The Transfer Window - The Verdict.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I think it's pertinent to take into account the rehabilitation of injured players, the bomb squad and the emergence of Grealish. Although not new players, they affected the signings we had to make.

So, in addition to the squad that didn't really struggle until after the Chelsea game we have:

Given
Hutton
Senderos
Cissokho
Okore
Richardson
N'Zogbia
Cole
Grealish
Sanchez

That's ten who are newly available to pick from, quite a turnover in a 25-man squad. A rose-tinted (perhaps) 7/10 from me, with one point included for not selling Vlaar and Delph.

Is Okore 'available to pick from' ?

I thought that he was injured again.

Also, what about the players who aren't available through injury - Kozak and Benteke, for whom we don't even have return dates?

They missed large chunks of last season as well though and will hopefully be available for more of this season than last.

They're both going to be out for a while yet, so they're already missing a decent chunk of this season, too.

Benteke played almost every match until the Chelsea game Percy referred to, as well.

I thought he missed about a month early season also.

He did - hence the "almost". Chelsea was our 29th league match, Benteke played in 24 of them up to that point.

I think it's fair to say it'll take him a while to get back up to anything like his best once he's back.

Not seen much mention of Kozak of late. I wonder what's going on there.

Think Lambert said that Benteke is ahead of Kozak in terms of getting back to fitness.

[bobdylan]

I think it's pertinent to take into account the rehabilitation of injured players, the bomb squad and the emergence of Grealish. Although not new players, they affected the signings we had to make.

So, in addition to the squad that didn't really struggle until after the Chelsea game we have:

Given
Hutton
Senderos
Cissokho
Okore
Richardson
N'Zogbia
Cole
Grealish
Sanchez

That's ten who are newly available to pick from, quite a turnover in a 25-man squad. A rose-tinted (perhaps) 7/10 from me, with one point included for not selling Vlaar and Delph.

Is Okore 'available to pick from' ?

I thought that he was injured again.

Also, what about the players who aren't available through injury - Kozak and Benteke, for whom we don't even have return dates?

They missed large chunks of last season as well though and will hopefully be available for more of this season than last.

They're both going to be out for a while yet, so they're already missing a decent chunk of this season, too.

Benteke played almost every match until the Chelsea game Percy referred to, as well.

I thought he missed about a month early season also.

He did - hence the "almost". Chelsea was our 29th league match, Benteke played in 24 of them up to that point.

I think it's fair to say it'll take him a while to get back up to anything like his best once he's back.

Not seen much mention of Kozak of late. I wonder what's going on there.

He could still feature in 35 games this season though.

[Toronto Villa]

Guidetti looked like Ben Arfa's fat cousin last season at Stoke though.

Cole I am not going to write off. He is reletively cheap (25k a week?) and I still think in home games might have the key to the door if it is tight. If he creates 3-4 winners this season, I reckon that would have been worth the gamble alone. He may not do it, but it was a gamble worth taking.

Getting Cleverley on loan probably nudges it to a 6 for me.

I have been genuinely surprised by how decent a footballer Richardson is, and how hard he works and how much he wants to get beyond the front men from central midfield.

the photo of Ben Arfa had to be taken with the panormamic setting. He wasn't stretching the Hull shirt, just holding it up.

[pauliewalnuts]

He could still feature in 35 games this season though.

He's not going to, though, is he? If he were going to be back a week Saturday, we'd have heard about it.

But that's not really the point I was making, which was a more general one - that if one factors in players returning from injury as improving the squad, you also need to bare in mind players with long term injuries detracting from the available squad options.

[pauliewalnuts]

Guidetti looked like Ben Arfa's fat cousin last season at Stoke though.

Cole I am not going to write off. He is reletively cheap (25k a week?) and I still think in home games might have the key to the door if it is tight. If he creates 3-4 winners this season, I reckon that would have been worth the gamble alone. He may not do it, but it was a gamble worth taking.

Getting Cleverley on loan probably nudges it to a 6 for me.

I have been genuinely surprised by how decent a footballer Richardson is, and how hard he works and how much he wants to get beyond the front men from central midfield.

the photo of Ben Arfa had to be taken with the panormamic setting. He wasn't stretching the Hull shirt, just holding it up.

He was probably trying to eat it.

[PeterWithesShin]

Overall i'm satisfied with how most of the players brought in look. Senderos, Aly, Sanchez and Richardson look like they will improve us a reasonable amount. Disappointed though that we didn't bring a couple more in, even ic TC23 does sign on loan. That said, with Hutton and Zog looking like they will be of benefit to us as players this season, and Jack breaking through, our squad looks a lot better than it did when last season ended.

