Transfers, 2024-25 season

[wykikitoon 20733]

We have had one of the hardest set of fixtures in the prem to start with. Barnes will get his run.

[Dr Gloom 22149]

2 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

We have had one of the hardest set of fixtures in the prem to start with. Barnes will get his run.

I agree. Barnes is a good player and will get his chance.

 

But Maddison is one we were linked with for a long time so you can’t help wonder what might have been when he has started so brilliantly for his new club while our signings have yet to make an impact. Ditto Diaby

[PaddockLad 17654]

19 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

I agree. Barnes is a good player and will get his chance.

 

But Maddison is one we were linked with for a long time so you can’t help wonder what might have been when he has started so brilliantly for his new club while our signings have yet to make an impact. Ditto Diaby

And many possibly even your good self said we don’t play with a Maddison type player. 
 

We can’t have it both ways, hindsight is for daft shites

 

First proper bad trot under Howe. He was the second coming of Christ three months ago. There’s a lot of bandwidth being used up by knee jerk nonsense. Let’s see what happens 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Dr Gloom 22149]

34 minutes ago, PaddockLad said:

And many possibly even your good self said we don’t play with a Maddison type player. 
 

We can’t have it both ways, hindsight is for daft shites

 

First proper bad trot under Howe. He was the second coming of Christ three months ago. There’s a lot of bandwidth being used up by knee jerk nonsense. Let’s see what happens 🤷🏻‍♂️

Howe has lots and lots of credit in the bank, for me. It’s easy to forget that we outperformed so highly last season. Expectations are obviously raised so he’s a victim of his own success in that sense and success last year doesn’t mean we’re guaranteed to repeat it this season. You have to back him to turn it around after a tough start. 
 

Anyone calling for him to be sacked doesn’t know there arse from their elbow but there’s nothing wrong with using this platform to discuss where we may have got tactics or signings wrong 

 

EDIT - I wanted Maddison but also acknowledged we would have to change the system or play him out of position to accommodate him 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Dr Gloom

[Kid Dynamite 7170]

Interesting insight on the documentary about our transfer planning. Obviously open to interpretation, but it looks like
 

- Burn is considered a CB in the long run by the club.
- Dummet and Ritchie were always going to stay

- We were after a 6/back up for Bruno, rather than someone to play alongside him 

- Anderson greyed out suggests the plan was for him to be on the fringes 

- We hadn't planned on buying any wingers until ASM went

- We wanted a 3rd striker (low priority)

- Given Barnes was a direct replacement for ASM, we bought one player less than planned (RCB)

 

 

You wonder whether Tonali wasn't really the type of MF we were after, but when he became available we felt he was too good to turn down. It's early days, but trying to shoe horn him and Bruno in together seems to be upsetting the team balance atm. I'd be tempted to give Longy a run of games. We looked light in midfield when he was injured at the back end of last season. And without Willock's work rate we are getting overrun far too often in midfield. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Kid Dynamite

[wykikitoon 20733]

5 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said:

Interesting insight on the documentary about our transfer planning. Obviously open to interpretation, but it looks like
 

- Burn is considered a CB in the long run by the club.
- Dummet and Ritchie were always going to stay

- We were after a 6/back up for Bruno, rather than someone to play alongside him 

- Anderson greyed out suggests the plan was for him to be on the fringes 

- We hadn't planned on buying any wingers until ASM went

- We wanted a 3rd striker (low priority)

 

 

You wonder whether Tonali wasn't really the type of MF we were after, but when he became available we felt he was too good to turn down. It's early days, but trying to shoe horn him and Bruno in together seems to be upsetting the team balance atm. I'd be tempted to give Longy a run of games. We looked light in midfield when he was injured at the back end of last season. And without Willock's work rate we are getting overrun far too often in midfield. 

That does look like they're in preference order. If so man that LB spot looks awful. 

[Dr Gloom 22149]

28 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said:

Interesting insight on the documentary about our transfer planning. Obviously open to interpretation, but it looks like
 

- Burn is considered a CB in the long run by the club.
- Dummet and Ritchie were always going to stay

- We were after a 6/back up for Bruno, rather than someone to play alongside him 

- Anderson greyed out suggests the plan was for him to be on the fringes 

- We hadn't planned on buying any wingers until ASM went

- We wanted a 3rd striker (low priority)

 

 

You wonder whether Tonali wasn't really the type of MF we were after, but when he became available we felt he was too good to turn down. It's early days, but trying to shoe horn him and Bruno in together seems to be upsetting the team balance atm. I'd be tempted to give Longy a run of games. We looked light in midfield when he was injured at the back end of last season. And without Willock's work rate we are getting overrun far too often in midfield. 

yeah, it looks like we now have three options at RCM but still only one at DM. I suppose the idea is to rotate Bruno and Tonali in the deeper role without it being either player’s preferred position.
 

