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Gareth Frank Bale

Mr RayReardon

Jack Burkitt
I don't know about that Ray. If the objective is to stay up rather than pocket the money and improve the squad for a bit of you-yo ing then there has to be a mix and there do need to be players coming in that have played and understand the prem in 2022. For me an experienced, quality CM is key. I'd probably be looking to go 3 in the middle of the park and for sure a 2 of Yates and Garner isn't good enough.
I'm not sure it is either...

But we have to temper expectations. Quite simply, we need players of genuine quality. But, those that have the quality is known by all, won't come to us as they'll already be at an established Premier League club. I'll be very surprised if Maitland Niles will want to come to a team that could well find themselves relegated again.

Players on an upward trajectory are needed. The likes of Jarod Bowen when he signed for West Ham etc are the signings we need.

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Notcher

Stuart Pearce
I wholeheartedly agree that it's a possibility and it's something to be avoided at all costs. A cancer in the dressing room can absolutely ruin a club (Pogba at Man Utd case in point).

My furtherance is also subject to positive background checks on personality etc. I know we do them and I highly doubt that Cooper would do anything to fracture the dressing room. If he's happy with it then we have we all should be. FWIW, Johnson appears to look up to him as a positive influence so that does give me some comfort.

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Notcher

Stuart Pearce
I wholeheartedly agree that it's a possibility and it's something to be avoided at all costs. A cancer in the dressing room can absolutely ruin a club (Pogba at Man Utd case in point).

My furtherance is also subject to positive background checks on personality etc. I know we do them and I highly doubt that Cooper would do anything to fracture the dressing room. If he's happy with it then we have we all should be. FWIW, Johnson appears to look up to him as a positive influence so that does give me some comfort.

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T.B.T.

Forum Princess
LTLF Minion
I wholeheartedly agree that it's a possibility and it's something to be avoided at all costs. A cancer in the dressing room can absolutely ruin a club (Pogba at Man Utd case in point).

My furtherance is also subject to positive background checks on personality etc. I know we do them and I highly doubt that Cooper would do anything to fracture the dressing room. If he's happy with it then we have we all should be. FWIW, Johnson appears to look up to him as a positive influence so that does give me some comfort.

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I wholeheartedly agree that it's a possibility and it's something to be avoided at all costs. A cancer in the dressing room can absolutely ruin a club (Pogba at Man Utd case in point).

My furtherance is also subject to positive background checks on personality etc. I know we do them and I highly doubt that Cooper would do anything to fracture the dressing room. If he's happy with it then we have we all should be. FWIW, Johnson appears to look up to him as a positive influence so that does give me some comfort.

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Oh no, please tell me you posted this twice and the forum hasn't duplicated your post. :oops:
 
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Notcher

Stuart Pearce
Yes I posted twice although it's because I thought I hadn't quoted Cheapseats post.

This post is also a reply to you so if it doesn't quote you then you know that its not working for all users

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cheapseats

Grenville Morris
I'm not sure it is either...

But we have to temper expectations. Quite simply, we need players of genuine quality. But, those that have the quality is known by all, won't come to us as they'll already be at an established Premier League club. I'll be very surprised if Maitland Niles will want to come to a team that could well find themselves relegated again.

Players on an upward trajectory are needed. The likes of Jarod Bowen when he signed for West Ham etc are the signings we need.

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Ray, I think I agree with you-I'd hope we invest 75% of our spend in quality up and coming players but there need to be 2 or 3 older seasoned premiership players to pin it all together-what I am particularly thinking is the wet November away game at Southampton where we may need to dig in to get a point, those are the points that may keep you up and you need some gnarled old pros to see them out...
 

Mr RayReardon

Jack Burkitt
Ray, I think I agree with you-I'd hope we invest 75% of our spend in quality up and coming players but there need to be 2 or 3 older seasoned premiership players to pin it all together-what I am particularly thinking is the wet November away game at Southampton where we may need to dig in to get a point, those are the points that may keep you up and you need some gnarled old pros to see them out...
Trouble is, mate. I don't really know this these experienced pros are and how much they'll cost... Looking at our squad. We'll need.

