Do the board deserve credit for this transfer window??

When we win the Champions League next May then i will say yes

 

Definitely a step in the right direction, in terms of the calibre or level of players we are signing.

Idah and Bernardo were here before and should have been done earlier. I get Norwich were playing hard ball but I think we blinked first when Kyogo went down injured and we were forced to kinda overpay. I think the club would still have been sitting with £7m offer on the table had Kyogo been ok.

I think Schmeichel is a very good signing, albeit a simple signing in reality. His relationship with Rodgers, his contract status. Pretty easy one to do for me but credit where it's due, it's an upgrade on Hart for me. Also really happy that we have a long term succession plan after Schmeichel leaves, with a highly rated young goalkeeper in Sinisalo, who we signed for pennies so again, credit where it's due.

Valle seems like a good signing on paper, excellent prospect but my only worry with it is our long term situation in that position. If Valle is successful the way we think he is, we need to make sure we get that release clause paid quickly, to avoid anyone taking him from under our noses. Not against the loan or the fee, would have just liked a first option on him.

Engels and Trusty are excellent pieces of business for me but it's what these signings represent that excite me. Both signings might not work out but we are signing players just out the Premier League, after having a tough year admittedly, and youngsters from the Bundesliga with huge potential. For larger fees. There's no excuse moving forward now, especially if there are guys available for similar prices and we have a proper scouting/recruitment department, looking to do what they should have done 2 years ago.

On McCowan, just delighted for him. Delighted the club have signed him. Don't think he's a bad player whatsoever but it's more the emotions of the move for him that's delighted me. Living our dream and fair * to him.

Onto a separate part now, which is where the board go now. This window will be for nothing unless we properly address the glaring weaknesses in our football set up. Not just recruitment but we need a proper Sporting Director or Director of Football who controls the footballing side of our club. Leave the board to do what they need to but we need a proper footballing man, with a historical knowledge of how to run a footballing department to come in and takeover from the board. Be it youth, transfers, recruitment, style of play, identity... whatever it is. The board are great at what they do, their sponsorships, merchandising, our global network expanding. Keep at all of it. Just leave the footballing side of things to someone with experience and knowledge in that area.

All in all, the board get pass marks and some for me. But that needs to tie in with the stuff above. We need to progress ourselves.

 

Attracting someone like Engels, playing top flight football in Germany, Belgium squad.. etc.. definitely deserve credit for that, before we even talk about the fee..

Like I said in a previous post, one good window now and then isn't acceptable but if we take this one in silo, credit is due for me.

Let's hope they recognise thd need for a DoF type role.

 

Our handling of the window overall was poor imo. I get that we need to try and get the best deal and it's not as easy as clicking your fingers and signing a player but leaving the bulk of your business to deadline day is definitely not a necessity.

We had the luxury for once of no qualifiers and cash on hand but we still waited to sell a player to get funds available to spend, which is mental tbh. Our forward planning can be miles better (credit where it's due for the GK signings this summer).

A recruitment specialist and a director of football would streamline the whole approach and really should've been done as soon as Lawwell jnr and Dudgeon were booted.

The fact we've broken our transfer record is welcome but also should've been done much before now (Ivan Toney for £10m springs to mind) - but glad we've finally shown some balls to break that glass ceiling and take a risk on non-loan signing.

If Arne Engels comes in and shows he's a bargain at £11m then we need the board to smell the profits and continue on this route. THEN I'll give them credit - as we've been crying out for this strategy for a while now. If they couldn't back Brendan in this window then we were on a hiding to nothing as a club - we've taken baby steps but they need to commit to this level of transfer.

 

Probably a mix of yes and no. Left it late but we did strengthen as well as get a lot of bodies out the squad.

We should be far more prepared for every window now on. In terms of having available options for every position including the manager, none of this reactive scrambling and having to pay through the nose at times for leaving it too late.

The only way we move forward is by being proactive and moving the squad & club forward together. Of course being cash rich doesn’t mean we should spend stupid money, but in any business the majority of your cash should be in assets.

 

Credit for doing their job correctly? do they *.. and it's about time

 

Credit for Engels - to be fair I don’t understand even how they pulled it off - and hopefully a sign of things to come


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Yes and no.

They've clearly "backed" Rodgers with the likes of Idah, Engels and Trusty. By all accounts they were his targets and spending £26m on three players is not to be sniffed at. Whether or not they will be worth it is another argument, but he needs to carry the can for those guys.

On the other hand, we still came out of the window in profit. We should have bought another player within that price range and pushed the boat out for better quality in a few positions.

It's a step up, but it could be better. 2/3 signings for £6m-£12m should be happening every Summer - and this should have started years ago.

 

They've done enough not be called arseholes outside grounds in the foreseeable future.

They did well in gutting the dead wood and got there in the end wi incomings. So yes they get a pass.

But it was all a bit chaotic and hectic which is probably more to do with the structure amd lack of right people in the right roles.

The job now is to press ahead and get this sorted. Not rest on your laurels, which they've done previously.

But for now, it's fine. Upto Brendan, Cal and the players to get out there, put on a show win the league and get us is to the playoffs in Europe.

Then January, we can all lose our * again

 

To me they were pushed into buying it was plain for everyone to see that they were waiting for the ORiley sale before making any real moves if they had acted earlier and more positively with Iran and Angles there is the chance they could possibly have saved a couple of million, they had a set price for Bernardo and wanted him cheaper but got there way good business injury looked to have hit Kyogo in the Hibs game so they had to pay more than they wanted for Idah. Ad a loan for backup to Taylor the only players that we paid what was expected would be Trusty and McCowan. We sort of strengthened the team but not enough and they will be patting themselves in the back for having a net profit from the window

 

Well without taking into account what is actually floating about our bank, prior to MO going? Around £20m+ Are we able to count season ticket money or is that not allowed? Is it not £18m CL just for starters? Don't even think that counts tv money guaranteed after huns went out, prior to MO leaving too.

 

Sorry, I'll rephrase.

How much did we available SOLELY for transfers this window excluding the Oriley finances???

 

Do you understand how a question works, in general like?

 

Nobody's said you should suck anyone's *, but if that's how your mind is wandering.......batter in!

 

January 2009 is the only window worse than last summer imo.

January 2009 we signed Milan Misun, Willow Flood, Niall McGinn and Dominic Cervi.

 

It feels like they have allowed Rogers to do his job by doing theirs. Sold our biggest asset and reinvested that money in much needed improvements elsewhere.

Our net spend must still be pretty low, which isn't a criticism, just means that the board are doing what it's the job to do.

 

£3.59?

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They were braver, which Rodgers asked them to be last January. We have also kept Kyogo and Hatate too, so the squad looks good on paper.

Another winger would have been ideal, but if the right one wasn't available, try again in January.

 

Yes and No.

Yes that they got good talent in….. at the end but was it enough? Will have to wait throughout the season.

But the way we conduct business at times is a * nightmare.

We don’t have the automatic place next season for the champions league so we should have had that at the forefront of future planning.

Next season fully expect the good old excuses of we had to wait till we qualified etc come back.

Still think we are light in areas and are 1-2 injuries away from having issues.

Positives, we addressed our keeper situation, got a left back in, spent big on MOR replacement made both Bernardo and Idah permanents and for me the jury is out on CB cause I’ve seen him play last season.
I hope he comes in and plays well.

could have got a quality wide player in, another centre half too.

Maybe that will be revisited in the January window.

6/10 for me.

 

We have one of the best boards in world football and have had since the late 90s