I know damn well that someone as high profile as Beckham wouldn’t sign but we’ve managed to sign players like Heskey and Melchiot so there must be a well known name somewhere that would sign in a bid to put bums on seats.
Garswood, rate Michu next season. Plenty players have taken the league by storm before flopping like a fish.
But Heskey and Melchiot weren’t marquee signings who put bums on seats.
Both were freebie misfits who had been booed when they had played for Birmingham, and who were considered to be well past their best. We had no Premier League competition for either signing, and I clearly remember people posting things like ‘Hope it’s not true’ on Cockney Latic and other clubs’ fans taking the mickey when the Heskey rumour first appeared.
There will be proven Premier League players out there who’ll sign for us, but I’m guessing they’ll be more David Jones than the type of player to have ‘em flocking through the turnstiles.
It might change in ten years time if we can stay in the Premier League, but for now I feel that’s the reality of it.[/quote]
I know damn well that someone as high profile as Beckham wouldn’t sign but we’ve managed to sign players like Heskey and Melchiot so there must be a well known name somewhere that would sign in a bid to put bums on seats.
Garswood, rate Michu next season. Plenty players have taken the league by storm before flopping like a fish.
But Heskey and Melchiot weren’t marquee signings who put bums on seats.
Both were freebie misfits who had been booed when they had played for Birmingham, and who were considered to be well past their best. We had no Premier League competition for either signing, and I clearly remember people posting things like ‘Hope it’s not true’ on Cockney Latic and other clubs’ fans taking the mickey when the Heskey rumour first appeared.
There will be proven Premier League players out there who’ll sign for us, but I’m guessing they’ll be more David Jones than the type of player to have ‘em flocking through the turnstiles.
It might change in ten years time if we can stay in the Premier League, but for now I feel that’s the reality of it.[/quote]
Freebies? Sure Heskey cost like £5.5million? B)[/quote]
I think you might be right James, but the sentiment is the same: he’s probably the biggest name we’ve ever had at the club and he didn’t exactly have them rushing to get through the turnstiles.
If Beckham is going anywhere, I reckon it will be QPR, as he’s been ganging around there lately at games, and I can imagine Redknapp signing him. A ‘marquee’ signing to give them a boost in their relegation fight. And yes, I predict they WILL stay up. Apparently, they’ve also been viewing schools in West London as well.
Regarding Bentley, yes he has been on big wages in the past. But Reading are strongly linked with him and if we can’t compete with them, with all respect, then we really are in the wrong league.
NORTHERNPRIMATE- I like your attitude and comments about Darren Bent. He needs away from Villa, and if you don’t ask, you don’t get. And considering we paid a reported £50,000 a week for Heskey, yet another non-scoring forward (what is it with us?) I would definitely be keen.
The problem for me is not the players, but the style and formation we play. Is it really any coincidence that since Martinez came and implemented this ‘tic tac’ style, we have seen a number of forwards come and fail? I don’t think it is. I believe that Alan Shearer in his prime would have struggled with us playing this way. Seriously.
But those days are gone Dave.
It became apparent to Whelan that despite finishing 10th in the league and paying big name players like Heskey over the odds, our attendances dropped in the second season and we still couldn’t attract investment into the club.
If Beckham is going anywhere, I reckon it will be QPR, as he’s been ganging around there lately at games, and I can imagine Redknapp signing him. A ‘marquee’ signing to give them a boost in their relegation fight. And yes, I predict they WILL stay up. Apparently, they’ve also been viewing schools in West London as well.
Regarding Bentley, yes he has been on big wages in the past. But Reading are strongly linked with him and if we can’t compete with them, with all respect, then we really are in the wrong league.
NORTHERNPRIMATE- I like your attitude and comments about Darren Bent. He needs away from Villa, and if you don’t ask, you don’t get. And considering we paid a reported £50,000 a week for Heskey, yet another non-scoring forward (what is it with us?) I would definitely be keen.
The problem for me is not the players, but the style and formation we play. Is it really any coincidence that since Martinez came and implemented this ‘tic tac’ style, we have seen a number of forwards come and fail? I don’t think it is. I believe that Alan Shearer in his prime would have struggled with us playing this way. Seriously.
But those days are gone Dave.
It became apparent to Whelan that despite finishing 10th in the league and paying big name players like Heskey over the odds, our attendances dropped in the second season and we still couldn’t attract investment into the club.[/quote]
Attendances only dropped because he was greedy and put each ticket up by about £10 a game……madness.
He lost the ‘floaters’, that’s the people who profess to be fans of Liverpool, etc in the pub, who had jumped on the bandwagon due to the low prices.
He put them up and it didn’t seem as appealing anymore. For a businessman like DW, it was a really bad move, and for the mostpart, we’ve never got the levels of support as high again.
No way will Becks ever come here, what with his tendancy of naming his kids after places visited namely Brooklyn.Can you honestly see his next born being called Whelley?.