WB x 2
CM x 2
#10 x 1
CF x 2

And maybe even a keeper. That'll be 8 positions.. the 8 will have to be a mix of good free signings. Eg Wallace and Rothwell, some ambitious signings such as MGW and a few loans. As good as £100m is, it doesn't stretch far in the greed of the Premier League. If we wanted Garner, MGW and AMN I'd say that'll be most of the money gone! Staying up will rely on team spirit, a whole lot of luck, Cooper magic hoping the likes of Everton are dogshit again.

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cheapseats

Grenville Morris
Trouble is, mate. I don't really know this these experienced pros are and how much they'll cost... Looking at our squad. We'll need.

WB x 2
CM x 2
#10 x 1
CF x 2

And maybe even a keeper. That'll be 8 positions.. the 8 will have to be a mix of good free signings. Eg Wallace and Rothwell, some ambitious signings such as MGW and a few loans. As good as £100m is, it doesn't stretch far in the greed of the Premier League. If we wanted Garner, MGW and AMN I'd say that'll be most of the money gone! Staying up will rely on team spirit, a whole lot of luck, Cooper magic hoping the likes of Everton are dogshit again.

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I get that Ray and for sure the numbers we need are a problem in terms of cost. I also accept that our signings of experienced heads over the last few years having been great, although Cook is an exception. I'd like to see a seasoned CM and striker come in but I'm not sure if that's realistic....
 

Mr RayReardon

Jack Burkitt
I get that Ray and for sure the numbers we need are a problem in terms of cost. I also accept that our signings of experienced heads over the last few years having been great, although Cook is an exception. I'd like to see a seasoned CM and striker come in but I'm not sure if that's realistic....
You never know, mate. The problem is, we're going to have to spend £40m just to reach the quality we went up with. Let's be honest, it's fun speculating eh! Personally, I think we'll go down. But, I hope we stick with Coops and we'll have another promotion bonanza the following year, this time without relying on loans and at that point - we can really be competitive.

Interesting summer ahead...

Neco Williams - loan
MGW - buy £20m
AMN - buy £10m
Lewis Potter buy - £15m
KD9 - buy £15m
Wallace - free
Rothwell - free
Max Lowe/Lee Buchanan/Zinc £5m

That won't break the bank, we'd have a good chance of staying up and we'd very strong favourites to bounce back if we went down. Signing Brennan and JWorrall on long term deals as well of course


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cheapseats

Grenville Morris
If he's prepared to consider Cardiff, maybe he would play for buttons:

Just goes to show hes living in a strange parallel universe created by having 300M in the bank.
I honestly don't know what to make of Bale, other than his situation is unique....
 

Ashley

Steve Chettle

Statto

Free Kick Specialist
Just goes to show hes living in a strange parallel universe created by having 300M in the bank.
I honestly don't know what to make of Bale, other than his situation is unique....
he's from Cardiff though and may support them, also he's well into his 30s now so presumably going to be on the wane as a top player.

Not sure how we could compare that as there aren't that many absolute top players from Nottm. I suppose it would have been like Andy Cole signing, but 3-4 years earlier than he actually did. Or Reidy and Daws coming back, but then, Daws had been at Hull in the CH and Reidy from Blackpool who had just been relegated I think so were already at this level and weren't at the time top players at a big club.

Bale going from RM to Cardiff would presumably be pure sentiment though surely he is too good for the CH.
 

Ashley

Steve Chettle
I think Bale's main concern with his next club is which one will help him get into shape for the World Cup, which is the last thing he probably really wishes to aim for in his career. I can't see how playing for a crap Cardiff side in the second tier really helps him with that. He'll almost certainly end up at a top flight team in one of Europe's top 5 leagues.
 

Notcher

Stuart Pearce
Perhaps if we sign Rodon and Williams to go with Brennan Johnson, he could pretend he is playing for his beloved Wales with us.
Also Cooper being Welsh himself.

As others have said I can't see him dropping to the second tier. He'll almost certainly sign for a Premier League club and he'll do a job for them.

