Steven Caulker - QPR

Definitely coming in as a cheap back up, hopefully just saving the cash until summer. No real reason to blow the bank in January on overpriced crap.

We've got 15 minutes to register him apparently for him to play against Arsenal (or be named on the bench).

Why are Xabi Alonso and David Button driving Keisuke Honda around?

I don't know but if they could make it to Melwood this month that would be great.

Imo the only criteria is, whether he is better than the CB options we currently have available.
Current options are Ilori/Enrique/Can/Lucas
We'd miss Can and Lucas in the middle if played in as CBs, so ideally rule them out
Leaves Ilori/Enrique
Enrique is slow and not a recognised CB
Leaves Ilori
Who didn't look great at Exeter.
So I'd go for it and hope Jürgen can help him reclaim some for earlier in career.
It's only a loan.

On loan to the summer while Jürgen can focus on the targets he really wants.

I don't see the problem.

Imo the only criteria is, whether he is better than the CB options we currently have available.
Current options are Ilori/Enrique/Can/Lucas
We'd miss Can and Lucas in the middle if played in as CBs, so ideally rule them out
Leaves Ilori/Enrique
Enrique is slow and not a recognised CB
Leaves Ilori
Who didn't look great at Exeter.
So I'd go for it and hope Jürgen can help him reclaim some for earlier in career.
It's only a loan.

If it comes down to our options, we have none.
We literally had no fit 1st team CBs.
That's why Ilori was brought back.

So given that sure bring him in on loan,
but why is that the only option?

Maybe I'm just equating it to what we've seen before
but it raises red flags for me.

If it comes down to our options, we have none.
We literally had no fit 1st team CBs.
That's why Ilori was brought back.

So given that sure bring him in on loan,
but why is that the only option?

Maybe I'm just equating it to what we've seen before
but it raises red flags for me.

Like I said Racer, and I'm only guessing, I think its possible the manager can't tie down a CB he really wants and who he sees as an upgrade on what we have.

A loan to the summer while we focus on signing the CB he really wants isn't too bad a move short term.

Sounds like our plan was Subotic, we got knocked back by Dortmund so our back up is Caulker...

Not exactly players you would put in the same bracket, are we that desperate to get a body, any body in for the Arsenal game?

I know it's only a loan but it does seem a little bit like scraping the bottle of the barrel if this goes through and doesn't make me too comfortable with future transfer plans for Jürgen.

I mean seriously does anyone think Jürgen said "get me Caulker", I doubt he has any clue who the lad is let alone want to have him in a crisis as the man to call upon.

Is he a goal-scoring centre back?

Got to see this loan as Jürgen doesn't think llori is ready to play as CB if needed.

Sounds like our plan was Subotic, we got knocked back by Dortmund so our back up is Caulker...

Not exactly players you would put in the same bracket, are we that desperate to get a body, any body in for the Arsenal game?

I know it's only a loan but it does seem a little bit like scraping the bottle of the barrel if this goes through and doesn't make me too comfortable with future transfer plans for Jürgen.

I mean seriously does anyone think Jürgen said "get me Caulker", I doubt he has any clue who the lad is let alone want to have him in a crisis as the man to call upon.

Just out of interest the mate.

What would you do in this scenario?

So given that sure bring him in on loan,
but why is that the only option?

Think Lovren has improved recently, and maybe him and Sahko might displace Skyrtel and do well eventually.
And there is also Toure who is a good guy to fill in also.
Actually think we have decent CB options ... when everyone fit that is.

We're in an unprecedented situation with injuries. Maybe Jürgen/club don't want to be rushed into spending over the odds for a top CB in the window, just due to temporary circumstances.

If people think we need to sign a better CB than any of the ones we already have (regardless of injuries), that's a different thing, and it looks like that is not going to happen.

Will probably get horrible Suarez flashbacks when he arrives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-kniAWL8cs

Just out of interest the mate.

What would you do in this scenario?

I get we need cover mate so signing someone is a must, when it gets to the point that Lucas is seriously being considered as a starting CB then we know we're at a point of crisis.

Having said that I just can't see Caulker being the best available, I honestly think we've done it again like the Sanchez situation. We've put all our eggs in that basket and then become desperate and rang around to see whatever is available we'll have it.

I don't follow enough footy to know a team with 4 decent CBs who are out of cup competitions and therefore not heavily reliant on back up but there must be some out there. Or even very promising youngster with a top club that needs game time, Caulker seems weak as an option to be bringing in.

To me there's probably more merit in promoting one of our own youth players or sticking Can back there (who admittedly was pretty poor at RB but I think would be a better CB).

