1. Credit where it's due. 2. Answers needed

[Twizzle]

pretty much

 

[AngerManagement]

I didn't hear anyone crying out for Jelavic or Cisse at the time.

Some gambles pay off, you know. But I'd say if we'd have signed either the pressure on their shoulders coming to a (at the time) title challenging club would have been much greater. Especially as neither would have probably started straight away, they'd be subs where we'd expect them to immediately come on and score 3 goals every game.

It's questionable whether their arrival would have been as explosive for us.

I'm pretty sure quite a few people were saying we should sign Cisse and I remember being quite disappointed when he signed for Newcastle instead

Jelavic I'd never heard of, but his goal scoring record has always been impressive so how much of a gamble was it at the price he went for really? more than the constantly injured Saha?

 

[Stoof]

I'm pretty sure quite a few people were saying we should sign Cisse and I remember being quite disappointed when he signed for Newcastle instead

Jelavic I'd never heard of, but his goal scoring record has always been impressive so how much of a gamble was it at the price he went for really? more than the constantly injured Saha?

Saha still made his contribution this season, at times linking up with Ade better than Defoe ever has done.

He still went for £5.5m pounds. That's over 30% of what we've spent in the last two seasons. The difference between being able to sign someone for £20m or £25m come the Summer. I'm still not a fan of the January window for doing useful business. It's only that these two stand out massively as successes compared with previous windows.

I still think it's down to expectations as well. I'm not sure Newcastle fans had any of Cisse, they were happy with Ba. (Bearing in mind I'm only gleaning this off two of my mates at work who are Toon fans). I think Everton were happy with signing anyone as it had been like 2 years since they actually bought a player (there was that website "time since Everton signed a player" with a load of countdown clocks!!).

With us, we'd have expected an instant goal return and had it not been forthcoming, would he have been casted to the flops? And the crowd start to get antsy?

All transfers are gambles. And at the time, I didn't see the need for that level of gamble.

 

[AngerManagement]

Saha still made his contribution this season, at times linking up with Ade better than Defoe ever has done.

He still went for £5.5m pounds. That's over 30% of what we've spent in the last two seasons. The difference between being able to sign someone for £20m or £25m come the Summer. I'm still not a fan of the January window for doing useful business. It's only that these two stand out massively as successes compared with previous windows.

I still think it's down to expectations as well. I'm not sure Newcastle fans had any of Cisse, they were happy with Ba. (Bearing in mind I'm only gleaning this off two of my mates at work who are Toon fans). I think Everton were happy with signing anyone as it had been like 2 years since they actually bought a player (there was that website "time since Everton signed a player" with a load of countdown clocks!!).

With us, we'd have expected an instant goal return and had it not been forthcoming, would he have been casted to the flops? And the crowd start to get antsy?

All transfers are gambles. And at the time, I didn't see the need for that level of gamble.

He contributed yes but not nearly enough, Cisse was a sensation for Newcastle. The type of form he showed for Newcastle had he produced the same for us I'd suggest we wouldn't be waiting on the outcome of the CL final nor having to face a play off to get in to the group stages (prize money which would have offset the investment)

Also right now, are we likely to sign someone better than Cisse in the summer? if he was in our ranks now we'd probably be happy with him leading our line (especially if Ade could be signed still)

What is there to suggest he would have struggled to score off the bat for us? he scored on his debut at the Toon and kept on scoring, we produce plenty of chances per game but lack the clinical finisher (which he could have provided) he's always been a goal scorer it seems and there is no reason to think he would have started slower for us than he did for them (indeed Saha even seemed to start off pretty fast.....I'm thinking Newcastle game)

Newcastle were happy with Ba, yes and we were happy with Ade but as Cisse complemented BA he could have complemented Ade and added the extra goals that we missed seeing us dropping points we often should not have (and considering two more points would have been the difference I'm in little doubt the addition of Cisse instead of Saha would have been bridged that gap)

Its not like he was an unkown, Cisse was top scorer in the German league and had been the most efficient scorer the year before

I think it was basically a gamble by Mr Levy that we had 3rd wrapped up and money was better saved til the summer as a result. To an extent I agree with him as we all thought we were safe enough in third, but then we were also not that far off the title race so maybe a bit of balls to chase that target with suitable investment would have paid off with at least a 3rd place finish (better to fail aiming high and all that)

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Transfer wise I think we wanted Remy, Leandro, Vertonghen, Mata and rather when we realised that we either couldn't get them or there was more chance in the summer we brought in stop gaps. I see no problem with that.

Surely it's best to wait and get you're first choice target then buy a player you're not really sure about when our squad was considered by many on here the 'second best' in the prem LAUGH OUT LOUD

 

[Stoof]

I suppose the problem with this to and from is that we'll never know and we can speculate 'til the cows come home. With 20-20 hindsight, it's a lot easier to say we should've signed someone considering we've witnessed their impact.

It was more improbable that Cisse would go on the run that he did. No-one saw that coming, so purely by that measure it has to be a gamble?

You forget what harsh task-masters our fans are. Especially during January when there were more than a few thinking that the title race was properly on.

Goals in other European Leagues don't guarantee you Premier League goals - and you know that too, AM. How many have come from abroad with big goal tallies and big reputations, but to flop spectacularly? It's more than those who've been successful. Which again, makes it a gamble.

Would Cisse come to us knowing he wouldn't be first choice? Not sure on that one either.

Too many factors.