(16-07-2015, 12:09)TheBaggieMan Wrote: Seems to me Silver that while all other Premiership clubs are making their preparations and buys we, like Nero, are fiddling while The Hawthorns burns. Although it was stated that the ownership negotiations would not interfere with team building, one can only look to the sale of the club for the explanation of inactivity.

It is certainly of concern to us mere mortals that with less than a month to go, we have only signed a bit player in McClean and perhaps a third choice keeper in Hennessy.

(16-07-2015, 12:56)DanTheSmethwickMan Wrote: Wow Sunderland sign Jermain Lens for around 8 mill. Another quick and tricky winger who also scores plenty of goals. A Dutch international with European football experience. So another one of our rivals has vastly improved in a position we desperately need. Oh dear there won't be anybody left to buy soon... Pulis get your head out the gutter, you are ALLOWED to sign non English players you know!!!!

(16-07-2015, 13:38)drewks Wrote: It's easy to criticise TP and his apparent reluctance to sign foreign players, when the clubs all round us all seem to be doing just that. However, we don't know how many of these players will turn out to be not suited to the PL, and neither do the clubs that have signed them.

I. for 1, can understand why he favours taking the lower risk option of buying those who are proven in this country; I'm puzzled by us chasing this guy from NF if they can't spend any of the income on replacement players but I'm pretty sure that the situation won't be that 'cut & dried', if it was the club wouldn't be pursuing it.

I still believe that we will make the necessary signings that will make us stronger in the areas that need it. It may not be with Dutch, Italian or German household names, but I'm sure we'll get there.

Have faith - chill - pour a G&T or a nice beer, and enjoy the cricket!!      

(16-07-2015, 17:43)WBA Will Wrote:

(16-07-2015, 13:38)drewks Wrote: It's easy to criticise TP and his apparent reluctance to sign foreign players, when the clubs all round us all seem to be doing just that. However, we don't know how many of these players will turn out to be not suited to the PL, and neither do the clubs that have signed them.

I. for 1, can understand why he favours taking the lower risk option of buying those who are proven in this country; I'm puzzled by us chasing this guy from NF if they can't spend any of the income on replacement players but I'm pretty sure that the situation won't be that 'cut & dried', if it was the club wouldn't be pursuing it.

I still believe that we will make the necessary signings that will make us stronger in the areas that need it. It may not be with Dutch, Italian or German household names, but I'm sure we'll get there.

Have faith - chill - pour a G&T or a nice beer, and enjoy the cricket!!      

I can certainly understand having a "preference" for British based players, but with Pulis it seems to be more dogmatic than that. He seems to prefer going for players who have proven they're OK at this level than risk going for foreign players who could be fantastic or could be flops. There's a certain sober rationality to that approach but football fans have never been nor ever will be rational. We pay £400 for our season tickets to be excited by players, not to watch them trudge to a 0-0 draw against Leicester to secure survival for another year. Both mindsets are understandable and, in the current climate, unavoidable. I would also like to point out that there were quite a few comments on here about Irvine failing with our "best ever squad". Clearly some people on here don't know as much about football as they think they do! 

And the cricket is hardly likely to cheer anyone up at this rate!