The ITK thread sponsered by Friday's Legacy and Big Mike

[Friday's Legacy]

I think if you look through the posts it clearly says the deal is all but done, but visa and some formalities remain to be completed. Is that not the case? Just no-one has said what those formalities are and I also don't know.

Re: Sigurdsson - again, no-one has said we will get him. You've got to be realistic. But what I, maffff and now Stokie have said is yes we did bid (in the face of abuse at the time I might add), and although it hasn't been confirmed in the media, Stokie has a great track record with Icelandic players and has confirmed this.

The thing is, if you offer up something you've heard, no matter how reliable you've been in the past, you are there to be shot at. Goes with the territory. But people also need to understand it can change very quickly; we saw that with Rhodes, and we saw that with both Wayne Bridge and Keith Andrews, who were both very close to coming here but for late bids at the eleventh hour.

[Pepe the Horseman]

What happened with Rhodes?

[Friday's Legacy]

What happened with Rhodes?

Ongoing. We've spoken to the player, he wants to come, and Grayson also wants him to come here because he wants Morrison. We have offered £4.25m plus Morrison, and it was rejected. Their chairman doesn't value Morrison as highly as we do it seems, and he wants more. I suspect another £250k would do it. I haven't heard if we've upped it or not. Hammond too is stubborn. Fulham apparently had a £5m offer accepted this week.

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

What happened with Rhodes?

Ongoing. We've spoken to the player, he wants to come, and Grayson also wants him to come here because he wants Morrison. We have offered £4.25m plus Morrison, and it was rejected. Their chairman doesn't value Morrison as highly as we do it seems, and he wants more. I suspect another £250k would do it. I haven't heard if we've upped it or not. Hammond too is stubborn. Fulham apparently had a £5m offer accepted this week.

That's exciting

Any ideas why the media haven't picked up on our bid for Sig?

[Only one Trevor Morley]

I think if you look through the posts it clearly says the deal is all but done, but visa and some formalities remain to be completed. Is that not the case? Just no-one has said what those formalities are and I also don't know.

Re: Sigurdsson - again, no-one has said we will get him. You've got to be realistic. But what I, maffff and now Stokie have said is yes we did bid (in the face of abuse at the time I might add), and although it hasn't been confirmed in the media, Stokie has a great track record with Icelandic players and has confirmed this.

The thing is, if you offer up something you've heard, no matter how reliable you've been in the past, you are there to be shot at. Goes with the territory. But people also need to understand it can change very quickly; we saw that with Rhodes, and we saw that with both Wayne Bridge and Keith Andrews, who were both very close to coming here but for late bids at the eleventh hour.

I think my point isn't that the info isnt good its the element of being definitive... Its splitting hairs to say that it was anything other than the formality of a work permit... That was the clear inference...

Am all for rumours and good info, but less so the running commentary...

Also seems a bit strange that for a club being famous for keeping things quiet we now have more leaks than a sieve... Is it a deliberate ploy of the new owners to now feed information to a selected few to spread further (albeit in a careful, controlled manner) to show intent to reading supporters. Again nothing wrong in that....but good to know all the same

Anyway I suspect my slightly cynical air is partly down to frustration that we are so close to getting some big names in
.. So shooting messenger;-)

[Friday's Legacy]

Also seems a bit strange that for a club being famous for keeping things quiet we now have more leaks than a sieve... Is it a deliberate ploy of the new owners to now feed information to a selected few to spread further (albeit in a careful, controlled manner) to show intent to reading supporters. Again nothing wrong in that....but good to know all the same.

Anyway I suspect my slightly cynical air is partly down to frustration that we are so close to getting some big names in
.. So shooting messenger;-)

I don't expect anything has changed. Gaz has always heard things and occasionally posts them. Tom the same, maffff is also reliable when he chooses to add weight to something, Stranded.. and others of course. I used to post on The Football Forum - http://www.thefootballforum.net/ and used to post a few bits on there before I decided to sign up to here. In that time I've also befriended a couple of very reliable people, and we are often able to corroborate what we hear, and also add to it, building a bigger picture. I choose to share some of it on here and Twitter.

If the club wanted to leak things to build their profile, Jonny Fordham would be the most likely tool. (poor choice of words )

[Cypry]

I get snippets from time to time - i have a very reliable source, who is a long term employee at the club - he feeds me snippets from time to time, but I don't take the piss with him - it's his livelihood and it would be unfair of me to ask him to break his employers trust.

If he gives me information unprompted, then fair enough....

