Winter Mercato

Don't be silly and listen to Zlat.
Huntelaar is not coming to Milan, but not only he won't join you this year, he won't go to Milan even next year. If he ever goes to Italy it will be Juventus. Juve directors flew to Amsterdam to many times for Huntelaar and eventhough not official, it is believed that he is blocked for next year.
This year he won't go anywhere. At least people from the Netherlands who follow Ajax say so. Ajax sold Babel and Sneijder and have loads of money now. They have absolutely no intention to sell their third star. Ajax didn't win Dutch league for a long time and this is their best chance in last years to finally win the league. Everyone i know and who follows Dutch football says that there is 0% chance Ajax to sell Huntelaar this year (using him for the CLQ is enough of a proof).

But there are also no guarantees that he'll fail. Why should that view take precedence over him succeeding? Just for everything you say is against him you could find something that's in his favour.

I'm well aware that it's highly unlikely we'll go for him.

Adriano has also proven that he's just as likely to disrupt our 'family' environment and it's quite a stretch to think he'll suddenly revert to his best form and not stay in his atrocious, over weight world cup form. Really, what does he have that makes him so special and our environment isn't going to work on everyone is it. It's not really working for Gilardino and who knows if it'll work for Ronaldo. Not every distressed little footballer that comes here is going to find a return to their best form.

Originally Posted by Tony29.

Don't be silly and listen to Zlat.
Huntelaar is not coming to Milan, but not only he won't join you this year, he won't go to Milan even next year. If he ever goes to Italy it will be Juventus. Juve directors flew to Amsterdam to many times for Huntelaar and eventhough not official, it is believed that he is blocked for next year.
This year he won't go anywhere. At least people from the Netherlands who follow Ajax say so. Ajax sold Babel and Sneijder and have loads of money now. They have absolutely no intention to sell their third star. Ajax didn't win Dutch league for a long time and this is their best chance in last years to finally win the league. Everyone i know and who follows Dutch football says that there is 0% chance Ajax to sell Huntelaar this year (using him for the CLQ is enough of a proof).

Firstly don't tell me who to listen to and secondly i also don't remember saying we'd actually sign him or make any offer for him or even that Ajax would sell him.

Juventus have been linked with him for goodness knows how long and he's still not materialised. Do you really think you're the only club who have sent people over to see him? Until something official is shown saying he's a Juventus player, we still have as much chance of signing him as anyone else.

you can say that Im crazy but this guy is a Gila type of player

given that gila is playing like a retard for the last year or so, maybe he would be good to us...but than again maybe he wouldn't...or would he..?!

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

Firstly don't tell me who to listen to and secondly i also don't remember saying we'd actually sign him or make any offer for him or even that Ajax would sell him.

Who was talking to you ?
I have some problems with my PC in last 2 days and all i read from this Huntelaar debate were the first 3-4 posts and Zlat's reply. I didn't even read the last 2-3 pages and your replies.
Sorry if it sounded like i was replying to you

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

Juventus have been linked with him for goodness knows how long and he's still not materialised. Do you really think you're the only club who have sent people over to see him? Until something official is shown saying he's a Juventus player, we still have as much chance of signing him as anyone else.

Like i said, it's unofficial. It's only official that Juve directors flew to Amsterdan before and after Juve signed Iaquinta and renewed Trez's contract. God knows if those news from back then were reliable but it was said that Juve and Ajax came to an agreement Huntelaar to join Juve next year. No one from both clubs confirmed it so it may not be true at all. It's only a fact that there have been numerous contacts between the two clubs about Huntelaar.

And Ajax not selling Huntelaar this year may also mean that they will sell him only next year and that the buyer is known . He is a wanted man and yet no one bought him this year. And the fact that he was playing in CL should mean that Ajax are not waiting for new offers for him.

Ok, lets accept that he won't go to Juve, because i admit it's far from certain. But i don't see why would anyone think Ajax will sell him now ?

