The massive burning question now that we know we have no cash, we won’t be bringing in a striker in January and the window closed with no new forwards, is how are we going to score goals. We may be better in goal and in defence but scoring the goals we need is paramount. My own view is that Farke must create conditions from both wings and midfield to play to the strengths of DCL. He has to be used as a battering ram and he also needs to use his hold up skills to allow others to come in and score. He needs crosses, we need a dead ball taker who can find his head. That player could be Okafor, Harrison, Aaronson, Bogle but NOT STACH. We also have to hope DCL can stay fit and to be that battering ram he needs to be super fit. Farke must know where Nmecha got most of goals before he got his injuries because he was a decent scorer at one stage, Daniel needs to devise a system that works for a striker and he hasn’t done that for Piroe. Yes Piroe scored goals last season but not all of them came from being a nine, many he created from nothing outside the box and either hit or broke through.
Come the January transfer window: Scenario one: We’re comfortable and playing okay, team have done okay and no panic Scenario two: We’re bottom three and Farke has been or will be sacked Scenario three: Either of the above, squad value and appeal has increased and we get a decent fee for players like Struijk, Piroe and Gruev
To add insult to injury: Squad Values 25/26 Arsenal €1.33 Billion Man City €1.23 Billion Liverpool €1.12 Billion Chelsea €1.08 Billion Spurs €891 Million Man Utd €748 Million Newcastle €659 Million Forest €581 Million Aston Villa €547 Million Brighton €462 Million Palace €432 Million Brentford €392 Million Bournemouth €389 Million West Ham €371 Million Everton €368 Million Fulham €337 Million Wolves €327 Million Leeds Utd €296 Million Sunderland €290 Million Burnley €226 Million Takenaway from this for me is the massive unfairness of PSR and how it’s rigged in favour of the existing 17 premier league teams. Under the old system we wouldn’t have a graduated or handicapped PSR than all the other clubs. When you look at clubs who we were in championship not long ago like Brentford, Wolves, Fulham, Forest, Villa, Newcastle, Bournemouth etc look at the difference in how they can grow. Newcastle even under PSR are still held back, but look at the top of the list and the way they were allowed to use their money way before PSR and even before FFFP rules. It’s different level. Its now way beyond ever being a level playing field
Which is why I don’t consider Forest to have “cheated” and why I don’t care if Man City get off, they did what they needed to do to break into the cartel. By the way, boring the international break or is that just me?
Sorry lads but you’re in cuckoo land if you seriously think an investment bank in charge of billions of investors funds are going to break any rules. They’d be crucified. Just wouldn’t happen
It also depends on how a few promoted teams players Adapt. Ampadu has a value of £20m, Tanaka £10m, we’d be idiots to sell them for that amount. If we beat Fulham or get 4 points from the next three games slowly our players who were already with us will increase in value. Survival this season along with Sunderland (send 2 new down) and at least two of last seasons teams being promoted would be huge for us. Sunderland wouldn’t be able to spend the same amount again, if two come up who went down last season their spending would be impacted too. Our biggest problem, we really could do with selling a player who hits a £50m tag with virtually the entire fee giving us a PSR credit, I can’t see it at the moment
A handful of good appearances from harry gray and he’ll be in every estate agents window across that country. Morning all btw and I’m off on the holliers now
I think it’s a decent assessment from the guy… my main comment really is the danger of looking at the units individually. Is our defence good because the players are brilliant or because we have a midfield/ wingers who are given defensive duties? Is our attack weak because Gnonto/james statistically aren’t good enough or because our midfield has no creativity and we’re defending most of the time? I think Gnonto has been one of our better players so far. He has no X factor but he finds space retains possession and works passing moves in tight areas. Also we’ve played two of the best pressing and best overall teams in our 3 games so it’s maybe not surprising that our attacking stats look crap.
