The Transfer Window - The Verdict.

[Matt Collins]

Yeah when every opponent relentlessly targets your left back you know you need to change something

[SoccerHQ]

First few weeks he looked alright against decent opponents but was a proper liability but the time we got to xmas, think Man. United and Palace at home.

Still I wish him well in Italy. Slower pace of the game there will help him.

[Havencheese]

It's the lack of self awareness that annoys me about Luna in this instance. Every player should be their own harshest critic, I think it's fair to say that he started off in decent fashion but surely he must realise that his performance by January was nothing more than dire. Contrast this with the likes of Hutton, a player who has obviously taken a look at his career and realised exactly where he stands and what he's got to do.

Perhaps on the other hand Tony Moon is all to self aware that he's realistically out of his depth and trying to sell himself to a potential new fan base?

[ozzjim]

This not in the top 10 business. Cissokho came from Liverpool via Valencia. Cleverley from United. Cole is on the down slide so agreed he is nowhere near it, but Sanchez is. Senderos was at Valencia last season, and Richardson looks a mid table premier league player to me. Granted they are not top 4-6 class, but compared to the level we have been at previously, they are pretty solid signings.

[Keeno]

This not in the top 10 business. Cissokho came from Liverpool via Valencia. Cleverley from United. Cole is on the down slide so agreed he is nowhere near it, but Sanchez is. Senderos was at Valencia last season, and Richardson looks a mid table premier league player to me. Granted they are not top 4-6 class, but compared to the level we have been at previously, they are pretty solid signings.

This is spot on - the signings we've made haven't been spectacular but solid, and solidity is exactly what we've needed for the last two years (and fingers crossed what we've seen in the last few matches against teams we might have slipped up against last season). Hopefully it will allow players like Delph, Westy, Weimann, Benteke when he's back - who have all undoubtedly got talent - to focus more on improving and playing their own games and push the club forward.

[Matt Collins]

This not in the top 10 business. Cissokho came from Liverpool via Valencia. Cleverley from United. Cole is on the down slide so agreed he is nowhere near it, but Sanchez is. Senderos was at Valencia last season, and Richardson looks a mid table premier league player to me. Granted they are not top 4-6 class, but compared to the level we have been at previously, they are pretty solid signings.

Cissokho, senderos and cleverley we're hardly first choice though were they? I'm excited about sanchez but he's never played for a top ten side in a major European league by 28. So I won't overdo the excitement until he's shown it domestically

[Matt Collins]

But I completely agree they are very solid signings and the squad looks hugely better than last season.

Cissokho for luna
Hutton for Lowton (who I still like but he can't defend)
Senderos and Okore for baker and Clark
Sanchez for sylla
Cleverley for KEA
n'zogbia for albrighton
Grealish for Tonev
Cole for helenius, sort of

There's no question we're much stronger

[supertom]

I think we did okay in the window. Getting Cleverley in at the end put us just over the line for the bare minimum we needed. I think re-instating the bomb squad will prove fruitful on the whole.
All our outgoings were dross.
We've made some reasonable signings, ranging from quite astute, to potentially good. Cole seems to be the duff signing, but given he was a freebie and a bit of punt, there's no harm with that. If he shows up and has 5 games where he produces his best, then we'll have got value out of him, and I think he's also there for Grealish to learn a little from too.

At the very least I'm pleased Randy showed a willingness to spend some money, when it seemed the suggestion was that he'd not be spending anything. We've managed to get 6 players in. Randy also would have funded Cleverleys deal on a permanent too, had Tom not asked for wages he doesn't warrant. But again, that happens if you buy from Man Utd. That 10 million banded around as our budget (inc wages) appears to be wide of the mark. I think had TC's wage demands been more sensible we'd have forked out 7-8 mill to make him a permanent member of the side. As it is, I prefer getting him in on loan so we can road test him first.

Ultimately our defence and midfield looks improved now. Also the best business we've done this window has been keeping Vlaar and Delph. Had either pushed for a move you couldn't blame them, and I'm just glad we weren't tempted to cash in, particularly with Vlaar having had such a good World Cup. Lets face it, then moment Senderos signed, everyone outside of Villa, and some of the more nervous among us probably thought we'd just signed Rons replacement, as opposed to a new partner.

[supertom]

Looking at some of our rivals in the bottom 12 range, I'm not massively worried. Have Soton done enough to replace their outgoings? Not sure. They didn't lose Rodriguez or Schneiderlin in the end I suppose.

