Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread

[AsTallAsLions]

FWIW I don't think he meant literally last-minute signings, just late window rather than early window signings. His point about the players not having enough time to acclimate is valid IMO. Signing the likes of Trez and Luiz in late July gave them very little time to adjust. Wesley's work permit situation meant he didn't get to link up with the squad until relatively late in pre-season too.

Our early performances speak to that, falling apart from a winning position against the poorest Spurs team in years and then losing at home to relegation fodder Bournemouth. 1 win across August and September. We'll need to hit the ground running this season or else end up in the same struggle all over again.

No need to panic yet and as you say there are mitigating circumstances outside of our control which have resulted in a squeezed pre-season, but nonetheless we're little more 3 weeks away from kick-off. We need signings this side of September. I'm sure there will be one or two at least, but I'll be worried if not.

Just a couple of things. Bournemouth obviously got relegated but they weren't relegation fodder. They finished a respectable 14th and 11 points clear of relegation the previous season. Spurs were Champions League finalists just a short time before, hardly the poorest team in years.

Well I'm talking about performance over the whole season, not sure what relevance it has that Bournemouth finished 14th the previous year as it was a different team we faced, clearly since they got relegated. Likewise Spurs who lost the likes of Eriksen and finished 6th. Was that not their worst league finish in 6 years?

[Clampy]

Spurs was our first game back after getting promoted. Losing that game was hardly a crime and to lose was not totally unexpected.

[LukeJames]

My curiosity got the better of me and I wondered over to Villatalk to see if there's any rumours worth getting excited about. They have a 98 page thread for Milot Rashica were they are discussing the size of Gerard Piques dick. Strange place.

[AsTallAsLions]

Spurs was our first game back after getting promoted. Losing that game was hardly a crime and to lose was not totally unexpected.

Nobody said it was a crime. But the team wasn't fit or organized enough, which is why we got nothing from a game that we were still leading at the 70 minute mark.

[Dave]

I think we all agree that we really do need proven stable PL experience

I can guarantee that we don't all agree with this.

The last time we tried this we bought the semi-retired Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards, and tried to buy Andros Townsend. So far this summer under the 'proven stable PL experience' banner I've heard the names James McCarthy, Isaac Hayden and Shane Duffy bandied around.

I definitely don't agree with this if 'proven stable PL experience' means 'journeyman, no better than we've already got and never going to get any better'.

Quite. We'd be looking at a reserve from one of the top six, a fringe player from one of the next six or feasibly a better player from one of the teams that were in and around us (if we really wanted to make it worth their while). Or maybe a better player from a once relegated team.

I'd hope that if we're about to spend £25m on a player, it's picking up the next Son or Firmimo from Europe rather than getting a nailed on 8-10 goals from Chris Wood. 

[LeeB]

Spurs was our first game back after getting promoted. Losing that game was hardly a crime and to lose was not totally unexpected.

Nobody said it was a crime. But the team wasn't fit or organized enough, which is why we got nothing from a game that we were still leading at the 70 minute mark.

I was at that game, and in hindsight we were no different to what we were for most of the rest of the season. Spurs previous competitive game had been the Champions League final.

[Clampy]

Spurs was our first game back after getting promoted. Losing that game was hardly a crime and to lose was not totally unexpected.

Nobody said it was a crime. But the team wasn't fit or organized enough, which is why we got nothing from a game that we were still leading at the 70 minute mark.

Maybe, but it was our first game back after being promoted, away from home and playing champions league finalists. It was always going to be tough game for any team, never mind a newly promoted one.  Anyway, it's not a game I automatically think of when looking back at last season.

[Stu]

Spurs was our first game back after getting promoted. Losing that game was hardly a crime and to lose was not totally unexpected.

Nobody said it was a crime. But the team wasn't fit or organized enough, which is why we got nothing from a game that we were still leading at the 70 minute mark.

I was at that game, and in hindsight we were no different to what we were for most of the rest of the season. Spurs previous competitive game had been the Champions League final.

I was there too, we should have gone in 0-2 up at HT. Granted, fitness was an issue but we were properly organised in the first half and for about 15-20 mins of the second. Spurs fans next to us were getting increasingly restless until they equalised. The look on this one Spurs fan's face when McGinn scored was a picture - open mouthed astonishment, looking at us all going mental in the away end. I enjoyed that day despite the result.

[LeeB]

I was in there corporate seats and went mental when McGinnis scored, I did a fair bit of apologising at half time, which to be fair was taken well.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I was there too but I was so pissed I spent most of the game trying to work out how they filled the beer glasses from the bottom up.

[tomd2103]

Think the market has changed drastically over the past decade.  The increased TV revenue means that clubs across the board can pretty much offer the same kind of money to players. 

Sure, the so called big clubs can still attract players from other clubs in the division, but I think the rest would struggle to attract a player from another club unless they were massively out of favour, coming to the end of their contract or offered silly money.

I think we'd all love to think that we are still a big draw, but where we currently are, I just don't see us attracting a starting player from another Premier League team, unless they are in the categories above.  Therefore, our markets are the relegated teams, EFL teams, loan market or abroad.

[jwarry]

Think the market has changed drastically over the past decade.  The increased TV revenue means that clubs across the board can pretty much offer the same kind of money to players. 

Sure, the so called big clubs can still attract players from other clubs in the division, but I think the rest would struggle to attract a player from another club unless they were massively out of favour, coming to the end of their contract or offered silly money.

I think we'd all love to think that we are still a big draw, but where we currently are, I just don't see us attracting a starting player from another Premier League team, unless they are in the categories above.  Therefore, our markets are the relegated teams, EFL teams, loan market or abroad.

I’m sure you are right but it didn’t stop Man City did it?!? A couple of marquee signing like Robinho and the world changed

[Mister E]

Nicolas Gonzalez, anyone?
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/18/leeds-and-brighton-interested-in-stuttgart-forward-nicolas-gonzalez
The Hitz is Stuttgart's Sporting Director ...

[VILLA MOLE]

My curiosity got the better of me and I wondered over to Villatalk to see if there's any rumours worth getting excited about. They have a 98 page thread for Milot Rashica were they are discussing the size of Gerard Piques dick. Strange place.

How big was it ?🤔😀

[OCD]

Think the market has changed drastically over the past decade.  The increased TV revenue means that clubs across the board can pretty much offer the same kind of money to players. 

Sure, the so called big clubs can still attract players from other clubs in the division, but I think the rest would struggle to attract a player from another club unless they were massively out of favour, coming to the end of their contract or offered silly money.

I think we'd all love to think that we are still a big draw, but where we currently are, I just don't see us attracting a starting player from another Premier League team, unless they are in the categories above.  Therefore, our markets are the relegated teams, EFL teams, loan market or abroad.

I’m sure you are right but it didn’t stop Man City did it?!? A couple of marquee signing like Robinho and the world changed

And then FFP came in.