We have loads of options across the midfield and forward options now but wonder if we might regret not recruiting a more natural defensive midfielder as first choice in that position to free the rest of them up.

 

Bruno and Tonali playing together as “number 8s” in front of someone like Alvarez, who we were linked with before he went to West Ham, might have been a better solution. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Dr Gloom

[Kid Dynamite 7170]

Also, Burn and Lascelles as starting CBs is the stuff of nightmares. Let's hope Schar hasn't done his hammy and that Botman is back soon 

[Alex 35583]

I think the problem with the centre backs yesterday was a combo of 4 main things - them not having played together recently, Ferguson having a really good game and Targett having a fucking mare. But mainly the midfield 3 completely misfiring individually and as a unit, letting the opposition have far too much possession. 
I do trust Howe of course but there is a lot to sort out. Another thing is starting Isak (a must 9 times out of 10 when fit imo) but getting his teammates close to him. He’s looked isolated in the last couple of games. I don’t think Howe will do it but I would like to try him as a 10 on a 4-2-3-1, behind Wilson, as a fair few of us have mentioned as an option. 
It’s not easy and it’s not like a computer simulation like. You fix one thing and that creates different problems but we’re getting overrun a bit at times in CM anyway. Willock and Longstaff’s running is a big miss. Teams couldn’t handle it last year. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Alex

[Dr Gloom 22149]

Willock’s energy in the press has been a big miss 

[Alex 35583]

6 hours ago, wykikitoon said:

We have had one of the hardest set of fixtures in the prem to start with. Barnes will get his run.

It’s not an exact science but someone posted something the other week showing our first 5 games were comfortably the toughest in the division 

[aimaad22 4222]

6 hours ago, Kid Dynamite said:

Also, Burn and Lascelles as starting CBs is the stuff of nightmares. Let's hope Schar hasn't done his hammy and that Botman is back soon 

 

You would hope the plan is to get to January and Botman and Schar hold up till then. But I dunno if we have the FFP room to make a 30-40M CB singing then either. 

 

This might be the first transfer misstep we've made under the new regime, time will tell but currently we seem to have excessive options of the same type in midfield while championship level defenders as soon as one of the starters gets injured. I hope that's the last time we see Targett start for us, at least we got Hall in. 

 

[Kid Dynamite 7170]

I think it was Alex who said we had outgrown Targett quicker than expected. He did well for 6 months after we signed him and was better than what we had under Bruce. But we went into warp speed last season and you can tell he's now clearly a step below Trippier, Botman etc. 

 

Dummet wants to thank his lucky stars he's come through the academy and counts towards the homegrown quota or he would have been on loan at Rotherham this season 

[Kid Dynamite 7170]

Miggy's replacement taking the piss in Holland  

 

 

 

[LondonBlue 815]

On 30/08/2023 at 18:45, wykikitoon said:

Can't believe City have allowed Palmer to go to Chelsea.  What you thinking @LondonBlue

It happened whilst i was on holiday so nothing i could do.

we wanted him to stay but he wants game time and thinks he'll get it at chelsea.

he won't get the fan backing from them that he did from us, being one of our own.  mind you i have a feeling he might be a red by birth! especially given he's cost them a fair few bob.

i see him as an inferior english version of Joao Felix but the potential is there to be better. brilliant even.

but who should play fewer minutes for us to accomadate more minutes for him.

probably a good deal all round.

 

still feel sad about it though

 

[MMXXVIII 1295]

16 hours ago, PaddockLad said:

And many possibly even your good self said we don’t play with a Maddison type player. 
 

We can’t have it both ways, hindsight is for daft shites

 

First proper bad trot under Howe. He was the second coming of Christ three months ago. There’s a lot of bandwidth being used up by knee jerk nonsense. Let’s see what happens 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

Same cunts will be licking his hoop if we wallop Brentford. Emotional roller coaster riding losers in life.

[OTF 7489]

17 hours ago, Dr Gloom said:

I agree. Barnes is a good player and will get his chance.

 

But Maddison is one we were linked with for a long time so you can’t help wonder what might have been when he has started so brilliantly for his new club while our signings have yet to make an impact. Ditto Diaby

 

Barnes had an impact against Aston Villa. Diaby has started well, but I wouldn't say brilliantly. Did nothing against Liverpool when for us Gordon in the same position against them was the best player on the pitch.

 

Maddison will make hay while the sun shines but last season he showed that he can go missing when the going gets tough. We do lack that sort of creativity though, you can't deny it.

[wykikitoon 20733]

7 hours ago, LondonBlue said:

It happened whilst i was on holiday so nothing i could do.

we wanted him to stay but he wants game time and thinks he'll get it at chelsea.

he won't get the fan backing from them that he did from us, being one of our own.  mind you i have a feeling he might be a red by birth! especially given he's cost them a fair few bob.

i see him as an inferior english version of Joao Felix but the potential is there to be better. brilliant even.

but who should play fewer minutes for us to accomadate more minutes for him.

probably a good deal all round.

