Dirk Gently Fair enough, yes. Sidwell and Harper were good bets and great successes, although I wonder how many of the people posting on a thread like this at the time would have heard of them. Maybe Sidwell but I doubt Harper. But for every Duberry there is a Ferdinand and I suspect we're just disagreeing on how "big "the individual names are.
But the key to it has to be hunger - for many of the "established" names bandied about we'd be just another club, just another pay packet. the success of the 2006 season was in finding a team who all had such hunger and desire to be successes that they made the whole team successful. I just think that level of hunger and desire won't come with players who are established and have found their level - it'll come with virtual unknowns and with people who have failed elsewhere.
Again, I agree it's finding the players with the right attitude and hunger that is the key. From outside the incestious world of football it's difficult to judge potential transfer targets attitude and application but I don't think young hungey players would see us as anything more than "just another club, just another pay packet." The only benefit is if they're looking to prove themselves, and that can be said for just as many "big name players" we could sign as can be said for the young and hungry players.
I suppose it all comes down to the individuals character. For example, I can't see Lee Carsley taking Birmingham for a ride and an easy two years contribution to his pension fund, but I couldn't say the same for some of the young, hungry arrogant w@nkers who'll no doubt get a professional contract this summer.