Ah yes
Given there's a hefty sell-on clause, can't see Benfica flipping him for a quick buck
Transfer Rumours transfer thread fact and fiction
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Given there's a hefty sell-on clause, can't see Benfica flipping him for a quick buck
Maddison and Kudus are good players, true.
I personally don't rate either of them higher than top 6. Which is nothing to be sniffed at given our current level. But it isn't nearly enough to get us back to challenging for the league which is what the owners supposedly want us to do.
So I repeat, the only real chance we have to do that is to continue signing the Bergvalls and Udogies of this world and hope that a couple of them turn out to be the next Modric or Bale.
If we built a team of players on Maddison’s and Kudus’ level we’d be top six - easily to be honest. Cunha and Mbuemo are in that bracket and those two helped Utd get back into the top four this season.
Maddison regularly hits double digit goal contributions, this season aside of course. There’s probably only two or three better attacking mids in the league than him - Bruno, Rogers and possibly Cherki, a fit Maddison hits similar numbers to the latter two.
We’re more than capable and big enough to attract top players. We just unfortunately have ****ing idiots running the show and I think that’s conditioning fans to think we can’t do better.
For years now, we've employed the wrong people and the wrong approach to recruitment (amongst many other things). Villa have a far smaller match day and commercial income, but are massively outperforming us. We've now fallen behind Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford and the like. Palace's recruitment shows our own up to be laughable.
Get in the right people. No more cheap ****ing nonsensense like Steve Hitchen, Lange and Paratici, who were recruited because they were cheap and unemployed. Spend some real ****ing money on someone who knows how to run a top football club and let them get on with it.
I'm hugely disappointed that appointment hasn't been made and we're already said to have transfers lined up. This is a mistake, and worse, it's a mistake that we've made before.
Wages has been the stumbling block for a few years
Ten years ago it wasn't such an issue due to our bonus-heavy structure, so only the most mercenary of players balked at an approach (i.e. Mane), but since around 2019 we relaxed on those a bit...but didn't seem to actually know what we were doing, hence Ndombele went from £31k p/w at Lyon to £120k base p/w with us, and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe we should have seen the red flag right in front of us on that one
Wages haven’t been a problem for a while now though. We’re just actively choosing not to pay them most of the time, not that we can’t afford them. Though when we do fancy paying a big wage we give it to Gallagher
. It’s stuff like this that’s costing us massively and why we are where we are. Same with fees, we’ll seemingly gladly throw £60m on Richarlison, £65m on Solanke, £40m on Gray etc instead of targeting players of actual pedigree.Spend the money we have on some proper footballers and we’ll be a proper club again. It actually shocks me how stupid we’ve been over the last few years. I think that really is the only word I can use to describe us and a considerable portion of our transfers - stupid.
I am not convinced Gabriel is world class, I would think Raya would be a better shout for their 4th. Gabriel is good but I think he can be rattled and is one of those defenders who benefits from the modern trend of going down under minimal pressure and being gifted free kicks.
The thing is the policy that the second contract will be the big one, which is certainly the case for Romero and Porro, is actually a perfectly sensible stance to have entirely because that weeds out the mercenaries or those who think they made it big so can coastWages haven’t been a problem for a while now though. We’re just actively choosing not to pay them most of the time, not that we can’t afford them. Though when we do fancy paying a big wage we give it to Gallagher
Spend the money we have on some proper footballers and we’ll be a proper club again. It actually shocks me how stupid we’ve been over the last few years. I think that really is the only word I can use to describe us and a considerable portion of our transfers - stupid.
The obvious point is that has to be supplemented with some immediate quality next to them too
Footballers are mercenaries though and we have to accept that. It would be naive to think the majority of players would join or stay with you for reason’s outside of money.
Our approach over the last few years has actually been more costly than it would’ve been if we’d just likely targeted genuine quality from the off.
Case in point with the two strikers, £125m spent, pair of them are ****, we’ll make losses on their sales, wasted money on their wages and have lost out on money in terms of positioning in the league table. Likewise Gray, by the time he becomes a £40m calibre player, we could’ve signed two or three of those already. It’s been a very poorly thought out transfer process at this club for a while and we’ve immensely suffered for it to the point it feels like we’re constantly playing catch-up.
There's mercenaries and then there's mercenaries
Good way to spot one: look for anyone trying to get out of the Saudi Pro League by any means possible
I don’t think Saka is either
Raya is very good but he benefits from a solid defence and midfield.
To this day it still makes me laugh when Ange chose Vicario over him though.
I don’t get your issue with Gallagher? He was excellent for palace and Chelsea and Simeone wouldn’t be buying and playing him if he wasn’t good enough.Wages haven’t been a problem for a while now though. We’re just actively choosing not to pay them most of the time, not that we can’t afford them. Though when we do fancy paying a big wage we give it to Gallagher
Spend the money we have on some proper footballers and we’ll be a proper club again. It actually shocks me how stupid we’ve been over the last few years. I think that really is the only word I can use to describe us and a considerable portion of our transfers - stupid.
He came into a horror show of a club and was played out of position by his first manager, ignored by his second and then when played in his best position by the third, was a big part of why we stayed up.
Now why would somebody who continues to do business with Donald Trump sign a lot of youngsters...?
Excellent goal against Villa and pretty much ever present in de zerbi’s team that saw us go 3/2/2 in seven games to keep us up.
Played well against Villa but I don’t remember anything else from him.
Your namesake does the same job as Gallagher imo.
Excellent for Chelsea? Give over. He left Atleti and Simeone because he wasn’t playing enough too. Only started about 4 or 5 games in the league for them this season and was taken off at HT in 2 or 3.
As for a big part of staying up? That’s nonsense. He made the task more difficult if anything, had a great game against Villa then was either anonymous or poor in just about every other appearance. Huge waste of money that’ll likely find himself on the fringes of another club within the next 12 months.