Gary Hooper

[Window Cleaner]

 

 

 

Getting to be a high figure when we have Lambert, Guly, Connolly and Lee as four forwards - with Barnard and youngsters behind that.

 

This is what concerns me somewhat. Lee has come here to play football and improve before Japan's 2014 WC finals campaign,

he won't take to being sidelined behind Hooper and Lambert most of the time, neither do I think we're going to pay a player 15K a week to shine the bench with the seat of his shorts most of the time.Guly to me is an important player but he's less effective in midfield unless it's in a 9.5 role which is often attributed to Lallana. The current midfield schema allows us more defensive options so I can't see why we should change it so to me signing Lee and Hooper means we're overloading unless there's something happening that we don't know about.

[Chez]

This is what concerns me somewhat. Lee has come here to play football and improve before Japan's 2014 WC finals campaign,

he won't take to being sidelined behind Hooper and Lambert most of the time, neither do I think we're going to pay a player 15K a week to shine the bench with the seat of his shorts most of the time.Guly to me is an important player but he's less effective in midfield unless it's in a 9.5 role which is often attributed to Lallana. The current midfield schema allows us more defensive options so I can't see why we should change it so to me signing Lee and Hooper means we're overloading unless there's something happening that we don't know about.

when he returns to fitness I am told that Barnard is going to be sent out on loan

[dubai_phil]

This is what concerns me somewhat. Lee has come here to play football and improve before Japan's 2014 WC finals campaign,

he won't take to being sidelined behind Hooper and Lambert most of the time, neither do I think we're going to pay a player 15K a week to shine the bench with the seat of his shorts most of the time.Guly to me is an important player but he's less effective in midfield unless it's in a 9.5 role which is often attributed to Lallana. The current midfield schema allows us more defensive options so I can't see why we should change it so to me signing Lee and Hooper means we're overloading unless there's something happening that we don't know about.

 

Same logic was going through my head this morning.

 

OK we could assume LB may move on - injuries and the fact he is a 100% effort hustle & bustle goal scorer, not as confortable with the ball at his feet as say DC is, but again Hooper & lee would only come if they were playing regularly.

 

Perhaps NA thinks Lee will take a while to settle in England but is a bargain for when we need his attributes in the PL so can bring him on slowly.

 

Or has someone come in with a stupid bid for Rickie?

 

Life is never as simple as Computer Games

[FarehamRed]

This is what concerns me somewhat. Lee has come here to play football and improve before Japan's 2014 WC finals campaign,

he won't take to being sidelined behind Hooper and Lambert most of the time, neither do I think we're going to pay a player 15K a week to shine the bench with the seat of his shorts most of the time.Guly to me is an important player but he's less effective in midfield unless it's in a 9.5 role which is often attributed to Lallana. The current midfield schema allows us more defensive options so I can't see why we should change it so to me signing Lee and Hooper means we're overloading unless there's something happening that we don't know about.

 

I think it's just forward planning - I would guess we don't want to be relying on Guly/Connolly/Barnard to score golds in the PL, and SRL will be 31.

[saintmatt]

with only one champions league place available, I would have thought the Celtic board would be very reluctant to let this guy go half way through the season. With Rangers about to go bankrupt they just need to hold their nerve a little longer and then the Scottish title will be theirs to lose every season. They wouldn't want Rangers pipping them this year and somehow getting off the hook financially. I'd be amazed if he was allowed to go unless it was £6-7m. But is he worth that?

 

Haven't they been about to go bankrupt for about 3 years now??

 

http://www.talkceltic.net/forum/showthread.php?t=117132&page=27

 

I'm only on page 13, but that's a very good read so far

[Badger]

Way I see it, there is a decent chance we could sign him. In these days of agents and financial guys running clubs I can't see Saints wasting time if there was zero chance. Equally why would Lennon keep going public if it was a total non-starter?

Confident we have entered into very serious discussions and have been shown some encouragement by Celtic.

 

Whether we will sign him, who knows.

 

 

.

