[harrogatebaggie]

Villa want Phillips apparently?  Hopefully just bulls**t...  

http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/994599128?-11200:789

I have been one of Phillips biggest fans. However is it best to Cash in on him or lose him for free next year?. Does the club have an option clause to extend his contract?

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There are some free agents ( footballers) without a club ( Gary Cahill, Lazar Markovic, Jack Rodwell, Andy Caroll etc). Which free agents would you think would help the squad this season. Who should we take a punt on?

Hi NWB,

I saw that article, I think Danny Simpson is the only one we should be interested in, especially if Everton want to sell Holgate and tfr fees being bandied about are 10M ish. We will not pay that kind of money for a defender, would gladly take MH on loan again though. Think Danny S could do a job for us at right back as long as the wages weren't silly.

Wages seems to be the stumbling block for players released by premier league clubs. They expect to be on the same money as they were as they are now free agents, all the good ones get snapped up, leaving those left starting to realise that they will have to drop there demands as we get closer to the season starting.    

There are quality players in the list above (or used to be). So, if there are all those in England, what about free agents in Europe, as the wages in most countries are lower than in the PL. Over to you Josh.

[WBA-Josh]

Some options for free transfers based on what positions we need:

Mehdi Zeffane - Right back

Ricardo van Rhijn - Right back

Emre Colak - 10 and LM (to rotate with Krovinović. 1 as 10 and the other as LW)

I would have also suggested Shinji Okazaki but he’s gone to Malaga in Spain.

[Slick_Footwork]

Some options for free transfers based on what positions we need:

Mehdi Zeffane - Right back

Ricardo van Rhijn - Right back

Emre Colak - 10 and LM (to rotate with Krovinović. 1 as 10 and the other as LW)

I would have also suggested Shinji Okazaki but he’s gone to Malaga in Spain.

I really enjoyed watching Colak play for Deportivo a couple of years back. Great technical player and entertainer. Bags of skill. His style always reminded me of Bernardo Silva.

I remember reading he went to Saudi after Deportivo were relegated and thought it was a waste of talent. If he's still the player he was at Depor, i'm surprised he hasn't been snapped up by a top flight team. Would love to see us bring in someone like him.

[WBA-Josh]

I really enjoyed watching Colak play for Deportivo a couple of years back. Great technical player and entertainer. Bags of skill. His style always reminded me of Bernardo Silva.

I remember reading he went to Saudi after Deportivo were relegated and thought it was a waste of talent. If he's still the player he was at Depor, i'm surprised he hasn't been snapped up by a top flight team. Would love to see us bring in someone like him.

He left Al-Wahda in February and has been without a club since. He's still only 28 so has plenty of career left in him. He was also at Galatasaray when our Slaven was Head Coach at Beşiktaş therefore I'd expect him to at least know of him.

He played as a 10 in most of his matches for Depor and Al-Wadha but over his career he has played left wing many times so is at home in either position, which would be a bonus for us. He's only 5 foot 5 so there'd be a question mark over whether he has physicality to play in the Championship.

[Northwalesbaggie]

I really enjoyed watching Colak play for Deportivo a couple of years back. Great technical player and entertainer. Bags of skill. His style always reminded me of Bernardo Silva.

I remember reading he went to Saudi after Deportivo were relegated and thought it was a waste of talent. If he's still the player he was at Depor, i'm surprised he hasn't been snapped up by a top flight team. Would love to see us bring in someone like him.

He left Al-Wahda in February and has been without a club since. He's still only 28 so has plenty of career left in him. He was also at Galatasaray when our Slaven was Head Coach at Beşiktaş therefore I'd expect him to at least know of him.

He played as a 10 in most of his matches for Depor and Al-Wadha but over his career he has played left wing many times so is at home in either position, which would be a bonus for us. He's only 5 foot 5 so there'd be a question mark over whether he has physicality to play in the Championship.

Just seen clips of Colak on youtube. He maybe small but so is Messi. I like what i have seen. He can certainly play. The new Asa Hartford?.Yes i'm old

[Salopbaggie]

Just seen clips of Colak on youtube. He maybe small but so is Messi. I like what i have seen. He can certainly play. The new Asa Hartford?.Yes i'm old

Are you suggesting I am old because I remember Asa Hartford.

[Beefy 1965]

Two bits of depressing news ...

Bit of #WBA news: Academy GK coach Mark Naylor has handed in his notice after around 20 years with the club. @Nailsgk becomes the latest senior academy figure to move on following Mark Harrison, Jimmy Shan, Jamie Smith & Mike Scott.
Mmmmm

Also Basel beat PSV tonight to qualify for the champions League

Guess Ajeti won't be joining any time soon now :-(

[harrogatebaggie]

Some options for free transfers based on what positions we need:

Mehdi Zeffane - Right back

Ricardo van Rhijn - Right back

Emre Colak - 10 and LM (to rotate with Krovinović. 1 as 10 and the other as LW)

I would have also suggested Shinji Okazaki but he’s gone to Malaga in Spain.

Zeffane, is worth a look, Algeria normally conceed few goals. He was in the squad, for the African Cup of Nations, although not first choice, and can play at left or right back. 

Okazaki would have been a good call.

[WBA-Josh]

At AFCON, he spent the first two matches on the bench, played the third and final group match, was back on the bench in the round of 16 and quarter final before starting the semi-final and final. I think that pretty much sums up Zeffane’s past couple of seasons with Rennes. In and out of the team, winning back his place and then losing it (He played 20 times in the league last season). He’s also been used in so many positions at Rennes that it’s easy to forget that he’s a right back by trade.

I doubt he’ll be on Bilic’s radar though and it wouldn’t surprise me if a reunion with Lamouchi at Notts Forest is on the cards.

[Slick_Footwork]

I really enjoyed watching Colak play for Deportivo a couple of years back. Great technical player and entertainer. Bags of skill. His style always reminded me of Bernardo Silva.

I remember reading he went to Saudi after Deportivo were relegated and thought it was a waste of talent. If he's still the player he was at Depor, i'm surprised he hasn't been snapped up by a top flight team. Would love to see us bring in someone like him.

He left Al-Wahda in February and has been without a club since. He's still only 28 so has plenty of career left in him. He was also at Galatasaray when our Slaven was Head Coach at Beşiktaş therefore I'd expect him to at least know of him.

He played as a 10 in most of his matches for Depor and Al-Wadha but over his career he has played left wing many times so is at home in either position, which would be a bonus for us. He's only 5 foot 5 so there'd be a question mark over whether he has physicality to play in the Championship.

Quite bizarre that he has been without a club for so long. Has he been injured or lost love for the game? He was pretty much the standout player whenever I watched Depor in the season they were relegated.

From a physical point of view, I think it really depends on the style of football we adopt.

Under Mowbray in the Championship we had lots of diminutive players who were not particularly fast or physical, but it wasn't an issue because everyone was so good on the ball that nobody could get close to us and we played teams off the park. However, if you put someone like Colak in a more agricultural team who don't support the player on the ball, the lack of physicality could be a problem.