Transfer thread for 2016-17 season

Just seen two separate articles via newsnow that air the same cliche by two different pundits using two different examples.

First there was Danny Murphy using the example of Brian Ruiz as evidence of how buying players from Holland is risky then in another article there's Souness going on about Memphis Depay showing us all how it's risky buying players from Holland. Both articles are about our purchase of Janssen, obviously.

So my question is: why is there this obsession with how risky it is to buy players from Holland?! I mean is it *actually* more risky than any other league, including the BPL? I reckon around only 20-40% (40% being the absolute, very rare maximum imo) of transfers really end up as successes anyway so are imports from the Dutch league really markedly different from others or is it just a weird, tired cliche that's been built up? It would not surprise me at all if there was actually zero substance to this idea that transfers from Holland are more risky than those from France, Spain, Italy or England. More likely people have heard other people say it then repeat it a load themselves which then helps perpetuate the idea.

 

The money being spent really is bizarre, especially given last year's league winners proved it doesn't have to be the way to go about things - with their quintet of Mahrez, Kante, Vardy, Huth and Morgan costing less than your average night on the tiles.

United and City have been splashing cash on expensive flops for 2-3 seasons now, and it's got them nowhere - I don't expect this season to be any different. The Chavs in comparison look like a well run club these days.

 

Bryan Ruiz and Memphis Depay are being used as examples why strikers from Holland are risky. Neither is a striker.
If you're being generous, then you could say that they're both forwards, I guess.
The obvious difference with Janssen is his physicality. Neither of the examples has that.

I think that those pundits have missed the point in this signing, to be honest.
When Kane's not playing or is off-form, then we really missed somebody leading the line last season.
We've got plenty of players that can play in behind a front man, but we only had one person up top.
This gives us options, including the possibility of playing a strike pairing that makes some sense.

 

The interesting one will be Klopp at Liverpool. The managers youve mentioned are used to throwing around wads of cash wherever they go, and as you rightly point out they seem oblivious to the fact that money ¥ success nowadays. A colleague of mine who used to live in Dortmund and still goes to as many of their games as possible pointed out that Klopp has never had this kind of buying power in his career, and that's a fair assessment. Dortmund are one of the world's wealthiest clubs, valued by Forbes at $830m. But Liverpool blow them out of the water with a value of $1.4b. Time will tell if the tens of millions he is currently splashing were widely invested.

 

I mentioned (read: obliterated) this over in the Pre-Season Watch thread a few hours ago, so here's a recap:
* Ruiz and Depay were marquee signings who were expected to go straight into the team and produce results, Janssen is neither of these
* Depay is an attacking midfielder and not a striker, so Souness drawing a comparison between the two is moronic
* The sheer number of players who weren't performing under van Galling implies that maybe, just maybe, the fault doesn't lie with every single member of their squad
* Singling out Ruiz at Fulham is disingenuous, as the club were being kept afloat by the goals of Dempsey and short-term signings Berbatov and Andy Johnson - hence their limp relegation
* Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie and Luis Suarez did alright didn't they?

 

Janssen
Games in PL = 0 Goals in PL = 0
Games in EDL = 103 Goals in EDL = 56

Pundit Logic = Dutch League bad. Players from there are crap. Ergo PL better than Dutch League and no player will ever succeed from there.

Torres
Atletico Madrid - Games = 214 Goals = 82
Liverpool - Games = 102 Goals = 65
Chelsea - Games = 110 Goals = 20
AC Milan - Games = 10 Goals = 1

Pundit Logic = Spanish league just as good as PL. Players from there are Scorchio! PL is good and much better than..... er...... PL. Players from there are crap...... I think. Serie A is better..... than.... PL? Ummmm...... Ergo EPL better than EPL but not as good as Serie A as a random sample of 1 player shows he struggled there after scoring loads and not scoring loads in the PL....... Hang on...... What was the point I was making? Can I have my paycheck now please?

 

No doubt Souness also believes Gianluigi Buffon is the worst Italian international of the past 25 years due to his lack of goals. Well if he's judging attacking midfielders by the same criteria as strikers, why not apply that same criteria to goalkeepers?

 

I am always amused by the assessment of the pundits on our board. I am quite happy with the idea that a number of our posters have a far better idea then the 'personality' pundits when it comes to assessing the game in general and players in particular.

To be a top footballer you need talent, to have a good understanding of the game you need a brain, the two don't necessarily go together.

I will continue with my current practice of ignoring the pundits and following the posters on here. I have to hear them when watching games and doses of Andy Townsend and Tony Gale always confirm my current practice. There are exceptions; Neville and Strachan are both worth listening to because they often point out things you might otherwise not see or notice. I always enjoyed Hanson, yes I did but I don't see much of the current crop.

 

The Daily Fail are claiming that Paul Mitchell (our head of recruitment) has handed in his resignation.

 

If it was their beloved Pool that had signed Janssen, these two mugs would be saying the absolute opposite and talking him up as a guaranteed success and a bargain signing. Just yesterday I witnessed two former Mousers on Scouse Sports News talking up Pool`s chances this season, complete with a prediction of a title challenge and silverware! I know we wouldnt expect anything less, but they say the same over optimistic nonsense every season about the media darlings.

 

We've had a good record signing players that played in the Eredivisie. Eriksen, Jan, Toby, Chadli, Ghaly(was good until he threw his shirt on the ground), VDV and Davids.

Don't know what's going on with Mitchell but it's about time we got Pleaty back

 

Pleat is still with us.

 

I didn't say he was dead!

 

Of course he is. We need at least one member of staff who can pronounce 'Alderweireld' properly.

 

.

 

Suggestions in The Mirror that we are looking to hold Mitchell to the remaining year of his contract. I don't want a senior member of our management pitching up at any other PL club, so if we pay him to tend his garden for a year, that's fine by me.

 

Apparently Rob Mackenzie is also leaving/ resigning.

 

This doesn't seem to be a coincidence, does it? Great timing. I wonder who's had a word?

 

Someone care to explain what the feck is going on? I always get nervous when there are multiple resignations amongst the backroom staff. It usually indicates a power struggle that turned nasty......or the promise of untold £££££'s from another club.

But hasn't Mitchell been poached from us before for the promise of untold £'s?

 

The Telegraph are suggesting it's to do with Levy being too tight financially and controlling. However, there's no indication of a source and it looks like a logical guess. I've got to say that I worked for a bloke like Levy once. I ended up being paid to tend my garden.