 

Lennon really is a knob for talking about this publicly. The only reason I can see is to bring our interest in to the open in order to start an auction involving some of the Prem clubs who have previously been watching him.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

From the little I've seen of Hooper I'd say he's not one of those gifted strikers who's going to beat 5 men and slot it into the corner of the net Thierry Henry style, nor will he get you spectacular goals from outside the box very often. Unlike Lambert he scores mainly with his feet rather than his head and while not outstandingly pacy over a distance, but he's quick enough over 5 yards ... and boy does he sure know how to finish. We haven't had a 'fox in the box' like this for many a year, since Saganowski in his pomp perhaps.

 

The reported £7m transfer fee is a hell of a lot of money at this level, and there's always a element of doubt when a player comes from a league as limited as the SPL, but Hooper's quick feet and Lambert's mighty heading might just give us a fighting chance of survival in the PL - should such a enviable situation arise of course.

[RobM]

Lennon really is a knob for talking about this publicly. The only reason I can see is to bring our interest in to the open in order to start an auction involving some of the Prem clubs who have previously been watching him.

 

Or to appease fans. Even if he knows Hooper is gone, making these sort of comments in the press makes the fans think everything is sweet and Lennon is on their side, when in reality Lennon has little to do with it and the board will decide who stays and goes. If Hooper leaves Lennon will go quiet, making comment about not being able to keep a player who wants to leave, as if Hooper is the bad guy.

[Stepgar]

This is the sort of deal that if he goes it will be for an undisclosed fee. Which I hate.

[Suhari]

Same logic was going through my head this morning.

 

OK we could assume LB may move on - injuries and the fact he is a 100% effort hustle & bustle goal scorer, not as confortable with the ball at his feet as say DC is, but again Hooper & lee would only come if they were playing regularly.

 

Perhaps NA thinks Lee will take a while to settle in England but is a bargain for when we need his attributes in the PL so can bring him on slowly.

 

Or has someone come in with a stupid bid for Rickie?

 

Life is never as simple as Computer Games

 

This is my concern, given that we have been linked with other big strikers too (that Roma fella on loan?)

 

Wonder if a big offer for a striker unproven in the prem would tempt us; and a big signing on fee and guaranteed prem football would tempt Rickie.

 

Bloody hope not!!

[pap]

I've just read that Celtic thread, and would thoroughly recommend it.

 

It is educational

[MOSaint]

Despite RLs obvious talents and contribution to our recent success, I'm not sure he'll be as sought after as other strikers.

 

He's 30 in February and I imagine for what the club would ask for as a transfer fee, given his importance to the team, interested clubs would back off since in all honesty I doubt he is going to be at his peak for too many more seasons.

[Jack]

I've just read that Celtic thread, and would thoroughly recommend it.

 

It is educational

 

It is interesting, that Saints fan is a moron though.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

It'd be so so sweet to revisit that site if we did sign him.

[Roger]

Aren't Celtic meant to be looking at Hamdi?

 

Despite RLs obvious talents and contribution to our recent success, I'm not sure he'll be as sought after as other strikers.

 

He's 30 in February and I imagine for what the club would ask for as a transfer fee, given his importance to the team, interested clubs would back off since in all honesty I doubt he is going to be at his peak for too many more seasons.

 

Absolute rubbish. He's a clever player and could go in for years like sheeting ham. Fed up with people slagging off our best player

[Glasgow_Saint]

1.9 for Sharp or 7.5 for Hooper.......

 

You could get 4 great players for 7.5m

[pap]

It is interesting, that Saints fan is a moron though.

 

Yeah, he's just arguing for argument's sake, really.

 

As for the transfer, I think that there is a fair chance that it'll go through. According to that thread, Hooper made overtures for a new contract in December [1][2] and has changed his agent recently.

[dockland Dave]

It makes me cringe listening to what "St Joe" had to say. He gives us all a bad name

[Thorpe-le-Saint]

What is funny about that Celtic thread is that they seem to think they're some sort of footballing power house lording it in a tough domestic league. I reckon we would turn that lot over if we ever played them: SPL is league 1 standard at best save the two Glasgow clubs.

