I'm quite happy about Gibson and Oviedo in themselves but his over-reliance on players he's worked with before does concern me. When you add it to his strange public proclamations and his passive tactics (not closing down, putting men behind the ball at 0-0 in games in which we've had the upper hand - neither of which should be affected by the limitations of our squad) it gives me the impression of a man who is a spent force. His Merseyside/Manchester transfer bias is particularly questionable when it is rumoured that he kept extensive lists of transfer targets when he was at Everton- those appear to have been left behind.
Maybe his focus at the moment, because of constraints, is on a 'make do and mend' basis, so he's targeting players that he can trust for the short term . . . . like putting strapping on a thigh injury 'for now' If we survive this season, I expect a completely different outlook, where better players may well then be interested in his/our proposition
Maybe that is his focus and wouldn't it be nice if this was the laying of foundations that will be built on next season? However, we'll arguably be a less attractive proposition at the beginning of next season than we were at the beginning of this. And at the beginning of this season his transfer business was biased towards players he's worked with before... Like I say, when I look at the wider picture, he inspires little confidence in me. If he inspires it in you then I hope it turns it you're right
He's just spent on 7.5m on Oviedo and Gibson. We signed Kirchhoff and Kone, for 5.75m, this time last year. The value is out there, that is why I'm questioning why Moyes isn't looking any further than the North West and saying he has limited ability when it comes to transfers. I think he's spent about 35m, so far. Have a look at the signings and ask how much we'll make back off them. I'm sick of us losing out on money through transfers. I'm pretty sure he doesn't need about 8 former players to get his message across about how he wants to play. Any manager worth his salt would be able to do that job himself.
I think Gibson has limited ability and will be in and out of the treatment room, so not overly excited about him. I think Oviedo is a fairly decent player and I'm okay with that signing. He has spent 35m now, ffs, we need to stop giving this bloke money. When he spent big at Everton it went tits up with that Russian/Ukranian guy and he was a failure. Agree with everything you have said, btw.
Didn't Moyes sign that ****er Jelavic from Glasgow Rangers for Everton? Can't remember the fee but it was quite big. Croatian lad. He flopped like a dead salmon in England. Went to Hull & ****ed off to China I think.
Yeah, Moyes signed Jelavic. He got off to a flyer, tbh, but he couldn't sustain it and was eventually replaced in the team by Anichebe
Actually he did phenomenally well in his first 6 months at Everton, 9 in 13 in the PL and only cost them £5m. Imagine if you could get 9 goals in your next 13 games for £5m today... that'd be decent.
I think he`s bringing these players in because he doesn`t know what else to do. He`s been dealt a **** hand and he`s getting himself back on familiar territory with players he knows and they know him, his methods and must be aware of exactly what he wants them to do. I hope it works because if it doesn`t he`s pretty much stuck for alternatives. At least it might get him some breathing space.
Under the present circumstances, with little money available I would say Moyes is doing the right thing. His mistakes, if any, were made in the short period of time he had at the start of the season. We may never know the specific circumstances surrounding the disintegration of what looked like a very promising team. But from events, player loyalty to past managers has played its part, and this is working both ways, only time will tell if its too our advantage or not. Moyes record is as a builder, not a firefighter, he needs time, at least to the end of next season imo, for only then will we be able to assess fairly his contribution to SAFC.
I don`t think he`s got any choice mate really. It may be he knows exactly what to do but Short won`t let him do it. He`s left with no other option but to go back to those he knows and start again from there. Whether it works or not remains to be seen but at least he`s trying to give us a semblance of a chance. I hope it works but it won`t be easy and it needs to be a bit sharpish. We haven`t luxury of time to let new players settle in. That may be another reason he`s chosen this route.
To be fair mate. All bets are off if we stay up. For me he's been handed the club in a worse position than any of his predecessors. I agree he's playing it incredibly safe and perhaps a little negatively in the transfer market but his signings have never been his best characteristic. Getting the best out of a bang average squad however has been. He's well on his way to an acceptably bang average squad. I'm just waiting for him to get the best out of it. I'll judge his signing either when we have a new owner or FFp isn't ****ing us. Only reason I'm not disappointed is because I expect us to disappoint.
This how we are differing, I suppose, mate. For me, he's been handed the club in a better position than any of his predecessors. Gotta love football talk
These two may well turn out to be very decent signings, probably close as good as we could hope for in our current financial and league position. Everything I've seen of Oviedo and what I've heard others say of him he's a very decent full back for that price and was probably a bit unlucky with injuries and to be stuck beneath Baines in the pecking order at Everton. Gibson I always thought was a good player with a good range of passing and an eye for goal, it just depends how much his injuries have taken out of him really but he's never been fast or anything so with a bit of luck there'll still be a decent player in there. You never know Gibson might be a midfielder capable of consistently starting attacks off.
Should be useful having someone to play accurate balls over the top to Defoe, he makes brilliant runs but there's nobody to pick him out.
