Summer 2018 transfer thread

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Sounds good. I look forward to Kovacic arriving next week then.

Lets be clear - that is (IMO) the ambition/point. If its successful or not is another thing.

ITK, nudge nudge, blue and yellow, wink wink...

If Toby Stays without a new contract, he will just be a body. If he is going to let his contract run down, then he is unlikely to be given a place in either the Premier League or CL squads if non-HG places are at a premium. You, and he, need to be aware of the risk to him. His last big contract could quite possibly be smaller than his current one if he runs his contract down to when he is coming up to 30, with a year of no top-class football and 18 months or so of very little top-class football behind him. Clubs are not going to be crowding around trying to get him in those circumstances, and he currently appears to have only one team in for him, in any event.
Your comment about Dembele doesn't make a lot of sense, with all due respect. The World Cup finished weeks ago.

For all those reasons - if Alderweireld wants a big payday - he had better play his socks off.

He is gambling with his future, not us.

And, as an example, Modric gave us a fudging brilliant season after throwing a tantrum when we didnt sell him. And earnt a move to Madrid.

If Alderweireld is as professional/ambitious, he will be an asset, not a problem.

(If, of course, he ends up staying)

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Your boss agrees with me it seems. Quality + Quick then please.

Problem is, we seem obsessed with adding the 3rd criterion “cheap” which your boss mentioned, despite saying you can only have two of the three!

You want fast and cheap, the quality isnt there.
You want good and cheap, it takes time.
You want fast and good, its going to cost you.

The third criterion is always there, because we arent City and cant get fast - quality - expensive all at once.

 

[Moby]

Lets be clear - that is (IMO) the ambition/point. If its successful or not is another thing.

ITK, nudge nudge, blue and yellow, wink wink...




For all those reasons - if Alderweireld wants a big payday - he had better play his socks off.

He is gambling with his future, not us.

And, as an example, Modric gave us a fudging brilliant season after throwing a tantrum when we didnt sell him. And earnt a move to Madrid.

If Alderweireld is as professional/ambitious, he will be an asset, not a problem.

(If, of course, he ends up staying)

Not disagreeing with you and totally understand what your saying...
My point though was (albeit born of recent frustration) that we don’t seem to be executing particularly well on our ‘strategy’. The last few windows have been disasters in all honesty, and we are looking towards an absolute car crash this time. I’m just getting concerned about how professional we are - and if you are even handed on this, the facts are there. We are the only team unable to strengthen so far, and tbh if this wasn’t our CEO doing this, then any other head would have long rolled for this level of gross underachievement!

I remain a supporter of what Levy has done, I’m not stupid. Just saying he’s having a bloody mare on this, and needs to take a long hard look at himself! Just because he’s done great for 20 years, doesn’t mean he is beyond criticism when it’s obvious something has broken.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

HART HEADING TO BURNLEY?

The Sun are reporting that Joe Hart is on his way to Burnley for a medical.

Apparently he is going to join the Clarets from Emirates Marketing Project in a £4m deal.

It would be an interesting move considering Burnley already have two England goalkeepers in Tom Heaton and Nick Pope, although both are currently out injured.



Unless they are selling one of Heaton/Pope (Chelsea?) why on earth would they bother with Hart?!

 

[Moby]

You want fast and cheap, the quality isnt there.
You want good and cheap, it takes time.
You want fast and good, its going to cost you.

The third criterion is always there, because we arent City and cant get fast - quality - expensive all at once.

That’s my point. We all want fast and quality. It’s obviously going to cost us, and we need to get with the programme, bite the bullet, and just get it done!!

 

[parklane1]

For all those reasons - if Alderweireld wants a big payday - he had better play his socks off.

He is gambling with his future, not us.

And, as an example, Modric gave us a fudging brilliant season after throwing a tantrum when we didnt sell him. And earnt a move to Madrid.

If Alderweireld is as professional/ambitious, he will be an asset, not a problem.

(If, of course, he ends up staying)

Agree.

IF Toby stays then for his own sake ( let alone ours) he has to have a great season to attract buyers next summer. It will be no good for anyone '( especially him) to sulk and waste a season sitting on the bench.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Not disagreeing with you and totally understand what your saying...
My point though was (albeit born of recent frustration) that we don’t seem to be executing particularly well on our ‘strategy’. The last few windows have been disasters in all honesty, and we are looking towards an absolute car crash this time. I’m just getting concerned about how professional we are - and if you are even handed on this, the facts are there. We are the only team unable to strengthen so far, and tbh if this wasn’t our CEO doing this, then any other head would have long rolled for this level of gross underachievement!