Woooah there now cowboys!! All this over Huntelaar? Ok, I admit he is a talent, but he isnt going anywhere, based on Ajax´s sales alone this term, added to the fact that he is cup-tied...nah, odds are against a move....

For next term? Hmmm...as a Pippo replacement? Why not...though personally, I would prefer Quag, or maybe Bantanaldo...(a "newly" discovered Brazilian-Jamaican-Argentine, who is poised to set the world afire!!), ie a support striker, to spell Pato and Ronaldo...in support of Gila.

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

Firstly don't tell me who to listen to and secondly i also don't remember saying we'd actually sign him or make any offer for him or even that Ajax would sell him.

Juventus have been linked with him for goodness knows how long and he's still not materialised. Do you really think you're the only club who have sent people over to see him? Until something official is shown saying he's a Juventus player, we still have as much chance of signing him as anyone else.

take it easy Jim, Tony was just joking on my account ... in fact, I shouldbe the one mad at him


about Huntelaar, you are right - the chance that he will succeed should not take precedence over the possibility he will be a flop, and it doesn't ... that was not my argument.
As longas there is a chance he will flop, however, that makes Huntelaar an "IF" so to speak, it makes him a "risk" ...

Milan already has one such "IF" player - Gilardino (I am not even gonna mention Pato here cause he is an IF^2 right now).
By IF I mean a player who has the potential but would need time and space to learn, get more experience and maybe realize that potential.

There are three reasons, why I think it would be best if you don't get your hopes to see Huntelaar come to Milan, at least this summer, too high:
1) even if we do move for a forward, he is not the typeof player we currently need, not with Pippo and Gila around anyway
2) he is cup-tied
3) with one IF already here (Gila), if there is something our transfer policy should tell us is that there will not be another IF coming (especially when they both are similar type of players) unless the first one leaves.
If Pippo leaves, for one reason or another, the player to replace him will be an established one, not an IF, so the only way for us to see Huntelaar at Milan next year (I am writing the current one off completely), would be to see Gila go.

As for my personal opinion on Huntelaar - I would like to see him at Milan but only if Gila is let go i.e. one IF goes, another takes his place ... if there's one young target man out there I'd like to see take Gila's place in Milan (should he fail to impress this season), that's Huntelaar ...

As for what Tony said, I am afraid it's true - there have been strong rumours that Juve have secured an option on him for next year and that they have even paid money for that option.

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

You have a go at Kash and question if he even watched any games last season and then you say that! Our defence was a problem last year. Kaladze & Bonera are great squad players, but that's about it.

our defence is such a big problem that we concede 2 goals more than the Serie A winner last season with Nesta injuried for half a season and Maldini missing out a third of the games.......What a crappy defence! Why don't we buy over Chivu so that our defence can concede 2 goals lesser?

Originally Posted by Tony29.

And Ajax not selling Huntelaar this year may also mean that they will sell him only next year and that the buyer is known . He is a wanted man and yet no one bought him this year. And the fact that he was playing in CL should mean that Ajax are not waiting for new offers for him.

actually, once the deal with Valencia fell thru, Ajax said that Sneijder would not be leaving them this year too and only the ridiculous amount Real M offered and paid for him made them change their mind.

My point is that Ajax had big plans for this season and that's another reason why they were so keen on keeping Huntelaar and Sneijder - the fact that they now face CL elimination is a dif matter (calculations aren't always perfect, you know).
Also, the player himself said he wasn't ready for a big European league and wanted to spend one more year at Ajax.

Anoither thing is that Huntelaar is a bit like Sneijder - he's been under the scrutiny of big european clubs for a some time now but no one has moved in to makethe decisive step ... of course in Sneijder's case that time was 5 years, in Huntelaar's 2, for now.

One reason for this is that Huntelaar has failed to come out and convince on the big stage - in Dutch NT and CL level, or at least UEFA Cup level - and goals gallore vs De Graafshap and a couple of goals vs some no-name clubs in UEFA CUp is not enough to convince ManU, Barca and others interested in him to pay 15-20 mil for him.

