Summer 2021 transfer window

[prawnking]

It's such a shame because I think we're a good CB and CM from being a really excellent team.

Tbh, even one of them would make a big difference.

All Bruno has been given really are a couple of loans of potentially decent forwards. No way to back a new regime

 

[WolfMan]

Tbh, even one of them would make a big difference.

All Bruno has been given really are a couple of loans of potentially decent forwards. No way to back a new regime

The lack of a midfielder is unforgivable TBH.

 

[Tony Towner]

All true.

But while we're all in agreement now, it should be remembered that poor transfer windows were highlighted and constructively criticised by a few on this forum over the past couple of years, to less-than-receptive ears, it must be said.

I remember distinctly being chided during the 19/20 summer window after criticising our not strengthening the CB and CM positions, and told we didn't need to strengthen as we were already better than the likes of West Ham, Everton and Villa.

Shows the danger of standing still, certainly not a surprise to all

Don't disagree, but if you're suggesting that was me, then it wasn't. I was very clear at the time about what I thought of last Summer's recruitment.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I appreciate that this is attempting to bring balance and there are truthful points in there, but misses a few crucial aspects:

a) The board said the first team squad was too small previously. It's now 1 lighter. That's not just a failure, it's an embarrassment to them.

b) the players who you said were peripheral were so because broadly Moutinho, Dendoncker and Neves remained fit. There's no guarantee of that happening again, I'd say it's unlikely and the former looked knackered at points last year, but is expected to carry a similar workload as first choice whilst a year older. We've lost those alternative options.

c) The manager has said he wanted 3/4 extra players continually over the last couple of weeks. He got 1 and a net 0.

d) Based on his history and the way he started the first couple of friendlies it's a reasonable assumption he wants to play 4 at the back. Unless he thinks that is Boly/Mosquera +1 the he can't do that, so you are compromising the way he wants to play. Essentially adding a centre half for a forward/10. I'm sure he'll fudge what he can with what he has, but after making such a bold change in philosophy you aren't empowering the guy to completely do what you brought him in to.

a) A failure to fulfill their ambition isn't an absolute failure, I feel there is very little absolute failure (just the reduction of midfield cover to almost zero) but the perceived failure is far greater because people were expecting more, not that it makes it any less disappointing for the individuals who were expecting more bodies incoming but it doesn't actually harm the side in anything like the same way.

b) I think it's similar to when Dicko went in Nuno's first season to some extent, a situation where I was making the same argument as you are now, but if he's was never seen as a viable option there then it's sort of irrelevant whether he's on the bench or at another club, it's just another name on a list but that doesn't count for anything on the pitch. Though I already have, and continue to do so, acknowledged that this is the one area where there is an undisputable shortfall but I don't think it's significantly worse than last season given that the bodies who've gone out the door weren't generally seen as a genuine option to replace the three who remain. I don't think anyone would be feeling any more comfortable this morning if any of Vitinha, Otasowie or MGW were still here, they'd probably be ridiculed as being considered an option in just the same way their absence is being pilloried now. Sanches would've bought just one body in if that had been a successful transfer, still less numbers that last season, but the perception would've been completely different as someone new had come through the door.

c) You don't always get what you want, that's life.

d) I still don't know if anyone can say he's that wedded to a back four, the sample size isn't there to definitively say one way or another, maybe he opted for a back four at Benfica because it suited the options he had at the time rather than any predetermined plan? Then he could've just rolled with it into Wolves because it's what he'd done before or maybe the lack of Coady at the start of preseason just forced his hand that way? Either way the performance levels with the back three look fine to me, the team looks like it's generally functioning pretty well even if this is the first time he's tried to coach that system, Nuno had little track record with a back three pre-Wolves I don't think?

 

[PuntsWolf]

Two bits of bad luck could be troublesome.

What are your two bits of bad luck? The way the manager has us set up and the way Rauls playing been playing I don’t think an injury to him changes much. We probably would have been more effective with a match fit Hwang in there In a fluid front 3.

Neves injury is the blow, but we would get by.

Bar the freak Raul head injury, I don’t think Raul, Neves, Moutinho have been injured since they’ve been here. So the chances of all 3 of them being injured for an extended period of time is remote, and I’m not sure we’d be massively worse off if it was Raul and Moutinho inured anyway.

 

[prawnking]

Don't disagree, but if you're suggesting that was me, then it wasn't. I was very clear at the time about what I thought of last Summer's recruitment.

No, not you and it's not about individuals or points scoring anyway.

I think a lot of it relates to the bulk of the forum having real trust in Nuno/Fosun back then more than anything, and being defensive/protective about it. It's sad that's been eroded now

 

[Jinky]

Some reality if the squad remains fully fit but is struggling in the bottom 3 that won’t be on the board. Even with the players we’ve got fit currently we should start picking up points sooner or later.
Really don’t want it to become a Rafa situation at Newcastle when every bit of poor form was blamed on the board and he was absolved of any scrutiny by fans and media.