I get we need cover mate so signing someone is a must, when it gets to the point that Lucas is seriously being considered as a starting CB then we know we're at a point of crisis.

Having said that I just can't see Caulker being the best available, I honestly think we've done it again like the Sanchez situation. We've put all our eggs in that basket and then become desperate and rang around to see whatever is available we'll have it.

I don't follow enough footy to know a team with 4 decent CBs who are out of cup competitions and therefore not heavily reliant on back up but there must be some out there. Or even very promising youngster with a top club that needs game time, Caulker seems weak as an option to be bringing in.

To me there's probably more merit in promoting one of our own youth players or sticking Can back there (who admittedly was pretty poor at RB but I think would be a better CB).

For me if it means were not throwing money to sign a CB permanently that the boss isn't overly keen on then I think it is a good solution.

If this move meant Jürgen got his man in the summer who was better than all the CB we have then its a worthwhile exercise.

Couple of things. Firstly I cannot even imagine the reaction if we'd signed Steven Caulker on loan last January, it would have been a sea of mouth froth on here.

Secondly, this lads "refuelling" activities and behaviour while he's doing it aren't great. Something to watch out for.

I get we need cover mate so signing someone is a must, when it gets to the point that Lucas is seriously being considered as a starting CB then we know we're at a point of crisis.

Having said that I just can't see Caulker being the best available, I honestly think we've done it again like the Sanchez situation. We've put all our eggs in that basket and then become desperate and rang around to see whatever is available we'll have it.

I don't follow enough footy to know a team with 4 decent CBs who are out of cup competitions and therefore not heavily reliant on back up but there must be some out there. Or even very promising youngster with a top club that needs game time, Caulker seems weak as an option to be bringing in.

To me there's probably more merit in promoting one of our own youth players or sticking Can back there (who admittedly was pretty poor at RB but I think would be a better CB).

We have been seriously linked with Matip but like a lot of targets it's not so easy to pull off during the January Window.

So Jürgen thinks a stop gap is the best approach rather than wasting money on a player who will never be a regular.

Couple of things. Firstly I cannot even imagine the reaction if we'd signed Steven Caulker on loan last January, it would have been a sea of mouth froth on here.

Secondly, this lads "refuelling" activities and behaviour while he's doing it aren't great. Something to watch out for.

It's a sea of mouth froth on twitter.
I guess that's what happens when you hope for Subotic/Hummels and end up with Caulker.

For me if it means were not throwing money to sign a CB permanently that the boss isn't overly keen on then I think it is a good solution.

If this move meant Jürgen got his man in the summer who was better than all the CB we have then its a worthwhile exercise.

We have been seriously linked with Matip but like a lot of targets it's not so easy to pull off during the January Window.

So Jürgen thinks a stop gap is the best approach rather than wasting money on a player who will never be a regular.

Get your point lads about a stop gap, and of course that's what we all see this as right now but even judging it purely on that I would be surprised if this is truly the best we could have done.

Really does smack of poor planning again, to me it says Subotic or bust much like it was Sanchez or bust, we just never seem to plan for things not going our way and they often don't go our way. You'd have thought we'd learned our lesson in that department.

It's a sea of mouth froth on twitter.
I guess that's what happens when you hope for Subotic/Hummels and end up with Caulker.

I thought it would be mate. That said to me it's a very sensible move. If it's the case that we can't get the player or players we really want, lets take someone who is better than what we've got available. Now Caulker has to be better than both Enrique and Ilori to make the move worth it. Enrique never was a centre back and judging on the other night never will be either. Ilori has the distinction of in one appearance managing to completely dispel the nonsense we've had to read for 18 months about how the previous manager was a mug for letting him go on loan, and how every other manager he had were mugs for not playing him. We've now seen with our own eyes why he wasn't getting a game, and we need somebody credible.

Caulker isn't exactly Alan Hansen, but he isn't a bad player by any means. My only misgivings are about his extra curricular activities, and I aren't guessing or basing my assessment on Daily Mail stories here either.   

Get your point lads about a stop gap, and of course that's what we all see this as right now but even judging it purely on that I would be surprised if this is truly the best we could have done.

Really does smack of poor planning again, to me it says Subotic or bust much like it was Sanchez or bust, we just never seem to plan for things not going our way and they often don't go our way. You'd have thought we'd learned our lesson in that department.

Lovren is due to be back in a couple of games and the fact that Subotic has not played much this season may have been a factor.

I used to think he was fairly promising when he was on loan to Swansea, but hasn't paid much attention to him ever since... that he's been to Cardiff and now QPR suggest he isn't up to the standards we would expect. That said he is still 24 and I got no idea what goes on in Klopp's head

backup to play in cups when 1st choice cbs are injured. like Friday.