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Summer 2018 transfer thread

You are right, it’s not Just levy that’s at fault It’s a number of people, scouts/manager and board.

I don’t see how between then they couldn’t identify and complete a single signing that is better than the squad/injury hit/want away players in the squad

Not just incomings but our goings as well.

I would have taken a serious look at Pascal Gross from Brighton, creative, tectonically very good and would have been a good squad player/alternative option to Christian for certain games.

No disrespect, but this is what I mean. Give anyone the option of signing absolutely anyone that’s realistic and can definitely improve us, and we land on Pascal Gross.

I’m sure he’s a good player. He’s done great things for Brighton. But should ENIC really be hounded out of the club because they didn’t move for him? Is he really that great for a title challenge? Does he want to leave Brighton where he’s first choice and loved to sit on our bench? Do we want him to sit on our bench when we haven’t sold Dembele and want Winks to come through?

I’m not really interested in signing players because of injuries. They’re still our players. If Wanyama is knackered and we need to move him on then I’m sure we will, and I’m sure we’ll make a big play for a DM. But we treat our players with the long term in mind. And I think we’ll give them every chance to prove they can get back to their best with us. Because it shows that if you work hard and buy into our standards, you get the loyalty in return.

I’ve seen so many ‘Winks is injured so we need a CM’. Ok, so what about when he’s back? And Dembele is fit? And we’re playing 3 at the back because we still have Toby and only playing 2 in central midfield? And Onomah’s been tearing it up in training and begging for a shot? And Wanyama’s also back?

We just need patience. Injuries on their own aren’t a reason to go out and replace people. We signed Lamela for 30M once, when he wasn’t suited to the league. Now he’s settled, and has just come back from a long injury, having had a pre-season. It was an exciting signing at the time, but because he’s been here 4 years he’s no longer a player? We spent 30M on him once, then went 16 months without being able to use him? Why aren’t we wetting ourselves with excitement that we have Lamela back in this squad? And Moura with a pre season? And Dele with WC semi experience? And and and?
 
Who, bearing in mind we didn’t get suitable offers for Toby and Dembele, do you think we should have signed? Who has moved, or was close to moving to any of our rivals, who was gettable, an obvious improvement, fits with our wage structure and transfer budget, and wasn’t going to block a path to someone already here that can be just as good?

Who were these obvious players, bearing in mind we couldn’t shift the ones we would have been happy to let go?

Depends. I am assuming our transfer budget was a resounding 0.00, as always? And that space for increases in our wage budget was similarly non-existent?

If so, those straitjackets constrain us right out the gate - entirely by choice, and entirely unnecessarily. And you know that.

Similarly, this emerging 'signings would block the path of someone just as good' narrative brings to mind Wenger citing Emmanuel Frimpong and Amaury Bischoff as a reason to avoid signing players. I fail to see who we have in our youth ranks that signings would block playtime for, given that most of them will just not make it at Spurs anyway. And do remember, we sold players like Griffiths and Bennetts while keeping Llorente around, so you're assuming that's important when it may not be the case.

So, I think you're setting a straitjacket in your head and then demanding that potential options tick those boxes. Trouble is, that straitjacket exists in your head, and in Levy's. The rest of the football world get by without it.
 
Exactly the entitled clamery I expect from that macaronic bunch of window lickers, but to do it within hours of the window closing shows that they clearly spent the entire fudging day composing it and jerking each other off over how clever they all are.

As always, the trust are an utter embarrassment, they do not speak for me.

I was looking for the words, and I couldnt settle on anything appropriate, and then I saw this.

Wish I could offer more than one like.
 
You are right, it’s not Just levy that’s at fault It’s a number of people, scouts/manager and board.

I don’t see how between then they couldn’t identify and complete a single signing that is better than the squad/injury hit/want away players in the squad

Not just incomings but our goings as well.

I would have taken a serious look at Pascal Gross from Brighton, creative, tectonically very good and would have been a good squad player/alternative option to Christian for certain games.

