What one tries to look for is some sign of progress when one goes from one season to the next. For me personally, I just don't see that if the likes of zabaletta signs on what, I should imagine, might be a mighty fat pay packet. Just doesn't inspire confidence that there is a longer term strategy in place..
Maybe someone like Ayew, Fletcher, Feghouli, Snodgrass, Lanzini, Ogbonna, Byram, Antonio, Masuaku, Obiang, Kouyate, (im not going to go on but you catch my drift)
I think it should only be one of Defoe or Zabaleta, frees are fine but its the wages that will cause problems with our FFP . I would rather we try and build a team for the next 5 years than stop gaps for one or two
To be fair, Zab would be a good shortish term RB while Byram hopefully learns a few things ( like not pulling shirts all the time and thinking that its compulsory to get a yellow card when there's no danger!) - I admit I'd like Defoe too.If he can bang in around 15 a season for the next two years while people like Fletcher learn from him I'd be pleased. We need more than just Defoe though and I doubt it'll be easy to even get him
I just took a look at all of the PL squads currently to see how many players have been in each club's first team squad for 5 years or more, and there are not many at all.
8: Arsenal 7: Manchester City, Manchester United 6: West Brom 5: Bournemouth, Stoke 4: Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton, Leicester, Swansea 3: Southampton, West Ham, Sunderland 2: Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Middlesbrough 1: Watford 0: Hull
Obviously, we want to build a side that stays together for years to come. But that isn't realistic in the modern game. I think it says a lot that the 3 sides with the most are sides up the top end of the division. and West Brom's long servicemen aren't exactly the most sought after players (Foster, Yacob, Morrison, Brunt, McAuley, Dawson). These days, the vast majority of players who impress (for mid table clubs especially) do not stay for 5 years.
So, the point I am trying to make is that, signing players who will do a job for 2 or 3 years isn't finding a 'stop gap' solution. That is a long term signing in the Premier League these days.
For me, if you saw him playing for another club all the times we've seen him in our side, would anyone be typing here 'I hope we sign him'? He could turn into a great player but at the time we need a striker who's at a higher level. No offense to the lad
Alderz what I meant by stop gap is we may get 1-2 years but then need to replace these players and we have the whole situation again . I would rather sign players who can play for 3-5 years . Defoe scoring record dropped off since Jan and Zabaleta has been a great right back but I feel his best days are past him both would command a rumoured 100K a week which could unsettle the other players who are on a lot less and mess up what we can offer players who we are trying to sign long term. I get that football is becoming more and more short term /short sighted . ;hmm Also Zabelta has been playing for Man City I think in our team he may struggle abit, we signed Fonte who was is experienced and he has n't really been that great we need pace in our team .
For me he just isn't a goal scorer regardless of the positions he finds himself in, I would expect any "top striker" that West Ham should be looking at, to fill the gap we need, to be able to make the intelligent runs and find themselves in the good positions and actually score.
I don't think we will but I would do as much as possible to shift Sakho and Carroll also and be done with the injury ravaged saga we have upfront. But I don't think anyone will be buying either of them and will be with us until their contracts are done.
Agreed, See Fonte and Snodgrass as examples both have not performed anywhere near the level they were at, at their previous clubs. We need people in their prime and at the level now. There are so many teams that have tried the tail end approach and go down because of it because they come stuck 2 years down the line when they cannot replace everyone.
I don't expect anything special happening in the summer apart from more guess who we could have signed I think it will be another load of free's the wrong end of there career and loans with one over priced striker with injury record that matches carroll's coming in ....
Iheanacho and Batshuayi are the guys we should try everything to get
Both are at top clubs, struggled for game time and both of their clubs will probably invest heavily this summer limiting their game time even more
Both are young and both could represent a big profit for us, I'm sure they would love to prove themselves but after the season we have had we'll probably struggle to get these players.......
I'm sure we can get either 1 whether it's a loan move or a permanent one
Feel free to be as disappointed as you like with our transfer business, but to classify it as 'free's the wrong end of there career' is simply not reflective of our recent transfer activity.
I dont think Iheanacho is a risk. Would love to have him at West Ham! A loan could be achievable if Aguero doesnt leave. He'll be watching him and Jesus from the bench otherwise. Behind the strikers will be hard for him to get in as well
I also think Chelsea will buy at least one more striker (2 if Costa leaves). I want Bats too. Not changing my handle for nothing!
The player who plays best starts. Same for every position. Nobody should be signed as a starter and nobody should be signed as a backup. You aim for two players for each position and the one who does the best on the pitch gets to start.
To an extent I agree Jorderz, but if I had to pick a right back for the start of next season now, based on what I've seen of Byram and Zabaleta this season, it would comfortably be the latter
Yes but you let Zab come in and earn it. If he's playing terribly and Byram is playing excellent then Byram starts. You don't just carry on playing Zab no matter how he performs just because you signed him to be a starter. You just judge it based on who plays better.
If Byram out-performs Zabaleta in pre-season then absolutely he deserves to start. But for me, as it stands, Zabaleta is a better right back than Byram so he would be my first choice
Comments
He's not on an upward trajectory that's for sure.
Also he's a good leader. Id be happy if we signed him tbh
I'd be happy with signing Zabs on a free, reading around the City fans seem totally gutted he's being allowed to leave.
8: Arsenal
7: Manchester City, Manchester United
6: West Brom
5: Bournemouth, Stoke
4: Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton, Leicester, Swansea
3: Southampton, West Ham, Sunderland
2: Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Middlesbrough
1: Watford
0: Hull
Obviously, we want to build a side that stays together for years to come. But that isn't realistic in the modern game. I think it says a lot that the 3 sides with the most are sides up the top end of the division. and West Brom's long servicemen aren't exactly the most sought after players (Foster, Yacob, Morrison, Brunt, McAuley, Dawson). These days, the vast majority of players who impress (for mid table clubs especially) do not stay for 5 years.
So, the point I am trying to make is that, signing players who will do a job for 2 or 3 years isn't finding a 'stop gap' solution. That is a long term signing in the Premier League these days.
I don't think we will but I would do as much as possible to shift Sakho and Carroll also and be done with the injury ravaged saga we have upfront. But I don't think anyone will be buying either of them and will be with us until their contracts are done.
Agreed, See Fonte and Snodgrass as examples both have not performed anywhere near the level they were at, at their previous clubs. We need people in their prime and at the level now. There are so many teams that have tried the tail end approach and go down because of it because they come stuck 2 years down the line when they cannot replace everyone.
guess who we could have signed I think it will be another load of free's the wrong
end of there career and loans with one over priced striker with injury record that matches carroll's coming in ....
just saying ;hmm
Both are at top clubs, struggled for game time and both of their clubs will probably invest heavily this summer limiting their game time even more
Both are young and both could represent a big profit for us, I'm sure they would love to prove themselves but after the season we have had we'll probably struggle to get these players.......
I'm sure we can get either 1 whether it's a loan move or a permanent one
Need to take a risk and hope it pays
Feel free to be as disappointed as you like with our transfer business, but to classify it as 'free's the wrong end of there career' is simply not reflective of our recent transfer activity.
This season, we laid out just shy of £71m pounds.
Average age of permanent signings: 26
The year before we spent £45m on transfers.
I also think Chelsea will buy at least one more striker (2 if Costa leaves). I want Bats too. Not changing my handle for nothing!
#wannabe in charge of transfers