Summer 2020 Transfer Window (Extended Version)

[YoungWolf]

This actually has nothing to do with the first team or recruitment but for those saying about Matheson, he's injured for a few weeks

 

[Trips]

It’s quite hard not to feel a bit despondent atm. Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Everton and Leicester have all strengthened so far and we’ve not only stood still but actively sold one of our first 11. Maybe things will look better by the end of the transfer window but as it stands we’re drifting further away from that top 6 that we were within touching distance of last season.

Pretty fair, calm assessment. I'm in the 'let's not panic yet' camp so not as concerned as yourself yet, but refreshing to see someone raising their concerns without hyperbole or just plain bullshit.

 

[Kenny]

Matheson, he's injured for a few weeks

 

[jd1981]

It’s quite hard not to feel a bit despondent atm. Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Everton and Leicester have all strengthened so far and we’ve not only stood still but actively sold one of our first 11. Maybe things will look better by the end of the transfer window but as it stands we’re drifting further away from that top 6 that we were within touching distance of last season.

Very reasonable assessment in my view and one that I share, I also don’t like the attitude of wait until the window shuts that’s 4 league games down I’d prefer us to be at our strongest from day 1. I think other than the AMN link there’s been no solid links to other players just ITK rumours.

 

[prawnking]

I feel our chance of prematurely sneaking into the top 6 may be over now, and if we do it it'll be over a few more seasons. That's more realistic and not the end of the world.

The top 4 was always highly unlikely at this stage, I think clubs like ours breaking into the top 4 or 6 is reliant on some of those behemoths underperforming or going through big transitions.

I think we caught Arsenal and Spurs on the hop a bit last season with new managers and injuries, it's a shame we couldn't get sixth place in the end, as I think currently our target has to be Europa League each season, otherwise we're just making up numbers Burnley style really. As much as 7th is an achievement, if it doesn't yield European football it may as well be 13th really, I don't think it makes us that more attractive (although it's great to be considered 'the best of the rest')

 

[prawnking]

This actually has nothing to do with the first team or recruitment but for those saying about Matheson, he's injured for a few weeks

Looks like BAS at rwb then

 

[Dire Wolf]

It’s quite hard not to feel a bit despondent atm. Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Everton and Leicester have all strengthened so far and we’ve not only stood still but actively sold one of our first 11. Maybe things will look better by the end of the transfer window but as it stands we’re drifting further away from that top 6 that we were within touching distance of last season.

Agree. I also think the whole AMN transfer is somewhat reminiscent of the Zinchenko link a couple of years ago where we spent an age working on a deal that was never going to happen. We just don't seem to have moved on in our transfer dealings unless it's all laid out on a plate for us by Mendes.

 

[YoungWolf]

Well, it appears we have quickly called off our pursuit of AMN, so perhaps we have learnt from that.

Watch us now chase Zinchenko for three weeks

 

[Trips]

I feel our chance of prematurely sneaking into the top 6 may be over now, and if we do it it'll be over a few more seasons. That's more realistic and not the end of the world.

The top 4 was always highly unlikely at this stage, I think clubs like ours breaking into the top 4 or 6 is reliant on some of those behemoths underperforming or going through big transitions.

I think we caught Arsenal and Spurs on the hop a bit last season with new managers and injuries, it's a shame we couldn't get sixth place in the end, as I think currently our target has to be Europa League each season, otherwise we're just making up numbers Burnley style really. As much as 7th is an achievement, if it doesn't yield European football it may as well be 13th really, I don't think it makes us that more attractive (although it's great to be considered 'the best of the rest')

I disagree with the part about it may as well be 13th. When we try and sign new players to push us on to the next level, we can say "we've finished 7th back to back and now need a little extra to kick on" rather than "we want to be top 6, we've finished 13th, want to sign?"

 

[prawnking]

I disagree with the part about it may as well be 13th. When we try and sign new players to push us on to the next level, we can say "we've finished 7th back to back and now need a little extra to kick on" rather than "we want to be top 6, we've finished 13th, want to sign?"

I didn't mean to sound churlish with that comment incidentally. I get what you mean, but I think perhaps it makes less difference than we think, there are other forces at play... Money/an elite manager/being an elite club

Arsenal and Everton finished below us yet will probably make 'bigger' signings (obvs that doesn't always work out), West Ham will probably outspend us too, the dickheads

 

[Sniffer]

I disagree with the part about it may as well be 13th. When we try and sign new players to push us on to the next level, we can say "we've finished 7th back to back and now need a little extra to kick on" rather than "we want to be top 6, we've finished 13th, want to sign?"

