Summer Transfer Window 2017

[Yarrgh]

My thoughts on the current squad.

GOALKEEPERS:
Pickford a great acquisition. Could prove our best over time. Stekelenburg and Joel both capable of deputising as 2nd 3rd choices. Although I'm amazed Joel hasn't left.

CENTRE BACKS
Keane is a superb signing but we've neither the depth or quality to consistently play a back 3. If we revert to a 2 we might get away with it, but Keane is gonna have to play a mountain of games. Overall needed another.

FULLBACKS
Need Coleman fit clearly. No cover of any quality at left back. Needed another.

MIDFIELD
Surprised we didn't sell Mccarthy but since he's here he can be used in midweek games if he finally recovers from hammy troubles. We can rotate here but the drop off in quality between our 2 first choice is massive

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS/WIDE MEN
Improved our quality here enormously but also lots of utter dross fringe players. Also doubt Barkley will play for the club again. Gives us options in how we set up but gonna be hard to find the right system.

STRIKERS
No depth and lack of quality. Need DCL to become a regular goalscorer very quickly and that's a lot of pressure on him that he doesn't need or deserve. Sandro similar, he needs time but we need goals. We need the ball to stick too amd im not sure thats going to happen on a regular basis. We are at least one short.

Fair assessment. Most areas need something adding or getting rid off. But if we get lucky (with no injuries and the existing players adapting quickly) we might get away with a back 3 - though we shouldn't be relying on luck. As for a front man - I really do think we botched this up - our main blunder.

 

[Azza]

I think this is a decent view;

There is no way we could have replaced Rom's quality with another striker of that ilk because 1) we don't have the money 2) no champions league

So we couldn't have signed the Belotti, Icardi, Lacazette's of the world but there are plenty who could have come in. Got at least 10 goals and a handful of assists for the other 20 attacking midfielders they'd have around them.

King
Benteke
Batshuayi
Giroud
Bas Dost
Dzeko
Bacabar
Dolberg
Jorgensen
William Jose
Moreno
Smolov
Dzyuba
Werner

etc

etc

etc

 

[Papa Shango]

Perhaps we could cover that amount? £30m to £35m from sale of Ross provides suitable funds for a 'decent' striker maybe?

Its just conspiracy theory stuff though.

I would reckon that we didn't sign anyone as a player of the necessary qualities was not available.

The only way I can see our lack of striker being linked to Barkley's sale is if we were going for someone like Batshuayi and Chelsea could not afford to get rid of him because they got screwed over a few times by players/clubs.

 

[Lord Buckethead]

Then why did we spend 8m on Vlasic?

Would have been covered by Niasse going (and small enough to cover if something went wrong)

 

[Gardocki]

It's obviously disappointing we didn't get in a top quality striker, but it was clear a few days ago that getting someone good enough in would be unlikely.

The tripe we were being linked with yesterday would have added nothing in terms of quality, but would have restricted our ability to bring in someone else later.

I'd rather we concentrate on filling the position with someone good in 4 months than being stuck with another donkey that we don't want, and can't move on.

 

[msb]

What does being positive actually do tho? I have had it with "positive" people... if things are ok then look at the positives... of things are bad but are worse than normal you can look at positives .... when your club HAS NO STRIKER! Please tell me what being positive will do?

Will DCL suddenly start bullying defenders and scoring 15+ a season , becuase of my positive thoughts and Internet posts?

I waited until the end of the window to complain as I thought that would be fair... and I'm happy with our signings ... but..., how on gods earth did we balls this up again?

Depends what you have to compare to. I'm positive about the current squad because I have lived through decades of dross, interspersed by a few good years in the 80s and one trophy in the 90s. In my opinion we are getting very close to a squad that could - and perhaps should - deliver some silverware, and I won't be negative because we did not sign Troy Deeney or some such dross, I'm rather happier that we did not waste our money.

We did not buy a striker in the classic hoofball mould, but honestly, Lukaku was not that either, he could not trap a bag of cement, his hold up play was at best poor. Watch Rooney hold the ball, totally different class altogether. And the non-existent striker, apart from the new lad (that we could not buy unless we sold) has to have a chance, as does DCL in a central role, as does Sandro - I'm positive because I choose to see the potential and the good, not to cry my life away over something that did not happen.

 

[ijjysmith]

Has anyone done that mad thing where they put the list up of people still available on frees even though we've not used it since the great Lucas Neill experiment?

 

[Azza]

There is no way we could have replaced Rom's quality with another striker of that ilk because 1) we don't have the money 2) no champions league

So we couldn't have signed the Belotti, Icardi, Lacazette's of the world but there are plenty who could have come in. Got at least 10 goals and a handful of assists for the other 20 attacking midfielders they'd have around them.

King
Benteke
Batshuayi
Giroud
Bas Dost
Dzeko
Bacabar
Dolberg
Jorgensen
William Jose
Moreno
Smolov
Dzyuba
Werner

etc

etc

etc

Wait. Sorry, I've forgotten my place. How embarrassing. I'm just an arm chair fan who knows nothing about football or its workings.

This work is left to the professionals which is why we have people like Steve Walsh to get the job done.







Great job Steve.

 

[Stutheblue]

Its just conspiracy theory stuff though.

I would reckon that we didn't sign anyone as a player of the necessary qualities was not available.

The only way I can see our lack of striker being linked to Barkley's sale is if we were going for someone like Batshuayi and Chelsea could not afford to get rid of him because they got screwed over a few times by players/clubs.

Maybe so, but can't see another logical reason for not getting a striker in. They usually come at a price. It was very quiet yesterday. Usually the media get on to movement of players on the last day. We just weren't seriously linked with anyone during the day (serious cash offer). Enquiry for Perez on loan was leaked which, if true, made me think we didn't have the funds released to bring in what we really wanted. Then the Barkley about turn followed. Conspiracy theory perhaps, but for me I'm going with that.
And, we sold Lukaku weeks ago. Why did it go to the wire? Funding?

 

[neil999]

Has anyone done that mad thing where they put the list up of people still available on frees even though we've not used it since the great Lucas Neill experiment?

GIUSSEPE ROSSI!!!

 

[bicycleheader]

GIUSSEPE ROSSI!!!

What a crying shame.......was one of my favourite players at one point. So good at Villarreal

 

[Pabbers]

Some people are too angry.

 

[Groucho]

Hmm not sure I take that mate. There's a lot of strikers in the world and we only really needed one.

Yes and I agree we needed another CF to go with Sandro and DCL, but we were never getting Lukaku quality, it's simply not available.

Also this is a great opportunity for DCL to shine, but that's another matter.

 

[larrygobfiend]

GIUSSEPE ROSSI!!!

He's made out of Quavers unfortunately.

 

[bol-uk]

To be fair, we've been away to Chelsea and City.

And home to Split and rudo-whatever and Seville, Wins yes but just and against average teams (less so seville).