Because net spend was £65M.
No point looking at transfers if you dont look at who was sold too. For the complete picture.
Edit: almost exactly the same net spend as the year before.
Ole says this season will be used to find next season’s squad
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No point looking at transfers if you dont look at who was sold too. For the complete picture.
Edit: almost exactly the same net spend as the year before.
You're right, someone like Fellaini doesn't impact us greatly. We could happily live without him if we never neglected Herrera's replacement too. ST, RW & CM are pretty disastrous areas to neglect and are the main reasons why we're screwed.
I don't know what they were expecting. If there actually is a plan at the club beyond milking the fans, it's not very well thought out going by the evidence so far.
The net spend became 65m after selling Lukaku literally on the last day of the market.
Reminds me of that @peterstorey guy that used post on here about five years back who always kept on waffling about Wenger's ten year plan.
Which is precisely why people shouldn't be in a hurry to expect massive changes this summer too. When we've been avg. £60/£70m net past 3 seasons, anyone expecting Haaland, Maddison, Sancho etc in one go are in for a world of surprise.
150 million are peanuts considering the state we were in. We needed at least
1 x CB
1 x Rb
1 x LB
2 x Cm
1 x RW
1 x Striker.
The lack of proper RW has been an.issue for years just to give an example. The rot started years ago and there are no quick fixes. (we have been trying quick fixes since Fergie left)
‘Step in’
So what was expected ? Us to spend 250m in a summer ? Something that never happened and won't happen to any upcoming manager ? Which club in PL can bring 6-7 players, all with big prices, in one summer ?
Maybe i should have responded in a better way, for that i apologise, but if you read my posts, i explained my stance regarding Lukaku perfectly well.
Can you imagine them hearing Ole's new threats? Their sides must be splitting from all the laughter.
From the clown who’s says we’re building to compete next year.
I’d ask for a tangible example of improvement but as with most of the nonsense you spout you’ll ignore the question.
Drink responsibly.
Anyone who watched that first game knew 4-0 was not only unkind to Chelsea but absolutely never gonna last.
With the squad we had most people thought this year would be a really tough slog. Where were the goals gonna come from? Where are the midfield reinforcements we needed?
The only thing anyone seemed to actually think was that we'd sorted the defence so we wouldn't concede as many (which hasn't really worked).
Most people knew that we'd identified defenders first, then we'd either do midfielders or forwards next and it was more than a one window or one season job to sort the squad out.
The gullible ones were the ones that thought just cause we beat that Chelsea team 4-0 we were actually gonna do well this season.
To me it's not about the amount spent, yes we have avg. £60m/£70m past 3 years which is pittance for a club in our position, but the priorities were desperately wrong all along last summer i felt.
We all knew slabhead's weaknesses, he's not a defensive organiser, he turns like an oil tanker and he's prone to being caught out of position on the counter. Two relatively slow defenders in Lindelof & Maguire doesn't make much sense to begin with.
We know Bruno was available for £60m. You can't tell me that purchasing Maguire for £80m & losing Smalling in the process was a clever decision over upgrading the midfield/attack which we all knew beforehand was crying out for serious upgrades.
To me, the neglect in priorities is the worst offence. ST>AM>RW>CM>Defence for me. The fact that we neglected all those areas for defence is laughable. We have Lingard playing AM, who hasn't contributed anything in 25 hours, it's a joke.
That's actually the problem I discussed loads of times here, but for me that's the manager's problem, rather than Ed's this time. It was ultimately the manager who decided splashing 80m on a defender is better than spending on midfield or attack. He chose his priority and has to do with it, but in terms of being backed, he was backed by exactly the same amount of money as any other manager we had (and will have). We just organized the summer poorly and chose wrong priorities which is Ole's problem, not an excuse for him, like some are making it out to be.
Agreed. But that was the state of the squad. That s what was needed to make us competitive again.
It was mission impossible for any coach.
And until we make the necessary investments there s no way we re going to be competitive again.
You may argue that there are better managers out there - probably you re right.
But there are certain issues which need to get solved first - issues that top management was slow to sort out.
Eg. Pogba saga. I don't think it s just the media dragging this up. The agent said openely that player would like to be elsewhere. How can a team plan ahead and build a team around a player who wants to be elsewhere?
Sanchez - Another big cock up who Ole inherited
Lukaku - club delayed the sale to get a better fee which from a financial point of view made sense. But then this delay meant there was no time to buy a replacement.
These are just some examples of inefficiency and no manager can achieve anything working in these conditions.
He's having a laugh thinking he deserves all that time to "build" his squad. Moyes, LVG & Mourinho who are all better managers and had better CVs didn't get that free time and free pass so why should he? Because he's an ex-Man Utd player?
The time to "find next season's squad" was last year when he took over. He probably thinks we're still in 90s and he's Sir Alex who given enough time will definitely build something to compete and eventually win. I'm sorry Ole things don't work that way today. Get the top 4 or win UEL to get us back to UCL or get out. Simple.
The time to "find next season's squad" was last year when he took over. He probably thinks we're still in 90s and he's Sir Alex who given enough time will definitely build something to compete and eventually win. I'm sorry Ole things don't work that way today. Get the top 4 or win UEL to get us back to UCL or get out. Simple.
