Hell of a lot of players to implement into the team. Thar striker is needed desperately though. Can see them starting slow and improving with time.
Yeah I am unsure about them. They have spent a lot and brought in some decent players on paper but all they have really done in my view is cement themselves as the 7th placed team. Still don't think they are good enough to break the top 6 unless one of the other teams under performs (which is always a possibility I suppose). With a probable Europa league campaign aswell I think they will be closer to the rest of the chasing pack than they were last year and still some way off the top 6.
With Llorente missing too, you'd have to fancy our chances even with defensive issues. Can see Swans struggling this year
So he wanted a whole new team from when he took over. Crazy really. But does explain why he went there. Even if Saints had the same budget they would never allow for a wholesale change of pretty much the entire 11 Pickford Coleman, Keane, New CB, Baines Schneiderlin, Gueye New Winger, Sigurdsson, Bolasie New Striker Subs: Sandro Rooney Klaasen Williams. Martina Stekelenburg Lookman Ok so it is worse than I thought. He can make a full match day squad (aside from fullbacks) when everyone is fit after just three windows. Proper Championship Manager stuff
Yes but I think that was because he played in the Netherlands and replaced Tadic at Twente. So this would have been when we had Koeman before he went off to play real life Championship Manager (shame he can't save, quit and restart during games in real life) I know that some of our fans have got quite overexcited about him (I think saintsweb have a "#ziyechwatch" going on) I think he was linked to Swansea last summer as well. I don't know much about him (e.g. whether he is a lightweight creative type or not)
probably quite healthy, we don't actually spend as much as it appears we do as we tend to get freebies and loans to fill the squad, and maybe a couple of buys that are funded by transfers. Probably not as healthy as yours, but I don't think we're in that much debt anymore, if any. We do seem more more co-ordinated mainly because we've finally bought someone who can play at RB, last season we got about 6 wingers in, all free and all ****. Chicharito is definitely the best proven goal-scorer they've bought for us simply because the only other one they bought was McCarthy, and he was 10st overweight. he's a completely different style of striker to AC, not sure if that's good or not yet. I don't think we needed Hart, Adrian is an awesome keeper, he just had the misfortune to play behind a defensive unit that has regressed under Bilic to under 10 level, we were truly abysmal at the back for most of last season. Hopefully having a RB instead of a striker/winger playing there will help, but probably not. Happy with Arnie though, has always scored me decent points in FF, our style of play should suit him more than Stoke's. I want another striker though, as AC and Sakho will probably play less than half a season between them.
Thanks for the insight. I had a similar opinion of Hart vs. Adrian and that is coming from a position of a non-West Ham fan. It doesn't make sense to me and seems like an attempt at a prestige signing. The not spending part does indicate finances not being as bad as they might appear. I was about to make the same comment when I noted the poster mentioned "Balance Sheet". This records assets. From what I gather in football the players are recorded at combined transfer fees (and reduced over the life of a contract). Then there would also be other owned assets like a Stadium less any liabilities. I think Saintharry was alluding to the lack of a stadium asset and freebies and loans not counting as assets on the balance sheet (assuming this is indeed how it works). For all i know player contracts could also be capitalised as assets as well. I haven't ever looked into the accounting of football clubs (and the tutors during my studies in that area didn't know how things like this were recorded either!)
How many Centre Backs who can play as left back are actually out there? Sakho, Martins Indi and Kongolo are all who come to mind (and one of those has already moved and another Everton will never be able to get) It would arguably rule them out of the Hoedt chase (if it exists). As far as I can tell he is a left footed centre back but not someone who can also play left back
