January Transfer Thread 2017

[Jebus_lives]

It also gives said young players a window until further recruitment in the summer to make a stake for a place in the team.

I'd said this earlier in my response to @davek some of the under 23s look well capable of filling gaps and to be trusted will clearly be a boost. Adding to the first team is essential in the summer though to bring greater competition and strength.

 

[AaronTheBlue]

It also gives said young players a window until further recruitment in the summer to make a stake for a place in the team.

this is a positive about it to be fair. I'm a bit miffed that we didn't strengthen but at least it gives the under 23's something to really aim for and hopefully one or two are up for the challenge to get into the senior squad.

 

[tadao]

Costa's a bit of a bell, but even then the difference is diego costa is quality, arouna kone is not.

 

[AaronTheBlue]

No i understand perfectly well, it's just what you're putting forward is irrelevant based on who the player actually is.

 

[davek]

Glad you agree!

In all serious though, i think it's not been a bad window given whats available currently, plus we got rid of players adding nothing.

IMO the big tester for both RK and the board will be the next window. No excuse then as we'd have trimmed the squad, they'll know what they need and we have the money to spend!

The next window is always the one where it'll be crucial.

IMO we have just blown two of them in a row. Yes a couple of good additions have been made, but that rate is nowhere near good enough.

 

[davek]

I'd hardly say the squad is decimated. We have got a head start for next season, we've shifted a ton of garbage off the books. No one has done any business this window. I am however expecting work to be done in the summer. But we've got a under 23s squad sitting at the top of the league, and given that you've suggested we need to bring the average age down there's now opportunity to see them try to break into the first team. First 6 months - assess the current staff, second 6 months assess the under 23s, 3rd 6 months add what's missing. Even if you don't like it, it's far from uncoordinated as a strategy.

It's far from a balanced approach, that's for sure.

We're playing one hell of a game of catch up in terms of retooling this squad...and that after spending £70+m already.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

The next window is always the one where it'll be crucial.

IMO we have just blown two of them in a row. Yes a couple of good additions have been made, but that rate is nowhere near good enough.

I understand being critical of the summer window, but not sure how the January window can be looked at anything but a success.

 

[tadao]

No i understand perfectly well, it's just what you're putting forward is irrelevant based on who the player actually is.

He's here until the summer and then he's gone!! What's so difficult to understand?

 

[davek]

I understand being critical of the summer window, but not sure how the January window can be looked at anything but a success.

Yes, it'd be even more successful if we'd have sold ten more I suppose, given that logic.

You don't see a successful window in terms of balance - ie selling unwanted players and then buying their replacements?

It's the easiest thing in the world to have a successful window if your definition of successful is to just get shut of players.

 

[QLDBlue]

The next window is always the one where it'll be crucial.

IMO we have just blown two of them in a row. Yes a couple of good additions have been made, but that rate is nowhere near good enough.

Agree, but if the quality players are not available in this window, they're not available. Gone are the days with premiership teams where they're all begging for money and need to sell. They all have the same TV money as we do so they don't "need" to sell! The only way we'd get a quality player in this window would be if they forced a move, and we don't want one of them do we!

 

[CRIMHEAD]

It's far from a balanced approach, that's for sure.

We're playing one hell of a game of catch up in terms of retooling this squad...and that after spending £70+m already.

I think that could be viewed as an indictment to the squad over the past two years. 47 points back to back? 11th place finishes? It's not good, man.

 

[AaronTheBlue]

He's here until the summer and then he's gone!! What's so difficult to understand?

Good god. The thing i was mainly arguing against you was the fact you were comparing him passing on knowledge to Diego costa doing and all these irrelevant points.

I was simply stating he is not a good player and doesn't offer anything to us.

You went on a tangent about him offering thing. I was pointing out he's a waste.

Anyway it doesn't matter now, it's done. And we're going round in circles. I appreciate you trying to convince me of the benefits of kone though.

 

[tadao]

Good god. The thing i was mainly arguing against you was the fact you were comparing him passing on knowledge to Diego costa doing and all these irrelevant points.

I was simply stating he is not a good player and doesn't offer anything to us.

You went on a tangent about him offering thing. I was pointing out he's a waste.

Anyway it doesn't matter now, it's done. And we're going round in circles. I appreciate you trying to convince me of the benefits of kone though.

The Costa bit, was about speaking English, if you re-read it.
Did you say that? or something else?
Linked to the Costa bit about an older player passing on insight i.e. injuries etc.
There are some, not playing for us but, he's here until the summer!!

Anyway, as you said, we're going round in circles

 

[carolinablue232]

Yes, it'd be even more successful if we'd have sold ten more I suppose, given that logic.

You don't see a successful window in terms of balance - ie selling unwanted players and then buying their replacements?

It's the easiest thing in the world to have a successful window if your definition of successful is to just get shut of players.

We signed 2 players who will contribute first team minutes, and we binned of several that wouldn't have played. Net gain, and save millions in wages we can redistribute. You're a strange one Mr. Grinch.

 

[ExpatinBangkok]

OK, my attempt at an objective review of the window:

Out:
Niasse
Cleverley
Gibson

Fantastic business. Absolute drain on wages, the lot of them

Out:
Deulofeu
Oviedo

Both could have played a part here, but neither were in the plans. As much as I, and loads more, love Gerard, he needs to figure *something* out.


In:
Schneiderlin
Lookman

Excellent


Taking it 100% at face value, a very good window.

The PROBLEM here is that after the absolute shambles of a window in the summer, it was said time and again this window would not go balls up. 'Lessons have been learned, we got this'. After being beaten to a pulp with the idiotic STCC "STONES MUST BE SOLD FOR US TO GO ON", I think most expected a...different window. We had been told time and again that if we do not get players in on big wages, the sale of Stones would essentially be wasted.

Whilst everyone knows January is a very difficult window to do business in, I would have thought there would have been at least another in after Schneiderlin came in with 20 days left in the window.

Getting a fee agreed to for Befodil and then pulling out, ok, no problem. Someone clearly didn't like him for whatever reason. But that showed that there was a desire to get stronger in a certain position and then...nothing.

The plyers heading out, excellent(mostly). The players coming in, excellent(definitely).

Just feel like there is something a bit odd about the last 20 days of the window.

Agree except I think it's too early to say that lookman is 'excellent', I hope he is but I think there is also a chance that we may never see him play again after this season (he will need to play this season no matter what because of our thin squad so lets hope he does turn out good!). Same goes for Calvert Lewin.