Being serious for a minute

[Craig_H]

If the signings of Keane and Barry do go ahead, that'll be something like £38m we'll have spent on that pair.

So, £38m on Barry and Keane...

Really?

£38m?

On those two?

Am i wrong in thinking that, for £38m, we should be expecting 'world class' player(s)? Not being funny here, but £38m is a f*cking **** load of cash.

Keane's good. But he isnt world class and he isnt young. And i feel the same way about Barry.

I know we wont get another Torres class player for £20m, but for £38m i feel we should be able to get ONE Torres calibre player and one 'very good but not world class' player - which is incidentally what i'd describe Barry and Keane as.

If they werent British/Irish, they would never cost £20m and £18m respectively.

£25m on a world class player and £13m on a very good, not yet world class, but potential to be kind of player, eg a Babel type - that would be a better way of spending £38m in my opinion.

I think for two want-away players who arent really 'world class', Barry and Keane are being vastly over priced - and worse of all, we look like we're actually going to pay it.

Anyone agree or have i got it wrong?

[Slinky Skills]

Oh dear, you've opened up a can of worms now my furry friend!

[Kenneth]

Yes, they're both over-priced. Keane will make us better, Barry will not. 17 million on Keane and no barry makes things look a whole lot better. I don't really mind us paying top whack for players who are already proven and who will improve our 1st team and increase our chances of winning the PL. Pissing the price of a top class foreign player on a slogger like barry would be ridiculous, we don't need him. We'll see how it pans out.

[Craig_H]

I like them both, i rate them both and i have no qualms about signing them both.

It's just the money i have an issue with. £38m should buy us players who will make the difference, rather than players who'll just slot in and contribute.

Obviously you're only likely to get one of those kind of players for that kind of money, or two if you're lucky.

But i dont want us to be sat here in a year or two, talking about Chelsea and Man Utd winning the league because they have more players who make a difference, and us not winning it because we dont...and then saying how we could never afford them anyway, because £38m is not loose change and it's the kind of sum that buys world class players, who have a big impact on a side's chances of winning league titles. Players of the calibre of Ronaldo, Torres, Gerrrard, David Villa etc.

Keane and Barry arent in that category and, for once, it seems we DO have the cash to buy someone who is.

[Slinky Skills]

I like them both, i rate them both and i have no qualms about signing them both.

It's just the money i have an issue with. £38m should buy us players who will make the difference, rather than players who'll just slot in and contribute.

Obviously you're only likely to get one of those kind of players for that kind of money, or two if you're lucky.

But i dont want us to be sat here in a year or two, talking about Chelsea and Man Utd winning the league because they have more players who make a difference, and us not winning it because we dont...and then saying how we could never afford them anyway, because £38m is not loose change and it's the kind of sum that buys world class players, who have a big impact on a side's chances of winning league titles. Players of the calibre of Ronaldo, Torres, Gerrrard, David Villa etc.

Keane and Barry arent in that category and, for once, it seems we DO have the cash to buy someone who is.

You won't be saying that in two years though because we'll have won the league by then.

[Craig_H]

Naturally i hope i wont. But many false dawns have passed and they take their toll.

[Abro100]

The way i see it is that Benitez is on borrowed time, he needs to get a result this season, probably other managers know this, he knows this.
He needs to find players who will fit straight in, no messing, job done and all that.

[Slinky Skills]

All jokes aside I do take on board what you're saying but they're both very good players. Keane I would love at our club and I believe he'd add a lot to the team as would Barry. I don't agree with the price tag for either player but Robbie Keane is class and in this day and age 20 million for someone of his calibre is a pretty fair price. In today's market Torres would probably be worth 50/60 mill, maybe even more.

You have to look at what Keane would bring to the team though. I'm not going to write a big spiel on this again as I wrote something the other week. The boy is class end of. I'd prefer to have Keane than Barry though but again Barry can offer so much to the team, that is why they're both worth so much as they're so important to their respective teams.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

When you compare it to what United paid for player who IMO are not world class either, the likes of Carrick and Hargreaves then its clear thats just the way the game is going.

We are progressing under Benitez so we just have to be patient ! he will deliver what we want.

[Craig_H]

When you compare it to what United paid for player who IMO are not world class either, the likes of Carrick and Hargreaves then its clear thats just the way the game is going.

We are progressing under Benitez so we just have to be patient ! he will deliver what we want.

The problem is, United can afford to do that AND bring in top class players. We cant do both.

[Slinky Skills]

When you compare it to what United paid for player who IMO are not world class either, the likes of Carrick and Hargreaves then its clear thats just the way the game is going.

We are progressing under Benitez so we just have to be patient ! he will deliver what we want.

Exactly, neither are fantastic and are definitly not better than what we have in midfield at this present time but they're both highly effective at what they do and are extremly discliplined.

You never hear any whining from either of them if they're left out of the team which says a lot about their mentality as players hence why Utd bought them.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

--------------- Reina ----------------
----- Carra --- Skrtel --- Agger ------
Degen ---------------------- Dossena
------Mascherano-----Barry----------
----------------Gerrard--------------
--Keane--------------------Babel----
---------------Torres----------------


If only you could have 11 outfield players, that would be the perfect formation.. Damn the FA ha ha

[sevennilphil]

Keane and Barry aren't "flash in the pan" players - they've proved themselves in the Prem over many seasons. They'll both get stuck in and roll their sleaves up when we go 1-0 down away to the likes of Middlesborough (what Alonso lacks). They will improve our consistency IMO.

Yes, the money is crazy but there are no guarantees in football. I actually think that signing these two is less of a risk than spending the 25 mill last summer on Torres.

Rafa knows best.

[badpiggy]

scum spent only marginally less on 2 average/good players in hargreaves and carrick. this is where the competition is at.

[Rigadon]

The way i see it is that Benitez is on borrowed time, he needs to get a result this season, probably other managers know this, he knows this.
He needs to find players who will fit straight in, no messing, job done and all that.

Spot on Abro.