Summer Transfer Window 2017

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Moshiri was clear on SSN that he expects to finish sixth or better. With the absence of Lukaku's 25 league goals I don't see in that squad that we will replace them. We haven't closed the gap on those above us in my opinion so can't see us doing that well until January earliest and the new window.

Striker was the one position that needed replacing with high quality and while we've tried to spread the goals around there is a big hole there at present. Playing twice a week will expose it i reckon.
Agreed. Can only hope for Arse and Spurs to have nightmares. In January it defo needs sorting.
 
No strikers, none, for a 50+ game season. We sell the guy who finished second in the lead scorer rankings (for the team that finished 7th to boot) for close to a (then) world record fee and then replace him with.................. nobody. A success you say, once again, the mind boggles.
Well we did buy Sandro who is a striker. Doesn't disguise the fact we needed another one but we did improve in all the other parts of the pitch. Also DCL has had a brightn start to the season.
 

We did 32 point swing on Southampton, who finished 6th in the previous area.

Defence was our problem area last year, not attack.

You're saying improving the defence wouldn't have made a difference.

We were within 6 points of 4th in April. Maybe if Keane had of been in instead of Williams, we wouldn't have lost so many games in the run-in?

Even buying into your theory that Arsenal remain in freefall and don't finish in the top 6 (which I think is unlikely, given they still have a very good albiet brittle squad), 6th place gets you a Europa league place.

Your contention is that keeping Lukaku and signing only Keane could have made "all the difference". Presumably you don't mean by qualifying for the Europa league?

If you mean qualifying for the champions league, there is no chance that adding Keane to the same squad last year would put us in the top 4. Never happening.
 
There's going to be far to much reliance on Rooney now, which is far from ideal. Then it depends on how Sandro adapts, which again could go tits up.

IMO we were never going to make that much of a dent in the top 4, but we needed to solidify our position and continue to build the squad. I think with a striker we could have had Arsenal in our sights, potentially the RS as I don't think they have the squad to compete at CL and the league, something will give.

It was a disappointment not getting the 2 players, but there's enough there to at least deliver a cup some sorts.

God I want the feeling back
If he wasn't undroppable before he certainly is now (no matter what @BlueToff says). He's started well (Full disclosure - I thought he would be toss) but he's our main man now for dozens of games. Hope he doesn't run out of steam.
 
Who is the mystical perfect replacement for one of the best strikers in the world who we had a chance of signing by the way?

All of the names I heard were either punts, unproven, or downright ridiculous. Nothing jumped out at me and made me think, 'we need him'.
 

Yes it's a shame we didn't get another striker in but some are going way OTT, it's been a very good transfer window IMO.

Pickford and Keane are both young, English and look the absolute business. Sigurdsson is proven quality, brings some magic to our attack whilst also being hard working - exactly what any team needs if they want to get better. Replacing Lukaku was always going to be near impossible but remember that weird fact, if you took his goals away from us last season we wouldn't have finished any lower. Rooney is revitalised coming home to EFC and has showed us already that he means business. I wouldn't bet against him getting a decent haul of goals.

Klaassen will be class (certainly better than your average Tom Cleverly), Sandro played most of last season as a no. 9 and scored lots of goals - he could easily be the perfect striker for us once he's settled in. Henry and Vlasic are supposed to be two of the top young talents in Europe and we've brought in 3 or 4 rated young prospects.

EFC have improved so much over the last few years, once we get Seamus and Bolassie back alongside the players we already have like Baines, Schneiderlin and Gana we'll be a force to be reckoned with.

COYB
 
Moshiri was clear on SSN that he expects to finish sixth or better. With the absence of Lukaku's 25 league goals I don't see in that squad that we will replace them. We haven't closed the gap on those above us in my opinion so can't see us doing that well until January earliest and the new window.

Striker was the one position that needed replacing with high quality and while we've tried to spread the goals around there is a big hole there at present. Playing twice a week will expose it i reckon.

Also got the impression when he was saying that this is now Koeman's squad is that there can't be any excuses.
 
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Even buying into your theory that Arsenal remain in freefall and don't finish in the top 6 (which I think is unlikely, given they still have a very good albiet brittle squad), 6th place gets you a Europa league place.

Your contention is that keeping Lukaku and signing only Keane could have made "all the difference". Presumably you don't mean by qualifying for the Europa league?

If you mean qualifying for the champions league, there is no chance that adding Keane to the same squad last year would put us in the top 4. Never happening.
As I've just said, we were within 6 points of Liverpool, who were in 4th when we played them.

We conceded three goals that day. What happens if we didn't?

We went to Man Utd the week later and were an Ashley Williams penalty away from winning.

It was the run-in that cost us CL last year.
 

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