It's funny but it's often in hindsight that I realise he's fed me information....he hinted at the takeover to me when I saw him between Xmas and New Year - didn't appear to be much at the time but there you go....

[paultheroyal]

Big dilemma coming up for bigmike. Does he play his cards now and say all along that it was Gylfi or does he play the waiting game and wait for the real big signing ie return of Shane Long?!

I have to say that apart from oddschecker there has been nothing that I have seen linking us to Gylfi other than our own Twitter fans comments hence other clubs laughing at us.

I expect the news will be that we made an offer, it was accepted but Gylfi never had any intention of returning and deal could not be agreed.

Rhodes and Zaha please.

[maffff]

Not the best 24 hours for ITK brigade..

why's that then?

Two reasons. Pavel was a 'done deal' but now rumours its off including amusingly from those ITK and more evidence that gylfi is going to Tottenham ... Oh and mariappa wa all agreed....
#Mystic maffff

F/k it. I'll bite.
1) Pog. Been told a done deal. W/P only, if there's another issue then perhaps who I speak to doesn't see it as being a deal breaker and worth going into? Remember when TSI was DOOOMMMMMMMM. That went through as I said didn't it.? Chill. Ftr- think where I work. We might have had some w/p news at the club earlier today.

2) Maps was very much a done deal, if he hadn't gone out on on international duty he'd be in hoops by now. Watford think they have financial clout to keep player, they want more money. Everything was on at the time.

Remember, you'll have no messengers left when you've shot the lot. Neither here nor there to me.

[bigmike]

Big dilemma coming up for bigmike. Does he play his cards now and say all along that it was Gylfi or does he play the waiting game and wait for the real big signing ie return of Shane Long?!

I have to say that apart from oddschecker there has been nothing that I have seen linking us to Gylfi other than our own Twitter fans comments hence other clubs laughing at us.

I expect the news will be that we made an offer, it was accepted but Gylfi never had any intention of returning and deal could not be agreed.

Rhodes and Zaha please.

Sorry I don't see what dilemma is coming up... If you want to check out what I have already written you will see that I said that there was a deal being worked on for Gylfi. I didn't say he was going to be signing. Regarding the big signing I mentioned it has been deemed by the forum overlords that I am full of it so this messenger has decided that he has been shot down so I will not be revealing anything as apparently I have to say who my source is. If not LOLawnmowerman won't believe me

[paultheroyal]

Are you now saying Gylfi plus a major signing?

If that's the case good to see you are covering all bases.

Epic fail of the highest proportions coming up!

[muddyfeet]

Have we signed Shane yet?

[bigmike]

Are you now saying Gylfi plus a major signing?

If that's the case good to see you are covering all bases.

Epic fail of the highest proportions coming up!

No I am saying go back and read what I said and I am sure you can figure out what was said.

[TheLawnMowerMan]

Agreed - Epic Fail for some, but not all.

For me the point is - who pretends to be "ITK" and big up there position, without actually giving much of any value (and those who fawn over them as the great "ITK" and encourage them).
And then there are the people who put the effort in to find out what they can, with contacts of varying credibility, who don't do the big "I am", but occasionally get it wrong.

Maff et al. > Many other > The rest > BigMike (IMO)

If you want people to appreciate sharing info, leave the ego at home. End of.

[paultheroyal]

Have we signed Shane yet?

Give it tIme. End of August is awhile yet.

[themadstad]

Are you now saying Gylfi plus a major signing?

If that's the case good to see you are covering all bases.

Epic fail of the highest proportions coming up!

No I am saying go back and read what I said and I am sure you can figure out what was said.

I think you mentioned albeit without looking back that you mentioned them separately. Working on a Gylfi deal but also about a big signing etc?

[Pepe the Horseman]

I think @Signings_TDD is having some kind of breakdown

[paultheroyal]

Are you now saying Gylfi plus a major signing?

If that's the case good to see you are covering all bases.

Epic fail of the highest proportions coming up!

No I am saying go back and read what I said and I am sure you can figure out what was said.

I think you mentioned albeit without looking back that you mentioned them separately. Working on a Gylfi deal but also about a big signing etc?

Hi Bigmike

[TheLawnMowerMan]

No I am saying go back and read what I said and I am sure you can figure out what was said.

Are you Mystic Meg now, or can't you remember?

[maffff]

Have we signed Shane yet?

Bid was rejected [well, more enquiry was rebuffed, never got that formal in the end. We said we'd be prepared to pay 5.5m... Chairman said the new manager could decide ] Steve Clarke wants the player rather than the money to strengthen other areas. Long wouldn't force a move and isn't 'unhappy', but would have jumped at the move.