Transfer Talk #24865486283628

Players In
Dario Silva
Sander Westerveld
Andy O'Brien
Zvonimir Vukic
John Viafara
Laurent Robert
Gregory Vignal
Collins Mbesuma
Azar Karadas
Brian Priske
Frank Songo'o
Salif Diao

Players Out
Steve Stone
Patrik Berger
Yakubu
Rowan Vine
Ricardo Fuller
Shaka Hislop
Arjan De Zeeuw
Shaun Cooper
David Unsworth
Diomansy Kamara
Valery Mezague
Alexsander Rodic

So let's take a look at what we've got after all that.

Goalkeepers:
Having lost Shaka Hislop, we've now gained Sander Westerveld. Sadly for our new Dutchman, he's made more mistakes in four games than Shaka did in one hundred! Worryingly they're pretty basic errors too, but fingers crossed he's just bedding in with his defence and will sort himself out. Especially when it's either him or Ashdown or Chalkias, both as error-prone as each other.

Defenders:
The biggest loss is former captain Arjan De Zeeuw to Wigan but the arrival of Andy O'Brien should fill that gap; both solid and dependable players who go about their business effectively on the pitch.

To replace Unsworth we've brought in Vignal from Liverpool who, so far, has probably been our best player. Despite supposedly playing left back he can frequently be found further forward than Laurent Robert a lot of the time but whilst he's playing well we can let him off the hook.

Finally, Brian Priske has been brought in to help at the right back slot which has been a weak point for a fair while - Linvoy and Cissé have been playing there due to Andy Griffin's constant bad luck with injuries and suspension but neither would choose it as their natural position. Priske should bring competition to the position and has looked ok so far, despite nearly scoring a classic OG at Man City.

Midfielders:
On the basis of name alone, you would have to say this is where we have made our biggest losses - Steve Stone and Patrik Berger. However, considering how Stone can only last an hour, train a couple of days a week and miss half the games through injury - and still pick up £20,000 - it's easy to see why he was moved on. Frank Songo'o is an option on the right to fix the Stone puzzle, although it's impossible to say how he'll do at the moment.

Patrik Berger, despite his big name, failed to really live up to his fantastic technical ability in the second half of last season. Undoubtedly Laurent Robert has been brought in as his like-for-like replacement, and although he has shown glimpses he's yet to live up to his true billing. Perhaps now with a couple of new attacking options to meet his crosses we'll see what all the fuss is really about.

John Viafara has done well after a nervous start to fill the Quashie/Faye gap, and has already scored more goals than they managed together last season. Er, one. Salif Diao has, I would imagine, been brought in on loan as further cover for the defensive midfield role.

And finally a man who Lothar Matthaus is clearly in love with - Zvonimir Vukic - who has been described by the former German international as "the Maradone of the Balkans" and "the new Zidane". There's a lot of pressure on him to fill that attacking midfielder role that hasn't really been properly occupied since the days of Merson (although Berkovic gave it a go sporadically) but we hold out hope he can live up to his ridiculously over-the-top hype, as generated by Herr Matthaus.

Strikers:
Obviously the pundits have gone mental over the fact we've lost Yakubu, and clearly he's a tough call to replace. A lot of pressure falls on the shoulders of "The Zambian Micky Quinn", Collins Mbesuma. If he can only recreate half of his goalscoring exploits from the South African league we'll be flying. He's got a knack as a "fox in the box" of being in the right place at the right time and that's really what we're missing; someone to pounce on the odd lose ball or half chance and make it count.

The big name signing is Dario Silva, who can hopefully use some of the predator's instinct he'll have picked up over the last decade - plus impart some experience onto the younger lads - so he can prove that he can still play in his 30's. Still, he can't be that bad since he's the top choice striker for his country (although the competition does include Diego Forlan).

Elsewhere, Azar Karadas clearly isn't really very good but he gives us another option up front in the last ten minutes.

Conclusions:
Do we have a better squad than last year, as Milan has claimed? Tough one to call. Player for player, you'd say we probably don't. Not yet, anyway. Give it a couple of months for the new guys to bed in, for a team spirit to develop and for the "unknowns" to prove their worth and I'm hopeful that we'll be able to do well for ourselves. Obviously Milan's statement that this was his best team ever was a bold one, but given how he also promised us "seven or eight new players", "a new striker and right winger" and "to break the transfer record twice" (er, scratch that one) we might as well keep the faith with what he says - he seems to keep coming up with the goods, even three hours before the window closes.