Transfer Record Under Ole

[Siorac]

I would argue that he actually made very little difference to our defence. When you include the signing of Wan Bissaka, the decrease in concession rate from the season before was marginal. I seem to remember that we would concede 6 fewer goals than the previous season when you took into account the first half of the season's form).

It wasn't until we signed Fernandes and brought in Matic that our defensive record improved dramatically, not when we signed Maguire. When Maguire joined, we conceded in every PL game for three to four months (from September, I think it was, mid-December; it was a long time either way). It begs the question: did our defence improve at all? Also, was the main issue actually not having a proper AM that allowed us to pin the opposition in their half? Put Smalling in his place, and I think we would have ended up with the same results last season.

We conceded 29 goals in the first 24 league games of the season and then only 7 in the last 14. (I looked at the first 24 games because Bruno was signed after matchday 24).

That 29 in 24, by the way, is almost identical to 2018/19 under Ole: we conceded 25 in 21 after Mourinho had been fired.

We really should have kept Smalling and invested that 80m elsewhere. I don't think we'd be worse off, and it's not like we would have missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime talent.

 

[hobbers]

Glad the ridiculous nonsense about him being great in the transfer market is finally being widely recognised for what it is, nonsense.

We've made one good signing under Ole. That's it. The rest either look like bad buys right now, or the jury is still out.

 

[Foxbatt]

Why are we paying 27 million or so in getting forwards? We need to sort out our defence first? Cavani, Dembele, that kid from Atlanta etc?

 

[Massive Spanner]

Why are we paying 27 million or so in getting forwards? We need to sort out our defence first? Cavani, Dembele, that kid from Atlanta etc?

He spent 130m on the defense last summer and is getting Telles this year. What more can we do? Keep giving Ole 150m+ every year until he manages to buy some decent defenders? We aren't City and Pep.

 

[jeff_goldblum]

AWB and Maguire both have significant weaknesses and were overpriced, but they're not bad players.

For me, whether Ole's signings were bad buys or not rests on one overarching consideration: when Ole pushed to sign them (assuming he did), was he aware that they were all he'd be getting?

If he was, undoubtedly some of them were bad buys. If Ole knew he wasn't getting a top-class right-winger it made no sense to sign a defensive-minded right back in AWB. If Ole knew he wasn't getting another centre-back, signing Maguire, who needs a quick and mobile partner to cover for his lack of pace, was a bad idea.

On the other hand, if he was promised a top quality right winger and another centreback as part of his multi-window overhaul of the squad, Maguire and AWB were perfectly sensible signings as part of that longer rebuild.

If I give a guy 2500 quid to sort me a posh bathroom and I slash it in half after he's spent 1000 putting in a power shower and a bidet, I don't really have a right to complain that the toilet doesn't flush or that I don't have a bath. If I'd told him I only wanted to spend 1250 in the first place he'd have sorted me a perfectly functional bathroom. Instead I have to shit in the bidet and blast it down with the power shower, there's fecal matter all over the place and no-one to blame but myself.

Ultimately, the board has once again shafted the club and, once again, we're all screaming at the manager. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty I think Ole has done wrong, but in terms of identifying players we need to improve he's not gone far wrong.