Edited 15 January, 2012 by Thorpe-le-Saint

[pap]

I've just seen the 35M price-tag that Lennon has put on Hooper!

 

I'm glad he's not pricing things up in TESCO.

 

"How MUCH for these bananas?!!"

[Jimmy_D]

It'd be so so sweet to revisit that site if we did sign him.

 

Heh. This.

 

I've got a gut feeling we're going to get him.

 

No ITK stuff, but it feels like we're going to make sure we sign Hooper as a statement of intent as much as needing the striker.

[dockland Dave]

Celtic are the second best supported team in the UK behind Man Utd, they are a big team.

[saintmatt]

What is funny about that Celtic thread is that they seem to think they're some sort of footballing power house lording in it in a touch domestic league. I reckon we would turn that lot over if we ever played them: SPL is league 1 standard at best save the two Glasgow clubs.

 

Funny how they're obsessed with the "arrogant" English media, as well; there must be equal and opposite forces in effect in the Scottish media if they truly believe they're a footballing powerhouse! It can't be long until Scotland loses it's CL auto-qualifying spot (and whatever they get for second) and becomes a league on a par with Ireland, Wales etc in this respect

[Webby]

Celtic are the second best supported team in the UK behind Man Utd, they are a big team.

Based on what, their attendances? I'll bet Liverpool have more fans.

[Chez]

From the little I've seen of Hooper I'd say he's not one of those gifted strikers who's going to beat 5 men and slot it into the corner of the net Thierry Henry style, nor will he get you spectacular goals from outside the box very often. Unlike Lambert he scores mainly with his feet rather than his head and while not outstandingly pacy over a distance, but he's quick enough over 5 yards ... and boy does he sure know how to finish. We haven't had a 'fox in the box' like this for many a year, since Saganowski in his pomp perhaps.

 

The reported £7m transfer fee is a hell of a lot of money at this level, and there's always a element of doubt when a player comes from a league as limited as the SPL, but Hooper's quick feet and Lambert's mighty heading might just give us a fighting chance of survival in the PL - should such a enviable situation arise of course.

agree with your description (I'm only going on the youtube highlights as I can't recall watching him against Scunny) but I don't see a premiership striker there. At that level you need to have at least one outstanding attribute to go with being a decent finisher, be that pace, tricks, strength etc. Mind you I would have said the same of Jon Walters and he has shined. £7m seems like far too much to be spending in the 2nd tier but promotion and some prem goals would change that statement.

[Window Cleaner]

Based on what, their attendances? I'll bet Liverpool have more fans.

 

If you base it on attendances I'm sure that at least Arsenal and Newcastle get more probably Citeh as well.

Then there's the question of the team, I mean can you honestly see Newcastle or the Arse getting done over by FC Sion..I think not.

[Jimmy_D]

Funny how they're obsessed with the "arrogant" English media, as well; there must be equal and opposite forces in effect in the Scottish media if they truly believe they're a footballing powerhouse! It can't be long until Scotland loses it's CL auto-qualifying spot (and whatever they get for second) and becomes a league on a par with Ireland, Wales etc in this respect

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/19/spl-scotland-champions-league

[Window Cleaner]

Big CLUB, poor team. Player wise they can't attract the same as decent Championship clubs really.

 

What they say is that Fox and Jos weren't good enough for their team, don't doubt it's more a case of their manager not knowing what he's doing more than anything else.I mean look at Forest yesterday, Davies got some decent performances out of McGugan but McClaren and Cotterill can't seem to work out how to do it.

[MOSaint]

Absolute rubbish. He's a clever player and could go in for years like sheeting ham. Fed up with people slagging off our best player

 

Not slagging off a player to rightly point out that they can only play at their best for a certain amount of time.

[Roger]

Not slagging off a player to rightly point out that they can only play at their best for a certain amount of time.

 

I meant sherringham.

[dockland Dave]

based on fan base

[pap]

Whast is truly funny about that Celtic thread is that they seem to think they're some sort of footballing power house. I reckon we would turn that lot over if we ever played them.

