Transfer rumours - Summer 2010

[Colbert Report]

Newcastle supposedly want Greg Cunningham on loan. This would be good news!

I doubt it will happen. Cunningham doesn't count as one of the 25 man squad as he is a "homegrown" player. He wouldn't get ahead of Jose Enrique at Newcastle anyway.

[irishfan86]

I'm with Colbert. Would rather see him go to a Championship side and get a run of first team games guaranteed. I don't mind a lower Premiership side either but with Newcastle having Enrique there wouldn't be much point in that particular destination.

[Charlie Darwin]

Being second-choice to Enrique is better at this stage than being sixth choice behind Kolarov, Bridge, Lescott, Zabaleta and Gareth Barry (although Mancini does seem to rate him long-term).

[Stuttgart88]

Sky Sports News saying that Anthony Stokes' move to Celtic is as about to be completed. Fee is £1.2 million.

[Predator]

I doubt it will happen. Cunningham doesn't count as one of the 25 man squad as he is a "homegrown" player. He wouldn't get ahead of Jose Enrique at Newcastle anyway.Is it not a case of players under the age of 21 not counting?

[Razors left peg]

Sky Sports News saying that Anthony Stokes' move to Celtic is as about to be completed. Fee is £1.2 million.

Im delighed alround with that. Great move for Stokes to see if he can make to step up to a bigger club and from a Celtic point of view they are getting a proven SPL goalscorer with great potential to improve even more

[ifk101]

I personally would prefer if Stokes stayed at Hibs for another season. But hopefully this will prove to be a good move for him.

[Razors left peg]

I think hes proved himself enough at Hibs level to be honest and he could do with the step up or risk going stale again. seen a bit of their game yesterday and he looked frustrated with the players around him at times

[Charlie Darwin]

Is it not a case of players under the age of 21 not counting?
It's this. Homegrown players over 21 still have to be named in the squad - it's just you can't have more than 17 non-homegrown ones.

[elroy]

Murphy and Stokes up front for Celtic???

[Colbert Report]

The Guardian is reporting that Shay Given has decided to fight for his place at City despite interest from Fulham. That would likely mean Mark Schwarzer stays put at Fulham, and Arsenal rely on Manuel Almunia until January at the earliest.

[Sullivinho]

The Guardian is reporting that Shay Given has decided to fight for his place at City despite interest from Fulham.

Hoping your rival gets injured/kidnapped in Colombia/lost in the Bermuda triangle is always a battle.

[tricky_colour]

Well at least it means he is less likely to be injured and thus available to play for us, which is good news?

[Colbert Report]

No, I'd rather him play, even if it were in the Championship. The only way he'll play for Man City is if Hart gets injured. Unlikely but not impossible.

I've had enough of greedy footballers. Given isn't willing to leave because no one else is willing to match his wages.

[Charlie Darwin]

City could have up to 70 games this season - there's no way Hart is going to play them all. If Given has decided to stay, it's because Mancini has guaranteed him action in certain competitions.

[irishfan86]

I would go so far as to say that Shay will get virtually all the cup games and Hart will get the Prem games. I'd say the only reason he was omitted from the Europa league initially was because Mancini didn't want to cup tie him and reduce his transfer value if a team in European competition came in for him.

[Colbert Report]

I would go so far as to say that Shay will get virtually all the cup games and Hart will get the Prem games. I'd say the only reason he was omitted from the Europa league initially was because Mancini didn't want to cup tie him and reduce his transfer value if a team in European competition came in for him.

Really? You think he'd play Shay in the Europa League knockout stages whilst Hart starts against the likes of Blackpool? I can't see it.

[irishfan86]

Europa League is considered a B competition by most people. Okay, as you get further into the competition things become more serious, but there's no guarantee they'll get that far given the fact it will be the B squad that will play most of the early matches.

I realize Man City's B squad is very very good, but they don't play together regularly and none of them will be firing on all cylinders. Maybe I'm wrong but that's the way I'd see things going.

[EastTerracer]

Really? You think he'd play Shay in the Europa League knockout stages whilst Hart starts against the likes of Blackpool? I can't see it.


It does seem like Mancini intended to play Given in the game against Timisoara on Thursday but he may have decided against this as Given would then have been cup-tied for Europe.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/mancini-bids-to-placate-given-with-europa-start-2299777.html

However, on Friday, after they had qualified for the group stages, Mancini again said that Shay might play some of the group games in the Europa league. Mancini has consistently said that he needs two top goalkeepers as City are involved in four competitions. Hopefully Shay has received some assurances about getting games and I am sure he is confident of winning his place back if he is given the chance to impress.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/eyqlkfaueyql/

[Colbert Report]

I'm not a professional footballer but surely you could play goalkeepers 365 days a year without getting tired? Most of the time 'keepers are just picking their noses and checking out birds in the crowd.

[SkStu]

class CR!

on topic, i'd be very disappointed in Given if he had a good option but didnt move.

[Kingdom]

In a way I can understand him staying, it doesn't look great walking away at the first sign of trouble; however, he is a goalkeeper and his chances are going to be limited. I can't see Mancini rotating either his keeper of his back 4 during the league, it's the one area of the pitch where you need a constant, so yes I imagine he will miss the likes of Blackpool and West Brom games. So between now and January, when the transfer window opens again, he will get EL games, and league cup games. 6 games in Europe, and then 3 games in the league cup. At his age, he needs games. Frankly that just isn't enough.
Realistically, Hart is not going to be dropped. He has started the season in great form, as he needs to be, justifying the City decision to pick him. I feel sorry for Shay, taking his performances into account last season, he definitely was hard done by being dropped for the new season, especially considering the effort he made to get fit again. That said City probably have made the correct decision in the long term for them.
As someone else said, if there was a decent move on offer for Shay and he's turned it down, well I'd be disappointed.

