The 2015/2016 Summer Improvement Thread

[Tony Towner]

Although Sako was on more than double than the others last year, bar the odd one they all signed in the knowledge that his contract was a hangover from a different wage policy. I think if we offered him another one (or another new player) with the same level of disparity it would lead to a world of pain behind the scenes. That said, IF our wage policy prevents us from competing for the type of players that we need to make a genuine run at the Top 6 this year then it needs addressing

 

[machin05]

I have a horrible feeling that Downing will be a massive success for Middlesbrough.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He could well have a Merson style effect where he was the best player in the league by a mile when he was at Boro and Pompey and without him neither team would have gone up. It's so much money though for a club outside the PL, they're matching what West Ham are paying him, and they in turn were matching what Liverpool were paying him after a £20m move.

"Worth" is an abstract concept in football but I'm not sure he or Sako would be worthy of sanctioning that kind of one off spending on one player. I mean don't get me wrong, I'd love Sako back, fantastic player for us and would immediately solve one of the remaining massive issues we have, and as I said yesterday we do have plenty of spare money in the wage budget compared to 12 months ago so should be in a position to make a very generous offer, but not to that level. There's a difference between technically speaking being able to afford something and considering it a wise idea in the long run.

 

[Langers]

Okay everyone - I've got rid of all the crap that's polluted this thread over the last 24 hours, so let's get it back on topic (which in fairness, has been the case this morning before I logged on and started cleaning all this mess up so thank you).

 

[darlowolf64]

Okay everyone - I've got rid of all the crap that's polluted this thread over the last 24 hours, so let's get it back on topic (which in fairness, has been the case this morning before I logged on and started cleaning all this mess up so thank you).

I still had a page and a half to catch up on! Evil, devil spawn :devil:

 

[machin05]

He could well have a Merson style effect where he was the best player in the league by a mile when he was at Boro and Pompey and without him neither team would have gone up. It's so much money though for a club outside the PL, they're matching what West Ham are paying him, and they in turn were matching what Liverpool were paying him after a £20m move.

"Worth" is an abstract concept in football but I'm not sure he or Sako would be worthy of sanctioning that kind of one off spending on one player. I mean don't get me wrong, I'd love Sako back, fantastic player for us and would immediately solve one of the remaining massive issues we have, and as I said yesterday we do have plenty of spare money in the wage budget compared to 12 months ago so should be in a position to make a very generous offer, but not to that level. There's a difference between technically speaking being able to afford something and considering it a wise idea in the long run.

Granted, but if it gets them over the line and into the promised land then it'd have been worth the outlay, surely?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

That really is something you can only ever say in the aftermath though. If we'd have gone up under Solbakken and most/all of the signings had worked out then the gamble would have been worth it.

 

[machin05]

Sako, like Downing, is kind of not really a gamble though is he. Worth stumping up for IMO.

It's all academic anyway as we may have put a huge offer on the table for him already.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well we didn't go up with Sako last season, or in 2012/13, and we didn't lose a game when he was away with Mali in the New Year.

It's a gaping hole in the team that needs filling, ideally before the Blackburn game, but I don't think re-signing him would guarantee anything.

 

[Freddeno]

Never any guarantees in football..we could sign Ronaldo and his knee goes before he even kicks a ball for us..

 

[Hamlet]

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport...ue/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

So - one formation is 4-3-1-2. What would the other formation (this plan B) be?

 

[Lycan]

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport...ue/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

So - one formation is 4-3-1-2. What would the other formation (this plan B) be?

I understood that to mean that 4-3-1-2 would be our plan B and our plan A would be the 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 hybrid that we were playing towards the back end of last season.

I said it last week that we should really be looking at what Watford did last season (without going 3 at the back). What little width they had last year was provided by chumps like Ikechi Anya, Juan Carlos Paredes or Miguel Layun but they still managed to blow teams away through the middle (which is clearly our strength as well now Sako has left).

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I think the way he's talking about it, and mentioning the strength in wide areas, Jackett sees 4312 as his plan be, so I'd assume his other formation(s) takes advantage of the strength in wide areas that he mentions, either 442 or 4231.

 

[GoldFlagFlyingHigh]

I notice Jacobs didn't feature at all yesterday. I'm still told he's likely to be off pretty soon.

 

[YoungWolf]

I notice Jacobs didn't feature at all yesterday. I'm still told he's likely to be off pretty soon.

It was pretty much a second (if even that) string side. I thought he'd be involved Saturday?

 

[GoldFlagFlyingHigh]

It was pretty much a second (if even that) string side. I thought he'd be involved Saturday?

There were eleven fit first teamers and Jacobs that didn't feature yesterday.

................Burgoyne
Doherty...Upton...EEL...Deslandes
Henry.....Price....Evans....Ronan
...............Bright
....................RVLP

......was yesterdays team with Hayden, Weeks, Hunte, Graham, Wilson and Reid coming on.

Either Jacobs is off or he will feature heavily on Saturday. A transfer is still in the pipeline.

 

[Lycan]

E&S linking us with Ivan Toney again.

 

[SouthWestWolf]

E&S linking us with Ivan Toney again.

A week ago he was going to Newcastle.

 

[Lord Knows]

A week ago he was going to Newcastle.

Everything seemed to be going well at Newcastle then today they get linked to Leroy Fer. You just knew it couldn't last. Charlie Austin seems to be the striker Newcastle are hoping for, leaving the door open for Wolves with Ivan Toney.

 

[Norman Deeley]

Would be happy with Toney as back up striker. Meanwhile Twitter are quoting the Mirror - James Henry going to Charlton for 500k