by ivor_the_injun » Fri Aug 26, 2005 11:49 pm
CL cash = (approx) £20m
+ Baros = £6.5m
+ Diarra = £2m
- Crouch = £7m
- Reina = £6m
- Sissoko = £5.5m
- Hobbs = 0.75m
= £9.25m
Plus obviously we've got rid of dead wood off the wage bill which has doubtless saved us a packet.
One thing's for sure, Bolton clearly got a steal with the Diouf deal. I'm starting to wonder if the fee involved there was more than £1.5m, as if not we wouldn't be struggling to scratch together, what, £5m? to enable us to buy Owen for £10mish and a couple of bargains for RW and CB. And surely we can get a few quid offloading the now-apparently-fit Kewell and Diao?
Cisse must, must stay. He's a fan favourite, and has done absolutely nothing wrong in a red shirt. Tonight shows what he brings to the team - it's like putting a lit firework in the opposition half. Yes, he's inconsistent and unpredictable, but for me his highs for us have been several leagues ahead of the performances of Morientes. If we're talking about getting rid of someone signed last year to fund a deal for Owen, you have to look seriously at Mori for me, as we simply aren't seeing the player that was advertised.
I really don't get why money is suddenly a problem for us. If Parry is so determined to bring Owen home, just throw a bit of money from the trouser pocket into the mix and make it happen. Taking Cisse out of the squad would be a backward move, and there'd be absolute uproar among the fans. The sale of Baros has been accepted because the guy had attitude problems and didn't always do the business when he had his chance. Cisse has precisely the right attitude and has shown on a few occasions recently that he can step up when needed and make things happen for the team. Give him a season and judge him on that, but we've not even had four months to look at him yet.
Last year showed we needed depth and a real pool of quality up front, and to even be talking about getting rid of him just makes no sense whatsoever to me.