If you think about it, we were always likely to only sign loan deals in this window once the takeover failed. If we stay up and the takeover happens in the summer, then the new owners haven't got additional players that they may not want. If we stay up and the takeover doesn't happen, then we will have more money to spend in the summer on players we really want because we only got loans in, in January. If we go down (whether the takeover happens or not), then we haven't got additional players on Premier League wages.
As I said all our fans do is moan and whinge. We've signed 3 players the manager wanted in positions he wanted. I don't know how good this keeper is, but Rafa has wanted him for long enough. Personally I didn't have a problem with giving Woodman a chance but clearly Benitez thinks he ain't ready. Slimani was who Rafa wanted. I don't know what to make of him, but Rafa wants him, he didn't want Mitro, so we have a player the manager is willing to use. Also at 29m he simply must be better than Rafa's last striker signing Joselu. Rumours abound this injury is nothing serious and he will probably make the bench at the weekend, but almost certainly the Man U game. Then Kenedy a guy Rafa has wanted for 7 months, and judging by last night has been worth waiting for. Can also double up at left back and gives the option of a back 3. Given our current precarious position, our owner trying to sell the club, we couldn't get others in due to silly sums being asked for, and as Rafa confirmed it is a difficult window when your budget is tight, I think you'd have to say they have done pretty well by the manager. I realise everyone wants to go and spend 30m, but back in the real world we are pretty similar to our rivals. Its worth looking at Bournemouth, Brighton, Huddersfield, Southampton, Stoke, Swansea, Watford, West Brom, West Ham on the below. Not many more in terms of numbers than us, some have none. Max fee outlay is 20m on Ayew. Maybe 3 other on the 15m-20m range. However Kenedy and Slimani are that quality of player so its certainly comparable. https://www.premierleague.com/transfers/january/2018 Loans are not ideal in the long term but they are good enough for us. All I know is the majority on here were wrong and its time to your big knife and fork for a lovely slice of humble pie Nom Nom. please log in to view this image
Nom nom is right, I was extremely surprised we did the business we have done. I can fully understand us doing only loan deals at this point, just wish they had come in earlier in the window. Slimani would have won the game for us last night, no chance he fluffs that penalty.
I can't understand what Rafa was thinking. I hope to god he wasn't thinking "this might give him a bit of confidence". Why the **** would you give it to a guy who can't kick the ball correctly all season. Bizarre decision. Merino. Perez, Atsu, Lascelles, Kenedy all strike a nice ball. Just let one of them take it. Kenedy looking at his dead balls looked like the guy. I mean they saw enough to let him take the dead balls. Its this kind of thing that frustrates me with Rafa. For all his meticulous planning away, he misses the finer details at home. I'm not even sure why Joselu started. We created chances, we should have won the game. Why does he keep picking a guy who can't kick a ball? I'm being deadly serious when I say I'd rather watch Mbemba up front than Joselu. There is no way Joselu is more likely to score than Gayle. Not a chance.
Agree with most of this. I really didn't want us to panic and spunk £20m on an unproven striker who's only played in Denmark and Holland. If he's a flop, we're stuck with him with his wages doubled and a 5 year contract. We've done good business, but as KazakhToon said, the timing is the only issue. We would have had a better chance of beating Swansea and Burnley with Kenedy and Slimani.
If Joselu is in the starting 11 on Sunday i don't even think I'm gonna be able to bring myself to watch it. I'm likely to ****ing launch a beer bottle at my TV !!
Yeah but we are bottom feeders. Sadly that means the likes of Leicester and Chelsea sit and wait. Nearly every club down the bottom, did what little business they managed in the last few days. Its not ideal but that is more to do with football, disparity in money, and stupid windows.
Not sure why it matters loan vs buying... doesn't make a difference to us lot surely. New players are new players.
For the long term health of a club, you'd want a progressive transfer policy buying younger players and developing them. You don't want to become reliant on loans as you just stagnate and sit around the same zone, a slave to the big boys. Sunderland were guilty of this for years. Welbeck, Rose, Alonso, Ki, Cisse, Evans etc. The only benefit over any period for good loan players is to the club doing the loaning. Sadly though beggars can't be choosers when you are in the mire, in your first year up, yet to experience the love of PL TV money. So yeah I'd have to say I couldn't give a flying **** if all we got is loans. We got 3 players our manager wanted. He now needs to his bit and keep us up so we can experience the warmth of PL TV money flowing into relentlessly into Mikes love pocket, I mean the clubs bank account.
3 loans in, 2 of whom will almost definitely start most of the remaining games this season and one of whom will likely replace Darlow in the starting XI. 6 loans out, none of whom were likely to play first team football for us in the short term for whatever reason. I call that good business, just hope Slimani stays fit and hits the ground running. It would be just our luck if he collapses a lung or dislocates his shoulder getting out of bed.
you say Gayle is more likely to score than Joselu but that's not what a lot of fans have been saying following the previous 2 games when Gayle should have scored with headers on 3 separate occasions Rafa's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Hopefully once Slim Jim is fit then that issue will be put to bed and we can then all complain about the chances he misses instead and wax lyrical about the good old days when Joselu was scoring with free abandon. That being said I'm not sure why Joselu was taking the penalty either as there are cleaner strikers of the ball even within our team..
All you have to do is look at the match day threads. Pm them for their addresses. Let's keep that off the main board, please.
Serious question: Do you think Mbemba is a better centre forward than Joselu? I do and I've never seen Mbemba play there.
Gayle is about 0.00001% better than Joselu And I think I'm being generous there. Now to get ready for that castration...
