looks like Bobby is going for the Colchester wing ace/striker/gymnast/african/hitman (delete as appropriate)

What is he like? Do the reserves need him? Can he be a Star?

Or is the new Julian Joachim (as has been a description)

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Answers

I have read somewhere that he is left footed so if he can be moulded into a left winger we have a steal on our hands because the lad appears to be able to score goals quite easily as well.

There is enough interest in him to suggest that we wouldn't be wasting our money buying him.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

He is also reputed to have one of the hardest shots of a dead ball in the game at the moment.....him left - Al right.......anything within 30 yards of the goal is a potential goal.

Go get him Bobby!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Does anyone else feel that purchasing Alan Thompson from Villa would have been a good deal in the present circumstances.? Celtics gain!!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

No mention of a fee anywhere, not even an assumption. I suppose we may be thinking that under the transfer laws we would have to pay them compensation anyway so why not pay them a transfer fee, if he's that good.

I'd happily pay the money, we've looked at him long enough to know what we're getting now.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

buff,

Am I right in thinking that Celtic paid just over 2 mill for Thompson? If so then I think Villa got the better deal. Thompson hasn't set the world alight in the Premiership and on that basis we shouldn't consider buying him.

A different matter to buying players from the lower leagues which are more of a gamble.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Newcastle are staying quite about it but Colchester are trying to start an auction This is what I have so far

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Journal reports that we've bid 1 mill for Lua Lua. Colchester Board will meet later in the week to discuss the bid.

As Rik says they appear to be inviting an auction as this gives other clubs plenty of time to table higher bids.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

One million? Laughable. We'll NEVER get him for that unless we can offload a couple of players as part of the deal...

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

Well considering they sold Mark Kinsella for around 150,000, 1 million would represent a good deal. I know what you mean Dougal, they could sit back and wait and hope he continues his good form and watch the price go up. I doubt whether any of our rejects would want to play for Colchester anyway.

I suppose it all depends on how badly the club need the cash which would appear to be not that badly given their reluctance to sell. However, reports say they have called a meeting to discuss the transfer so they must be considering it. It depends if the Hammers or Spurs offer anything. West Ham are skint.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

Saha got another couple last night. Maybe he'd be a good bet as well.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

Fulham paid around 2 million for Saha, so his price must be over 3 mill now seeing as he's playing in England, never mind the fact he's scored 9 goals so far this season. Too expensive for us.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

From what I've seen of Saha he looks a fairly typical centre forward. Why would we want another promising youngster when we already have Cort, Coppy, Ameobi and Michael 'Chopper' Chopra ? Surely the attraction of Lulu is that he can play wider on the left, no ?

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

LT. I believe that is the attraction in the lad.

I read an article on the lad last seaosn when he first came to prominance. He was originally playing as a sub on the left wing, and becuase of his speed and ball control was able to get into the box and score and became known as their super-sub .

Later in the season he was moved up front as Colchester were having a problem scoring goals.

He came across as a lad not to serious about his soccer. He said he liked to perform tricks and entertain the fans.

Bobby has said he is building the squad with an eye on the furure. Obviously he needed to strengthen the squad with some expreience, but the majority of signings have been younger players.

I'd say we have plenty of young striking talent, plus young attacking talent from the midfield. Lomano would give us another attacking midfielder, but on the left side. And we have three good young defenders as well.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

Arrgghh SportLive won't allow cut and paste but here's the URL. http://www.sportlive.net/esport/article/article.tpl?page=/esport/artic le/article.tpl&id=350104

Basically they're saying that Colchester will turn down the transfer proposal.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

LUA-LUA HAS A LOT TO LEARN - WHITTON by Graeme Bailey

NEWCASTLE UNITED target Tresor Lomano Lua-Lua has a lot to learn about football, according to his current manager at Colchester United - Steve Whitton. The Zaire-born forward has been in fantastic form so far this season, which has seen Newcastle manager Bobby Robson make a firm bid for the youngster.

"He's got a long way to go," said Whitton. "There's a lot left in him.

"He still doesn't understand the game in terms of the team, but kids his age over here have been coached for 10 years, he has only had coaching for two years.

"I've seen players from this division go for #1 million-plus, but he's got so much more, we will have to see what bids come in, but if he does go to a Premiership club, I'm not sure that he'd play in the first team straight away.

"If he keeps learning and improving his game, there is no reason he can't stay here this season and still go on to be a better player."

West Ham and Spurs are also very interested, but The Magpies appear to be leading the chase.

Resigned to losing him I reckon. Okay he may have a lot to learn but who better to learn if from than YBR?

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

Tre
Next time, try COPY and PASTE rather than CUT and PASTE.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

The Ronnie reckons that Spurs have pulled out of the race, so it's between us and the Hammers. Can't see Harry Redknapp getting the money to spend on someone who wouldn't go into their 1st team immediately.

By the way did anyone watch the Spurs - West Ham game on Monday. I thought Redknapp looked looked even more dopey than usual and a deeper red than the ILF? Maybe it's too many late nights spent over the family pictures, if you know what I mean!

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

From soccerage.com

09/14/2000. Newcastle will discover today whether Colchester have accepted their #2m bid for their winger Lomano Lua-Lua, however if the Colchester boss has anything to do with it, the bid will be refused.

Steve Whitton has been in charge at the club for a year and wants his scoring sensation to remain, at least for the moment.

Whitton said, "It would be better for him to remain at Colchester for the time being. It would help his development at this stage of his career if he continued to play first team football for us."

He added, "As far as Im concerned Lomano is still very much in my plans. Hes still a Colchester player and wont be going anywhere unless the price is right."

It`s thought that Spurs and West Ham are also interested, although neither have made a bid.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

Interesting situation this.

Lomano Lua Lua falls into to the 18 to 24 year old range that under some of the proposed new transfer policies, would see him still commanding some sort of fee.

But no-one can have any idea about how much fees for developing players will be.

So Bobby is playing the game of will you (Colchester) risk losing him for much less in the summer or take the money and run now.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2000

What if we came to an agreement with Colchester to sign him now, then loan him back to them for a few months? That way, he can get experience of a big club while maintaining continuity with his current one.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2000

According to Niall and Biffa, Colchester have accepted our offer of #2.2M.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2000