Don't you think Pochs quotes that have been posted today at various times go some way to explaining that? He has specifically said that he prefers having youngsters in reserve as squad players over signings that sit on the bench and that he spent time talking with Levy to make sure he understands that - he said it's hard work finding players with the right quality coupled with the right mentality to come in fit in to his specific style of play and that no signing is better than the wrong signing - if we wanted to just buy players better than our worst squad players we could have done that, but is that really what Poch wants? From what he is on record as saying i don't think you can argue that to be true tbh

Klopp as an example has seemed happy in recent windows to leave areas of the team people think they need improving alone because the right player wasn't available - he seems to prefer taking the approach that specific players for specific needs are what matters and if his main targets aren't available he will wait until they are, rather than go for a stop gap. Is that what we are seeing here? Possibly so imo
 
Hmm, playing at WHL and the comforts of home rather than Wembley should have a positive impace but not sure if it will be enough to make up 23 points, which is how far we were behing Emirates Marketing Project last season. Ultimately I'd expect us to gain more points at home however, I'd be unsurprised to see us drop points early in the season as the players still have to get used to a new stadium, the dimensions, the pitch, the dressing rooms etc.

I can only see Liverpool improving this season. Not sure if Emirates Marketing Project will get 100 points again as every team they play will see them as a major scalp this season but they're still head and shoulders above everyone else and I see them getting no less than 90 points, which is a tall order in terms of finishing above them as most years 86 points wins you the league (on average).

I'm really pleased we kept hold of our players that were linked with moves. Still think we could have done with 1-2 bodies just to freshen things up and keep the players on their toes. New signings give the squad a lift. Centre midfield is the area we are crying out for a top class player IMO. Dembele is still at a reasonably high level but you can never rely on him to play every game. Wanyama's injuries are a worry. Not overly sold on Dier. I like Winks but he also has a patch record with injuries last season.

It won’t make up 23 points... I don’t think we dropped that much at home last seasondid we??

But I don’t expect city to get a 100 again as you say

I also think Liverpool won’t like the pressure of being some people’s favourites... their not full of experience and as far as I’m aware only have Fabinho who has won anything. Plus of course teams will set up to deal with their long ball now so they may have to adapt. They have signed some good players though

I would not be surprised to see us as City’s biggest challengers

I also expect us to play with one holder now hence why no panic over the injuries that every team will get
 
Be interesting to see what the club respond with

“Nah nah nah nah nah
We’re nor listening”

The club pay lip service to the trust because it’s the right thing to do

Worryingly I’m sure I read someone at the trust works in digital marketing or something like that... their way with words is shockingly bad if they think it will force the clubs hand or alternatively get the club on board
 
“Nah nah nah nah nah
We’re nor listening”

The club pay lip service to the trust because it’s the right thing to do

Worryingly I’m sure I read someone at the trust works in digital marketing or something like that... their way with words is shockingly bad if they think it will force the clubs hand or alternatively get the club on board

I don't think the Trust are trying to force the hand of the club, or to get the club on board with anything.

They can't do the former - they are absolutely powerless, as are the supporters of literally every English club save for AFC Wimbledon.

And the club would clearly rather burn itself to the ground before spending a penny on improving the team, at least in net terms.

So all they do is issue statements, which is about all they can do. And I think that one's pretty well-written.
 
It’s a long time (ever?) since I read so much guff on this forum. Just because Jim White thinks it’s the way to behave doesn’t mean it’s right.

Honestly, some folks (and that includes a few who are usually very sensible) need to get a grip.
 
His value has fallen that low?

He actually got a lot of minutes last season, rarely seems to be injured and has a good level of fitness and is fairly versatile. As a 5th choice squad option you could do a lot worse, I expect he'll start at least 20 premiership games including this weekend as well.
 
I don't think the Trust are trying to force the hand of the club, or to get the club on board with anything.

They can't do the former - they are absolutely powerless, as are the supporters of literally every English club save for AFC Wimbledon.

And the club would clearly rather burn itself to the ground before spending a penny on improving the team, at least in net terms.

So all they do is issue statements, which is about all they can do. And I think that one's pretty well-written.

It’s how you word the message IMO and they just always end up negative

That never endears yourself to the people you targeting unless they only want to get more unhappy fans paying their tenners
 
And people still forget the issue of non homegrown players

We’re caught in a massive clusterfudge with that ruling

We can only shift players that people want and we need to shift some of the fringe foreign ones first
It’s a poor excuse. For the PL squad rules I think we are 1 over and that includes Jansson and N’Koudou. Both could easily be sold/loaned out it’s just that Levy might have to take a bit of a hit on the price or subsidise some of the wages.
 
brick.

AshleyOut. fudge off.

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