This transfer window we have been slower than a sloth who has blazed a mountain of weed! Why?!
What are the key things that slow the process in completing transfers:
New Managers
1) Know you squad - There is plenty of hand over that you can discuss, plenty of videos you can view and reports you can read, but a manager needs to decide who works for them. Different personalities, different styles, what works for one manager won't work for another.
2) Target identification - New squad, new style of play, different individual talents. Finding the right blend can be difficult and take time. This is particular true with Moyes and fits in with what a lot of comments have said. He is very precise about his targets and it has clearly worked well to keep Everton so high on such a relatively low budget.
Buying Negotiation
1) Funding - Deciding how much is available and how far you can stretch for the right player. This should be planned before the transfer window and not a reactive approach. However, there are exceptions where the budget is stretched and new planning has to take place due to new information coming to light, e.g. unhappy star player that you are interested in, but would not have feasibly expected and have already spent the budget for the summer.
2) Player valuations - There is a limit on every player and often a club will value their player more than the market. If you want to get a market price you often have to keep trying to get a club willing to sell.
3) Player willingness - If the player you wish to buy is interested this should help to smooth the path, but that is not always the case for the best players (Rooney, Suarez, Bale)
4) Deal structure and risk appetite - As part of the funding you may need split the costs over a longer period of time, or simply you want to make a safer investment and have clear milestones to achieve. There are many variables in the deal structure, sell on clauses, appearances, goals, assists, trophies won, etc.
Player Negotiation
I won't cover this in here, but naturally many of the above will apply, how much can you afford, how much do you think they are worth, how much is the player a mercenary versus a life-long fan desperate to play regardless, how long is the contract. Are there any get out clauses.
This Transfer Window
I've made a start on the overall structure, feel free to add. Where the above raises questions in our case is what is slowing down our transfers.
Knowing the squad and target identification are two very good reasons for the delay this transfer window and particularly given this is a step up in quality for Moyes, thus the level of target should be a step up.
However, everything else should be easy, we've made big talk of having large funds, even to pay for very expensive players - Bale/ Ronaldo. This seems more talk than action given no movement in this area.
At a smaller scale this should be far from a problem. This then leads me to think our main delay in the transfer window has been player valuation and target identification. We have taken our time with bids for Fabregas with three aims
1) to see what else is out there
2) to see what we have that could do the job - youngsters and current squad.
3) taking time may lead to a better price. Standard negotiation tactics if there is any desire for a deal you'll be more desperate if you feel it is going to fall away as the seller.
And the rationale for low ball bids:
1) to lower expectations - i.e. we don't think the player is worth anywhere near what you are talking about, this then gives a chance of negotiating in the middle. The delay at this point then falls into the above again (maybe a player is on the brink of breaking through, maybe a previous squad player is looking ready for first-team action, or maybe other player movements mean that going the extra mile for the player is not worth it.)
2) to unsettle the player and hope they help smooth the transfer
Conclusion
I've been pretty frustrated about the transfer window, but when you weigh it up there are clear reasons. The failures for me are more about the open statements and I can only really put this down to over exuberance in new roles! (Edit, however, as I start to write I can even find reason for these!)
The failed statements for me being:
1) Unlimited funds - Not exactly enhancing our negotiation or fans expectations! Surely we should be talking about financial constraints to lower expectations. Maybe this was to give promise to our current players, or to give a sense of strength to target players, i.e. this is where the good times roll. And actually this makes sense given SAF's departure. It's a strong way of saying we are a steady ship with or without SAF.
2) Open desire for CM - It's a put down to our current midfielders and youth coming through. We already screwed up with Pogba and arguably Morrison, although different circumstances. I think there was a real lack of sensitivity here, but then as with the above maybe this is a ploy to capture the hearts of United fans and simply because every man and his dog knows we could do with extra strength in CM.
3) Open desire for multiple big signings - fits in with both the above points in that it doesn't help our negotiation, raises fans expectations and may unsettle fringe players who are desperate to break through
4) Confidence in signing players made public - raises expectations when the reality seems somewhat different, i.e. Fabregas. I assume this is confidence in a show of strength, a bit like a biggest cock competition. We make big talk, come to us and be big!
It's ironic, because I of course loved hearing all of the above, but that is because it raised my expectations that so far are feeling a little short changed and yet there is no real reason for this as I'm pretty confident with the players we have and the youth coming through. A CM would be very useful to give cover and develop our midfield, but it's bitter sweet if more youngsters are stifled in their growth.
