Wednesday, 2 December 2009

West Ham Back In For That Bayern Guy Toni


Are you Lucaing at me?

With Cole crocked and out for who knows how long - two weeks or until the end of the season according to which report you read - it appears that we are after Luca Toni once again. The question is, do we want him?

There's no doubting the player's ability - anybody topping the scoring charts for Bayern for two consecutive seasons must have something about him - but there does appear to be an attitude problem and he will not come cheap in terms of wages. And I can't help remembering back to the last Euros - the tournament that we missed out on because of McClanger - and thinking that Toni looked like an over the hill yard dog even then. He looked slow and lumbering and missed chances that 'Arry's wife, or even Darren Bent, would tuck away.

I hear about our interest in Toni and I think about Tristan. I suppose that, like Tristan, he is better than nothing, but is he worth £40k a week or more in wages? That is the question!

11 comments:

Essexhammer said...

There is no doubt ZOLA will now have to sign a striker in JANUARY with COLE out for some weeks.FRANCO is 32 and as a forward he won't go on for much longer.HINES is still raw and needs careful handling,certainly not looking to him as an able replacement for COLE.As for DIAMANTI,I do not know what role ZOLA has for him, but I thought he would be the ideal man to step into COLE'S shoes.But with the JANUARY transfer window now just a month away,ZOLA needs to do his homework good,because we cannot afford to bring in any duffers,at such a crucial stage of the season.If we had the finances it would make sense bringing in a young quality forward like CHAMAKH or BALOTTELI,but considering our circumstances TONI would not be a bad option.He may be slowing down,but there is still life in the old dog.BAYERN MUNICH'S leading scorer last season, proves he can still compete with the best.

hammalot said...

Toni is a cultured striker with a solid frame for England. Id welcome him to the club with open arms. He only needs to score around 5 league goals to make up for his wages anyhow.

The key to all this: we wont face much competition for his signature (hopefully). Face it, there are about 15 other premier league clubs that would beat us to a mutual target at this point.

Hammersfan said...

I think a couple of Italian clubs want him don't they? January in East London or on the coast of the Med? Hmmmmm, let me think which I'd prefer...

Stani Army said...

I think we can do better if we're gonna pay him that much.

Zola should tell Hines, Dixon and Nouble, that they get to share Toni's £40k a week if they score every week. That would be a good incentive!

We can always bring Marlon back...he scored two for Newcastle the other day no? May be not.

Regarding Chamakh, I see him in the Champions League and I think would he? As wonderful as East London is in January (you're just spoilt HF), I don't see him coming.

Or, Zola can come and watch me at the Hartley Centre tomorrow. I'm pretty sharp even if I do say so myself :)

T.I.S said...

Essexhammer do you actually shout the words you write in caps or is it just a bad habit? Does anyone know if Diamanti is fit for Saturday?

Fonzie's Bald Patch said...

If you think Luca Toni is on 40k you might as well give up writing this thing man due to the lack of research...
IF he was on that little we should rip Bayerns hand off for a loan deal, or even a purchase.
As it is we can't afford Dyer and Ashtons wage, which roughly add up to the same as Toni currently earns.

Essexhammer said...

I'll stop doing it T.I.S if it makes you happy.

T.I.S said...

I believe Toni is on 145K a week. And i'm just kidding essexhammer who the hell am I to tell you what to do.

Hammersfan said...

I based my figure not on what he is earning, but on what we can afford. I envisage a loan deal with us paying a proportion of his salary until July. Bayern would pay the balance but would get rid of a malcontent from their dressing room and save themselves £40k a week for 28 weeks which adds up to a cool £1,120,000.

T.I.S said...

Their manager sounds like a bit of an idiot. After all Toni was the top goalscorer in Bundesliga last season I believe.

Hammersfan said...

The season before I believe TIS. He scored 14 last season after missing a third of the season with injuries. And there is the rub, he is reaching that age where he will slow down and perhaps feel the aches and strains more.