Well yeah, if we lose our first 10 games and the performances drop off, than obviously people will start to look at the manager and the players - but the way Bruno has them playing in such a short space of time indicates that won't be the case.

What people are frustrated about (and where the finger of blame is being quite rightly pointed) is that Jeff Shi and his recruitment team have failed to back the manager adequately. They have failed at their jobs. It's almost come across as a middle finger up at the manager that THEY have literally just appointed. Not to mention the players who all said they wanted more to join the group (Donk, Coady & others have all mentioned it in interviews).

 

[Carsy]

After the frustration and anger comes the sadness. Throwback just a year ago and we were in a European quarter final after 2 back to back 7th place finishes. Along with Leicester we were seen and proven to be the best of the rest.

Just 12 months later and it feels we have certainly fallen behind West Ham, with credible shouts to say you should include Everton, Villa, and Leeds in there. Maybe even Brighton

We are now in the hotch potch of PL teams who will make up the numbers along with Palace, Southampton, Burnley etc. I'd have snapped your hand off for that the day Fosun bought us, but having touched the heights we did it feels like a missed opportunity and has unravelled quickly

I still think the two 7th finishes are quite fortunate, given the no real injury’s etc.
Factor in the money your villas, Everton’s etc have spent we were never going to solidify our standing without further investment

 

[prawnking]

Even without the reinforcements we all wanted, there's no way this team should be flirting with relegation. First impressions on Bruno don't suggest he has talent, a vision and some pragmatism, so you'd hope the team won't underperformed barring injuries

 

[Tony Towner]

I still think the two 7th finishes are quite fortunate, given the no real injury’s etc.
Factor in the money your villas, Everton’s etc have spent we were never going to solidify our standing without further investment

We spent £75m last Summer

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Yeah, was it after the Celta Vigo game that Donk said something along the lines of "look at our bench, full of kids".

 

[redvictor]

What are your two bits of bad luck? The way the manager has us set up and the way Rauls playing been playing I don’t think an injury to him changes much. We probably would have been more effective with a match fit Hwang in there In a fluid front 3.

Neves injury is the blow, but we would get by.

Bar the freak Raul head injury, I don’t think Raul, Neves, Moutinho have been injured since they’ve been here. So the chances of all 3 of them being injured for an extended period of time is remote, and I’m not sure we’d be massively worse off if it was Raul and Moutinho inured anyway.

Against Man U Neves was a hair away from a broken leg. That would put him out for the season. Also factor in yellow and red cards putting one or 2 of the midfield out. Not strengthening midfield in this window is a crime for me. Everywhere else we can cope if injuries/cards come into play. Midfield we have Luke Cundle as a back up. A decent under 23 who has never played 90 minutes of PL football.
The biggest faux pas for me is Jeff said (amongst other things relevant) "judge me on my actions, and not my words".
I think everyone this morning is doing that. The actions didn't work out very well imo.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

We spent £75m last Summer

What was our net spend?

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Sides we should be coming above

norwich
Watford
Newcastle
Burnley
Southampton

Newcastle and Burnley start the season with the mentality of staying up and have a record of shithousing enough points to do just that. Saints are more than capable of going on a couple of good runs where they accumulate points you wouldn’t expect. One or two injuries and Raul struggling to get back to his previous form and we could easily be delighted with 17th place.

 

[Loki]

You can dress it up any way you want. This has been a diabolical transfer window for a Club with any ambition in mind. Simple.

 

[Tony Towner]

What was our net spend?

Nothing in fact I think it was a profit, but it's not like we didn't spend the money. We spent double figures millions on 3 players - the issue is 2 of them a year later aren't in our best 11 and probably weren't planned to be at this stage and the other hasn't played to the value of the investment. It's not what we spent, it's what we spent it on

 

[redvictor]

You can dress it up any way you want. This has been a diabolical transfer window for a Club with any ambition in mind. Simple.

Maybe we all need to find out what exactly are the ambitions of the club now, rather than what they were...

 

[Loki]

Could we lose both Boly and Saiss to the African Cup?

 

[prawnking]

Not intending this as a pro-Mendes post, but maybe the arse end of this window is what it looks like when the current leadership team is left to their own devices (if we presume Jorge was busy with other bigger fish as someone said).

Hwang is obviously an old target resurrected, the rest just examples of amateurish and naive last minute failings.

Desperately need an actual club employee who can lead recruitment at the elite level the club is playing

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Could we lose both Boly and Saiss to the African Cup?

For a maximum of 3 games yes, likely 2 though.