Summer 2017 Transfer Speculation

Yeoldhammer

Unfortunately we have to many bang average players 2 or 3 decent additions isn't getting us anywhere when you include other teams improving.

IronHerb

I'm not sure how signing a RB and Striker is going to stop us conceding 60 goals. ;hmm

We need to buy the 2-3 quality players we didn't sign last summer along with 2-3 quality players for this summer.
You need to buy 2-3 'better' players just to stand still in this league.

ASLEFshrugged

The Guardian says that Snoddy might be off in the summer, possibly to Newcastle as Benitez wanted to sign him in January.

Mentions that "at times certain team-mates seemed slightly reluctant to give him the ball." Anybody notice that?

IronHerb

I have noticed him at times reluctant to get involved.

Pearces_Left_Foot

I don't think every team automatically get better every summer we certainly did nt other teams can lose their better players to bigger clubs. Would rather we sign three and four quality players than spread the money too thin . GK RB ST AM We have the basis of a decent team it needs balance we also have Oxford And other youngsters . We also have no European football so hopefully a better preseason .

OutcastLondoner

IronHerb said:

I'm not sure how signing a RB and Striker is going to stop us conceding 60 goals. ;hmm

We need to buy the 2-3 quality players we didn't sign last summer along with 2-3 quality players for this summer.
You need to buy 2-3 'better' players just to stand still in this league.

We brought in a lot of players this season, didn't improve us, did it? I'd rather see 3-4 high quality signings than a bunch of average ones. Whatever our budget is, I'd rather it's spread over 3 or 4 players than 6.

How many times have we seen a team make a load of signings in the summer then struggle to embed them when the season started?

I feel part of why we concede so many goals is because we're so disjointed as a team and have little outlet up front. We weren't exactly solid last season but at least out attacking quality eased the pressure on the back. RB is obviously a big gap...

Buying another three extra players isn't going to stop us making mistakes every game either.

Yeoldhammer

if the budget is 30m it isnt going to get you 3 - 4 additions though.

OutcastLondoner

Definitely isn't going to get 6 then.

Fortuneseeker

How much will we be getting from the Premier League as that should give us an idea on how large our budget should be for transfers?

Lukerz

Last year we went:

Tomkins - Reid - Ogbonna - Cresswell

Then

Antonio - Reid - Ogbonna - Cresswell

At the minute it's:

Byram - Fonte - Collins - Masuaku

That is shocking in comparison.

Shame Antonio decided he was 'too big' for RB. That's where our problems began.

grey_til_I_dye

Shame Antonio decided he was 'too big' for RB. That's where our problems began.

That's based on what, exactly, Lukerz ;hmm

IronHerb

Antonio at RB was the start of our problems.

MrsGrey

Slaven_A_Laugh_Lukerz said:

Shame Antonio decided he was 'too big' for RB. That's where our problems began.

Even accepting your premise, I think they began a lot further back than that.

Lukerz

The fact was Bilic put faith in MA and wanted him to play at RB. He then bowed down to the wishes of the player and was made to replace him with Arbeloa, Byram, Nordtveit, Kouyate.

His reaction at Chelsea on day one set the tone for the season.

Fortuneseeker

Mrs G, square pegs in round holes springs to mind. ;whistle

grey_til_I_dye

He then bowed down to the wishes of the player

He then realised he was wasting Antonio's attacking value, and not getting a particularly good defender into the bargain.

We can all make stuff up, Luke.

I'm just not sure what value it has, apart from promoting a narrative that may well not have anything to do with reality.

Lukerz

So I would expect the following to be moved on in the summer:

Adrian
Nordtveit
Feghouli
Calleri
Fletcher (loan)
Valencia
Sakho
Snodgrass
Arbeloa
Tore

TBH I wouldn't mind Masuaku and Fernandes also being moved on but they have probably been the brightest of a terrible bunch.

That's 10 players out.

buffybegood

Luke

I think you're being unnecessarily harsh on Antonio. He's not a RB, he filled in there when we had no alternative last season, but that is not where he wants to play, or is best suited to play, long term.

