Still much work to do on Antony, also De Jong is drifting further away by the day
Have we signed anyone yet? | Yes, with stupid tax
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There is incompetence of course but our main problem is the attitude of our owners.
Malacia, Martinez, De Jong and Eriksen would be a decent but underwhelming windows tbh.
A midfield of Eriksen, De Jong and Bruno would not work. Eriksen looks like the Mata replacement to me.
Potentially 3 bench players and one starter isn't too exciting. A step in the right direction but loads need to be done before we can cement a place in the top four.
A midfield of Eriksen, De Jong and Bruno would not work. Eriksen looks like the Mata replacement to me.
Potentially 3 bench players and one starter isn't too exciting. A step in the right direction but loads need to be done before we can cement a place in the top four.
You are absolutely bang on, still think Dembele will go to Chelsea if not then definitely Raphinha
Need absolute minimum of 3 first XI players
We aren’t after a CDM. We won’t be playing with one as long as he gets DeJong and Eriksen
You underestimate Eriksen
Are they? We’ve finished ahead of them 4/7 seasons, they’ve just loaned out their 100m striker signing to get rid of him, they have/will lose 3 starting CBs, huge question marks over 2 of their 3 CMs in Jorginho and Kante and they want to get rid of Werner, Pulisic and Ziyech - 3 big signings they’ve spent 140m on in the last 3 seasons. So just the defence, midfield and attack that needs an entire rebuild. Miles ahead of us.
Can't see De Jong happening, therefore focus has to be on a cheap DM and maybe pair with Eriksen
I don’t know if EtH plays with DM mentality. I could see him maybe lining up a different but similar player. Don’t know who. Nunes?
I hope so. Erisken on song was a delight to watch
Must admit had hoped we would have had more buisness done by now so they could go on tour and work in the squad to give themselves the best chance. Guess it was to be expected when Ragnick left and ETH was coming in. Especially if the rumour of them throwing out the transfer list they had planned is true.
Yeah this window has blown up
Eriksen is a lovely player but a midfield of him, Bruno and de jong would leave us horrendously open. It doesn't seem like we are after another deep lying midfielder but we sure as shit should be
Martinez? He might alternate beteween CDM and CB.
I understand the fans frustrations been there myself, however this time we have a bona fide top class manager. The pessimism is infectious which is understandable after last season but if any of the other teams around us had secured Ten Hag we would be looking on enviously. ETH adds 10 percent to this team who remember haven’t really been coached that well and still finished second season before this (something we desperately need to hold on to
) To be honest we need both but not having them if he can integrate a few of the youngsters into the first team squad ill be more than happy with that. I do think we will get one if not both of them.
Your optimism is intoxicating. I want more!I understand the fans frustrations been there myself, however this time we have a bona fide top class manager. The pessimism is infectious which is understandable after last season but if any of the other teams around us had secured Ten Hag we would be looking on enviously. ETH adds 10 percent to this team who remember haven’t really been coached that well and still finished second season before this (something we desperately need to hold on to
Yeah I don’t get this DM mania. We aren’t West Ham, or managed by Jose (although many still wish we were
).Whether losing Pogba, Matić and Mata and replacing them with De Jong and Eriksen is enough is open to question though, however much the two in are better or more useful than the three leavers. Fred is ok, McTominay will need substantial work to be turned into an ETH player, and Donny is still an enigma. It’s placing a hell of a lot of pressure on the new boys who might (yes even Eriksen) take a while to settle in; likewise the youngsters. It’s great that the latter are definitely going to have to be given playing time; let’s hope they step up.
I know it’s only a highlight reel, but Nunes looks pretty good. And he isn’t Dutch and hasn’t played for Ajax, so he’d stop some of the moaning and “concern” on here…
We’re having a nightmare of a transfer window so far on every front, considering what the rival teams are doing
Our new rivals or our traditional ones?
Eriksen is more of an AM/#10 and would play with two CMs behind him IMO. Someone will have to partner Dejong in midfield but I don’t think it’ll be him. Eriksen would play in a more advanced role.
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Both, I guess.
I don't know. I wouldn't bet against us matching last year's achievements.
I'm not sure how anyone can be positive right now. As currently constructed it would be a challenge to make top half let alone top 4. So many holes to fill still with this roster it is ridiculous. Time quickly running out to get started positive this season.
Top 4 is very improbable, but top half? Surely that's pushing it a bit too far.
I think FDJ, Eriksen, Malacia and another player would be a decent window. FDJ and Eriksen would bring something to midfield that we've badly missed last season.
The only worry is that we're not really strengthening out starting 11 significantly, and Ronaldo looks out the door.