 

The other amusing part was when someone posted month-old articles to prove that Hooper is happy there. A month is a long time in football, especially during a transfer window. Hooper asked for a new contract a month ago, and I don't think he has it yet. That has to play into his thinking.

 

I don't buy the notion that its a completely illogical move for him either, which many on there are suggesting. I don't want to be perceived as an English fan diminishing the importance of the SPL, but the English game has a much bigger market than the Scottish game. I am certain that Hooper could make the move straight to the Premiership from Celtic, but where would he be in the pecking order? Saints might not be a Premiership club right now, but we're on the way. If Hooper has done any research at all, he'll have seen the faith we kept in the team that got us up from League One.

 

He'll also be thinking of exposure. Some very good comments on the Celtic thread about how English players playing in Scotland tend to become invisible to managers selecting international squads. If Hooper harbours any international ambition whatsoever, he knows he'll need to quit the SPL, and probably concludes that the EPL is the best shop window for his talents. Therefore, the only questions are when he goes, and how he gets there.

 

He can join a big club and probably have to fight to dislodge an established striker, or he can come to us. If we landed him, I'd argue that he'd be one of the first names on the team-sheet, even after promotion. The one thing that the Celtic fans can't seem to get through their heads is that if we get promoted, more people in England/Rest of the World would know who Gary Hooper was in the first six games of the 2012-13 season than they would if he won the title in Scotland for the next five years.

 

Not saying that's right, just how it is. The Adkins connection only serves to strengthen my feelings that this move might not be as illogical as the Celtic fans are making out.

Edited 15 January, 2012 by pap

[VectisSaint]

Based on what, their attendances? I'll bet Liverpool have more fans.

Based on average attendance, they are 12th in Europe, 3rd in UK (behind Manure and Arse). 48968 last season. To put this in perspective our average home attendance so far this season would have put us 59th in Europe last season.

[Chez]

Haven't they been about to go bankrupt for about 3 years now??

 

 

 

maybe, but Rangers now face court proceedings in relation to £49m worth of unpaid taxes and penalties. As we have seen with the skates football clubs have a way of getting away with these things but on face value the term toast comes to mind.

[Chez]

What they say is that Fox and Jos weren't good enough for their team, don't doubt it's more a case of their manager not knowing what he's doing more than anything else.I mean look at Forest yesterday, Davies got some decent performances out of McGugan but McClaren and Cotterill can't seem to work out how to do it.

putting the brilliant Jos to one side, is Fox good enough for our team?

 

As an aside, playing McGugan on the wing is not the way to do it. I think I could do a better job than the clot. Clueless.

[saints-cris]

One of them on that Celtic thread saying how Kommons is a better player than Lallana.

[pap]

One of them on that Celtic thread saying how Kommons is a better player than Lallana.

 

I love the chap who is taking the 35M price tag thing seriously.

 

"If Carroll is wort..."

 

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

 

Carroll is not worth 35M. Liverpool are just very silly boys.

 

HTH.

[Window Cleaner]

I love the chap who is taking the 35M price tag thing seriously.

 

"If Carroll is wort..."

 

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

 

Carroll is not worth 35M. Liverpool are just very silly boys.

 

HTH.

 

Hooper could be worth 35 million if we could get 50 million for Rickie,Guly or Connolly.

[pap]

Hooper could be worth 35 million if we could get 50 million for Rickie,Guly or Connolly.

 

Liverpool made a bad decision, imo. They believed that because they got 50M on transfer deadline day they should have spent 50M on deadline day. Their season was already fecked. Might have been a good time to take stock on their existing players instead of letting the money burn a hole in their pocket.

[buctootim]

putting the brilliant Jos to one side, is Fox good enough for our team?

 

As an aside, playing McGugan on the wing is not the way to do it. I think I could do a better job than the clot. Clueless.

 

I think Fox is okay. It is curious that we paid far more for him than we did for players who I think are superior - Hooiveld and Cork.

[Window Cleaner]

I think Fox is okay. It is curious that we paid far more for him than we did for players who I think are superior - Hooiveld and Cork.

