2019/20 Marcel Brands

[Eggsyblueskin]

He`s handled the Tierney situation correctly imo.

He obviously had a ceiling on the amount we were prepared to pay and crucially also had a plan B with Digne, if Tierney didn`t come off.

Celtic wanted more than we were prepared to pay and he quickly moved onto plan B - Digne.

Look what happened with the Siggurdson transfer last season - went on for weeks and we ended up paying at least 15 mil over the odds.

This may come back to bite Celtic on the bum, as there`s a very good chance they`ll go out of the Champions League qualifiers, after only drawing 1 - 1 with Athens at home during the week.

Assuming we did enquire about Tierney , I think both club and player where ambivalent about a move hence the reported high price for a talented youngster who remains unproven in a major league.
In any case I think Digne was always the better option for us at this moment in time. He's still relatively young and has played in better quality leagues. More importantly his experience should allow him to step in straight in to the first team if required whereas Tierney may have needed time as understudy to acclimatise himself first.
Definitely right decision for me.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

It is the first time for a significant period that all of a managers publicly stated requirements have been fulfilled.
This includes both quantity and apparent quality.
This alone represents a major improvement to our recent past.

 

[brieverton]

He has to be given huge credit for ensuring we strengthened in the required areas, and just seems to have gone about his work in a quiet manner, since the initial round of interviews there has been nothing heard from him which is as it should be.

So after 10 months with a huge cloud hanging over the club, we finally have a bit of optimism again. Now that the summer rush is over, I am really looking forward to Brands having the time now to undertake a more strategic and top-down review of the club, after such relative madness and rushing. He has said himself that he likes to get involved in every aspect of how a club is run, even wanting a say on kit design, so after delivering a highly impressive and almost spectacular window in such a short period, it certainly bodes well for the future.

Its easy to get carried away and be revisionist, but I'm delighted with this guy and excited about the changes he can lead and drive at the club to get us closer to where we should be.

 

[rochdaleblue]

He’s next job is to find us a striker (even though I think Cenk is ok) and possibly look at seeing if Kenny is good enough to take Coleman’s spot, if not sell and get a better understudy.

Fredericks who went to West Ham from Fulham would have been a good understudy to Coleman. Impressed every time I watched him last year. However I have every confidence in Brands signing a young talented right back to challenge Coleman.

 

[davek]

Oversll you'd have to say his first summer in charge was done with an amazing degree of cohesion and with a clear plan in mind, one look at the positions we needed and hit tells you that, also look at the age of what we'd say was our starting 11 last season compared to how it will likely look this one.

Brought in 21yo winger, 25yo winger/cam, 23yo cb and a 25yo left back as the permanent deals, brought in a 23yo cb and 25yo cm who both appear desperate for a new start on loan so will be motivated - cherry on the cake, bringing in a young rated keeper from arsenal.

The two loans I wouldn't be shocked if they where successful to see us try turn them into permanent moves in January either.

Throw in Pickford, at 24/25 and that's s nucleus of 7 players who won't be 30 for at least 5 years.

Means the replacement of any players ageing now can be done on a slower basis 1 or 2 at a time.

The recruitment also hasn't been done whilst totally saturating us in a position, every one of the signings you can see how they'll fit into the side and the role the normal starter would fit into should they be replaced.

Something which has been missed as well, we didn't recruit hugely as usual for the under 23s, maybe the idea is that s youth coach should as a priority be able to develop the players rather than what we've been doing which is try to buy in 4-5 every year at 20-21?

There's no point in prejudgung what he's done this summer. It might be that his actions achieve all you say it has - but that will be dictated to by results on the pitch. If we dont get it right then it will be all too easy to go in the other direction and declare the summer work he did as useless. You can restructure a squad (anyone off the streets and placed in that role could) but restructuring isn't what you get plaudits for, results are.

 

[rochdaleblue]

Has he done an interview/ press conference/ press statement since the first week he joined? haven't heard much from him, which is fine he's doing the business, would be interesting to hear from him though.

His actions speak louder then words.

 

[Brisan123]

It’s the start of the media agenda. They’ve gone from laughing at us, to patting us on the head, to now starting to become a bit annoyed, they’re only us winning a few of our opening games away from accusing us of cheating and ruining football again.