I appreciate that. Anyway, my post would not have been aimed at you, as it’s obviously fair to think we ought to have done a better job replacing the outgoing players. I could probably have been clearer on that point.
If Bruno Fernández was available for 60 m, he would have joined Spurs.
Mind you, during the summer most posters were lavishing Spurs with praise (and slating us) for not signing Ndombele and LoCelso.
It s funny how no one mentions those two anymore and only mention the one who didn't sign for no one...
I completely agree, that's why i said priorities. Forget about money spent, like you said, the amount hasn't changed from each manager really.
But Ole clearly prioritised defence over everything this summer. If he wanted attackers we simply would have bought them instead. When he had already been here months before, and seen the same problems we're facing now, (lack of creativity/quality in attack), to think that he would neglect all that and prioritise defence instead is mind boggling.
If we’re blaming Woodward for the lack of incomings are we also giving him the ‘praise’ for selling the widely perceived deadwood?
Not aiming this at you [I’ve not seen all your posts] but there is a notion on here that OgS gets praise for sales but Woodward gets criticism for not bringing players in - surely he either gets all the praise or all the critique.
Bruno was available for £60m, £58m to be exact, but Spurs structured the deal with too many add-ons which Sporting refused. Spurs didn't change their offer, so that's why it broke down.If Bruno Fernández was available for 60 m, he would have joined Spurs.
Mind you, during the summer most posters were lavishing Spurs with praise (and slating us) for not signing Ndombele and LoCelso.
It s funny how no one mentions those two anymore and only mention the one who didn't sign for no one...
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It wasn't "mission impossible" imo. First the squad wasn't that crap, otherwise it wouldn't have brought him his job, or made this honeymoon period he had prior to being appointed permanently possible. It was a squad that was lacking in some key areas and needed few signings and replacement here and there but certainly wasn't crap to the degree of not being able to getting a position higher than 5th through a full half of a season. We then went on in the summer and chose wrong priorities, deciding to prioritize spending 80m on a defender rather than signing a midfielder or an attacker. This might look like a hindsight for us fans but for the manager he should have calculated his priorities better and studied each position carefully to choose which players are more urgent to be bought, rather than coming now and saying this season is for determining the squad the next one!
The real big problem is his signings aren't helping. They're favoring a very defensive and counter attacking based style which made our problems even worse, rather than helping us in the upcoming summers. Hardly any offensive manager will like a pretty slow CB who needs to stay at low block in order not to be exposed or a defensive fullback that is useless on the other side of the pitch. For such reasons, his choices and priorities, Ole for me is the wrong choice for any rebuilding project, and he doesn't deserve a new summer.
Same, it was just a misunderstanding. I just wish i never responded like that, no excuses.
I didn't say we were going to do well after beating Chelsea, but overall there was a general sense of optimism around the club at that time and at times during the summer. Top 4 was most certainly the expectation and anything less was deemed a massive failure. The rewriting of the expectations this season to suit some ridiculous agenda that Ole is somehow implementing a long term plan is frankly laughable.
Long term planning does not ignore the short term. You accept and expect certain speed bumps but we've been pulled over for speeding now. You do not ask for more time to implement your "plan" when you are routinely beaten by inferior teams, and supposedly inferior managers.
This interview is what he said after Everton last season almost verbatim, but we are now statistically worse off 12 months into his tenure than we were a year a go and he's still banging the same drum of, "give me time".
When are you and the other supporters of the manager going to stop accepting his lip service and demand actual results?
Spurs offered 45m euros plus 20m in add-ons; winning the Premier League and the Champions League. No wonder it broke down. You would have to be mad to accept that.If Bruno Fernández was available for 60 m, he would have joined Spurs.
Mind you, during the summer most posters were lavishing Spurs with praise (and slating us) for not signing Ndombele and LoCelso.
It s funny how no one mentions those two anymore and only mention the one who didn't sign for no one...
Their president confirmed it, so he was available for that fee.
Okay, he's taking the piss here. Still love him, but yeah, the piss has been taken.
He said something similar after Everton last year. It's obvious at this point he's trying to lower our already rock bottom expectations because he knows he won't even achieve those.
He said something similar after Everton last year. It's obvious at this point he's trying to lower our already rock bottom expectations because he knows he won't even achieve those.
...he says as he starts Lingard in the most recent game.
I think you're being too harsh on the signings.
AWB defensively is the best in his role but as you said, going forward he needs to improve. He s young and I m sure he ll improve this part of his game.
(I remember a young Gary Neville - He wasn't very good going forward when he broke out in the team, but over time improved considerably).
As for Maguire, I think he hasn't quite gelled yet with Lindelof who s not having one of his best seasons. A successful central defensive partnership depends on understanding.
I remember when we signed Gary Pallister for a record fee in 1989. (Alex Ferguson had just convinced the board to spend an extra 5 million on top of the 2 million the club used to spend every summer). He was terrible in the first months - especially in the 5-1 loss vs a poor City team- but eventually him and Bruce became the most successful CB partnership in the league.
