Darren Pratley.

[Tr0TttER]

Darren Pratley in Bolton now, will sign tomorrow. 1st time poster? Yes. Do I care who believes me? No.

Up the Trotters.

[thebish]

you're very welcome!!

we always welcome new ITK sources!!

(are you Alan Nixon?)

seriously - bob over to the introductions thread and give us ur inside leg measurements etc...

(Pratley is being discussed on the xfer window thread - we normally make a new thread for transfer targets when they actually arrive - and, traditionally, such a thread will begin with a picture of the player wearing or holding a BWFC shirt - known as the PSG (pitch-shirt-grin)

[Bruce Rioja]

All together now, one, two, three, "Oh, whoooooooooo the feck is Darren Praaaatley?....."

[thebish]

All together now, one, two, three, "Oh, whoooooooooo the feck is Darren Praaaatley?....."

he plays for one of them there welshy clubs - we've been linked for a while... a goal-scoring midfielder IIRC...

[David Lee's Hair]

I thought it had to be on twitter to be true now?

[Worthy4England]

All together now, one, two, three, "Oh, whoooooooooo the feck is Darren Praaaatley?....."

he plays for one of them there welshy clubs - we've been linked for a while... a goal-scoring midfielder IIRC...

He's Ferrie Bodde's mate. Any moment now, Swansea will demand £25m for him.

[David Lee's Hair]

Interestingly a Swans fan in the office has just come up to me and been told he's heard Pratley is coming to us, and this guy knows Pratleys brother... didn't say it was through him, but none the less... Interesting.

[thebish]

All together now, one, two, three, "Oh, whoooooooooo the feck is Darren Praaaatley?....."

I think that would go better as

All together now, one, two, three, four "Oh, whoooooooooo the feck is Darren Praaaatley?....."

just being helpful!

[Peter Thompson]

Pratley is a decent player....a few other prem teams where sniffing about not long ago

He's a good midfielder not that old, much better than Muamba IMO - he's comfortable on the ball and gets around the pitch and gets forward....although he may cost around £2M though at a guess ?, if it comes off it definately gives us a good option in midfield.

And he's used to playing passing football in a decent footballing Swansea side.

Very useful signing for me if true....

[malcd1]

Pratley is a decent player....a few other prem teams where sniffing about not long ago

He's a good midfielder not that old, much better than Muamba IMO - he's comfortable on the ball and gets around the pitch and gets forward....although he may cost around £2M though at a guess ?, if it comes off it definately gives us a good option in midfield.

And he's used to playing passing football in a decent footballing Swansea side.

Very useful signing for me if true....

His contract is up at the end of the season. Do you think we pay that much for him? I would hope that we will be paying less than a million for him.

[Peter Thompson]

You may be right perhaps £2M is too high - but I suppose it depends on who else is in for him

[officer_dibble]

Can he tackle?

Cos if he can, and he can pass more than 5 yards accurately then thats a massive plus as far as I am concerned!

IF he's a forward thinking midfielder with little defensive nous...well haven't we got one of them?

[BWFC_Insane]

See before Holden emerged this season I'd have thought Pratley was a decent idea. Now I'm unsure.

Can't say I've seen enough of him to really judge but in the 4 or 5 games I've seen him in he's struck me as competent enough at that level, good engine, good hustle but whether he's an improvement on Muamba as PT says time will tell for me.

That is of course IF we sign him, because Swansea are an awkward club to deal with and last I heard we were waiting till the summer to get him on a bosman!

[Peter Thompson]

Dibs....IMO he's a far better player than Muamba so that'll do for me, again if (big if) he does join us it won't be long before Muamba is warming the bench (again IMO)

[officer_dibble]

Is he similar to Holden then?

Cos if we had 2 Stuart Holdens in centre mid, well that would do for me!

[Tombwfc]

Good to see standard The Wanderer rules apply. The less you've seen of a player, the better he is.

Far better than Muamba, despite never having played a Premier League game in his life.

[Peter Thompson]

Dibs, I'd say he's nearer to Holden than Muamba, although from memory he's of a similar height & build to Muamba.

Tom, I've actually seen him play a few times although admittedly not in the prem, but IMO he is better than Muamba but as usual your entitled to your opinion.

Defend Muamba all you like but for me he's a poor excuse for a premiership midfielder

[TANGODANCER]

Defend Muamba all you like but for me he's a poor excuse for a premiership midfielder

Not too long ago he was the bees knees. Maybe if our defenders tackled like Muamba, and Holden instead of constantly running off players,they might let the midfield get a bit more play forwards. Constantly backing off players like Drogba and Anelka and letting them run at you is just asking for it. The Chelsea defence got into the back of our lot every time they got the ball. Muamba, like the rest, is one man. It's the team performance that's wrong, not any individual.

[Peter Thompson]

Tango - I've never considered him to be the bees knees, he's had the odd decent game as have the rest but he's not a premiership footballer IMO, he can't trap and control a ball, he's a poor passer, he is like a headless chicken with no composure when on the ball and panics when the ball is at his feet - as someone else said earlier he a good player 'without the ball'.

I don't think anyone has picked out Muamba from last night, he was no better or worse than the rest, his name has only been mentioned because there appears to be a possiblity that Pratley may join us, and it'll be Muamba who will be most at risk IMO, and based on the few times I've seen Pratley play he's got a lot more about him than Muamba, but as Tom said earlier he's still unproven at prem level but Swansea play some good football and are riding high in the Championship

[Hoboh]

you're very welcome!!

we always welcome new ITK sources!!

(are you Alan Nixon?)

seriously - bob over to the introductions thread and give us ur inside leg measurements etc...

(Pratley is being discussed on the xfer window thread - we normally make a new thread for transfer targets when they actually arrive - and, traditionally, such a thread will begin with a picture of the player wearing or holding a BWFC shirt - known as the PSG (pitch-shirt-grin)

Nixon is already here bish