 

I don't think we paid less for Jos than we did for Fox.Not that I have any real evidence to back that up though. I heard 2 million +

for Jos but it could be just BS,came from a Dutch source though.

[Jack]

I think Fox is okay. It is curious that we paid far more for him than we did for players who I think are superior - Hooiveld and Cork.

 

I like Fox, despite a a very mediocre game yesterday. Poor deliveries by anyone's standard. Only problem for me is when he comes up against real pace, he hasn't got much.

[buctootim]

I don't think we paid less for Jos than we did for Fox.Not that I have any real evidence to back that up though. I heard 2 million +

for Jos but it could be just BS,came from a Dutch source though.

 

Interesting, that would make more sense if true. I had £1.2 million in my head, not sure where that came from though.

[Lallana's Left Peg]

It's getting to the point now where if the player does want to leave then he needs to help the process. If not, lets go elsewhere. Celtic are perfectly entitled to ask for whatever they want for him. If it is £35m then so be it. He has 2 years left on his contract according to my Celtic supporting mate and has recently changed agent - and his agent has asked for a new contract for Hooper.

 

So if they rate him so highly, then the agent can argue it is time for a new contract to reflect that worth. If Celtic say no, then they have another situation on their hands.

 

I'm not saying we're bigger than Celtic in any shape or form but his career will only go so far with them as they are handicapped by the league they play in, which they can do nothing about.

[Jimmy_D]

In terms of English football vs Scottish football, here's how it breaks down in real terms. (ie. where the money comes from)

 

English football attracts far more interest from foreign markets, The Championship is marketed in Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Sweeden, France, Norway, and the huge market of Asia (although this doesn't include Japan and Korea).

 

The SPL is marketed in Australia, Canada, France, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweeden.

 

This means that, despite their obviously far higher attendances, and us not being in the Prem, Saints will have been watched this season by a number of people an order or two of magnitude higher than Celtic.

 

These far higher viewing figures mean that advertising is more effective for those audiences (ie. fans buy products they see during matches. Yes, YOU personally might not, but enough do to make a huge difference). Some of the money companies can make extra from advertising pays for that advertising to the tv company. The tv company uses that money to buy the rights to show football from the league, and that money is distributed to the clubs themselves.

 

That money is then ploughed back into the teams, helping to keep the league competitive, the matches entertaining, and the interest in watching high.

 

This means that while Celtic fans might moan that the only reason English football is better is because of the Sky money, that money comes from exactly the same place as people going through the turnstiles, from the fans. It's not Sky that's made the English league the best in the world, it's the fans, from all over the world.

 

If we get back to the Prem, those differences are even bigger, and that combined with the fact that England international players are very VERY rarely get selected from outside the English league, and you can make a strong case for why Southampton could be seen as a bigger draw for a player than Celtic.

 

Most Celtic fans seem to be assuming that there's no chance of Hooper coming here because they see themselves as the far bigger club. I don't agree with that view, and that's the reason I think there's every chance we'll manage to sign Hooper.

[buctootim]

It's getting to the point now where if the player does want to leave then he needs to help the process. If not, lets go elsewhere. Celtic are perfectly entitled to ask for whatever they want for him. If it is £35m then so be it. He has 2 years left on his contract according to my Celtic supporting mate and has recently changed agent - and his agent has asked for a new contract for Hooper.

.

 

I imagine we wouldnt have bid in the first place unless Hooper was interested. Of course that doesnt mean Celtic will play ball. Lennon is a bit of **** but he is right to only want to sell if he gets both a knockout offer and its soon enough to still have time to sign a replacement

[Big_Bald_Si]

In terms of English football vs Scottish football, here's how it breaks down in real terms. (ie. where the money comes from)

 

English football attracts far more interest from foreign markets, The Championship is marketed in Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Sweeden, France, Norway, and the huge market of Asia (although this doesn't include Japan and Korea).

 

The SPL is marketed in Australia, Canada, France, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweeden.

 

This means that, despite their obviously far higher attendances, and us not being in the Prem, Saints will have been watched this season by a number of people an order or two of magnitude higher than Celtic.

