The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 25 July 2011

i hate D-day when we need to sign someone and they are outside our training ground and we end up signing someone rubbish like Rasiak or Frazier Campbell[except for VDV]

ackie said:

A G R E E !
Also Stoke looking at a few as well as Blackburn and was told Everton wants a cheapo from us too.
Sunderland and QPR hopefully do go for Crouch.
Newcastle for Defoe.
Although Liverpool are looking for a cheap poacher and LB

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This would make my year :grin:

Bobbins said:

So, haven't been online all day but I assume Manic Monday Madness ended up being Morose Monday Melancholy?

I have an awful feeling that by the end of the window, when we've signed, well, no-one, Harry will answer the question 'But what about Mirko Vucinic?' with the response 'There was never anything going on there - it was all just in the press' - we've had that response before.

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I can see it now...

Vucinic was never going to happen. You'd love him in your team he's a top top player but it was never going to happen. I mean Daniel rang me at 11.50 and said do you want Ade Akinbiyi? I said of course you'd love him in your team he's a top top player but I was already eating a pizza by then with Kevin and we couldn't get it done.

Hot-Spur said:

This would make my year :grin:

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Signing Rossi, Vucinic and Diarra would make mine
So, any funny feeling from you for this week?

spurslenny said:

No, you're right, there is no reason.

Except that the other ITKs have a reasonable hit success rate when it comes to calling incoming and outgoing transfers, and what he has said completely contradicts what they (our ITK's) have been suggesting all window.

Plus, his info sounds like the sort of nonsense that you or I could read about on Footybunker or caughtoffside (or is it onside?)

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:lol: Really? They rarely get names before the press and only very, very rarely have an intimate grasp of an entire deal. Usually they hear a rumour at one stage (scouting, bid going in, bid negotiation, player wages, player terms, player's family life, etc) but not all. ITK is excellent and very welcome but only tells part of a story. I have no idea why so many people still feel that an unindentifiable individual could know how a deal would be working seeing as even Harry and Levy (and even the player) wouldn't even know fully themselves.

For what it's worth, we generally get ITK links to around 50 players for every 1 we sign. I would actually say that's a reasonable success rate (compared to tabloid press) but I doubt many of our regulars would.

Also, before a player signs he would have been mentioned by at least 10-15 different ITKs and we'd have his player thread over 100 pages, chock of media reports alongside - and almost always pre-dating - ITK. This is conveniently forgotten during transfer windows every year. I have no idea why the mental blank but such is life.

The Journalist is, I believe, kosher by the way. Although I have the benefit of knowing his source so it's easier for me to judge the information on its merits. Either way, I do believe the veracity of what he is saying - even if I don't believe a lot of it will happen (because generally little of ITK does).

What I would say is to pay attention when he tells you that he is more acquainted with other clubs and he is passing on RUMOURS. He's actually very categorical. Unlike posters who miss his phrasing that we COULD go up to 45m for KJH and Farfan - I read that as "We have 45m and these two players are on our list".

That, even the smallest of minds must agree, is hugely different to "We are signing KJH and Farfan for 45m". Indeed it isn't even "We will bid 45m for KJH and Farfan." Or even "We want to bid 45m for KJH and Farfan." What he's saying is that we are looking heavily in Germany, these are two names on our list (I'd be stunned and amazed if there were less than 50 names on said list) and we have 45m to spend to improve our attacking options.

The Journalist has shared these two names as I'm sure he would have shared more but for the fact that he isn't privy to the other names on that particular list. Perhaps it contains Gomez, Goetze, Marin and Mueller. Hence we've set aside such a big pot of money. Or it was all a misunderstanding (always a possibility).

Whatever, it is simply a different part of a different conversation to what ryan, CM, aqkayid, etc hear. So the content is different.

And so this kind of post is unacceptable:

spurslenny said:

Well IMO someone, somewhere is being a wummy wum wum and is feeding us bullshit.

No amount of salt is going to make that taste better.

How else do we explain the amount of contradicting ITK?

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For the last time - ITK does not mean we are going to sign players. It is gossip.

Example: Man Utd play Tottenham. After the game, Fergie and Harry have a glass of Shiraz and Fergie says "Bloody hell, Harry, that Modric is brilliant. How much would it take to bring him to Old Trafford? (laughs)" Harry says "Sod off, Alex. You could give us Rooney and Daniel still wouldn't sell him (laughs)" before the conversation moves on.