It wasn't rocket science to see, and was imo a big mistake by Bilic to see Antonio as a RB when the summer recruitment was going on. Antonio undoubtedly made his feelings clear yet, it seems, Bilic refused to listen so the blame lies with Bilic imo. If Bilic decides he wants to play Carroll in goal, does Carroll have to just do it even though he knows that there are better players to play in goal and that he can play better elsewhere on the pitch? Everyone except Bilic could see that Antonio was a liability at RB and also a loss further up the pitch when played at RB, yet you put the blame on Antonio not Bilic?

Lukerz

Grey - well he decided all that in one 50 minute cameo, after playing him 14 times there the season before? 50 minutes? The following week he was back at WG.

Yeah I have no actual proof, but I can read between the lines on that one without any.

Lukerz

Buffy - compare his approach to that of Kouyate...

I thought Antonio was a talented RWB, in the mould of Victor Moses or Kyle Walker. I thought he had potential there.

buffybegood

Slaven_A_Laugh_Lukerz said:

Buffy - compare his approach to that of Kouyate...



I thought Antonio was a talented RWB, in the mould of Victor Moses or Kyle Walker. I thought he had potential there.

But Bilic wanted him as a RB, not a RWB, they're very different positions. If we were going to be playing 3-5-2 every week, I can see an argument for Antonio at RWB, but he's not a RB and never will be (imo).

Also, Kouyate knew he was only filling in, as Antonio was originally last season; he hadn't been told that Bilic intended that to be his position full stop.

baracks_a_hammer

I personally think that anyone who thinks that the Dave's are going to go on a massive spending spree and let Slav choose the players we buy are going to be sadly disappointed. Seven of those "out" players in Luke's list above are slav's from just this season - they may well now not trust his judgement

The Dave's may well keep Slav but I doubt they will extend his contract at the same time. All of which potentially points to a "treading water" season 17/18 to accompany the manager's contract meandering to a gradual end, much as what happened with Sam.

Fortuneseeker

Can't honestly see all ten on the list going, possibly 3 may be four, if you include Fletcher who was rated higher, according to some sources, to Rashford when he was at Old Trafford. Fernandes is one for the future and see no sense in him going but a lot of what is going on at the moment I see no logic to.

ASLEFshrugged

Antonio was a terrible RB and clearly unhappy playing a role he didn't feel he was suited to. He's been a lot better playing further up the pitch and playing him in defence was a waste.

Calleri and Tore will return to their parent clubs, Arbeloa was just on a season long contract and Adrian is out of contract too. We might try selling Sakho again like we did last summer as he's only got one season left

The rest we're pretty much stuck with unless they want to leave

Deal with it

AdMeus_CaputFilius

baracks_a_hammer said:

I personally think that anyone who thinks that the Dave's are going to go on a massive spending spree and let Slav choose the players we buy are going to be sadly disappointed. Seven of those "out" players in Luke's list above are slav's from just signings during Slavs management this season - they may well now not never trust his let him sign the players he wants in his judgement, preferring to rely on their own and that of their advisers.

- fixed that for you ;wink

But were they though? Or was it more the case of Slav being told "these are the players that are available for the money we have - which ones would you like?" I would imagine Slav had others in mind that were not included and others who might have been, and could have been better than what we got, who may have declined the invitation to join us.

Its a bit like pointing to the chocolate section in a sweet shop to a child telling them to pick what they want "but not the Lindt or Green & Black brands or similar - only the shop own brands but you can have a Cadbury's/Galaxy/Nestle, as well but only one mind you."

MrsGrey

He would have known when he took the job that the premium chocolates were not on the agenda. Unless he's an idiot.

IronHerb

But DS promised premium chocolate last summer.

grey_til_I_dye

IH

He actually promised to make the cost of premium chocolates available (and agreed a deal for one) - but that doesn't mean you are going to be able to buy one if they are limited in supply, and, unusually for chocolates, are allowed to choose who they go to...

Fortuneseeker

grey,

Good point but we shouldn't be shopping at Harrods and then end up getting something from Lidl?

See John Terry is available. ;wink

grey_til_I_dye

Fortune

But imagine the faces of the kids if you told them there was no chocolate at all...