2019/20 Marcel Brands

[Jim Hopper]

It isn't good enough to have just 1 mobile midfielder though... He should have brought 1 in and then brought another 1 in to replace Gana.

To be honest if I remember correctly we were also trying to sign Docoure from Watford, we had a few bids rejected for him.

 

[zukai12_]

Its a tough situation for Brands to be honest, we've been so anonymous the last few seasona the top players won't want to come here so he has to bring in second rate players and it spirals from there

To be sure, some of his signings has dissapointed but this summer is the window to seriously evaluate weather or not he is the man to take us forward

 

[DaChunk]

To be honest if I remember correctly we were also trying to sign Docoure from Watford, we had a few bids rejected for him.

He's gash as well

 

[SerenityNigh]

Massive window for Brands. A repeat of last summer (not that I’m expecting it with Ancelotti’s involvement) and he should be relieved of his duties.

LOL

 

[SerenityNigh]

It isn't good enough to have just 1 mobile midfielder though... He should have brought 1 in and then brought another 1 in to replace Gana.

Erm, the club bought 3 midfielders last summer

 

[rochdaleblue]

LOL

I take it your happy with last summer’s transfer window then.

 

[rochdaleblue]

Erm, the club bought 3 midfielders last summer

Iwobi, Delph and Gbamin. Two have been awful.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Erm, the club bought 3 midfielders last summer

That’s exactly my point. He bought three midfielders and an inside wide forward (Iwobi) for Silva’s formation. All 4 got injured, then so did Walcott and now Brands is being blamed because Ancelotti is playing Davies and Siggurdson on the flanks of a 442.

Brands didn’t buy these players for this formation. It’s ridiculous to judge him on this especially with all the injuries as well.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Iwobi, Delph and Gbamin. Two have been awful.

Gomes, Delph, Gbamin

Good, Bad, Ugly

If Iwobi is a midfielder then he gets a pass since he's not played there yet, he's a wide player (and he's also not been any good yet)

 

[LocalNative]

That’s exactly my point. He bought three midfielders and an inside wide forward (Iwobi) for Silva’s formation. All 4 got injured, then so did Walcott and now Brands is being blamed because Ancelotti is playing Davies and Siggurdson on the flanks of a 442.

Brands didn’t buy these players for this formation. It’s ridiculous to judge him on this especially with all the injuries as well.

Good point. But even still, the players he did buy aren't good enough for any formation.

 

[Bullens Rd]

I'd honestly get rid of him and put the transfers 100% in Ancelotti's hands and his backroom team. The DoR role has not worked out one bit for it -- it's put us back at almost pre-Moyes levels. 500m spent, below Burnley in the table.

 

[SerenityNigh]

I take it your happy with last summer’s transfer window then.

Brands has had 2 full windows and the business he's done:

Good:
Richarlison
Digne
Mina
Zouma (loan)

Adequate:
Gomes (loan, buy)
Bernard
Sidibe (loan)

Unknown:
Gbamin (can't fault injury unless it was known at the time)

Bad/not good yet:
Delph (bad attitude)
Kean (who knows what's going on here)
Iwobi (not played in any useful position so far, but I don't think he has it)

All of this while working within restrictions to shed payroll. Not perfect by any means, but not requiring imminent dismissal in my opinion.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Yeah that was my point really, you can't implement a style throughout the club unless you are buying into it for the long haul from the top down. As we haven't even done it at the top it's pointless doing it all the way down.

Brands is an architect, not an implementer. Given enough time he will build something beautiful from academy to first team and managers like Carlo will have at their hands whatever resources are necessary to win.

Then Marcel gets binned for Pattern and twitter erupts in a Blue Wave.

 

[SerenityNigh]

We spent over £100m in the last window, and I don't think any of them will be in Ancelotti's preferred plans.

Iwobi? Kean? Gbamin? Delph? Sidibe? Gomes?

Maybe Gomes?

I get your point, but (1) Ancelotti wasn't here when these players were bought and (2) he's much more a pragmatist like Koeman than someone who has rigid plans like Silva.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I get your point, but (1) Ancelotti wasn't here when these players were bought and (2) he's much more a pragmatist like Koeman than someone who has rigid plans like Silva.

The whole point of a DoF is players are bought to fit the club, not the manager.

That means when you spend a small fortune on Iwobi, he won't be obsolete a few months later under another manager.