I remain a supporter of what Levy has done, I’m not stupid. Just saying he’s having a bloody mare on this, and needs to take a long hard look at himself! Just because he’s done great for 20 years, doesn’t mean he is beyond criticism when it’s obvious something has broken.

How do we know what our strategy is? Or, indeed, if we are executing it well or not?

Therein lies the rub.

Hand on heart, I havent a clue what our strategy is. How would I?

The club is extremely tight lipped. We only ever know things once they have happened (or as near as about to happen).

The media? Come on, its full of brick. Clickbait to drive views etc - and it plays fans like a fiddle. And thats of all clubs, though I feel with Spurs its even easier for them.

Judging by the fact we havent been fighting with West Ham and Everton etc for players, my assumption is that we are aiming higher.

And, judging by the fact that means out manouvreing the like of Utd and co, I feel I can understand why things havent happened yet.

Makes sense to me, but even then I fully accept its guesswork.

How are you so sure we are failing our strategy? And how do you know what it is? - genuine questions.

That’s my point. We all want fast and quality. It’s obviously going to cost us, and we need to get with the programme, bite the bullet, and just get it done!!

And if we cant afford to do that what options do we have?

 

[Grays_1890]

If Toby Stays without a new contract, he will just be a body. If he is going to let his contract run down, then he is unlikely to be given a place in either the Premier League or CL squads if non-HG places are at a premium. You, and he, need to be aware of the risk to him. His last big contract could quite possibly be smaller than his current one if he runs his contract down to when he is coming up to 30, with a year of no top-class football and 18 months or so of very little top-class football behind him. Clubs are not going to be crowding around trying to get him in those circumstances, and he currently appears to have only one team in for him, in any event.
Your comment about Dembele doesn't make a lot of sense, with all due respect. The World Cup finished weeks ago.

Not really, thats why Toby and his manager negotiated the fee for next year, he will be alot cheaper than this year so his wage demands won't change.

So Dembele is gonna stay then?

 

[Grays_1890]

Agree.

IF Toby stays then for his own sake ( let alone ours) he has to have a great season to attract buyers next summer. It will be no good for anyone '( especially him) to sulk and waste a season sitting on the bench.

Footballs so fooked there are always fools with cash who look through that

 

[Moby]

How do we know what our strategy is? Or, indeed, if we are executing it well or not?

Therein lies the rub.

Hand on heart, I havent a clue what our strategy is. How would I?

The club is extremely tight lipped. We only ever know things once they have happened (or as near as about to happen).

The media? Come on, its full of brick. Clickbait to drive views etc - and it plays fans like a fiddle. And thats of all clubs, though I feel with Spurs its even easier for them.

Judging by the fact we havent been fighting with West Ham and Everton etc for players, my assumption is that we are aiming higher.

And, judging by the fact that means out manouvreing the like of Utd and co, I feel I can understand why things havent happened yet.

Makes sense to me, but even then I fully accept its guesswork.

How are you so sure we are failing our strategy? And how do you know what it is? - genuine questions.




And if we cant afford to do that what options do we have?

I am sure that ours/Levy’s ‘Objective’ is to strengthen the team in a timely fashion for Poch, in order to achieve continued and increasing success on the field.
(If it isn’t, then we seriously need to start a new thread, urgently!)

In terms of me knowing the strategy to achieve this - I don’t! I was working on the assumption of what you initially explained about how we must go about our business - and extrapolating those processes into being a strategic approach to achieve something. (Again, if they aren’t for that purpose, then why bother having a football club)

So, if we can agree on the objective above as being a universal constant for a football club, and then agree that what you said about our cheap/quick/quality “you can have two of the three” etc approach, as being a ‘strategy’...

Then we can agree that what I was saying was that I’m concerned we look to be in danger of to failing in this window to execute on the above.

But as you say, Kovacic style quality on deadline day, and then we can argue we’ve hit par. We haven’t met all the goals as Poch has said many times he wants players in for the start of preseason (an indictor of what are strategy should be)

In terms of your question about ‘what do we do if we haven’t got the money”.... you can’t honetly believe we don’t have the money to go out and secure just 1 big name player early do you? We are the only club making a profit each window on deals, and throw the Tv money and champions league funds in. We have cash!

 

[Moby]

Again, just to confirm - I agree with everything you say, I really do! I’m not being a tinkley disagreeable taco either!

I just mean taking everything you say as a baseline - and let’s just make it better!!

Rather than Sissoko llorente njie Jansen and gkn - just buy one great player and then use the kids!!!