I don’t know wether this post has been vaulted yet but Mersin accused us of ruining the transfer window.
Either Mersin reads GOT or SD is a prophet

 

[Brisan123]

lol
Txt book

He never fails to spot an opportunity

 

[Brisan123]

There's a clique in the club. Fact. We all know who they are. Fact. Brands did not choose Silva. Fact. Silva is critical of the transfer activity and by extension Brands who is conducting it. Fact.

How difficult is it to forsee that Brands might want to see this manager out and a new one he wants in and that having players in the squad who can make life difficult for the manager would aid that?

That’s about as far fetched as Elvia was abducted by Aliens

 

[Yarrgh]

There's no point in prejudgung what he's done this summer. It might be that his actions achieve all you say it has - but that will be dictated to by results on the pitch. If we dont get it right then it will be all too easy to go in the other direction and declare the summer work he did as useless. You can restructure a squad (anyone off the streets and placed in that role could) but restructuring isn't what you get plaudits for, results are.

You're complaining about the landscape gardening and soft furnishings whilst the guy's just about to finish diging the foundations. Time will tell and we should always remain critical, but so far he's done nothing to reduce confidence in him.

 

[Sona]

There's no point in prejudgung what he's done this summer. It might be that his actions achieve all you say it has - but that will be dictated to by results on the pitch. If we dont get it right then it will be all too easy to go in the other direction and declare the summer work he did as useless. You can restructure a squad (anyone off the streets and placed in that role could) but restructuring isn't what you get plaudits for, results are.

I agree, to an extent.

Whilst it is ultimately the results on the pitch that will truly determine Brands’ success, it is difficult to argue against his recruitment policy of addressing needs whilst also not overpaying and sticking to a particular age bracket.

As an example, we brought in Bolasie at a higher cost than was suitable in the market at the time. Plus he was 28, meaning that if he did flop, he’d be 29-30 before we could ship him out, meaning less money.

I think Brands has been shrewd here. All players signed are under the age of 25. Even if they don’t deliver, there’s the opportunity to sell and reinvest.

This strategy alone should be deemed a marker of success.

 

[davek]

You're complaining about the landscape gardening and soft furnishings whilst the guy's just about to finish diging the foundations. Time will tell and we should always remain critical, but so far he's done nothing to reduce confidence in him.

That cant possibly be determined yet.

 

[Brisan123]

I know it's a long process ( more than one window ) and I'm pretty pleased with the ins/ outs so far.....but I feel like deadline day will be a defining moment for our DOF. He still needs to deliver a first choice CB or two and a midfielder ( Bernard + an other ) We all know the ups / downs of Everton late deals.... Hoping for the best !

He has delivered all you asked

 

[banno]

Brands has assessed the squad, got rid and got some in and vitally in the positions that have been screaming out for change/backup. Something we never did at the start of last season with disastrous results. Could be the 1st block in place of the few we need. No doubt the calibre of player is better and now the hard work is integrating them. Bernard, Walcott, Richarlison, Lookman and Tosun with Siggy looks mightily fine ......on paper. 3 new defenders in Digne, Mina and Zouma will hopefully strengthen the porous defence. Chuck in an extra for midfield with Gomes and we look so improved....then again on paper. Good work filling in the needed positions although we won't see them together for a good few weeks. Hopefully Pickford becomes more of a spectator than the over worked keeper of last season.

 

[davek]

I agree, to an extent.

Whilst it is ultimately the results on the pitch that will truly determine Brands’ success, it is difficult to argue against his recruitment policy of addressing needs whilst also not overpaying and sticking to a particular age bracket.

As an example, we brought in Bolasie at a higher cost than was suitable in the market at the time. Plus he was 28, meaning that if he did flop, he’d be 29-30 before we could ship him out, meaning less money.

I think Brands has been shrewd here. All players signed are under the age of 25. Even if they don’t deliver, there’s the opportunity to sell and reinvest.

This strategy alone should be deemed a marker of success.

I wouldn't have seen Richarlison fitting into the Brands methodology, and he is the biggest fee we paid. Gomes, Zouma, Bernard, are all rescued from their own circumstances and represent, for me, a massive gamble.