Sterling to Chelsea and Haaland to City for god sake! We were already so far behind... Nunez to Pool (although they've lost Mane in fairness). Spurs have made a couple signings also.
In the window where we need to be really adding significant signings, it looks a little underwhelming, even if I do like the profile of player we're targeting. Let's hope the squad truly was underperforming by a huge amount last season, because all of those around us have strengthened, and we were so far behind to begin with.
The only worry is that we're not really strengthening out starting 11 significantly, and Ronaldo looks out the door.
Sterling to Chelsea and Haaland to City for god sake! We were already so far behind... Nunez to Pool (although they've lost Mane in fairness). Spurs have made a couple signings also.
In the window where we need to be really adding significant signings, it looks a little underwhelming, even if I do like the profile of player we're targeting. Let's hope the squad truly was underperforming by a huge amount last season, because all of those around us have strengthened, and we were so far behind to begin with.
Dunno, I have a suspicion that he will go deeper like scholes as he aged. Give us more control of the ball
Not really. Who is going to be the main goalscorer for us? Without Ronaldo it pretty much falls on rashford/martial to score from open play. Our central midfield will essentially be mcfred every single game unless garner is to be trusted more. I mean the midfield quality we currently have is even worse than last year, which is saying something. Even just our ideal starting 11 right now is embarrassing and that doesn't include injuries or anything of that sort
Anywhere between 6th and 10th for me. Fighting with West Ham, Leicester, Villa and possibly Newcastle.
Bold prediction.
EtH is not getting the support he needs to hit the ground running
ETH is a top appointment but people posting that it's enough to guarantee improvements have blinkers on unfortunately.
When Pep arrived at City with a much better squad already in place he got Gundogan, Stones, Sane, Jesus and Bravo (amongst others). His style of players in key positions. Klopp in his first summer window got Mane, Matip and Wijnaldum (amongst others). Look at how Conte has been backed since arriving at Spurs. Chelsea will invest big, and Arsenal are revamping intelligently.
Every other serious club has addressed vulnerabilities in their squad and improved. Our squad is weaker than it was in May. And it was bad then.
We are going to need a mad last 4 weeks (signing per week?) this window to reach the bare minimum of expectation for this summer.
None of the major areas of concern have been addressed in the squad in my opinion, and it doesn't look like we're planning on sorting a number of these anytime soon (RB, ST, CDM).
I get that Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can make a better start than this. Realistically, this window has been a massive disappointment so far.
When Pep arrived at City with a much better squad already in place he got Gundogan, Stones, Sane, Jesus and Bravo (amongst others). His style of players in key positions. Klopp in his first summer window got Mane, Matip and Wijnaldum (amongst others). Look at how Conte has been backed since arriving at Spurs. Chelsea will invest big, and Arsenal are revamping intelligently.
Every other serious club has addressed vulnerabilities in their squad and improved. Our squad is weaker than it was in May. And it was bad then.
We are going to need a mad last 4 weeks (signing per week?) this window to reach the bare minimum of expectation for this summer.
None of the major areas of concern have been addressed in the squad in my opinion, and it doesn't look like we're planning on sorting a number of these anytime soon (RB, ST, CDM).
I get that Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can make a better start than this. Realistically, this window has been a massive disappointment so far.
Did the Laurie Whitwell article get posted yesterday? About exasperation and despair behind the scenes at United?
Squad familiarisation and integration is so vitally important, especially so for a new manager working with wholly different setup and personnel. Even his own players will have to get used to working with a bunch of unfamiliars who are some way below the standards and needs of what the manager wants, and probably will still be getting to grips with it by the end of preseason so every day without them, is a far bigger concern than what's going on at our rivals for 4th place. It was far more imperative for us to get our house in order than literally anybody else, and yet here we are.
Chelsea's tribulations are not the same nor will new signings have as many teething problems because they have a manager in place who knows his squad and has an established system in place, plus a core group who know exactly what is expected of them. New players simply get with an established program, so it is nothing whatsoever like what we face and gives them more leeway - with less disruption - to sign players late and not have it mess with the natural order there.
There's a time and a place for patience, and in terms of this window for us, it never was there as we had the biggest bridge to close off the back of the worst season in the entire league (relative to both expectation and standing) with the newest manager and the most work to do to get a wholly new way of playing assimilated. This was never the window to espouse patience with transfers as it is tantamount to neglect; we needed the most time with new everything and this was known before the season itself had even ended let alone before the window had opened in any capacity. Patience for the manager trying to implement a new system with woefully undercoached players is the only acceptable one because it's common sense that that may well take longer than a couple of months.
