Goodness me. We've signed better players this summer than we have done for years, certainly at this level. The ****e that gets posted on here when we lose is unbelievable.
We just have such a poor track record under this ownership but to me it seems like such a simple fix… I know transfers are complex but we just don’t seem to be looking in the right areas to make that next step
We have signed 2 top loanees and another top player. We signed 9 players, 3 of them have made a big difference. 2 have made a decent influence and the other 4 might as well have not signed. It’s just a really poor track record for a team wanting to build something especially when you factor in 2/3 game changing signings won’t be here next season and won’t bring us a fee.
Not every signing is going to be successful. Already this summers window is better than the last including some key players signing longer term deals 5 signings contributing in a big way out of this window I would say is a good window. Unfortunately the misses have been big
Agree it was a success on the whole, don’t expect every signing to be a success. We just seem to have little plan if we miss out on top targets. We are supposedly chasing promotion and we are signing other championship teams 3rd choice goalkeeper as a back up to missing out on top targets as well as players with shocking fitness records like Lokilo and Vinagre
You don't have to agree, but it's fact. A young inexperienced manager at the start of their career isn't going to have the same pull/reputation, contacts and experience in the market as a manager who's been doing it for 5/10/15yrs.
You've downplayed it there but it doesn't even matter, even just Philogene's signing is enough to make Howden's post there a completely ridiculous one.
Most probably, but you still want a manager who has the pull, experience and contacts and unfortunately that just comes with experience
I don't think Furlong was ever seen as an oven ready first team option. He's 21, didn't cost much, he's here for 3 years with a further year option and clearly they think they can develop him into a player in that sort of timescale. I'd say Christie is a legitimate criticism. We definitely have a weakness down that side. 5 of the last 6 we've conceded have been so similar - allowing them to cut in from our right. QPRs first he plays a clearance straight to their player, Boro's goal he jumps in knocks it to their man and he's behind play. 2 against Bristol come from cutting in from our right fullback position and again with Clarke's. Not sure Lokilo is doing enough in support of him either. We seem to be much more susceptible with Christie on that side instead of Coyle and it seems like we're having a spell of conceding essentially the same goal over and over again. We certainly need to fix that going forward.
Think about a 60% success rate with signings is about average. Even Fergie signed Manucho remember... But I do feel you're underestimating what a 'top 6' transfer spend looks like. One respected site has us down as a 5m net spend this summer just gone, and that's not huge when you look at those around us.
Recruitment seems more targeted since that first summer. I think Ajun accepted that lessons needed to be learnt from that. Hopefully it continues.
Nah It’s an opinion There’s clear evidence that he’s had enough contacts and pull to bring Philogene, Delap & Morton here, even though two are loans. Of course he doesn’t have the experience, but there are plenty of managers with more experience who make crap signings. There have been a few we’ve been after that we’ve missed out on, but I don’t recall any of our other managers having an unblemished record. Also at the end of the day there will be a number of factors for players to sign. Many of them, like salary, bonuses and club location are **** all to do with the manager’s experience anyway. He may well have chased the wrong targets, and he may not focus on positions I’d always like him to do, but I think the idea that players come due to a managers ‘pull’ in the transfer market is a myth.
I think you're still looking at the situation as if it's a traditional club manager type scenario. Recruitment is committee led at most clubs nowadays. Like it or not - but it's the direction of travel.