£18m in extra Prize money too.

 

[prawnking]

Of course, but it's about what the primary goal is, if we all agree we want to kick on, Europe is what we need, as we don't have any of the other draws : we don't spend like a big club or offer those kind of wages, we don't have PL history or any trophies in recent memory, so Europe is it for me, whether that's by league or Cup.

 

[Tony Towner]

I'm not at all convinced that Spurs summer signings have strengthened them very much. Everton seem to have a knack of spending without improving. Provided Nuno (and team stay), even the current squad will be competitive with the likes of Spurs, Arsenal, Everton and Leicester.

Sure we need to improve the squad to compete with Chelsea. Liverpool and the two Manchester teams. The big question here is can anybody compete with their spending power? - not just transfer fees, wages too.

I really want us to improve the squad too but the higher up the league you go, the more difficult and more expensive that becomes.

I'll only start feeling despondent if either Nuno and his team leave or we sell three of Neves, Jiménez, Traore, Coady, Jonny, Jota, Podence, Neto, Boly, Dendocker.

I think Spurs with a fit Kane and Arsenal with their signings and attitude under Arteta are ahead of us now. Leicester depends on the strength of their signings up people on here who know more than me seem impressed by.

 

[Sniffer]

The wriggle room of the extra money FFP wise is being able to spend an extra £72m in transfer fees based on them being amortised over 4 years. Cashflow and wages would have to be taken into consideration but it does help in trying to kick on to the next level.

 

[YoungWolf]

I think Spurs with a fit Kane and Arsenal with their signings and attitude under Arteta are ahead of us now. Leicester depends on the strength of their signings up people on here who know more than me seem impressed by.

We were a lot better than both last season IMO. I think Arsenal if they sign Partey and Aouar will have bridged that gap but not sure about Spurs signings at all. All dependant on what we do I guess. If we sign a really good wing-back and centre back, I would be confident about finishing above both. Same applies for Leicester too, who have been awful since December.

 

[prawnking]

The wriggle room of the extra money FFP wise is being able to spend an extra £72m in transfer fees based on them being amortised over 4 years. Cashflow and wages would have to be taken into consideration but it does help in trying to kick on to the next level.

Fair enough, even less excuse not to expect decent investment this summer then!?

 

[prawnking]

We were a lot better than both last season IMO. I think Arsenal if they sign Partey and Aouar will have bridged that gap but not sure about Spurs signings at all. All dependant on what we do I guess. If we sign a really good wing-back and centre back, I would be confident about finishing above both. Same applies for Leicester too, who have been awful since December.

I don't think there is a gap between us and Arsenal now with Arteta at the helm and the Emery/morale issues seemingly more stable. They're certainly not two players behind us as we speak, especially with our injury/Doc weakening

 

[YoungWolf]

Arteta has improved them but not to the extent people think he has. Rode their luck in a number of key games towards the end of last season (and the recent community shield game, though that is a glorified friendly). There is an evident sign of stronger unity within the squad though. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying we are going to finish ten points clear of them but we deservedly finished above them last season and with right signings can do the same again.

 

[prawnking]

He improved them enough to win the FA Cup and take our Euro place!

The only reason they finished so low is because of the mess Emery and some of the players left. You said if they signed two players on top of that they'd be level with us, I think that's crazy

Clubs like Spurs and Arsenal probably only need to be steady and not basket cases to finish ahead of us, let's not delude ourselves

 

[YoungWolf]

He improved them enough to win the FA Cup and take our Euro place!

The only reason they finished so low is because of the mess Emery and some of the players left. You said if they signed two players on top of that they'd be level with us, I think that's crazy

Clubs like Spurs and Arsenal probably only need to be steady and not basket cases to finish ahead of us, let's not delude ourselves

They were extremely fortunate in the semi final (though they were decent enough in the final) I felt. Same as round before against Sheffield United. They have been very inconsistent under Arteta, it's just they have won a number of the big games (with a fair amount of luck, as I say) so people have taken notice of that.

Like I say, I'm not saying we are going to finish ten points clear of them, just that with the right additions we are just as good as these teams under Nuno, if not slightly better.

Your last line is probably accurate in that if they have a bad season they have the resources to recover better whereas for us we need to keep improving currently, to become a more established amongst the top clubs.