 

still feel sad about it though

 

A few pictures on socials this weekend shows him in Man United kit.  Bell Pipe.

[Dr Gloom 22149]

8 hours ago, OTF said:

 

Barnes had an impact against Aston Villa. Diaby has started well, but I wouldn't say brilliantly. Did nothing against Liverpool when for us Gordon in the same position against them was the best player on the pitch.

 

Maddison will make hay while the sun shines but last season he showed that he can go missing when the going gets tough. We do lack that sort of creativity though, you can't deny it.

 

I rate Barnes and agree he will get his chance. Does feel like another expensive signing that we didn't necessarily need to make as we have plenty of options in that position. A bit like Livramento at right back. I suspect it was a case of those players becoming available rather than them being our main targets going into the window. Maddison is different in that sense because he's a proper playmaking number 10, and we don't really have a player like that on our books. Alvarez at West Ham is another one you look at and wonder whether that was a position we might have been better off spending that kind of cash on. 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Dr Gloom

[Gemmill 46030]

This goes back to what we were talking about during the window. We've bought Hall and Livramento because these were targets we had identified and deals came up for them. So we moved before anyone else did, and rather than delaying and seeing their value go up or someone else get them.

 

We haven't bought a CB because, of the targets we identified, a deal wasn't doable during the window, so we moved on the players that we could.

 

It's obviously not as simple as "you went for a loaf of bread, why have you come back with a pint of milk". We're gonna get there, but not in one window, and in the meantime we'll lack balance in the squad.

 

We overcame that last season by massively exceeding expectations that anyone had for the squad. I would love for us to make CL again this season, but I think we probably just need to see top 7 as the goal rather than thinking 4th is now the baseline on which we should improve.

[thebrokendoll 9456]

7 minutes ago, Gemmill said:

This goes back to what we were talking about during the window. We've bought Hall and Livramento because these were targets we had identified and deals came up for them. So we moved before anyone else did, and rather than delaying and seeing their value go up or someone else get them.

 

We haven't bought a CB because, of the targets we identified, a deal wasn't doable during the window, so we moved on the players that we could.

 

It's obviously not as simple as "you went for a loaf of bread, why have you come back with a pint of milk". We're gonna get there, but not in one window, and in the meantime we'll lack balance in the squad.

 

We overcame that last season by massively exceeding expectations that anyone had for the squad. I would love for us to make CL again this season, but I think we probably just need to see top 7 as the goal rather than thinking 4th is now the baseline on which we should improve.

 

hopefully we'll improve enough to avoid relegation.

[wykikitoon 20733]

We are still in very early days of a long term plan.  We are basically still in the foundation phase.  We have done some underpinning, now we are moving onto the better foundations.

[Dr Gloom 22149]

23 minutes ago, Gemmill said:

This goes back to what we were talking about during the window. We've bought Hall and Livramento because these were targets we had identified and deals came up for them. So we moved before anyone else did, and rather than delaying and seeing their value go up or someone else get them.

 

We haven't bought a CB because, of the targets we identified, a deal wasn't doable during the window, so we moved on the players that we could.

 

It's obviously not as simple as "you went for a loaf of bread, why have you come back with a pint of milk". We're gonna get there, but not in one window, and in the meantime we'll lack balance in the squad.

 

We overcame that last season by massively exceeding expectations that anyone had for the squad. I would love for us to make CL again this season, but I think we probably just need to see top 7 as the goal rather than thinking 4th is now the baseline on which we should improve.

 

yeah, that's where i'm at, particularly with all the extra games we've got this season. the stars aligned last year, with spurs, liverpool and chelsea all underperforming, and we got pretty lucky with injuries - we were lucky enough to be able to field the same back four pretty much all season. we managed three games before one of them picked up an injury this time. 

 

any sort of european qualification will still be an achievement. we still don't have the squad depth to think we'll definitely repeat or better last year's position. that's not to say we can't do it again but we have to be realistic. we came a long way very quickly, and the teams around us have all improved too. spurs, liverpool, villa and west ham have all bought well. 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Dr Gloom

[Dr Gloom 22149]

i hope we can all just enjoy the ride. have to say i was proud again to watch our away end signing songs about europe at the end of the brighton game despite the result and performance. other fans may have have given them stick or left early but ours all stayed on to applaud them and sing. the players must be inspired by that rather than worrying about what dickhead are saying on twitter. 

[Gemmill 46030]

42 minutes ago, thebrokendoll said:

 

hopefully we'll improve enough to avoid relegation.

 

 

Somebody's woken up on the wrong side of the bed.