back.

Hey, look at his patronising posts. He's bound to get grief when he tells people they are talking bollox, only disagreeing with him just because they are ABU's etc. When you post like that people won't debate in a reasonable manner with you.

Will I Amnt

Pro. F wrote: »

The amount of shíte he has been getting from some posters, it's hardly surprising that he has a dig back.

I don't use kiddo offensively at all, I use it to friends, family, strangers, whatever.
How it could boggle somebody's mind I don't know.
You would really want to be easily confused or just hyperbolic for the sake of it...

But I suppose it's coming from somebody who doesn't really contribute opinion to threads and is more concerned about passing comment on others.

Marty McFly

Jesus this is the biggest cluster fcuk of a thread ever.

We get it United fans love Mata can we move on now.

K-9

Liam O wrote: »

Somehow I don't think this debate would be happening if he moved to Liverpool, City or maybe Arsenal.

That thought crossed my mind and I suspect it's the complete opposite to what you think.

Anyway Mata is the best eva so that's that settled.

astonaidan

Marty McFly wrote: »

Fellaini on current form wouldn't get near Arsenal's midfield. Playing in a more advanced role ahead of Wilshere, Cazorla, Ozil, Ramsey etc no chance. Ahead of Flamini or Arteta again no chance, although there is a possibility we will be looking to strengthen there this summer as Arteta does seem to be on the wane a small bit he has had a few below par performances this season compared to last year.

Also on the Mata argument it is completely and utterly ridiculous to include him.

From a neutral point of view it has to be Negredo don't think anyone expected him to be as good as he has turned out to be, from an Arsenal point of view Flamini.

Id agree with you about Fellani on current form, I think next season we will see the real Fellaini, I think eventually he will become a star, actually think had he signed for Arsenal this year he would have fit in better with the tactics that the United ones

astonaidan

Julez wrote: »

Chelsea player of the year history (see last two years)

Not sure how that is relevant, Hazard has clearly overtaken him, Matas class but not in the Ozil Hazard level.
In case its coming across Im not a fan off him in any way, thats not accurate, Im a huge fan off him and really look forward to see him the main man at United which I think he will do once RVP is gone

astonaidan

Liam O wrote: »

In the PL draft that was done start of last season he was picked 2 or 3 I think? On the phone so can't check yet but he was picked then I think and general consensus was that he was worthy of the position. Hardly did anything last season to reduce that stock did he?

Somehow I don't think this debate would be happening if he moved to Liverpool, City or maybe Arsenal.

I agree, they would surely have chosen a more suitable player for there choice, but then Fellaini would have got a lot off votes

Marty McFly

astonaidan wrote: »

Id agree with you about Fellani on current form, I think next season we will see the real Fellaini, I think eventually he will become a star, actually think had he signed for Arsenal this year he would have fit in better with the tactics that the United ones

I agree I'm a fan of Fellani I was hoping Arsenal would put a bid in last summer so won't pretend I didn't

But on current form he wouldn't get near the Arsenal midfield, which is a few steps ahead of Uniteds.

Pro. F

rarnes1 wrote: »

Hey, look at his patronising posts. He's bound to get grief when he tells people they are talking bollox, only disagreeing with him just because they are ABU's etc. When you post like that people won't debate in a reasonable manner with you.

You know well he was only responding in kind to people who were acting the bollocks about the Mata statement he made. If you read the thread it is obvious that he didn't start that shíte. Why are you playing dumb on this?

Y2KBOS86

Moyes

eagle eye

No doubt for me that the signing of the season has been James McCarthy for Everton, he has been immense so far this season. In both the short term and long term he is a great signing imo.

Second best signing for me has been Dejan Lovren for Southampton, another who looks like he has a very big future.

Mata is a great signing for United if they build the team in a way to get the best out of him and Rooney.

Ozil like Mata is a great signing and will do well in the Premier League as long as he is in it.

Others that I think were really good signings have been Mannone for Sunderland(don't understand why Arsenal let him go) and Mignolet for Liverpool. Other really good signings are Steven Caulker and Gary Hooper and not forgetting City's Fernandinho, Navas and Negredo.