[drummerboy]

Sadly it looks like Shay is more concerned about the money he would lose by moving to Fulham or some other club who would not be able to match the wages he is on at the moment.

[Lionel Ritchie]

could be an interesting ruse to shoe-horn Wenger into making a move for him. Wenger wants another keeper -but evidently Shay is not his first choice. Shays staying in Manchester means Wenger doesn't get his preferred option Shwarzer... Soooooooo....

[jbyrne]

Sadly it looks like Shay is more concerned about the money he would lose by moving to Fulham or some other club who would not be able to match the wages he is on at the moment.

i think this is unfair. for years he was urged by Irish fans to leave newcastle to play at a bigger club where he might get champions lge action, challenge for titles etc. Now some are having a go at him for staying at such a club and turning down someone like fulham who are nothing more than the team given left behind at newcastle. he cant win with some of you.

whats wrong with him wanting to stay and fight for his place rather than running the first time in his career he isnt getting first team football??

[bholg]

Hopefully the curse strikes again. Hart makes a howler for England, looses all confidence as a result - hey presto Given is back in.

Voodoo dolls at the ready.

[irishfan86]

Was just about to make a comment along those lines bholg. He's one screw up away from becoming a national joke. Such is the life of an England No. 1.

[irishfan86]

Besiktas apparently trying to sign Robbie on a season-long loan.

[elroy]

Was just about to make a comment along those lines bholg. He's one screw up away from becoming a national joke. Such is the life of an England No. 1.

I think the English meeja was summed up by the Suns headline the other day on the announcement of Capellos squad

"Jackass" with a picture of Capello with horse -ears.

Why did he deserve this treatment??! Because he had left superstars Jack Wilshere and (some other relatively young untested player) out of his squad.

[elroy]

I noticed Westwood was on the bench for Coventry at the weekend. Surely this can only be due to the fact that he is on his way out of the club???

[irishultra]

i am a big supporter of ireland team like and i love seeing our players do well but i think these are signs of a bleak period for irish football in the next few years. shay given will not get into the man city first team not for epl games, not for europa and not for fa cup. mayb carling cup but even then i have doubts. the key to get the best out of hart is giving him many many games there not gonna like want to keep taking him out of the team. shay is greedy everyone knows he wont get back in the team and really should have left. i would been dissapointed with fulham but since no big teams have any interest in given it would have been alright(arsene wenger wants to go four a 37 yr old over a 34 yr old who he could get for roughly same price)

[Stuttgart88]

Schwarzer staying put at Fulham. Maybe a chance of Shay going to Arsenal?

[Charlie Darwin]

I think Wenger ruled that out when he mentioned the club couldn't/wouldn't pay Given's wages. I'm guessing this only refers to a loan move because Given would be unlikely to mind a pay cut. Either that or it's a cop out by Wenger.

[Stuttgart88]

Ian Harte to Reading?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8954459.stm

[Murfinator]

Hartes form has been fantastic lately, not surprised in the least to see a championship team pushing for promotion to be after him. I still say he's the best left back option we have, dangerous player when he's on form.

[Sullivinho]

Harte's like a cannon. Mighty shot, great from set pieces but doesn't move very fast. If at all.

[tetsujin1979]

Video interview with Harte on Reading's site: http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/Home/

[irishfan86]

Hartes form has been fantastic lately, not surprised in the least to see a championship team pushing for promotion to be after him. I still say he's the best left back option we have, dangerous player when he's on form.

The little pace he had has completely deserted him. In fact he's been moved into the centre now where pace isn't as important. I think he lacks the physicality to play as a centrehalf at the top level, but maybe I'm wrong.

One hell of a free kick taker still though. Remarkable return for a defender last campaign, albeit at a lower level.

[SkStu]

1832: Stoke look like making it a quartet of Deadline-Day signings, with the news that deals for Eidur Gudjohnsen (from Monaco), Jermaine Pennant (from Real Zaragoza) and Marc Wilson (from Portsmouth) were all pushed through before the 1800 BST deadline. Official confirmation on those expected soon.

[Charlie Darwin]

Everton have loaned Joseph Yobo to Fenerbahce for the remainder of the season. Could potentially spell some game time for Duffy in the cups.

[seanfhear]

1832: Stoke look like making it a quartet of Deadline-Day signings, with the news that deals for Eidur Gudjohnsen (from Monaco), Jermaine Pennant (from Real Zaragoza) and Marc Wilson (from Portsmouth) were all pushed through before the 1800 BST deadline. Official confirmation on those expected soon.
Have Stoke won the euro- millions lotto or somwat.

The wages of these four would be a few bob !

[bennocelt]

A Stokes gone to Celtic, what price now to be top scorer in the SPL?

[Charlie Darwin]

Jermaine Pennant's agent must be the most handsome man in the world. It's a mystery to me why clubs keep buying that waster.

[irishfan86]

Hope Lawrence got out or there's a good risk he won't make Stoke's 25-man squad tomorrow (teams are naming their squads at 5 p.m. tomorrow).

[gastric]

'Potential' Irish players supposedly on the move- Cox going on loan to Reading, Naughton on loan to Sheffield Utd.