What annoys me is the manager is being set up to fail by us not utilising the window effectively. The later players come in, the more overspill into the season proper; the more overspill into the season proper, the more potential for needlessly dropped points - points that mightn't have been dropped had all our pieces the time to familiarise. It then goes without saying that the consequence for a muddled start is crying at the back end of the season about 'if things were different', which by then is moot and a redundancy as the consequence is hard loss of cash and the opportunity to sign CL-level players without any impedance the following summer window. Everything is connected and it is short-sighted to think we can get away with it if not adequately prepared. Even our greatest manager knew he could no longer have any dalliance at the start of a season once the points bar had been raised, so it is bizarre to me how some don't want to acknowledge how vital preparation, in all aspects, is to the season itself.
Finally, ten Hag's players are supposed to be his failsafes - a comfort blanket of sorts. Players he can trust and depend upon to lead and guide others and have the confidence and competence to execute what he wants and remain steadfast and resolute within his system no matter what. By not having these players integrated, we run the risk of the players already here buckling or possibly reverting to type if initial results are not as hoped for - this is human nature and not something to blame them for, but it's also an obvious need to be contingent about; if player X or Y is really struggling and we can't take him out of the spotlight because we don't have the flexibility due to lack of personnel, it is entirely our own fault - you do not plan without contingency and failsafes and it's tremendously frustrating to have the manager placed behind the starting grid in this sense, particularly so when everyone around him is bringing a prepped and stacked arsenal/battalion to the same proving ground.
All is not lost, but our time to actually be locked and loaded for the start of the season is dwindling rapidly.
The tl;dr is as simple as: sort your shit out or suffer the consequences and don't dare complain after the fact (which will be whatever time in the season said lack of preparedness is irredeemable).
Chelsea's tribulations are not the same nor will new signings have as many teething problems because they have a manager in place who knows his squad and has an established system in place, plus a core group who know exactly what is expected of them. New players simply get with an established program, so it is nothing whatsoever like what we face and gives them more leeway - with less disruption - to sign players late and not have it mess with the natural order there.
There's a time and a place for patience, and in terms of this window for us, it never was there as we had the biggest bridge to close off the back of the worst season in the entire league (relative to both expectation and standing) with the newest manager and the most work to do to get a wholly new way of playing assimilated. This was never the window to espouse patience with transfers as it is tantamount to neglect; we needed the most time with new everything and this was known before the season itself had even ended let alone before the window had opened in any capacity. Patience for the manager trying to implement a new system with woefully undercoached players is the only acceptable one because it's common sense that that may well take longer than a couple of months.
What annoys me is the manager is being set up to fail by us not utilising the window effectively. The later players come in, the more overspill into the season proper; the more overspill into the season proper, the more potential for needlessly dropped points - points that mightn't have been dropped had all our pieces the time to familiarise. It then goes without saying that the consequence for a muddled start is crying at the back end of the season about 'if things were different', which by then is moot and a redundancy as the consequence is hard loss of cash and the opportunity to sign CL-level players without any impedance the following summer window. Everything is connected and it is short-sighted to think we can get away with it if not adequately prepared. Even our greatest manager knew he could no longer have any dalliance at the start of a season once the points bar had been raised, so it is bizarre to me how some don't want to acknowledge how vital preparation, in all aspects, is to the season itself.
Finally, ten Hag's players are supposed to be his failsafes - a comfort blanket of sorts. Players he can trust and depend upon to lead and guide others and have the confidence and competence to execute what he wants and remain steadfast and resolute within his system no matter what. By not having these players integrated, we run the risk of the players already here buckling or possibly reverting to type if initial results are not as hoped for - this is human nature and not something to blame them for, but it's also an obvious need to be contingent about; if player X or Y is really struggling and we can't take him out of the spotlight because we don't have the flexibility due to lack of personnel, it is entirely our own fault - you do not plan without contingency and failsafes and it's tremendously frustrating to have the manager placed behind the starting grid in this sense, particularly so when everyone around him is bringing a prepped and stacked arsenal/battalion to the same proving ground.
All is not lost, but our time to actually be locked and loaded for the start of the season is dwindling rapidly.
The tl;dr is as simple as: sort your shit out or suffer the consequences and don't dare complain after the fact (which will be whatever time in the season said lack of preparedness is irredeemable).
Yes must be zero chance of that but the post I was agreeing with said by the end of the season, didn’t it? (if not, I read it wrong).
It’s also close to zero chance of him resigning by the end of the season but, as I’ve said before, I don’t think he will take any shit from the board.
Very good post, all true. Klopp and Pep are both great managers but it is absolutely the case that both were backed at the right time with right amount of money with no quibbling from their owners.
It's been a very poor summer thus far, If there's no developments within the next 14 days then it will be critical. Expectation should be two signings within this period.
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