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I am sure that ours/Levy’s ‘Objective’ is to strengthen the team in a timely fashion for Poch, in order to achieve continued and increasing success on the field.
(If it isn’t, then we seriously need to start a new thread, urgently!)

In terms of me knowing the strategy to achieve this - I don’t! I was working on the assumption of what you initially explained about how we must go about our business - and extrapolating those processes into being a strategic approach to achieve something. (Again, if they aren’t for that purpose, then why bother having a football club)

So, if we can agree on the objective above as being a universal constant for a football club, and then agree that what you said about our cheap/quick/quality “you can have two of the three” etc approach, as being a ‘strategy’...

Then we can agree that what I was saying was that I’m concerned we look to be in danger of to failing in this window to execute on the above.

But as you say, Kovacic style quality on deadline day, and then we can argue we’ve hit par. We haven’t met all the goals as Poch has said many times he wants players in for the start of preseason (an indictor of what are strategy should be)

In terms of your question about ‘what do we do if we haven’t got the money”.... you can’t honetly believe we don’t have the money to go out and secure just 1 big name player early do you? We are the only club making a profit each window on deals, and throw the Tv money and champions league funds in. We have cash!

I think I see the difference here - where you say "strategy" I feel its more "necessity".

Had we £200m laying around that we could splash on 2 or 3 players, I think we might have had a bit more success already this window.

However - thats a "might" - we still have to contend with the idea of flagging a player as available and then having a bigger club poach him.

You ever watch those nature programmes? The smaller male cant find a female because all the bigger ones just beat him up and send him away, so he has to wait on the fringes and nip in for a quickie while the big fella isnt looking. Thats basically us!

 

[parklane1]

Footballs so fooked there are always fools with cash who look through that

You are spot on with the bolded bit, however i still think that if Toby spends the time on the bench sulking he would get far less offers next summer.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Again, just to confirm - I agree with everything you say, I really do! I’m not being a tinkley disagreeable taco either!

I just mean taking everything you say as a baseline - and let’s just make it better!!

Rather than Sissoko llorente njie Jansen and gkn - just buy one great player and then use the kids!!!

Id be very happy to do that - genuinely.

My line of thought here is pragmatism, not preference.

Id love to have made the 2-3 buys we really wanted all along a month ago - I just dont think we can.

 

[Grays_1890]

You are spot on with the bolded bit, however i still think that if Toby spends the time on the bench sulking he would get far less offers next summer.

If he was going to get say £170,000 from Mourinho ontop of £55m transfer he would not get the same on £24 even with a bit part roll on the bench this season??

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

If he was going to get say £170,000 from Mourinho ontop of £55m transfer he would not get the same on £24 even with a bit part roll on the bench this season??

I think he is saying, if Toby spends the season sulking like a taco and barely playing - who next summer is going to think he is worth £170k a week - or even be interested in signing him?

If Toby wants the big move, he needs to prove he is worth it.

 

[ShipOfTheseus]

If Toby barely plays, suitors will blame Poch, not him.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

HIGUAIN EXPLAINS CHELSEA SNUB

Gonzalo Higuain has been speaking about his decision to join AC Milan ahead of Chelsea.

There had been speculation that Higuain would reunite with his former Napoli head coach Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea.

However, instead he has joined Milan on an initial loan deal.

"The esteem in which I hold Sarri isn't new," said Higuain at his Milan unveiling today. "But the only person who wanted me there (at Chelsea) was him. Everyone wanted me here."


Ouch!

 

[Grays_1890]

I think he is saying, if Toby spends the season sulking like a taco and barely playing - who next summer is going to think he is worth £170k a week - or even be interested in signing him?

If Toby wants the big move, he needs to prove he is worth it.

Plenty and I strongly believe that, football is so shameless and littered with examples of it.

Managers know his quality and will take a view he sulked to leave and that will be a non issue when he gets the move he wanted to.

The fight for success is so intense managers many manager look past all that crap

 

[parklane1]

If he was going to get say £170,000 from Mourinho ontop of £55m transfer he would not get the same on £24 even with a bit part roll on the bench this season??

By the time next season comes around he will be 30 and not played top football for over a year, we also have to accept that Utd may have found another CB ( maybe Maquire) and decided to spend their money elsewhere.

I am not saying that there will be less interest in him in a years time ' (who can say) but i am not sure Toby can relie on that. He would be a fool ( imo) to sulk and sit on a bench for a whole season, lets be honest he is not at the start of his career and he may not have many seasons left for him to play.