Peolple often use the argument that the Dutch league has produced many, many super players over the years and they all started from impressing in the Duntch league but those people forget the fact that those players also confirmed their quality at NT and CL level before hitting it big in other european leagues - something Huntelaar has failed to do, at least for now.

Also, last year Huntelaar started a good number of games from the bench due to poor form but also it was rumoured that he was not very favoured by the new coach - Ten cate - whether they had a fall out or whatever I am not sure but those who followed Ajax last year probably noticed that Huntelaar was spending some time on the bench.

Last season was basically his second at Ajax and came immediately after the season where he scored 33 league goals for Heerenveen and Ajax, combined ... and it was that perfomance of his in 05/06 that attracted so much attention in Europe ... back then he was also very coveted by the NT coach, which was no longer the case last year (06/07 season).

One super season followed by a less impressive one is hardly the way to convince the European super powers to open their wallets.

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

Name me a better striker who's available?



I don't see why this will make alot of difference if we really want him. Like i said before, if anything it'll lower his price.



No it might not mean he'll succeed with us, but then it doesn't rule it out either. Just because Gilardino is struggling doesn't mean Huntelaar will. Plus Huntelaar has alot more European experience than Gilardino did and playing against the top Dutch teams is surely the equivalent to playing against mid-table Serie A teams. So i don't think he's as far behind in proving himself as you make out.

The point Zlat is trying to make is Huntelaar is the same type of play as Gila/inzaghi and its not like milan to go around collecting players like chelsea. If we are going to buy a striker then he would most likely be a support type of striker or a proven goal poacher with more experience to replace inzaghi. Huntelaar is like Gila IMO so unless Milan is sure they don't trust Gila anymore else i don't see Huntelaar coming. Huntelaar coming = Gila leaving. And when we talk about proven, we mean scoring against big teams in UCL, scoring against dutch teams is still consider unproven. Gila show that scoring against big teams in UCL is totally different from scoring against mid table Serie A teams.

Yeah Zlat, i'm with you on this.
Actually, i have to admit that i haven't watched a single match of Huntelaar so i don't really have an opinion on him but from what i read (from Dutch men who really know football) it looks like Huntelaar, not only that he still isn't ready for a big club, but he's also more hype than top quality. Don't misunderstand me, they say he is good, but far from what papers make him to look.

Looks like Huntelaar was getting a lot of criticism lately for his displays and he has a lot of faults in his game he needs to work on. He himself admitted that he is not ready for a big club.

Originally Posted by hwmook

The point Zlat is trying to make is Huntelaar is the same type of play as Gila/inzaghi and its not like milan to go around collecting players like chelsea. If we are going to buy a striker then he would most likely be a support type of striker or a proven goal poacher with more experience to replace inzaghi. Huntelaar is like Gila IMO so unless Milan is sure they don't trust Gila anymore else i don't see Huntelaar coming. Huntelaar coming = Gila leaving. And when we talk about proven, we mean scoring against big teams in UCL, scoring against dutch teams is still consider unproven. Gila show that scoring against big teams in UCL is totally different from scoring against mid table Serie A teams.

So a ideal type of player would be David Villa, I saw him yesterday in the friendly game Greece - Spain 2-3 to be honoured our ex captain Thodoris Zagorakis in Toumba stadium here in Thessaloniki. He mooves a lot, he is quick, he scores, also in good condition was Joacquin and Torres. But an authentic talent i think is tiago Silva of Valencia, yesterday scored two goals, he is a a player with confindence in his abilities, with good technique, quick and he keeps improoving from last year. If he continues in the same rate, he will get a transfer in 1 or 2 years.

huntelaar sucks, I say this because he is nothing special and he will never be like van basten, now that r10 has citizenship, buy him

Ok Zlat...enuf on this Dutch guy...whats the news on R10? Has he stormed out of training yet?