A lot has been said of Hull's business. But I don't see signing both Arfa and Ramirez as anything but a huge gamble. Both very erratic. I don't look enviously at their lot by any means. We've got our own mercurial talent back with Zogbia. He'll be stunning one day, dire the next. He'll look well up for it one day, and like he can't be arsed the next.

I think what it boils down to is that there are a lot of very similar sides in terms of talent. How many of our relegation rivals have a spine as good as Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke? Not many. I think that's why we should be safe this year. I think we'll be mid-table. Again, we need injuries to go our way this year.
Some sides won't do as well as they did last year. Palace for starters. Southampton won't, but I think they've enough in them not to struggle. Newcastle will struggle because of the management and lack of a top forward. Sunderland will also struggle for lack of a decent striker. Brom and West Ham will also struggle, as will the promoted clubs.

[richard moore]

Looking at some of our rivals in the bottom 12 range, I'm not massively worried. Have Soton done enough to replace their outgoings? Not sure. They didn't lose Rodriguez or Schneiderlin in the end I suppose.

A lot has been said of Hull's business. But I don't see signing both Arfa and Ramirez as anything but a huge gamble. Both very erratic. I don't look enviously at their lot by any means. We've got our own mercurial talent back with Zogbia. He'll be stunning one day, dire the next. He'll look well up for it one day, and like he can't be arsed the next.

I think what it boils down to is that there are a lot of very similar sides in terms of talent. How many of our relegation rivals have a spine as good as Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke? Not many. I think that's why we should be safe this year. I think we'll be mid-table. Again, we need injuries to go our way this year.
Some sides won't do as well as they did last year. Palace for starters. Southampton won't, but I think they've enough in them not to struggle. Newcastle will struggle because of the management and lack of a top forward. Sunderland will also struggle for lack of a decent striker. Brom and West Ham will also struggle, as will the promoted clubs.

As ever, I think you are spot on and this reflects my own thinking exactly. I am pretty sure that a number of teams that finished above us last season will do worse whilst we will most definitely be better. I think 10th to 12th, even possibly higher if we can keep everyone and that spine you refer to is very much in our grasp. Not that I am very proud of that being our aspiration these days seemingly!

[Dante Lavelli]

Our solid signings will hopefully give some of our current players a new lease of life.  Westwood / Delph / Benteke and even Gabby/Weimann will hopefully benefit from having a narrower role/responsibility in the teams rather than having to be the 'jack of all trades' due to other players' weaknesses.

[supertom]

Looking at some of our rivals in the bottom 12 range, I'm not massively worried. Have Soton done enough to replace their outgoings? Not sure. They didn't lose Rodriguez or Schneiderlin in the end I suppose.

A lot has been said of Hull's business. But I don't see signing both Arfa and Ramirez as anything but a huge gamble. Both very erratic. I don't look enviously at their lot by any means. We've got our own mercurial talent back with Zogbia. He'll be stunning one day, dire the next. He'll look well up for it one day, and like he can't be arsed the next.

I think what it boils down to is that there are a lot of very similar sides in terms of talent. How many of our relegation rivals have a spine as good as Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke? Not many. I think that's why we should be safe this year. I think we'll be mid-table. Again, we need injuries to go our way this year.
Some sides won't do as well as they did last year. Palace for starters. Southampton won't, but I think they've enough in them not to struggle. Newcastle will struggle because of the management and lack of a top forward. Sunderland will also struggle for lack of a decent striker. Brom and West Ham will also struggle, as will the promoted clubs.

As ever, I think you are spot on and this reflects my own thinking exactly. I am pretty sure that a number of teams that finished above us last season will do worse whilst we will most definitely be better. I think 10th to 12th, even possibly higher if we can keep everyone and that spine you refer to is very much in our grasp. Not that I am very proud of that being our aspiration these days seemingly!

Yep and in a transfer window these days it's just as key which players you keep hold of as the ones you bring in. Having kept hold of Vlaar, Delph and Benteke is great for us. Other clubs haven't been quite as lucky. Southampton of course is the obvious example, and they've got to hope the majority of their more adventurous signings come off. But losing a solid performer like Lambert for example, who'd been there for a few years and scored frequently, is big for them. They need his replacement to hit the ground running. Indeed Lallana, who created a lot for Lambert too, is also a massive loss. You're not just replacing two players, you're also trying to replace the bond in the team that said players had.

At this level having a 15-20 goal striker is like gold dust. Currently we have one in our squad. 12 million spent on Long was a mark of desperation and that doesn't even buy you a natural goalscorer. We're lucky we weren't in that market.