Yeah I agree, we aren't really at the place where we can sign unproven players when we don't even have a solid core of lads to fall back on. This isn't the time for unearthing the next Jarrod Bowen or KLP, this is the time to get the Garcias, Ashbees and Turners in.
Robertson is going for £3m, Hamilton £3.5m. It’s a funny one really because we just need bodies, it’s not like we aren’t going down the long term route with Zambrano, Drameh etc so far
But we seem to be going for a lot of unproven players, Zambrano, Hughes, Burns etc. I've no idea what the plan is in the final third as Conway seems a pie-in-the-sky signing. I read like £600k, that's mad money. Hamilton seems fair price though We only need bodies because it's been mismanaged this summer. EDIT: just seen the Robertson thing that it could eventually rise to £3m seems its around £1m guaranteed. That's not bad.
The proven player reminded me of this from 2015 Ah the proven striker like Torres the goal machine at Liverpool who flopped at Chelsea. Liverpool spent most of the Torres money on Andy Carrol another proven striker who flopped at his new club. I bet there were loads of good stats on both of those. The bottom line is that signing a new player is a gamble, so do you risk a little bit or a lot of money. There is no garantee (sp) that the more you pay the better you get.
I’m inclined to agree with you. I think loans should be with buy-options or loans for young players as squad depth without buy-options who can be given minutes to impress. You can maybe sign one high-profile loan player without a buy-option like Carvalho as a short-term fix as well. Where we went wrong last season was having three or four key players in the starting XI without buy-options. Morton, Delap, Carvalho, Zaroury etc. are good players but they weren’t our players and we had little chance of signing them permanently. Depending on them as key players last season is why we’re in the mess we’re in now.
The odd high-profile loan player that you believe will be a difference-maker is fine. I don't love signing young defenders on loan as back ups. I'll be optimistic and say we get Hughes, if he needs a spell out the side, having someone less experienced to replace him feels naive. People have said we shouldn't go with Smith because he's too inexperienced, yet he's played around twice as many games as Burns, and only 8 (?) of those have come at CB. I'm sure Burns will be a level or 2 above, but the point remains. It all just feels off to me, and I think a lot of people are just happy at a signing even though it's a position which isn't a pressing need right now
This is part of the problem I have with those who wax lyrical about Rosenior. He was happy for all the high quality players to come in with a short term view only, but constantly spoke of what we were building. If he was still here we’d be in the same position only difference is the current squad wouldn’t be learning a new system
I think if Rosenior was still here we'd have more signings in the door both because we wouldn't have had to adjust our target list and he was more of a known quantity for clubs and players.
I liked him but this was a mistake. But you don't get time in football and under Acun I don't think anyone will get time. But what's the reason for the lack of signings? Is it the manager being very specific, Acun not being interested or players not wanting to come? Or a little bit of everything
Ideally, we’d sign a young but talented centre-half like Hughes as a direct replacement for Greaves like Brentford and Brighton have done for years. That’s not to say we shouldn’t sign older, experienced players but we should replace our most valuable assets with young talent so that we may replicate it. It’s why I can’t stand suggestions like Scott McKenna or Liam Cooper. Aside from not actually suiting the style of football, they have little resale value and would demand high wages. I do agree that a hypothetical scenario of Jones, McLoughlin, Hughes and Smith would probably require an older head over a younger loanee if we did need another centre-half.
It’s a funny one, let’s hope in 12 hours we’ll know why. If Acun has taken a step back already, Slater’s dad almost implied that, then we know that his brain team struggle to get things over the line without his ability to make players feel wanted (I’m sure Rosie played a factor too)
Burns has probably had the best coaching of the lot of them in terms of possession football at the back in fairness. Might not have the senior experience but definitely has the coaching from the highest level. Man City’s academy is so far ahead of others along with Arsenal’s and Chelsea’s players are being tailor made for the top
Don't you think we make recruitment 10x harder by trying to play a high level style/Pep style/whatever you want to call it? I immediately thought of a good backup being someone in the mould of Alex Bruce, mature, dependable, reliable, cheapish, and happy to be a bit part player. But with this style, and LR's was the same too, it's a non-starter as you have to be technically very good as well. It limits your market massively. It's like the keeper situation last year, there was so much reliance on them being good with the feet that we ended up getting one who wasn't good with his hands and it cost us a lot of goals. It's not entertaining football either, LR's football wasn't entertaining and I've not enjoyed Tim's either.
When Rosenior's clicked it was excellent. Look at performances such as Southampton away. Even the first half an hour against Millwall at home was brilliant with the one touch passing. It was just inconsistent because the squad was so young and learning. Look at Leeds in their first season under Bielsa for instance.
Tim’s is very hard to judge at this stage though in fairness. Do agree on the whole though, Pep’s style is taking over and it’s depressing. Especially at our level… hoping we see it in all its glory opening day for Bristol as they also play that way
Bielsa is much more similar to what we are trying to do now. They drew very few games because they went for the jugular and put teams to the sword when they were on top. I’m not even sure you can really call them inconsistent in his first season? They finished 3rd with no parachute payments, won 25 games drew 8.
I completely agree, but making it click regularly without parachute payments feels like an unachievable goal. I don't think Tim will be here very long. I hope I'm wrong but I think his style is madness in the Championship and with where we are right now, it feels crackers. We play well for spells and look good but then concede goals so easily. Pre-season has been the worst I can remember, there's a few caveats mind. I never liked the appointment and nothing I've seen him has changed my mind.
Leeds are a slight anomaly revenue-wise as they turned over £48m without parachutes and still had an operating loss of £36m. Wage bill was £46m.
I thinks it’s very similar to Bielsa’s he just desperately needs players, it’s madness yes but everyone else is doing the same thing, with the right personnel it’ll be fine.
