21 Aug 2015 00:04:26
Forestieri (forgive spelling) latest to be linked to the massive


1.) 21 Aug 2015
21 Aug 2015 13:53:35
Yep Leeds wanted him but can't afford him. I reckon this one's got legs. He would be an ace buy as well.


2.) 22 Aug 2015
22 Aug 2015 01:37:10
Flipping hope so.


3.) 22 Aug 2015
22 Aug 2015 21:46:44
There's talk of us paying £500k Loan fee for Gary Hooper, I really hope so I've wanted us to sign him all window he'd be the man to get the goals.


4.) 24 Aug 2015
24 Aug 2015 07:09:43
Leeds United manager Uwe Rosler has confirmed that the club are closing in on the signing of Watford forward Fernando Forestieri. Looks like that guy is going to Leeds.


5.) 24 Aug 2015
24 Aug 2015 07:47:07
Someone please explain to me the Gary Hooper love? Now I've never seen this guy play so forgive me but statistically I can't see where he has really done a whole lot since like 2010. Most of his success since then has been in the Scottish Premier League which doesn't seem to translate. I mean he had 12 goals last year and that's not terrible by any stretch of the imagination but I don't really see where this guy is the next best thing since sliced bread? Anyone wanna learn me up here?


6.) 24 Aug 2015
24 Aug 2015 17:06:20
Hi AmOwl
Too many stats / numbers / percentages in football these days IMO.
Like the obsession with 20goals a season?
If a striker makes or "assists" 30 goals for his teammates but only scores 2 himself does that make him worthless?
The guy Hooper can play I've seen him many times, and if you play to his strengths he will get goals in abundance!
Norwich paid £5m for him because of that. But if you don't get picked because of a change of manager and he wants to play a different way, then you don't get the chance to improve "the stats" that everybody seems obsessed with.
Mark Warburton lost his job at Brentford because he wanted to ignore "the stats" and judge players by his own standards and demands, and I have a lot of sympathy with that view.
What's really important is what a player contributes to the team and that isn't always obvious "from the stats"!
Hooper has been at S6 today incidentally .


7.) 25 Aug 2015
25 Aug 2015 06:08:50
Hey Howler, yeah man I get that man. And I totally get playing time and system as well, I think Antonio might be a good example as well he didn't really do that much in the system that we had at the time and then goes to Forest and blows up in a sense. And I do get that in Football/Soccer the stats are a little misleading cause you might not be the one scoring the goals or even the assists but you were behind everything else. I'm not saying anyone is wrong by any means and like I said haven't seen this guy myself so just kinda wondering what all the hubbub is about. I still think we are a little thin depth wise mainly on D and midfield but I'm really optimistic about where we are heading and how we are doing it. And I sure hope you guys are right.


8.) 25 Aug 2015
25 Aug 2015 12:01:08
Good morning Howler

Ive got a lot of time for your thought through opinions.

The only comments I would make about stats, in the mist of time, and in the short haul, and at the end of the year we all look at stats, the most important stats are goals, goals win matches, goals acquire points, points make the league statistics. The top two go up, the next four fight it out for one place dependant on who scores most, its boring but that's how football works.
As for assists 30 a season and your talking 20 Million that is unlikely to happen.Yes the assists people play their part,but you know when the team sheet arrives what our fate for the day is without a recognised pair of proven goalscores at this level.Its not acceptable or good enough 4or5 scoring 6or7 in a season. I do however feel the young lad from Portugal will be a massive hit at S6
The lad at Leeds scored twice in two games earned two points for,stoped us and Bristol earning two points,thats his function in life he will score around 20 this season, so his two goals in essence decided six points.two in two, someone who puts himself around gets in the box, knows were the net is
We need a player by whatever means getting on his own accord 20 goals a season.Get rid of people who cannot get on the bench, spend the money on someone to improve our goal scoring stats.How else are we to break the won one drawn two lost one situation, just like last year.
Our present ratio won one drawn two lost one is heading for 59 points.One extra goal per game would have put us so far drawn one won 3.On those stats runaway winners of the league, top of the stats on 115 points.
Then we can all wonder how we stay there, but one thing certain to climb the greasy poll someone has to get real.
Last year had we had the firepower of any one from seven or eight teams we would have been in the Prem