So I m ready to wait a bit before passing judgement
...who still hasn't scored a goal/assist in 25 hours of football.
When he's had the chance to buy more than just two defenders and a promising winger from the Championship.
When we're not bare bones and we've gotten rid of the dross left by SAF, Moyes, LVG and Mourinho.
When it's clear that this isn't a plan and we're genuinely buggered.
Yes, Ole isn't up to the job (at least, he wouldn't be if we had the 2008 squad for instance) and yes results this year have been shite but sacking him and changing plan yet again will just hamper the problems we've encountered the past three times we've sacked a manager.
This year is a write off, whether you think it's been manufactured due to results or whether people were being realistic before the start of the season. Deal with it.
Let's see what January and more importantly, next summer brings. If we don't buy the required players we need or at least some of them (costs and Glazers don't mix) then yeah, let's worry about what's going on. Not now though, not when we're right at the bottom of the curve. Not at the start of the rebuild.
Moyes, LVG and Mourinho brought in their own shite but most importantly didn't get rid of the deadwood. Ole has at least started that part (albeit whilst giving the likes of Jones and Mata new contracts - not sure how or why that was allowed to happen).
Maguire is not going to get any faster, nor was he even the leader at Leicester beforehand, so i don't know what people are waiting for. This is it. £80m down the drain.
So because other managers did bad we have to accept this manager doing worse incase the next one also doesn't do too great. Seems like a good enough reason to me, said no one with a rational thought in their head.
Other clubs manage to change managers without having to completely gut their squad and build a brand new team in the image of that manager. It has to be the weakest and most common excuse for keeping Ole. It also doesn't help that there's a huge Argentinian elephant in the room when it comes to managers that can work with what they have and get a tune out of a relatively weak squad.
AWB might improve but I highly doubt he'll improve to the degree of becoming a flying fullback creating havoc in defenses like say Liverpool fullbacks. It's hard to improve to that degree imo. I don't think I'm harsh on him, on the contrary, I believe the criticism for him will become harsher as the time goes on and people starting to get tired of seeing only one good side of him on the pitch. The game has moved on from fully defensive fullback.
I didn't say Maguire was generally crap. He has been average to decent here, nothing terrible but nothing extraordinary. The problem is for 80m he's very slow and will be hardly able to play in a high lineup in a more offensive approach. That's the problem. I mentioned this a lot the previous few years, but on signing a slow CB, a defensive fullback and a winger good only in running in spaces and crossing, you're setting the tone for your attack to be dependent on setting back and hitting opposition on counters, regardless of these players being good or not. Better planning for the summer and longer sight could have had us at a better place, or with players that will help us achieve the style of play we want to see quicker.
Have a beer son. Things might be better for you in 2020.
So you are 5 years old..
How many managers do you want to go through? How many 'rebuilds' do you want to go through? How thin is your patience for ANY manager? Let alone Ole.
Also, if you're hinging your hopes on Pochettino being manager then I hope you didn't enjoy beating City or Spurs and I hope you're not expecting us to actually win any trophies to carry on supporting us because he'll deliver exactly what he did at Spurs, feck all - all whilst suggesting he doesn't NEED to win trophies.
He had a much, much better Spurs squad than ours and he made a team full of bottlers, all whilst spaffing money up the wall on shit transfers. He's hardly a saviour nor a safe hand.
I dont we signed Maguire because of his speed. Speed is an asset but there are good players who are not known for their speed.
We suffered a number of goals due to individual errors which will happen even if you have an organised defence.
For those criticising what we didn't buy in the summer I would agree but to say to was Ole who decided that James, Wan Bissaka and Maquire would be enough is laughable, one thing that has been consistent over the last few years is our ex managers bemoaning the issue of identifying that we needed X, Y and Z player and getting just Z or even worse Q, could just be sour grapes but if enough people tell you it is a duck it probably is (and in this case a lame one).
Ole is guilty of towing the party line, but then SAF was a past master at towing the party line "no value in the market" and we had just gotten rid of a manager who was openly disliked for his moaning.
Not saying Ole is Klopp far from it but look at Liverpool over the last 5 years to see what needs to be done with a club in disarray, there are signs of life, more so than under other managers, if Ole is given the right backing by Ed then who knows, maybe, maybe not but all the haters out there I just do not get it, we look better than at any time since SAF left, if Ole can crack the nut of breaking lesser teams down then we are flying, maybe that is a signing or two but I do not see any dynamism within our midfield, apart for the hot and cold Pogba, and well that is another argument.
Ole is guilty of towing the party line, but then SAF was a past master at towing the party line "no value in the market" and we had just gotten rid of a manager who was openly disliked for his moaning.
Not saying Ole is Klopp far from it but look at Liverpool over the last 5 years to see what needs to be done with a club in disarray, there are signs of life, more so than under other managers, if Ole is given the right backing by Ed then who knows, maybe, maybe not but all the haters out there I just do not get it, we look better than at any time since SAF left, if Ole can crack the nut of breaking lesser teams down then we are flying, maybe that is a signing or two but I do not see any dynamism within our midfield, apart for the hot and cold Pogba, and well that is another argument.