Transfer Rumour Liam Delap

[Librarian]

Is he the main target for any of those other clubs though?

 

[klingklang]

Used to love Steve Claridge! Leicester punched above their weight under O'Neill in those days. I'd settle for a modern day Steve Claridge.

He wrote a very good book called Tales From The Boot Camps, a good read.

 

[evertony]

If Man Utd and Chelsea have offered him a deal, we've got no chance. These players don't care they won't play, it's all about the money and if it doesn't work out, they can always force a move away. He'll actually think he can go to Man Utd and be a starter, and in their current state, he's probably right. You'd imagine they'll buy someone else though

United can't even afford toast in the morning at the Training Ground....and their rebuild is pretty unprecedented bar historic relegations, so unlikley he'll see an attraction there. Chelsea, maybe. However, the constant turnover of managers and players plus the fragile nature of how that Club operates might also make it quite daunting.
Newcastle, Arsenal and Villa would all be in contention if they had an interest in him and all three are ahead of us in their path to regeneration. That said, here he'd be the main man I expect, which at this stage of his career could well be very motivational. Plus, TFG are very likely to support a marquee signing to light the Royal Blue touchpaper.
I'm mildly optimistic we're in with a very good shout of attracting him to our Club.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Usually the phrase is "behind the 8 ball" - meaning snookered, basically, or in an awkward position.

Delap is an interesting one. If he's smart - and we've done some serious self-promotion behind the scenes - then coming to us would make a lot of sense for a player who has loads still to prove and needs the chance to do so.

If his ego gets in the way, he'll be off to United. If his bank manager does, it'll be Chelsea.

I suspect he'll split the difference between ego and money and choose Newcastle.

His old man might play crucial role advising here as an ex pro who had a solid career and genuinely seemed to have an appetite for the game.

If you were looking at it from the perspective of who will give you game time and/or has a record of bringing players on, it'd be Moyes (game time) or Howe. You'd just run from Utd. Chelsea are a promising home nations players graveyard.

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

His old man might play crucial role here as an ex pro who had a solid career and genuinely seemed to have an appetite for the game.

If you were looking at it from the perspective of who will give you game time and/or has a record of bring players on, it'd be Moyes (game time) or Howe. You'd just run from Utd. Chelsea are a promising home nations players graveyard.

The counterpoint is the England manager has a heavy Chelsea bias and its a world cup year.

 

[1878SC]

Always going to sound bias but Delap at Everton would be a great move.

Give him the number 9, new stadium, guaranteed to start, a chance to be part of something huge if it all clicks.
Chelsea, he's going to be rotated with another 5+ players because they buy everyone.
United are all over the place.

Be a brilliant signing if we pull it off.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

The counterpoint is the England manager has a heavy Chelsea bias and its a world cup year.

Not so sure that should be a motivating factor. Game time, developing and doing the business on the pitch would be the critical factor. 'Should' doesn't matter though, all on what the player and his advisors think are priorities. Is he even a contender at this point?

Mind you, knowing Chelsea they'd buy him and then just loan him out

 

[allen]

If Man Utd and Chelsea have offered him a deal, we've got no chance. These players don't care they won't play, it's all about the money and if it doesn't work out, they can always force a move away. He'll actually think he can go to Man Utd and be a starter, and in their current state, he's probably right. You'd imagine they'll buy someone else though

By “these players,” I presume you mean “all players,” which suggests you think footballers have identikit personality and preference sets printed out for them.

They are just people, and people have different priorities.

A player who wants to come to us for playing time and development over bench warming and slightly fatter pay packet isn’t entirely out of the question.

 

[Drico]

By “these players,” I presume you mean “all players,” which suggests you think footballers have identikit personality and preference sets printed out for them.

They are just people, and people have different priorities.

A player who wants to come to us for playing time and development over bench warming and slightly fatter pay packet isn’t entirely out of the question.

Yes, I think the opening here is the fact that other clubs can't really blow us out of the water financially. The release clause is the great equaliser. So, Ipswich are out of the picture, giving us an in. Then it's up to us to provide a compelling package. I am sure we can go pretty high on salary. We can't match the others on current prospects, but we can outscore them on immmediate opportunity. Throw in new owners, a new stadium, and a manager with a proven record of stability, and it's a very interesting proposition for an intelligent player with career development on his mind.

Of course, if Delap is being advised by spivs and is the usual brain-dead walking ego so representative of modern footballers, well, career suicide will be his choice.

 

[TrailerTrash]

Or he will

I think that's all the bases covered.

*end thread*

 

[Drico]

Not a chance we’ll sign him.

I just hope we don’t get caught out flogging a dead horse and quickly move on to more viable options.

I can't see how we could be. He's hardly going to spend the summer going "eeny meeny miney moe" when his release clause means there is no haggling over a fee and the season ends today. I'm sure he'll decide within the month.

 

[Blue peter]

United can't even afford toast in the morning at the Training Ground....and their rebuild is pretty unprecedented bar historic relegations, so unlikley he'll see an attraction there. Chelsea, maybe. However, the constant turnover of managers and players plus the fragile nature of how that Club operates might also make it quite daunting.
Newcastle, Arsenal and Villa would all be in contention if they had an interest in him and all three are ahead of us in their path to regeneration. That said, here he'd be the main man I expect, which at this stage of his career could well be very motivational. Plus, TFG are very likely to support a marquee signing to light the Royal Blue touchpaper.
I'm mildly optimistic we're in with a very good shout of attracting him to our Club.

From a moral perspective I wouldn’t want to join Utd when they were making all of those redundancies. It feels really off. I know redundancies are a part of life but they are really aggressive with them and from a footballing perspective I don’t see them pulling up trees anytime soon.

 

[Zatara]

I can't see how we could be. He's hardly going to spend the summer going "eeny meeny miney moe" when his release clause means there is no haggling over a fee and the season ends today. I'm sure he'll decide within the month.

Expect this is done and dusted in the next 2 weeks. Clubs wont want to wait around and he'll want something signed before hes into his holidays

 

[TyphooToffee]

For ages I thought you were a woman (if that makes you feel any better).

So did I until I read this

 

[Roger Milla]

I'm not sold on Delap. Seems to be a 'flavour of the month' after a bit of a purple patch he had during the season. Happy to be proven wrong if he signs.