Best loan signing for me is Loic Remy.

The_Kew_Tour

eagle eye wrote: »

No doubt for me that the signing of the season has been James McCarthy for Everton, he has been immense so far this season. In both the short term and long term he is a great signing imo.

Im not doubting it cause I have only seen Everton 3-4 times this season, but has he really been this good?

Skylinehead

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Im not doubting it cause I have only seen Everton 3-4 times this season, but has he really been this good?

I don't think so. He's been good, and is worthy of a start in that midfield, but the great signing that Martinez made was Gareth Barry.

what a day

Best siging of the season for me has been Roberto Martinez, class act so far.

eagle eye

Skylinehead wrote: »

I don't think so. He's been good, and is worthy of a start in that midfield, but the great signing that Martinez made was Gareth Barry.

Barry has been good and has no doubt helped McCarthy with his experience but McCarthy has been the man protecting the back four and his passing has been excellent. You don't see him as much as others but he is doing a seriously impressive job for Everton.

jmayo

Morzadec wrote: »

I would say that in most people's minds, Ozil has a bit more star quality than Mata and is a bigger signing.

What I mean to say, is that if last summer one was asked:

'Who is the third best player in the world after Messi and Ronaldo?'

I would have imagined Ozil's name to pop up on that list as a potential, alongside the likes of Ibra, RVP, Suarez, Iniesta, Bale...

I can't believe you are forgetting the "really" best player in the world, mr ribbery.


* PS at least that is his opinion.:D

Iused2likebusts

Now that the season is over my signing of the season would be Bony. His 16 league goals kept swansea up he really had to step up to the plate with michu injured. In 48 games in all competitions he managed 25 goals.
Him and RVW were compared at the start of the season similar fees joining similar clubs. RVW ended up a disaster and would probably be my worst signing of the season.

Alfred Borden

Fernandinho for me. Although he didnt play much towards the end of the season, it was his presence that allowed Yaya to have the season he had. Did all the dirty work whilst releasing Toure to bomb forward.

eagle eye

Best signings of the season based on performance. A few unlucky to lose out, real tough picking a keeper with Adrian and Mignolet both having excellent seasons but Mannone was just outstanding for me. I thought the season before when he played a few times for Arsenal that he was going to be their no.1 and was shocked when they sold him so cheaply in the summer.
Arnautovic could have been in there too but Puncheon was just incredible once Pulis came in. Wanyama is another who was an excellent signing.

I didn't pick any January signings but Scott Dann, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata are three excellent buys.

Tough to pick a signing of the season but for me it would be between Mannone and Lovren.

Mannone

Mariappa----Lovren

---

Demichelis

---

M.Olsson

Fernandinho

---

McCarthy

Ozil

---

Eriksen

---

Puncheon

Bony

Talib Fiasco

Good shout with Demichellis. The lad had a slow start to life in the EPL and was disastrous at times but he turned it around and was as important as any other City player besides only Silva, Toure and Kompany...even at times being more important than Kompany. He did very well for a guy near the end of his career and more than earned his medal. To think he was that instrumental to a team with the depth and quality of City at that age is quite something. Kudos to him. Not the best signing of the season of course but well worth a mention in the similar light to Huddlestone.

Blatter

Negredo really did get the kiss of death here! Pretty much disappeared for the last three months of the season.

Lumbo

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Im not doubting it cause I have only seen Everton 3-4 times this season, but has he really been this good?

I watched every Everton game this season and McCarthy was a revelation. There was a flag at Goodison earlier this season that said "71% of the Earths surface is covered by water, the rest is covered by James McCarthy". It sums him up perfectly.

He'd a great season and a has a great career ahead of him. I'm glad he declared to play for Ireland. We've got a great talent on our hands.

Paully D

IMO these threads should never be about players who have cost tens of millions of pounds.

