So: In: Gio (perm) - Betis. Gedson - Benfica. Bergwijn - PSV. Out: Eriksen - Inter. Oakley-Boothe - Stoke. KWP loan - Southampton. CCV loan - Luton. Rose loan - Newcastle. Georgiou loan - Bolton Tracey loan - Macclesfield.
Effectively, we've swapped Rose and Eriksen for Fernandes and Bergwijn, I make that an improvement, even if we're still without a striker. Now Mourinho needs to start using what he's got better than he was. No more getting outnumbered in midfield and huge holes in the set up.
I don’t think so, maybe I just have higher expectations than others. Not signing a new right back or new striker is pathetic, these have been needed since Trippier and Llorente left which means two windows have passed now.
You did rule Lo Celso a flop after about 60 minutes of football so I’d say your expectations probably are a bit higher than most. Not signing a striker is very disappointing but we’ve made a couple good signings. It’s not a dreadful window by any means but one where we can be left asking questions as to why a striker wasn’t signed.
It was at least 90mins before I wrote him off I just don’t get why a striker and right back weren’t signed, like I said, that’s 2 transfer windows and neither problem has been solved. Others will disagree but I think it shows lack of ambition.
I wouldn’t say a lack of ambition but a lack of understanding of the importance of strengthening a problem area. Only Man City spent more than us this season - £150m to £130m - so I wouldn’t say we’ve not shown ambition, we’ve certainly made a mistake in not getting a striker though.
They're not dumb, they knew how vital a striker is. Jose even said so earlier. Spurs and Utd both needed a striker, As much as I don’t think Ighalo is the answer, at least Man Utd went out and got somebody. Spurs are stuck with Lucas or Son until Kane comes back, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season.
Jose's been let down on the striker front, I think all of us can agree with that. But I disagree it's been a disastrous window or that we've shown no ambition. "Stupid" perhaps, as we've not added a much needed striker but not unambitious.
The issue is that any striker we bought this month would likely be playing second fiddle to Harry Kane next season, hence the reluctance to pay starter money for a short-term option Piatek was the best option available, but the issue was Milan wanted cash in hand for FFP reasons so either of our reported offers, be it loan-to-buy or player + cash, would have worked if nobody else was looking at him, but as Milan made it known that Piatek was on the market the risk of being gazumped was there Signing Bergwijn could, in theory, remedy the striker situation if it means we play Son through the middle, and presumably next season will see Kane through the middle with Bergwijn and Son on the flanks - but form and fitness issues for Son, plus Lucas being inconsistent yet likely being the first-choice on the right this season, risks being potentially iffy this season
There's about 150+ strikers playing in Europe's top 6/7 leagues though. The club's had since the summer to work on signing one and we've ended up with nothing. It's poor planning from the recruitment team and decision makers. Jose even said he wanted a striker and he's been let down on that aspect. We've done good business in general but there really isn't any logical excuse for not bringing in a striker, this window or last summer.
What surprises me is how open Jose is. He actually tells us more than most of our managers, although I'd exclude Harry from that as he always tried to tell us what was going on. I always remember him on VDV. Daniel rang me up; Do you want VDV Harry? Yes I said! . Poch was always quite cagey but Jose has told us quite clearly that they wanted to bring in a striker but did not want a stop gap. You have to respect the decisions of people who spend their lives in the football business. They pay managers millions because of this knowledge so if he says he's happy fine, especially when he admits that he would have preferred a striker but within certain limits so accepts that we failed on that but is happy anyway.