Coming out of that room, both men reflect on the informal chat. Ferguson tells United to forget about Modric as Levy wouldn't sell, while Harry will tell everyone who wants to hear that United are into Modders and will surely come in with a big bid and Spurs couldn't possibly say no.

That then gets spread through family, friends, associates and all and sundry into ITK. Nothing wrong with that but if you think it is firm evidence of what WILL happen then it's no wonder you're getting stressed.

Viper said:

Signing KJH and Farfan for 45 mill is so comical, its never going to happen especially at that price. This Journo guy is on a massive wind up, he must be loving the press he is getting on here. He is saying we have no interest in two players who we tried to sign in Jan (Rossi / Adebayor) so it rubbish that we have no interest in those two as I doubt much has changed in 6 months.

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Wind your neck in. It's not rubbish. It's what he's heard. No one is asking you to believe something. We're asking you to not abuse someone because you are unable to process basic communication.

Who are the strikers and defender we've bid for? Does anyone now?

ackie said:

Signing Rossi, Vucinic and Diarra would make mine
So, any funny feeling from you for this week?

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Oh yes that as well :razz:

Well I said a few days ago I thought this would be a good week for us, I also said I had a feeling we would make a surprise signing nobody had linked us with yet, but I said that last week I think, this intuition comes and goes you know :wink:

I'm not ITK but just now on countdown I managed to make 'Marquee' from the letters, as did one of the contestants, so I've taken that as a sign and I'm convinced we'll get the striker we all crave any day now.

Hot-Spur said:

Oh yes that as well :razz:

Well I said a few days ago I thought this would be a good week for us, I also said I had a feeling we would make a surprise signing nobody had linked us with yet, but I said that last week I think, this intuition comes and goes you know :wink:

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Mamamia, I like your intuition!

In the words of Partridge....."

Bill Oddie is alive and well.....well he's alive...."

ackie said:

Mamamia, I like your intuition!

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It seems to work well regarding Spurs, never gives me the lottery numbers though :wink:

With regard to our striker search, my take (not ITK) is that we are trying to get in two strikers and Vucinic is the lower profile (and cheaper) target and which should almost be done.

IMO, talks for the other (higher profile) striker is still on-going and acceptable limits of the terms (fees/ wages) of the contract will depend on whether we can off-load some of our deadwood especially the strikers currently on our books. We'd probably have to get rid of at least three strikers if we are to get in two new experienced ones.

Spurvert said:

Who are the strikers and defender we've bid for? Does anyone now?

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Seems some convergence around Vucinic, Adebayor, Rossi and Leandro.

No credible links to any defenders (other than Cahill from a Bolton newspaper several weeks ago).

Hot-Spur said:

Oh yes that as well :razz:

Well I said a few days ago I thought this would be a good week for us, I also said I had a feeling we would make a surprise signing nobody had linked us with yet, but I said that last week I think, this intuition comes and goes you know :wink:

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Think I'll get the old Tarot cards out, and see what direction we're heading.

Dan Ashcroft said:

Seems some convergence around Vucinic, Adebayor, Rossi and Leandro.

No credible links to any defenders (other than Cahill from a Bolton newspaper several weeks ago).

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Thanks mate

Dan Ashcroft said:

Seems some convergence around Vucinic, Adebayor, Rossi and Leandro.

No credible links to any defenders (other than Cahill from a Bolton newspaper several weeks ago).

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Samba.
Perhaps someone from Germany

BringBack_leGin said:

I'm not ITK but just now on countdown I managed to make 'Marquee' from the letters, as did one of the contestants, so I've taken that as a sign and I'm convinced we'll get the striker we all crave any day now.

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Get back to work man!!

ackie said:

Samba.
Perhaps someone from Germany

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CB from Germany?

One of the highly rated Dortmund pair? Geromel from Koln?

Cheers for the info ackie

ethanedwards said:

Think I'll get the old Tarot cards out, and see what direction we're heading.

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Let us know how you get on :razz:

Spursh said:

CB from Germany?

One of the highly rated Dortmund pair? Geromel from Koln?

Cheers for the info ackie

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I think Hummels and Subotic are unobtainable tbh...