Dawson...3.5 mill, Robertson...2.8 mill, Diame ...3.5(?) mill....TOTAL...9.8 mill. Long...12 mill. Net gain 2.2 mill. IMPACT...PRICELESS Considering Long is largely being used as a sub I'd say that was absolute transfer brilliance by Bruce. And just think what Robertsons sell-on value will be in 2-3 years if he maintains his progress. More than Shaw for sure.
Very similar articles were around last season in regards to Thudd. I think he was statistically better than every one of Spurs' midfielders last season.
Transfer business doesn't get much more impressive than that. Defiantly pulled The Saints pants down with Long.
He reads the game rather well - doesn't lunge into anything, knows when he can nip in front to steal the ball and when to hold back and just put pressure on a forward to limit their options. He's strong in the air and aware of what's happening around him. Occasionally he tries a hollywood pass but that's partly down to movement ahead and if closer options are available. All in all he just looks composed. Great signing. He'll make mistakes, as any player does, but he's one of those who shouldn't make them too often.
Seems to be a much better player than I gave him credit for. Although the stats do really mean very little as they're playing in very different teams with different formations etc etc. Regardless - great start from Daws.
Without wanting to seem to be having a go , he was captain of spurs and was an occasional England international at a time when England had some pretty decent centre backs, so he was by anyone standards a pretty decent player so I'm not quite sure where anyone would get the impression that he was anything other than a top class centre back. What I noticed on Saturday is his noted ability to ping excellent long balls and both Curtis and Chester deferred to that. What a trio they can be .
Err, that's my point... I got it wrong. Knew he was decent but thought he was overrated. Watching him live every week has made me realise how good he really is.
Saw Dawson for the first time on Saturday, what impressed me as much as anything was how he used the ball, a great signing and when you look at his stats he's not played that many games so potentially could be around for another 3 or 4 years at least even though he's at veteran stage now
Almost as important is what he can pass on in terms of his long experience as a top class defender to the likes of Harry McGuire Chester and robbo priceless. Interesting if you compare our centre backs with say QPR , caulker cost a fortune and rio gets paid one, would anyone swop ours for theirs ?
As almost all the Long money was spent on Hernandez, the numbers you've quoted don't make much sense.
City defender in "does more defending than Spurs defenders" shocker! Meaningless, incomplete stats. Not that stats can ever tell you which player is performing better.
Ok...lets look at it this way. Robertson..2.8 mill, Dawson..3.5 mill...Diame..3.5 mill...Hernandez..9 mill (?)....TOTAL OUTGO...18.8 mill Long...12 mill...NET OUTGO for four top starters...6.8 mill. Very good business by any standards. And Robertson alone will be worth more than Long in 2-3 years IMO.
The net outgoing for this summer was £21.25m and we still have the Ince fee to come, but we've certainly got good deals on some of those players.