Phoenix Transfer Speculation 2012/13

Ever get the feeling Ricki is just f*cking with us?

Interesting. Wonder if it was from his trips to europe? 

Loan deal makes things much more interesting.

Defoe?.. 

Current Aberdeen squad:

So.  If Noy is considered close to a lock for an U19 spot we have no import spot left which leaves us with who on that list...

(The Aberdeen line was a gag by the way Hope).

i dont think Noy is locked in

Isn't there something about being allowed to sign 1 Asian player as an extra whom is not an import or have I got that wrong or misinterpreted?

Perhaps this overseas player is from J, K (insert letter here) league and is Asian...

I always thought there was this 5+1 rule but not sure if it was actually introduced? Or perhaps its been removed?

We should be allowed an oceania player instead of Asian

Also, Pav is being loaned out to a Sydney club during preseason. Hopefully for all involved he does succeed and knock in some goals and come back to the team in some form. Although by the sounds of it, hes being kept as far from the starting 15 as possible

I bumped into Ricki last Thursday at the resort we were both staying at in Rarotonga. He didnt tell me much more about the loan striker apart from than he is in england the top level(s?) on a large contract, isn't going to see first team football, Ricki knows the manager personally, and the player has 70 - 80 games for his country.

Good guy, Ricki, was more than happy to have a good chat to me about all things football, despite being on the last day of his holiday in the sun :)

That's some good stuff. Will feed the fires of this thread.

(Berbatov )

wow, so what managers does ricki know personally? 

Large contract, loan signing and a player with 70+ caps for country. Hmm im gonna do some research

Scotland: Kenny Miller  60 caps

Wales:     Craig Bellamy  69 caps         Robert Earnshaw  58 caps

England:  Michael Owen  89 caps       Joe Cole 56 caps

Thats all the strikers still currently playing

There are no players with 70 - 80 caps still playing from these 3 countries 

Retract

Sorry wasn't meant as exactly between 70 - 80 caps. It was a lot of caps (say over 60), I can't remember exactly; was over a week ago!

Also Ricki's words were that the player plays in England, he didnt say anything about the actual country he plays for (sounded like he was about to, then quickly just said 'his country').

Yeah i had a quick look through wiki and found guys who have a decent number of national caps and arent likely to get much gametime in current club:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marouane_Chamakh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Scotland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Earnshaw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roque_Santa_Cruz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Owen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hei%C3%B0ar_Helguson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakubu_Aiyegbeni
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asamoah_Gyan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Doyle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jermain_Defoe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_%C5%BDigi%C4%87

Well, if you're speaking of my beloved Pompeys Kanu, Portpin wil definitely be up to offload him at the moment (though they'll probably demand a transfer fee lol). He is riddled with problems, far to old.

So, I hear we're gong to sign Kanu? 

Adding Asamoah Gyan to that list is interesting, I'd be fairly confident in guessing that he's earning more than our entire squad's wages playing in the middle east.

Stats for those above players:
 

Chamakh, 28 yo, 61 caps for Morocco, 11 games last year for Arsenal

Scotland, 33 yo, 41 caps for Trinidad & Tobago, 23 games last year for Ipswich

Earnshaw, 31 yo, 58 caps for Wales, 20 games last year for Cardiff

Santa Cruz, 30 yo, 89 caps for Paraguay, 33 games last year for Betis (Loaned from Man City)

Owen, 32 yo, 89 caps for England, 1 game last year for Man U

Helguson, 34 yo, 55 caps for Iceland, 13 games last year for QPR

Yakubu, 29 yo, 57 caps for Nigeria, 30 games last year for Blackburn

Gyan, 26 yo, 59 caps for Ghana, 18 games last year for Ali Ain (Loaned from Sunderland)

Doyle, 28 yo, 50 caps for Ireland, 31 games last year for Wolves

Defoe, 29 yo, 48 caps for England, 25 games last year for Spurs

When I first read it, my immediate reaction was, "why do I recall Paul Jewell knows Ricki" as I thought of Scotland.

Yeah im aware a few of them probably dont work, and others are quite unrealistic, but thought id post the ones that fit in the description

Yeah I was thinking Ipswich had a bit of a link there, with Tommy being there it increases the chance of Ricki going to the club when he was over there

Scotland signed for Ipswich Town on 23 August 2010, initially on a 2 year deal

In April 2012 he recieved much praise from boss Paul Jewell after turning down a clause in his contract which would have meant that he would have recieved a wage increase

Quote from Paul Jewell, 3rd April 2012

" I think Jason has been terrific for us as a squad member this year and I want to have him here next year"

Reading into that, his 2 year contract is up, and Ipswich are keen to him IMO

Etracts from "Robert Earnshaws" wiki page

In June 2011 Earnshaw left forest on a free transfer and signed a 2 year contract with Cardiff City

A change of system at Cardiff and a drop off in form saw him dropped to the bench. Betweem Oct and March he made only one appearance. From March he continued to make substitute appearances mostly featuring in the dying mintues of the game.

These brief appearances meant that rumours arose that Earnshaw was going to leave the club.

1 year to go on his contract and not happy............Sounds like our man IMO 

Wonder if Earnshaw recollects being pwned (as they say) by Siggy inj the Wales friendly a couple of years back.

Might pay to check league 1 as well.

i was gonna look at league 1, but theres far less internationals yet alone ones who will have 50+ caps. Although someone else could have a look?

Wasn`t Jon Parkin...Definatley not Kenny Miller..."sticking with Robert Earnshaw"

Those on the lists so far to high profile for my thinking.

Top level, large contract 50 plus internationals.....Doesn`t sound like league 1 to me

Plus he has already met Siggy !

Doing Homework

Trolled the Northern Ireland, Reb of Ireland and all Caribbean National Teams,

Can only add the following

Ricardo Fuller   Stoke       57 caps Jamaica

David Healy     Rangers    93 caps  Northern Ireland

I think Earnshaw and Scotland are type of profile we can expect. Maybe Zigic and Doyle also?

The interesting thing is that a loan means they arent expected to get a lot of game time next season.
Helguson could be a chance with QPR bringing in a shite load of strikers but also wouldnt expect he'd want to move here?

Also of interest is why the club dont just release the player? If he's washed up (in their eyes), then what benefit do they have for keeping him? Unless hes on a long term deal (which would be strange if he is as old as I presume?)

That's actually a good point. There could be an injury clause where they call him back if they need to. Hardly ideal but I guess you factor that in to the decision in the first place.

Ricki does like those Caribbean fellows (Ifill, Warner)...

Helguson fits the bill doesnt he?

Ricki must know Mark Hughes 'personally' given he managed Nelsen for so many years, and QPR are targetting higher quality strikers for their squad for next season (Arsenal's new signing Giroud said that QPR had also bid for him). How long is his contract with QPR? 

He's very good in the air as well, ricki would love that...

A few unrealistic suggestions. Bare in mind Melbourne just signed an international player from the Island of Maritiaus (sp). If we are in the market for an international its more likely to be someone from Malta than someone from England.

From Malta - like Manny?

I like the David Healy speculation. Possibility.

The thought of an established international player coming on a loan for a single season sounds a bit strange. We can't pay enough for the level of these players being guessed to join us long term, and they wouldn't need to come out here to put themselves in the shop window for big money Chinese offers.

But saying that, get Robbie Earnshaw and we might see the first ever Nix hattrick.