Randy Lerner - Discuss

[The Laughing Policeman]

One thing about this wage slashing is that we are going to need to pay these replacements the going wage too. 

we're not though. why do you think we're shopping in the dutch league?

we've gone from waitrose to asda.

That's a bit unfair. El Amhadi and Holman have turned their backs on Champions League football so we must be paying them a decent wage.

It's Premier League football they're after though.

Well done us for getting them then.

We'll see when the season starts.

Yes, let's.

The problem though Dave is that we're not spending money we haven't got on players we can't afford. All this financial prudence will end in us not being in the same bucket of shit as SHA, Pompey and Rangers. Now that would be disgraceful, I say Randy out and Craig Whyte and Yeung in.

[Ad@m]

One thing about this wage slashing is that we are going to need to pay these replacements the going wage too. 

we're not though. why do you think we're shopping in the dutch league?

we've gone from waitrose to asda.

I'm not sure I'd describe Habib Beye and Marlon Harewood as Waitrose.

There's a very big difference in 'the going wage' and the Martin O'Neill wage.  I'm confident (and I assume Randy is too) that we can replace the players bought by MON with players of either equal or better ability for less money if we look in the right places.  The signings we've seen so far this summer, where we've been picking up Champions League players for less money than Beye and Reo-Coker were on is proof of that.

[Clampy]

The one thing that previous managers have been criticised for is not looking abroad for reasonably priced players.

I guess there's no pleasing some people is there?

[pauliewalnuts]

The one thing that previous managers have been criticised for is not looking abroad for reasonably priced players.

Good point. I like the look of his acquisitions so far, let's see how they do in the league.

[Merv]

I'm confident (and I assume Randy is too) that we can replace the players bought by MON with players of either equal or better ability for less money if we look in the right places.  The signings we've seen so far this summer, where we've been picking up Champions League players for less money than Beye and Reo-Coker were on is proof of that.

Absolutely - I said earlier in the summer I'd rather trust PL with £10m than AM with £30m... I'm happy with a tight budget if we have the right man in charge of it. Hence, we get selling James Collins for £2.5m and buying Ron Vlaar for just £500k more.

[eastie]

The one thing that previous managers have been criticised for is not looking abroad for reasonably priced players.

I guess there's no pleasing some people is there?

Very true clampy, ive been impressed with all 4 signings so far and feel they will significantly improve our team and all get a starting place at west ham- a left back and striker of quality and i feel we should be challenging for a top 8 place at least.

[Chris Smith]

The one thing that previous managers have been criticised for is not looking abroad for reasonably priced players.

Good point. I like the look of his acquisitions so far, let's see how they do in the league.

That's the acid test, they're all pretty much unknown quantities to the majority of us at the moment. Games so far have been more about fitness and players adapting to how Lambert wants us to play as well as him getting to know them. I've a feeling we might have to put up with a relatively slow start to the season as the new players bed in and the established ones adjust to different demands.

[Risso]

The one thing that previous managers have been criticised for is not looking abroad for reasonably priced players.

Good point. I like the look of his acquisitions so far, let's see how they do in the league.

That's the acid test, they're all pretty much unknown quantities to the majority of us at the moment. Games so far have been more about fitness and players adapting to how Lambert wants us to play as well as him getting to know them. I've a feeling we might have to put up with a relatively slow start to the season as the new players bed in and the established ones adjust to different demands.

Misery arse!  I think we're going to get off to a storming start and we'll be top 6 by November.

[fredm]

That's the acid test, they're all pretty much unknown quantities to the majority of us at the moment. Games so far have been more about fitness and players adapting to how Lambert wants us to play as well as him getting to know them. I've a feeling we might have to put up with a relatively slow start to the season as the new players bed in and the established ones adjust to different demands.

That's the thing though, Chris.  Usually a new player just has to bed in with a team that is relatively used to the system(s) they play.  With us this coming season they are all starting from scratch so have all got to learn new ideas.  As you say, may well take a little while, and a whole lot of nerve holding, on everyones part.

[Risso]

Newcastle showed last season that if you buy good players, they can come in and do a good job straight away.

[pauliewalnuts]

Newcastle showed last season that if you buy good players, they can come in and do a good job straight away.

They can do, yes, but it doesn't always happen automatically.

I'd be happy just to see us play a bit of football and finish mid table or so this season. After last season, and the full realisation of just how poor we could be, I reckon lots of our fans will have set the bar for this season very low indeed.

I also suspect it was a part of Lambert's reasoning in taking the job. He won't have to do much to improve on last season.

[Chrisupnorth]

Emile Heskey on £65k a week or Grant Holt on £15k a week?  There are (relative) bargains out there capable of delivering much better value for money than some of the time wasters we've had (and still have) on our books.  Unless you're shopping at Harrods, you don't have to spend silly money to get good value.  In Lambert we trust.

[eastie]

Newcastle showed last season that if you buy good players, they can come in and do a good job straight away.

They can do, yes, but it doesn't always happen automatically.

I'd be happy just to see us play a bit of football and finish mid table or so this season. After last season, and the full realisation of just how poor we could be, I reckon lots of our fans will have set the bar for this season very low indeed.

I also suspect it was a part of Lambert's reasoning in taking the job. He won't have to do much to improve on last season.

Midtable would be of course acceptable but i think top 8 is realistic also , as outside the top 5 there are no teams uncatchable, we certainly can push the likes of everton and maybe newcastle.

[OCD]

Given the lack of depth in our squad, mid-table is a realistic aspiration for this year, possibly with a cup run. Anything more would be a bonus.

[Rigadon]

Given the lack of depth in our squad, mid-table is a realistic aspiration for this year, possibly with a cup run. Anything more would be a bonus.

Agreed.  My earlier point about paying the going wage was about pushing on from where we were at the end of O'Neill.  For that jump we will need to spend big so while the current sensible transfer policy of replacing expensive flops is absolutely warranted and the signings creative and exciting, I'd guess that they won't be enough to push us on into Europe.