Now now, Pat, no need to get upset.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
- Status
Now now, Pat, no need to get upset.
meagher94
Player Valuation: £35m
Distinctly average. His job isn’t to be judged over 2-3 years though, it’s a long term project. His hands have been tied as he’s spent so much of his time here trying to get crap players off the books that no one wants. The signings have been good since Ancelotti came in, the manager has also spoken fondly of him and wants him to stay. I’d prefer it if we got out of the cycle of sacking people all the time to be honest, don’t understand why anybody thinks getting rid of him now is a good idea, or how that would help?
Dymak
Player Valuation: £40m
To be fair to Brand’s, a significant part of his remit has been to ‘get rid’ and ‘reduce the wage bill’. Paying Southampton to deprive ourselves of Walcott is a prime example. I maintain that we’d have more points on the board had we not weakened the squad by letting Walcott go.
However, he’s also been tasked with strengthening the squad, and the truth is that purchases like Iwobi have put us back years. Iwobi is Walcott’s replacement, yet he’s a massive downgrade. The overall effect is a weakening of the squad.
Putting Pickford on 100k a week was bloody stupid as well, we’ll never get rid of him now, and there was simply no need to bump up his wages to such an insane figure. The rationale, I believe, was to stave off non-existent interest from bigger clubs.
We made the same mistake giving huge deals to McCarthy, Miralles, and Luke bloody Garbutt! You’d think we’d have learned our lesson! Wait to see whether this non-existent interest actually materialises before we cack ourselves and hand out bumper contracts to crap players that we become stuck with; as nobody else is stupid enough to pay them what we do.
This is true.
He also, by and large, hasn't actually achieved that.
We still pay Bolasie's wages. We were paying Niasse's wages until last year. Besic is still here. Still paying half of Walcott's wage.
He has spent money and big wages on the likes of Delph and Iwobi. Kean was a punt that it's a shame didn't work out. He's given massive wages to Bernard who physically clearly was never going to be suited to the Prem.
He's hindered his own job to quite an extreme sense, and not fixed clear problem positions like right-back or right wing, either.
It's a solid 5/10 and he should stay purely because if he leaves we might as well scrap the entire thing.
He’s one of the highest paid DoF in Europe.
Yet he spent all January sorting a deal for a striker, that we needed since the end of the previous window, then brought in a lad we had been linked with since the summer.
I think we are overpaying him, I’d prefer us to let him go and offer that money to an actual decent DoF, or pay someone less money to continue doing what Marcel has.
I take all this on board.
Issue is he hasn't actually managed to 'shift' much of the deadwood. So he hasn't actually fulfilled that objective.
He's done a lot well, especially in efforts to restructure the academy and recruitment department being streamlined etc. I think the evidence is there that he can work on good deals when buying players too.
My point was, if people are happy to blame the state of our squad for not being able to compete in key moments, then ultimately that comes down to poor recruitment overall. Doesn't mean I want him gone. But there's no doubt he has to be better going forward, in my opinion (so some smart arse doesn't assume I'm speaking for the entire club).
grandjoeblue
Player Valuation: £35m
How many youth players on the bench this week?
What a disgraceful job this chancer has done.
What a disgraceful job this chancer has done.
How many are out injured/ineligible?
grandjoeblue
Player Valuation: £35m
About 5 players? Can't even be bothered debating it. Hes done a horrendous job, anyone who thinks otherwise clearly has motive.
I’ll let you know - it’s 7.
So that whole “how many kids on the bench” crap now has an answer.
We dont need a director of football when we have a top manager
Its not like Brands has brought through any top young players from the academy either. Our bench today was laughable..
The only reason he's staying is because we are worried about having to start something new from scratch. Its hardly a ringing endorsement.
Its not like Brands has brought through any top young players from the academy either. Our bench today was laughable..
The only reason he's staying is because we are worried about having to start something new from scratch. Its hardly a ringing endorsement.
He signed Branthwaite and Virginia to the academy. He’s had an academy ban to deal with and he’s been here 2 years. Who is he meant to be bringing through the academy?
A good academy brings through first team players regularly. Probably one every couple of years would be a good return. Tom Davies and Ross Barkley are the only 2 we've had in about 10 years.
Dom and Holgate both were signed from elsewhere so slightly different. Branthwaite also had been playing in the football league before we signed him and we are still waiting on his development
So we blame Brands for the kids in the academy before he got here and we can’t use players he’s brought in? I’m lost.
- Status