What are the key things that slow the process in completing transfers:
New Managers
1) Know you squad - There is plenty of hand over that you can discuss, plenty of videos you can view and reports you can read, but a manager needs to decide who works for them. Different personalities, different styles, what works for one manager won't work for another.
2) Target identification - New squad, new style of play, different individual talents. Finding the right blend can be difficult and take time. This is particular true with Moyes and fits in with what a lot of comments have said. He is very precise about his targets and it has clearly worked well to keep Everton so high on such a relatively low budget.
Buying Negotiation
1) Funding - Deciding how much is available and how far you can stretch for the right player. This should be planned before the transfer window and not a reactive approach. However, there are exceptions where the budget is stretched and new planning has to take place due to new information coming to light, e.g. unhappy star player that you are interested in, but would not have feasibly expected and have already spent the budget for the summer.
2) Player valuations - There is a limit on every player and often a club will value their player more than the market. If you want to get a market price you often have to keep trying to get a club willing to sell.
3) Player willingness - If the player you wish to buy is interested this should help to smooth the path, but that is not always the case for the best players (Rooney, Suarez, Bale)
4) Deal structure and risk appetite - As part of the funding you may need split the costs over a longer period of time, or simply you want to make a safer investment and have clear milestones to achieve. There are many variables in the deal structure, sell on clauses, appearances, goals, assists, trophies won, etc.
Player Negotiation
I won't cover this in here, but naturally many of the above will apply, how much can you afford, how much do you think they are worth, how much is the player a mercenary versus a life-long fan desperate to play regardless, how long is the contract. Are there any get out clauses.
This Transfer Window
I've made a start on the overall structure, feel free to add. Where the above raises questions in our case is what is slowing down our transfers.
Knowing the squad and target identification are two very good reasons for the delay this transfer window and particularly given this is a step up in quality for Moyes, thus the level of target should be a step up.
However, everything else should be easy, we've made big talk of having large funds, even to pay for very expensive players - Bale/ Ronaldo. This seems more talk than action given no movement in this area.
At a smaller scale this should be far from a problem. This then leads me to think our main delay in the transfer window has been player valuation and target identification. We have taken our time with bids for Fabregas with three aims
1) to see what else is out there
2) to see what we have that could do the job - youngsters and current squad.
3) taking time may lead to a better price. Standard negotiation tactics if there is any desire for a deal you'll be more desperate if you feel it is going to fall away as the seller.
And the rationale for low ball bids:
1) to lower expectations - i.e. we don't think the player is worth anywhere near what you are talking about, this then gives a chance of negotiating in the middle. The delay at this point then falls into the above again (maybe a player is on the brink of breaking through, maybe a previous squad player is looking ready for first-team action, or maybe other player movements mean that going the extra mile for the player is not worth it.)
2) to unsettle the player and hope they help smooth the transfer
Conclusion
I've been pretty frustrated about the transfer window, but when you weigh it up there are clear reasons. The failures for me are more about the open statements and I can only really put this down to over exuberance in new roles! (Edit, however, as I start to write I can even find reason for these!)
The failed statements for me being:
1) Unlimited funds - Not exactly enhancing our negotiation or fans expectations! Surely we should be talking about financial constraints to lower expectations. Maybe this was to give promise to our current players, or to give a sense of strength to target players, i.e. this is where the good times roll. And actually this makes sense given SAF's departure. It's a strong way of saying we are a steady ship with or without SAF.
2) Open desire for CM - It's a put down to our current midfielders and youth coming through. We already screwed up with Pogba and arguably Morrison, although different circumstances. I think there was a real lack of sensitivity here, but then as with the above maybe this is a ploy to capture the hearts of United fans and simply because every man and his dog knows we could do with extra strength in CM.
3) Open desire for multiple big signings - fits in with both the above points in that it doesn't help our negotiation, raises fans expectations and may unsettle fringe players who are desperate to break through
4) Confidence in signing players made public - raises expectations when the reality seems somewhat different, i.e. Fabregas. I assume this is confidence in a show of strength, a bit like a biggest cock competition. We make big talk, come to us and be big!
It's ironic, because I of course loved hearing all of the above, but that is because it raised my expectations that so far are feeling a little short changed and yet there is no real reason for this as I'm pretty confident with the players we have and the youth coming through. A CM would be very useful to give cover and develop our midfield, but it's bitter sweet if more youngsters are stifled in their growth.
We are talking about transfer here sir....