Walrus
Oppressed White Male
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2008
- Messages
- 11,163
Didnt see if there was a thread on this, but I feel like it merits its own discussion. The results and performances havent always been perfect, but I hope we can agree that one area that has been pretty much an unmitigated success under Solskjaer has been our transfers. Lets look at them;
Maguire - Big money, probably too much money, but it was always going to be that way for a top level young English CB. For me, he has been worth it. He is far more than "just a defender" - he is a threat in offensive set pieces, he is a leader (hence made captain), and he can actually carry the ball out of defence effectively, which is something we have lacked for years. Its hard to stress how important that last point is, as it can change the entire way we play and how teams set up against us.
Wan-Bissaka - Called "Wall-Bissaka" in his performance thread for a reason. Incredibly solid at the back. Admittedly underwhelming going forwards but that seems to be an area he has been improving on over the last few weeks. Another young, English player who can be a part of the core of our team going forwards.
James - Gets a bit of flak here and there. He isnt the finished product, but we didnt buy him as the finished product. The very fact that he has played so many games this season is proof that he has exceeded expectations. Cost £15m and still very young - bargain.
Fernandes - Not much needs to be said here. Instant impact, has transformed our midfield and seems to have really been a kick up the ass for the squad in general too. Probably our best signing of the last decade.
Ighalo - Ill admit, I thought this one was a mistake when I saw the deal announced, but he has proved me (and other doubters) wrong. Looks a real presence up front, offers something different to our other strikers whilst still clearly being able to find the net and contribute in the buildup.
There are a few trends with some of these signings - all of them are players who you can tell were/are eager to play for the club (unlikely various previous signings), all of them are fairly young (except Ighalo, but thats a loan deal anyway), the majority are British, none of them would be considered "galactico" style signings. There has been a clear shift in our transfer policy under Ole, compared with our previous few managers, and its clearly working much better. For this, Ole deserves a lot of credit.
Maguire - Big money, probably too much money, but it was always going to be that way for a top level young English CB. For me, he has been worth it. He is far more than "just a defender" - he is a threat in offensive set pieces, he is a leader (hence made captain), and he can actually carry the ball out of defence effectively, which is something we have lacked for years. Its hard to stress how important that last point is, as it can change the entire way we play and how teams set up against us.
Wan-Bissaka - Called "Wall-Bissaka" in his performance thread for a reason. Incredibly solid at the back. Admittedly underwhelming going forwards but that seems to be an area he has been improving on over the last few weeks. Another young, English player who can be a part of the core of our team going forwards.
James - Gets a bit of flak here and there. He isnt the finished product, but we didnt buy him as the finished product. The very fact that he has played so many games this season is proof that he has exceeded expectations. Cost £15m and still very young - bargain.
Fernandes - Not much needs to be said here. Instant impact, has transformed our midfield and seems to have really been a kick up the ass for the squad in general too. Probably our best signing of the last decade.
Ighalo - Ill admit, I thought this one was a mistake when I saw the deal announced, but he has proved me (and other doubters) wrong. Looks a real presence up front, offers something different to our other strikers whilst still clearly being able to find the net and contribute in the buildup.
There are a few trends with some of these signings - all of them are players who you can tell were/are eager to play for the club (unlikely various previous signings), all of them are fairly young (except Ighalo, but thats a loan deal anyway), the majority are British, none of them would be considered "galactico" style signings. There has been a clear shift in our transfer policy under Ole, compared with our previous few managers, and its clearly working much better. For this, Ole deserves a lot of credit.