[pauliewalnuts]

Overall i'm satisfied with how most of the players brought in look. Senderos, Aly, Sanchez and Richardson look like they will improve us a reasonable amount. Disappointed though that we didn't bring a couple more in, even ic TC23 does sign on loan. That said, with Hutton and Zog looking like they will be of benefit to us as players this season, and Jack breaking through, our squad looks a lot better than it did when last season ended.

That is going to stick, isn't it?

[PeterWithesShin]

I was using it as a pisstake. I'm ok with him signing, the TC23 stuff is very knobbish though.

[bobdylan]

He could still feature in 35 games this season though.

He's not going to, though, is he? If he were going to be back a week Saturday, we'd have heard about it.

But that's not really the point I was making, which was a more general one - that if one factors in players returning from injury as improving the squad, you also need to bare in mind players with long term injuries detracting from the available squad options.

I know, but i just don't think there are any.  Given they'll both be back around October time Benteke and Kozak will likely be available for more games this season than last.  Ok it's not certain, but it looks probable, so any potential detraction is surely unforeseen at this juncture and just conjecture.

[pauliewalnuts]

He could still feature in 35 games this season though.

He's not going to, though, is he? If he were going to be back a week Saturday, we'd have heard about it.

But that's not really the point I was making, which was a more general one - that if one factors in players returning from injury as improving the squad, you also need to bare in mind players with long term injuries detracting from the available squad options.

I know, but i just don't think there are any.  Given they'll both be back around October time Benteke and Kozak will likely be available for more games this season than last.  Ok it's not certain, but it looks probable, so any potential detraction is surely unforeseen at this juncture and just conjecture.

Well, not really. Conjecture would be saying "I reckon Guzan will be out for at least 6 games at some point". It is based on nothing.

In the case of these two players, they already have long term injuries with no firm return dates, so it's not unforeseen or conjecture.

FWIW the original quote was comparing the squad now against the squad up to the post Chelsea win descent, and pointing out players returned from injury. I was just adding that it ignored the two important players currently out with injuries.

[bobdylan]

He could still feature in 35 games this season though.

He's not going to, though, is he? If he were going to be back a week Saturday, we'd have heard about it.

But that's not really the point I was making, which was a more general one - that if one factors in players returning from injury as improving the squad, you also need to bare in mind players with long term injuries detracting from the available squad options.

I know, but i just don't think there are any.  Given they'll both be back around October time Benteke and Kozak will likely be available for more games this season than last.  Ok it's not certain, but it looks probable, so any potential detraction is surely unforeseen at this juncture and just conjecture.

Well, not really. Conjecture would be saying "I reckon Guzan will be out for at least 6 games at some point". It is based on nothing.

In the case of these two players, they already have long term injuries with no firm return dates, so it's not unforeseen or conjecture.

FWIW the original quote was comparing the squad now against the squad up to the post Chelsea win descent, and pointing out players returned from injury. I was just adding that it ignored the two important players currently out with injuries.

Combined they made 40 league appearances last year, this season it could be as high as 70, we're told they are both in light training and doing well, so to assume they will therefore not back until after Christmas seems rather conservative.

[PeterWithesShin]

Sadly, there is zero chance they will make 70 league appearances between them. We'll be lucky to get 55.

[PeterWithesShin]

This is when you know the game is fucked. 26 fucking players out on loan. What chance do clubs, including us, have when Chavski have a whole fecking squad out on loan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_F.C.#Out_on_loan

[Dante Lavelli]

I think it is fair to highlight the seeming lack of Plan B, but I do not particularly blame Lambert.  There should be a different person doing a lot of this work (scouting / schmoozing the agents / negotiating contracts) as this job - if done well - demand too much time of the manager.

Regardless of the above the squad looks slightly better than last year and have kept Vlaar and Delph, so overall I'm happy. 
It's frustrating that there was seemingly another £10+ available which went unspent.

[pauliewalnuts]

He could still feature in 35 games this season though.

He's not going to, though, is he? If he were going to be back a week Saturday, we'd have heard about it.

But that's not really the point I was making, which was a more general one - that if one factors in players returning from injury as improving the squad, you also need to bare in mind players with long term injuries detracting from the available squad options.

I know, but i just don't think there are any.  Given they'll both be back around October time Benteke and Kozak will likely be available for more games this season than last.  Ok it's not certain, but it looks probable, so any potential detraction is surely unforeseen at this juncture and just conjecture.

Well, not really. Conjecture would be saying "I reckon Guzan will be out for at least 6 games at some point". It is based on nothing.

In the case of these two players, they already have long term injuries with no firm return dates, so it's not unforeseen or conjecture.

FWIW the original quote was comparing the squad now against the squad up to the post Chelsea win descent, and pointing out players returned from injury. I was just adding that it ignored the two important players currently out with injuries.

Combined they made 40 league appearances last year, this season it could be as high as 70, we're told they are both in light training and doing well, so to assume they will therefore not back until after Christmas seems rather conservative.

Who said anything about Christmas?