James McCarthy for example. Yeah, he's been really good, but for £13m it's what you expect really. The second most expensive signing in Everton's history too, only £2m less than the record. Anything less than a very good season is a disappointment when you spend that sort of money. Fernandinho's another, his fee was circa £30m FFS. Others mentioned a few times such as Negredo, Mata, Matic, Willian, Ozil, Mata (come on now in fairness lads, he has no place on this list for the 2013/2014 season) et al are the same. Fantastic players, some I really enjoy watching, but for the sort of money they were signed for you don't expect anything less.

Big money signings in playing well shocker. :eek:

Personally I prefer to look at players who have cost relatively little amounts of money but still contributed significantly. This season, off the top of my head the likes of Gareth Barry, Loic Remy, Vito Mannone, Curtis Davies and Jason Puncheon have contributed as much, if not more than, some of the players mentioned a lot throughout this thread and in all their cases they've cost only relatively small fees as a permanent or wages as a loan player in comparison.

Take Remy for example, he scored 14 Premier League goals for Newcastle this season and only played 26 out of 38 games. Yet people are raving about Bony who Swansea smashed their transfer record for (£12m) and he scored 16, only 2 more, despite playing 8 more league games than Remy. Of course there's the argument that he's only a loan player, but the thread is 'Premier League Signing of the Season' after all and not one looking to the future. Jason Puncheon, £1.75m, 7 goals and 3 assists for Crystal Palace, far more than Willian did in the league for Chelsea as an example. Personally I think Curtis Davies was at least on a par with Diego Lovren despite costing one-third of the price.

That's just my two cents anyway

Nuri Sahin

Paully D wrote: »

IMO these threads should never be about players who have cost tens of millions of pounds.

James McCarthy for example. Yeah, he's been really good, but for £13m it's what you expect really. The second most expensive signing in Everton's history too, only £2m less than the record. Anything less than a very good season is a disappointment when you spend that sort of money. Fernandinho's another, his fee was circa £30m FFS. Others mentioned a few times such as Negredo, Mata, Matic, Willian, Ozil, Mata (come on now in fairness lads, he has no place on this list for the 2013/2014 season) et al are the same. Fantastic players, some I really enjoy watching, but for the sort of money they were signed for you don't expect anything less.

Big money signings in playing well shocker. :eek:

Personally I prefer to look at players who have cost relatively little amounts of money but still contributed significantly. This season, off the top of my head the likes of Gareth Barry, Loic Remy, Vito Mannone, Curtis Davies and Jason Puncheon have contributed as much, if not more than, some of the players mentioned a lot throughout this thread and in all their cases they've cost only relatively small fees as a permanent or wages as a loan player.

Take Remy for example, he scored 14 Premier League goals for Newcastle this season and only played 26 out of 38 games. Yet people are raving about Bony who Swansea smashed their transfer record for (£12m) and he scored 16, only 2 more, despite playing 8 more league games than Remy. Of course there's the argument that he's only a loan player, but the thread is 'Premier League Signing of the Season' after all and not one looking to the future. Jason Puncheon, £1.75m, 7 goals and 3 assists for Crystal Palace, far more than Willian did in the league for Chelsea as an example. Personally I think Curtis Davies was at least on a par with Diego Lovren despite costing one-third of the price.

That's just my two cents anyway

I agree with that, but.. I'd go for Bony over Remy for the sheer fact that Swansea had lost the manager who signed him, the defence whenever I watched them anyway was a shambles, Hernandez and Michu missed a fair amount of games and it was Bony's debut season in the league. Him scoring a load of goals didn't surprise me, but him scoring goals with all that went on around him was damn impressive.

That's not say what Remy did was no easy feat, far from it, but he has EPL experience to call upon.

Looking back I gave my vote to Barry, but now it's a coin toss between Barry and Bony for me.

keeponhurling

Lumbo wrote: »

I watched every Everton game this season and McCarthy was a revelation. There was a flag at Goodison earlier this season that said "71% of the Earths surface is covered by water, the rest is covered by James McCarthy". It sums him up perfectly.

He'd a great season and a has a great career ahead of him. .

Haven't seen many of these great performances for the Irish team, in fact I can barely believe you're talking about the same player

Hope O'Neill can get the best out of him