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Col

Has he singed yet?
I think Bale's main concern with his next club is which one will help him get into shape for the World Cup, which is the last thing he probably really wishes to aim for in his career. I can't see how playing for a crap Cardiff side in the second tier really helps him with that. He'll almost certainly end up at a top flight team in one of Europe's top 5 leagues.
I can see maybe Newcastle taking him on. What with the Saudi millions and all.
 

Red In Scotland

First Team Squad
No chance. Bale plays at 75% until the world cup as wont want to get injured. After they get dumped out, hopefully following a really strong showing (Love the welsh!). He's going to be semi retired for whichever club took the risk on him and he's gonna hit the golf.
 

cheapseats

Grenville Morris
Trouble is, mate. I don't really know this these experienced pros are and how much they'll cost... Looking at our squad. We'll need.

WB x 2
CM x 2
#10 x 1
CF x 2

And maybe even a keeper. That'll be 8 positions.. the 8 will have to be a mix of good free signings. Eg Wallace and Rothwell, some ambitious signings such as MGW and a few loans. As good as £100m is, it doesn't stretch far in the greed of the Premier League. If we wanted Garner, MGW and AMN I'd say that'll be most of the money gone! Staying up will rely on team spirit, a whole lot of luck, Cooper magic hoping the likes of Everton are dogshit again.

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Ray-it might be argued that we had an artificially improved squad due to loans and the fact is we are paying the price now for that.
It sort of brings me back to buy clauses for these longer loans. It would have looked an awful lot easier if we had clauses to buy fir 2 or 3
 

Mr RayReardon

Jack Burkitt
Ray-it might be argued that we had an artificially improved squad due to loans and the fact is we are paying the price now for that.
It sort of brings me back to buy clauses for these longer loans. It would have looked an awful lot easier if we had clauses to buy fir 2 or 3
Absolutely we did - with serious quality that only increased in value. We'd have to spend somewhere close to our full transfer kitty just to reach the level our loan signings allowed us... Going to make being competitive next season that bit harder.

Think I put in a different post our squad now .. (of course, it will be reinforced)...

Samba
Laryea
Worrall
Cook
McKenna
Colback
Cafu
Yates
Johnson
Lolley
Surridge

That team would finish mid table Championship. Staying up will be a feat equal if not greater in magnitude then being promoted after being bottom after 8 games.

All is not lost though. Firstly, Zinkernagal, Lowe/Buchanan, Rothwell and Wallace would make that a team capable of championship promotion and could be obtained for about £5m. I can't see Wallace choosing WBA over us now, should we want him.

Then, the challenge is to make us Premier League competitive. If, and a huge IF ... We signed:
Williams
AMN
MGW
A quality striker

We'd stand a chance.... But only a chance of staying up. Bournemouth, Fulham etc have a 3-4 player head start on us.

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Matt

Stuart Pearce
No chance. Bale plays at 75% until the world cup as wont want to get injured. After they get dumped out, hopefully following a really strong showing (Love the welsh!). He's going to be semi retired for whichever club took the risk on him and he's gonna hit the golf.

Bale at 75% is still levels above most of bottom 10 clubs in the prem
 

Sal

First Team Squad
It's an interesting one. I've no idea how big the risk that he destabilizes the locker room , that's probably the biggest question. But if Cooper thought he could fit into the "Club" (as an entity) without stuffing it up , and if Bale was keen to play for us (on not a lot of coin - and let's face it, he wouldn't "need" to ever earn another pound in his life considering his wages for the last decade ) then you'd have to look at it?

What do we need to be a chance to stay up? 40 goals minimum? If Bale is a realistic chance for 10+ , that's a huge step. Johnson is already speaking very highly of him regarding the Wales games, that connection would continue to build and could work for us. Bale gets to play good minutes every week as he builds for the WC. Would he mentally check out after the WC though? Someone would want to have a good read on this lads pysche as part of this evaluation.

There's a heck of a lot of "ifs" about all this. I personally don't think this happens for several reasons. But it would add a still-world-class player to the 11, and I'd trust Cooper if it did.
 
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