We can't judge Brands on his inability to sell white elephants. That's on the previous regimes that bought them on unsaleable contracts.
We can judge Brands on his current purchases. The summer of 2018 was good. The summer of 2019 does not appear to have been. A struggling young midfielder, a struggling young striker, two injuries, a veteran midfielder who does not appear to be justifying the wages and who does not appear to be getting along with teammates, and a roll-of-the-dice loan which, while a good decision, does not appear to have worked out as well as hoped.
It's not impossible that those deals will look better once the injuries resolve and the young players have more time to develop, but what's clear is that this past summer's signings haven't had the immediate impact that the previous lot did.