 

These far higher viewing figures mean that advertising is more effective for those audiences (ie. fans buy products they see during matches. Yes, YOU personally might not, but enough do to make a huge difference). Some of the money companies can make extra from advertising pays for that advertising to the tv company. The tv company uses that money to buy the rights to show football from the league, and that money is distributed to the clubs themselves.

 

That money is then ploughed back into the teams, helping to keep the league competitive, the matches entertaining, and the interest in watching high.

 

This means that while Celtic fans might moan that the only reason English football is better is because of the Sky money, that money comes from exactly the same place as people going through the turnstiles, from the fans. It's not Sky that's made the English league the best in the world, it's the fans, from all over the world.

 

If we get back to the Prem, those differences are even bigger, and that combined with the fact that England international players are very VERY rarely get selected from outside the English league, and you can make a strong case for why Southampton could be seen as a bigger draw for a player than Celtic.

 

Most Celtic fans seem to be assuming that there's no chance of Hooper coming here because they see themselves as the far bigger club. I don't agree with that view, and that's the reason I think there's every chance we'll manage to sign Hooper.

 

A very well reasoned post - good work.

 

It might be down to Hooper - if he saw us as the bigger club, then I think he'd have to kick up a stink if he wanted to move. Even then, Celtic don't have to accept our offer(s), no matter whose seen as the "bigger" club.

[Window Cleaner]

In terms of English football vs Scottish football, here's how it breaks down in real terms. (ie. where the money comes from)

 

English football attracts far more interest from foreign markets, The Championship is marketed in Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Sweeden, France, Norway, and the huge market of Asia (although this doesn't include Japan and Korea).

 

The SPL is marketed in Australia, Canada, France, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweeden.

 

This means that, despite their obviously far higher attendances, and us not being in the Prem, Saints will have been watched this season by a number of people an order or two of magnitude higher than Celtic.

 

These far higher viewing figures mean that advertising is more effective for those audiences (ie. fans buy products they see during matches. Yes, YOU personally might not, but enough do to make a huge difference). Some of the money companies can make extra from advertising pays for that advertising to the tv company. The tv company uses that money to buy the rights to show football from the league, and that money is distributed to the clubs themselves.

 

That money is then ploughed back into the teams, helping to keep the league competitive, the matches entertaining, and the interest in watching high.

 

This means that while Celtic fans might moan that the only reason English football is better is because of the Sky money, that money comes from exactly the same place as people going through the turnstiles, from the fans. It's not Sky that's made the English league the best in the world, it's the fans, from all over the world.

 

If we get back to the Prem, those differences are even bigger, and that combined with the fact that England international players are very VERY rarely get selected from outside the English league, and you can make a strong case for why Southampton could be seen as a bigger draw for a player than Celtic.

 

Most Celtic fans seem to be assuming that there's no chance of Hooper coming here because they see themselves as the far bigger club. I don't agree with that view, and that's the reason I think there's every chance we'll manage to sign Hooper.

 

Don't think we have live SPL football in France, unless it's on Eurosport of course, can't stand football on Eurosport so I don't watch it,even when my local team,Clermont, are on.

[Jimmy_D]

Don't think we have live SPL football in France, unless it's on Eurosport of course, can't stand football on Eurosport so I don't watch it,even when my local team,Clermont, are on.

 

Ma Chaine Sport have the TV rights for France.

 

They used to sell rights in the USA but that went down the pan with Setanta iirc.

Edited 15 January, 2012 by Jimmy_D

[Verbal Kint]

Bit of an overreaction on both sides here i think. Celtic are a massive club. No disputing that but the standard of SPL football is quite poor outside of the old firm and even though he has a better chance of winning medals at Celtic he will want to play in the premier league. I doubt there is a huge disparity in terms of wages on offer but if he wants to get into the England squad he needs to play in the Premier league, whether that is right or wrong it is simply a fact that very very few players have been considered for the England squad whilst playing in Scotland. We have a genuine chance of being in the prem next year and that may be enough to persuade him.

 

We wouldn't have got to the stage of making bids if we didn't think/know Hooper would consider the move.