He was from Celtic. Not quite the same. European and untested - lets see, there was Gaston, there was Dani Osvaldo, there was that drunk CB and there was Juanmi, off the top of my head.
Osvaldo was probably one of our most tested signings. Several years in Spain and Italy, including being a consistent starter for Roma. In terms of least-tested, I'd go with the guy with two seasons under his belt in the Austrian league after playing in Ligue 2...Sadio Mane.
Yep, my point is that since promotion have sold and sold and sold again. It is a myth that we have a black box that miraculously finds outstanding players. Although we have done a bit better than other clubs we are not that far ahead of the curve. A look at transfer markt since we got promoted - successful - Mane, Tadic, Bertrand, Forster, Pelle, Wanyama, Lovren, VVD, Soares, Romeu, Boruc, Clyne, Yoshida, Davis, Redmond, Long unsuccessful - Gardos, Elia, Taider, Duricic, Osvaldo, Gaston, Forren, Tads Lee, Mayuka, Clasie, Juanmi, Austin (injury only), Caulker, Martina, Billy Sharp, Gazzaniga, J-Rod (again because of injury), Pied, Caceres (19) Too soon to tell - Gabbiadini, Boufal, Holberg, Players sold in that time - Shaw, Lallana, Lovren, Chambers, Lambert, cork, Sharp, Schneiderlin, Clyne, Mane, Pelle, Wanyama, Fonte, Juanmi It may just be me, but as I see it we are selling way more good to great players than we are signing. If we sell VVD and Bertrand as well this season, hell Tadic too, a look at the successful list tells you we haven't got much left.
I agree on that score. Our hit rate on transfers is pretty good, but unless your hit rate is extremely good, moving your best players (and hanging on to the lesser signings) generally ends up with a squad that doesn't have the top-level players and is a bit expensive. It's part of the reason I'd be quite content to move on some of the merely okay...if we're serious about bringing kids through, that's where their playing time will come from, and the finances freed gives us more of a chance to acquire top-level players.
You reminded me; l wonder how that nipper has gotten on that we signed last season - our first signing of the transfer window; is he ready for the first team yet? Let's hope so because if half the rumours about our players leaving are true; he might himself on the bench!
I see what you mean....just one objection. Billy Sharp shouldn't be in the unsuccessful group....we let him go, but his goals were important in our promotion to the EPL.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/fo...rgil-Van-Dijk-Transfer-Gossip-Latest-SFC-News Daily Star quoting the Mirror saying we have put 70 mill price tag on VVD....perhaps we are just raising the price every time someone looks interested (or it's all made up). The bit I found interesting was that they say Virgil is not agitating for a move and Southampton think he will get better. I agree....he has all the weapons, but he hasn't peaked yet (especially after the delay due to injury). He needs longer with us....definitely.
Osvaldo, Gaston, Forren,, Gazzaniga are the only ones from your list which I'd agree with... changes the outlook somewhat! . Fats, I will have to give you back your saints coloured glasses...
I'll borrow them first, please. There do seem to be a few "horses for courses" included in that list and it is as much a reminder of the journey as anything else. Sharp is a case in point. Was he any less a success than Dean Hammond, for example? OK, Hammond was here longer, but clearly featured in no-one's plans once Premier League status was attained. However, removing those glasses, I don't disagree with the direction of travel of NZ's post. Some of the players being mentioned as likely exports might not upset unduly on an individual basis. For example, Ryan Bertrand has turned his career around here. He has been a very good player, and has drawn the attention of some big clubs. OK, if the guy can make mega-bucks elsewhere who can blame him? I for one would want to say thanks and good luck. But if he goes, together with two or three other players we consider to be first team players then we will be the poorer for it. I have never felt that we have adequately replaced Lallana - for all his stupidity about the transfer, a truly wonderful player - or the Schneiderlin/Wanyama pairing, for example.
I'll give you Caulker, he was crap. But, he was only on loan. We are signing them when they are good with potential to be great, and selling when they are great. The black box isn't designed to find outstanding, ready-made players, we find the ones that have the potential to be so, because we can't go out and sign great players because we can't compete with the bigger clubs. It's our model; players know they can play for us for 2-4 years and get a bigger move if they are good enough, and bigger clubs know we can take the risk on £10-15m players, and then they can sign them for £25m+ if they have great seasons. It's the academy players we have that leave that are the biggest slap in the face IMO. Cortese signed a number of those unsuccessful players rather than the black box. And bar outliers in Gaston and Osvaldo, a number of them were loan or free. Basically a lot of those unsuccessful signings were made by managers (or Cortese), rather than black box I would say though I could be wrong. Or emergency cover.
Totally agree. Plenty of players that could be moved on. Yet there is no queue around the block for them.
Agree, we did have a policy of loan to buy for a while tho. Alderweireld was a loan also, included him so included the not so great ones too.
I see what you're all saying about loans but We are loaning players because we need them to fill a squad. If we didn't loan we would need to buy or promote youth. Point I'm making is they are part of the scouting system and they haven't been universally great.
It's a gamble though, that's the point. And we are always cashing in on the options we already have so we can take a punt on two with potential. I've been banging a drum for too long. Apologies.
Excellent point. I have argued this several times and each time I'm met with somebody trying to claim Tadic is as good or better than Lallana - which is quite frankly ridiculous. Lallana is a different class of player to Tadic, hence why he got a move to Liverpool - and no its not just because he is English. All season people have moaned about a lack of creative flair, I think we have lacked that since Lallana left.
