Can you honestly say that as a football fan you've not enjoyed it for the most part under ENIC? For sure, as I've said, trophies would've been great over the years but we've been fortunate to watch some fantastic football while seeing our club progress and challenge the elite. Now though, it's the time to start winning things and hopefully ENIC can deliver that.
The Coutinho money was the only way they could pay the tapping-up tax on Van Dijk, while Keita was already signed due to somebody at the club having this genius idea of how, instead of paying his release clause and signing him immediately, instead they should pay more and let Taurine FC Leipzig keep him for an additional year (an arrangement I'm sure wouldn't be sneered at if we did a similar thing...) The thing with Shaqiri is that, while on paper he looked a good shout for us as a depth option given his release clause was a more than affordable £13.5m, he was clearly taking the piss with his wage demands as he decided the number he wants to hear once a week was 100,000 - which is a damn near 50% hike on his wages at Stoke The problem with our transfer business is we're not in a position to shrug at the idea of chucking £80k a week at someone who'll maybe play one game in five, which means we're working within a set of limitations that we've been easing for the past few years - but the fact is we're still within those limitations and that's an issue other teams can exploit, best demonstrated with the Batshuayi farce
I've enjoyed it...yes...so we sticking on this level then? Seems like it from ENIC. This is my point DH....this level is coming to an end...we go forward or backward or we are the new Arsenal...you choose.
We're agreeing on the now but disagreeing on what we see for the future. I've already said many times that we can't stand still so you know I won't settle for just staying the same, it's impossible to do that anyway, as I said, you either progress or regress in the Prem. The difference between you and I is that you think ENIC won't/ can't take us to the next level, whereas I think they can but they have to act fast to do so. For me, they've earned my trust in them to do it, they've got us this far, I'd like to think they can get us over the line.
Because our midfield is already pretty good. Therefore a single player purchase will improve it a lot less than the purchase of VVD did for Liverpool's defence.
But someone that can come in for Eriksen when plan A isn't working would be great against some of the more stubborn teams. Also we need a genuine alternative to Kane when he's having an off day or as a complement so that Kane can drop deeper.
I'm not disagreeing with that, but such a purchase won't propel us upwards to the extent that the VVD purchase did for Liverpool. Hence, i believe our transfer problems are harder than what Liverpool faced.
Forgot about their deal for Keita was done the previous summer, although I think they lucked out a bit as they had a deal that was dependent on Leipzig's season, as they never won the Bundesliga or finished in a CL spot (can't remember which it was), Keita's fee dropped. Even though Shaqiri was an interesting prospect for us due to his price, it was never someone I was desperate for in the summer as we already had five good AMs. I'm sure I said that I'd only take another AM if it was someone who'd get in the XI, IE a Bale or Mahrez type. Pool needed him a lot more than we did and I think that's why they were happy to pay the wages too. I don't think we need an £80k benchwarmer right now though. We need one or two to rotate in the CM. Everyone knows my feelings on Winks, if he was any good I'd say we only need one CM but I just don't rate the guy one bit and his sidewards passing does my nut in, if he wasn't HG I'd happily sell him to West Brom. For me I think the club needs four good CMs, Sissoko has become one of those this season while Dier is another. Dembele and Wanyama are finished, while Winks isn't up to scratch. So for me we're two short of being at the desired quality. Two CMs are essentially the equivalent to Pool's GK and CB problems pre-VVD and Alisson. We're solid at GK, great at CB, decent enough at FB for the time being, excellent in AM and although it'd be nice to have a backup for Harry, it seems impossible to do so but with Harry there we'll always be sweet. CM is where we're weak. Fix that, and I really do fancy us to do something big.
Bleacher Report are suggesting we're considering a move for Hazard ...that's Thorgan Hazard, who's in the last eighteen months of his contract with A German Team and the 50th winger to be linked with us in the last six weeks
Maybe, maybe not. I don't think they were particularly far behind us to be honest. They were qualifying for the CL before VVD and they had a title challenge in, what, 2015 was it? Also, not being as far back as them (albeit just a bit) also makes it more difficult to source players better than what we already have.
I'd disagree on that, mate. Our midfield is the poorest area of our squad in my opinion, it was once arguably the strongest but things have changed drastically in the past 18 or so months. Sissoko has been excellent while Dier when back fit is also great but that's where it stops. Dembele and Wanyama are finished and no longer reliable, Winks isn't good enough. At the very least I think we need one but preferably two new CMs to help us progress further. Dream scenario would be one superb CM and one up and comer but realistically we can take two up and comers that would still massively help this squad. Sander Berge is someone I mentioned months back and he's been linked with us lately, he could definitely be one of them. As for the others, there's options out there. Doucoure's someone I like. I've said many times - despite RCL's complete disagreement - that Jack Grealish would flourish under Pochettino and there's going to be others that I haven't even thought of who could definitely do a good job and help relieve the pressure on Sissoko and Dier. Big, big January in my eyes.
Don't 'they' have a buy back clause on him? Even if they don't, he's too tainted by association for me.
I would have loved to see Doucoure and Maddison, both of whom were eminently gettable, not to mention Barrios
Doucoure would be an astute buy if we could get a good price but we wouldn't need Maddison IMO, he is best further forward where Dele plays I think and we have a lot of competition for those places, unless we take seriously the plan of playing Dele deeper as a more progressive CM. That would take away is effectiveness in the final third though, where he is such a joy to watch as well as being very good.
