[quote author=refugee link=topic=42503.msg1208679#msg1208679 date=1288530252]
We needed a striker in the summer, however Roy in his infinite wisdom decided that we should loan out an attacking central midfielder in order to spunk our entire budget on an attacking central midfielder (despite having one of, if not the best, attacking central midfielders in the world already playing there). We also signed a wide attacking midfielder under the premise that we would be playing him in the centre of the midfield.
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No one knows the deal behind Aquilani, but he didn't seem too unhappy to be returning to Italy, with it being insinuated that he was shitting out of playing games last season, it's hardly surprising the club wanted to make a statement with him, and who knows, maybe he asked to return home. We needed a central midfielder anyway because Lucas was clearly not up to the task and Mascherano had left, so we HAD to buy Meireles. Joe Cole, on paper at least, gave us more options in attack and essentially replaced the departing Yossi, and as Vlad said, we were trying to flog Babel up until the last minute but he refused to go. Had he left we'd have bought a striker, end of.
We needed a striker in the summer, however Roy in his infinite wisdom decided that we should loan out an attacking central midfielder in order to spunk our entire budget on an attacking central midfielder (despite having one of, if not the best, attacking central midfielders in the world already playing there). We also signed a wide attacking midfielder under the premise that we would be playing him in the centre of the midfield.
[/quote]
No one knows the deal behind Aquilani, but he didn't seem too unhappy to be returning to Italy, with it being insinuated that he was shitting out of playing games last season, it's hardly surprising the club wanted to make a statement with him, and who knows, maybe he asked to return home. We needed a central midfielder anyway because Lucas was clearly not up to the task and Mascherano had left, so we HAD to buy Meireles. Joe Cole, on paper at least, gave us more options in attack and essentially replaced the departing Yossi, and as Vlad said, we were trying to flog Babel up until the last minute but he refused to go. Had he left we'd have bought a striker, end of.