9.) 25 Aug 2015
25 Aug 2015 16:54:11
Hi South
Respect also, but you're on a slightly different tack to the one I was taking, with respect.
I was responding to AmOwls question about Hooper and his qualities.
I believe he would add something to our squad that we don't have now and give time and support for Matias whilst he settles in properly, and time for Joao to grow in to the outstanding talent I think we both agree he will become. I also believe Bus will surprise many fans and people in the game once he gets in to his stride.
You are making the case for spending on a "proven" goalscorer now to get us straight in to the Prem. and that might well be possible? But would that be a good idea I have to ask, are we ready for that huge leap , - yet?
Although I've made the case on here many times that says there is no such thing, I'll ride with you on that, except to say that at this stage in our journey, I support the strategy we are following now in spreading the budget to improve the quality of the squad as a whole because it desperately needed it and we still have a way to go in that regard.
IMO the time for the big money, big name signing is some way off yet, we need to build a more capable and consistent squad before we focus on one position? The push would be better timed for next season IMO. what's more the FFP regs limit that option as you will appreciate.
Just to clarify why I say no such thing as a "goalscorer" in the way that most fans use that term. Football is not an exact science and there are no guarantees. Spending £50m on a 'goalscorer' doesn't guarantee goals even when "he" is surrounded by "class players", Fernando Torres being the obvious example I always quote but there are other famous examples.
A "goalscorer" is just somebody who has scored goals "in the past", and that doesn't mean he will automatically score goals "in the future", although I accept common sense says he is more likely to, but there are no guarantees?
Equally we might have 2-3 players on our books now who will be wearing the "goalscorer" title at the end of the season - who knows? Nobody gave Ings and Vokes a second glance at the start of Burnleys promotion season!
Food for thought?


10.) 25 Aug 2015
25 Aug 2015 19:09:36
Hi Howler
Im not suggesting we spend 50mill on strikers,that would be insane for several reasons. I don't think anyone has paid more than three for any previous 20 club striker in the Champs.No,my main concern was with your displeasure regarding stats,without the right stats we are going sideways.I don't know why we should not have this type of performance. Maybe you and I have been watching the Owls for too long, and the dream is dead in the water.Watford, Burnley, Bournemouth did not have that problem. So If you don't score 70 plus a season, and have a water tight defence forget the prem,forget the results, forget the 27000 crowd, and forget his dream of prem football
If you can describe to me how these figures that is 70plus goals this season are made up without 2 high scorers in the team I would be grateful.I have no problem with Hooper either, he managed 8 I think in the Prem. This guy has laid down all the clues, he wants us there by the end of next season, so he is right now buying a team in the next 12 months to get us there, without two players contributing 40 goals a season, with for or five others minimum of eight forget it.They know that, that's why IMO he will make it happen.


11.) 25 Aug 2015
25 Aug 2015 20:48:28
Hi South
I think we are talking the same language TBH , just from differing view points perhaps?
I study and follow the stats also, I wasn't totally dismissing them, but I just see them as padding.
AmOwl had said he couldn't see what the Hooper hype was about, not because he had seen him play and I get that if he's not even in the country, but based that comment purely on stats, and that did no credit to a good player .
That clearly demonstrates the danger of "stats" IMO. I'd rather get to the story behind the stats, which I guess is why AmOwl asked the original question I suspect, he was curious.
I , like 1000's of other fans who have played the game for many years, then watched it for much longer I'm afraid, prefer to base my judgement on what I see with my own eyes rather than what the stats, pundits and journos tell me about a player? I suspect you are out of that mould too?
Also, please understand that I don't have a problem with us signing 2or3 or more players that get 20-30 goals a season either, bring it on! The only thing we seem to disagree on I think is when do we need them? We may already have them? We only know where the goalscorers are at the end of the season.
I would prefer to build for the future through this season, if that takes us in to the play-offs or better, brilliant! But if it doesn't, let's make sure we have a squad of adequate quality to target the Prem following year and also make sure we are good enough to survive in the Prem when we do get up.
Burnley took the division by storm two seasons ago with two 30goal strikers but where are they now? Yes as you say goals win games, but so does good defending , and having a midfield who can close a game down for a 1-0 win, successful football teams have to consistently and effectively be able to do a lot more than score goals.
To end on the same theme South:- "statistically" we could win every game of the season and finish Champions with 138pts by scoring just 46goals? LOL!


12.) 25 Aug 2015
25 Aug 2015 23:04:05
Hi Howler

46 wins are out of the question now. We have already blown it with two draws and one loss.
If we had two twenty goal boys,you would be really gutted.LOL
On the basis we have not suffered enough yet at Hillsborough, and our whole personality would have to change overnight if we did succeed.
By the way are you all suffering from sun stroke up there, who are these two 20 goal heroes in our present squad.Maybe you are thinking the ten outfield players get eight a piece, why not.To end finally, Statistically Stevie May might get to kick a ball this season, a lot of savvy football minds think so.The latest odds are 8/1 he gets in the dug out before our 40th win of the season


13.) 26 Aug 2015
26 Aug 2015 03:07:21
Get your copy of '50 Shades Of Blue & White', right here folks.


14.) 26 Aug 2015
26 Aug 2015 07:26:07
Man I have to apologize I did not mean to start this dead conversation AGAIN so for that I do apologize LOL.


15.) 26 Aug 2015
26 Aug 2015 14:51:32
Haha, it's cool 🇨🇦.
We have never been short of passionate fans with lots to say.
We just need the team to let the football do the talking now.