Our changing transfer policy

[Drummond]

We have a young squad, that make naïve mistakes. Older and wiser heads help to stop results like Wolves happen.

If the players we're talking about were the likes of Collins and Dunne, then you'd have a point, but Coutinho, Digne and Ings are all successful players with solid reputations at an age that should be their peak pretty much. It's solid and dependable and not at exorbitant fees.

Digne and Coutinho instead of Targett and AEG?
Ings instead of Wesley/Davies?

You have to pay to get what we're looking for and generally you don't get success without experienced heads.

[lovejoy]

Two things - financial fair play, can't see how the reported wages can get accommodated.
Also Gerrard needs results now so that in 2 years he steps up to his Liverpool job, he doesn't care if we have players developing in 5 years time, hence the here and now nature of these signings.

[Ad@m]

We have a young squad, that make naïve mistakes. Older and wiser heads help to stop results like Wolves happen.

If the players we're talking about were the likes of Collins and Dunne, then you'd have a point, but Coutinho, Digne and Ings are all successful players with solid reputations at an age that should be their peak pretty much. It's solid and dependable and not at exorbitant fees.

Digne and Coutinho instead of Targett and AEG?
Ings instead of Wesley/Davies?

You have to pay to get what we're looking for and generally you don't get success without experienced heads.

Absolutely.  Balance is the key.

MON's transfer strategy was 100% experience.  Lambert's strategy was 100% kids.  Two extremes which didn't work and hopefully we're now operating somewhere in the middle.

It's also worth noting that all the biggest clubs spend big on the right players.  No one's successful by solely bringing kids through the system.  As long as players improve the first team and the costs are sensible, there's nothing wrong with buying experienced players.

[Scott Nielsen]

That damned Gerrard, eh. Ruthlessly manipulating our club to take on unsustainable debt just to set himself up for Liverpool in two years time.

[sickbeggar]

We have a young squad, that make naïve mistakes. Older and wiser heads help to stop results like Wolves happen.

If the players we're talking about were the likes of Collins and Dunne, then you'd have a point, but Coutinho, Digne and Ings are all successful players with solid reputations at an age that should be their peak pretty much. It's solid and dependable and not at exorbitant fees.

Digne and Coutinho instead of Targett and AEG?
Ings instead of Wesley/Davies?

You have to pay to get what we're looking for and generally you don't get success without experienced heads.

Absolutely.  Balance is the key.

MON's transfer strategy was 100% experience. Lambert's strategy was 100% kids.  Two extremes which didn't work and hopefully we're now operating somewhere in the middle.

It's also worth noting that all the biggest clubs spend big on the right players.  No one's successful by solely bringing kids through the system.  As long as players improve the first team and the costs are sensible, there's nothing wrong with buying experienced players.

Pedantic I know but it wasn't really his strategy.

[OCD]

I think something that may have been missed yesterday with all the Digne talk is that we're meant to have bid £800k for a highly rated 17 year old centre back. That doesn't suggest a change of policy. The young kids also need some experience around them too. Ashley Young has been a really good influence in the squad and I gather that Danny Ings has been mentoring Cam Archer. We've got enough youth that we can afford one or two 28/29 year olds, especially when it's someone of the quality of Coutinho.

[eamonn]

We have a young squad, that make naïve mistakes. Older and wiser heads help to stop results like Wolves happen.

If the players we're talking about were the likes of Collins and Dunne, then you'd have a point, but Coutinho, Digne and Ings are all successful players with solid reputations at an age that should be their peak pretty much. It's solid and dependable and not at exorbitant fees.

Digne and Coutinho instead of Targett and AEG?
Ings instead of Wesley/Davies?

You have to pay to get what we're looking for and generally you don't get success without experienced heads.

Not exorbitant transfer fees maybe but Coutinho and Digne's wages are going to whack a heavy % onto our expenditure every month. Every time our annual accounts come out we moan about our lack of turnover and unsustainable wages to income ratio. Whoever our Finance Director is, presumably he/she is all over this and any possible FFP repercussions.

[Chris Smith]

We’ve signed one player on loan, it’s a bit early to describe it as a policy.

[ChicagoLion]

I think it has changed. Everything changed when the Idiot fucked off up the M6 and the summer of discontent.
WE went into the transfer market like a drunken sailor without addressing the actual needs of the First Team.
Now Gerrard is working to a different plan and tactically needs different players to the ones he has inherited. Its not about incremental improvements its I want players that can compete at the top end of the league now, and has been said you will inevitably end up with more experience and less resale value.

[Drummond]

We have a young squad, that make naïve mistakes. Older and wiser heads help to stop results like Wolves happen.

If the players we're talking about were the likes of Collins and Dunne, then you'd have a point, but Coutinho, Digne and Ings are all successful players with solid reputations at an age that should be their peak pretty much. It's solid and dependable and not at exorbitant fees.

Digne and Coutinho instead of Targett and AEG?
Ings instead of Wesley/Davies?

You have to pay to get what we're looking for and generally you don't get success without experienced heads.

Not exorbitant transfer fees maybe but Coutinho and Digne's wages are going to whack a heavy % onto our expenditure every month. Every time our annual accounts come out we moan about our lack of turnover and unsustainable wages to income ratio. Whoever our Finance Director is, presumably he/she is all over this and any possible FFP repercussions.

Yep, it's a good point. I guess part of this plan is to grow the commercial side, a little speculate to accumulate perhaps. We're clearly planning to go places, and we'll have plenty of organisations wanting to get on board. Not sure about shirt sales, but Coutinho will help with all that.

[Mister E]

I think something that may have been missed yesterday with all the Digne talk is that we're meant to have bid £800k for a highly rated 17 year old centre back. That doesn't suggest a change of policy. The young kids also need some experience around them too. Ashley Young has been a really good influence in the squad and I gather that Danny Ings has been mentoring Cam Archer. We've got enough youth that we can afford one or two 28/29 year olds, especially when it's someone of the quality of Coutinho.

This is it, for me.
Give the squad more experience and still use the up-and-coming youth players to get gametime.
Adding a proven international like Coutinho and an established French international seems like sensible recruitment to me.
There may be conspiracy theories about whether there is some sort of fundamental shift in approach: I'd interpret it much more as a developing strategy to which Mr Gerrard has made some contribution.

[ChicagoLion]

Improvements in Commercial Revenue is important but incremental, the Game Changer is European Football.

[cannock villa]

That damned Gerrard, eh. Ruthlessly manipulating our club to take on unsustainable debt just to set himself up for Liverpool in two years time.

And he would have got away with it if it was not for them pesky kids

[The Edge]

Two things - financial fair play, can't see how the reported wages can get accommodated.
Also Gerrard needs results now so that in 2 years he steps up to his Liverpool job, he doesn't care if we have players developing in 5 years time, hence the here and now nature of these signings.

I think that's totally unfair on Gerrard. How do you or anyone else know what his plans are for the future?I think he's handled the speculation brilliantly and refuses to answer any questions regarding us being a stepping stone in fact he called it disrespectful to Aston Villa football club. What more can he say? He's clearly trying to turn us into a top club and his influence in signing top players is becoming apparent. To say he doesn't care if we have players developing in 5 years time is pure conspiracy theory nonsense. As for those criticising players wages again what's that got to do with Gerrard? The money bods crunch the numbers and have the final say on what's feasible and what's not. I don't get why people can't just enjoy seeing us trying to get a seat at the top table and leave the worrying to those who get paid handsomely to balance the books. The days of us being used as a huge gambling chip are over. Tony X has left the building. We're lucky enough to have superb owners who are very business savvy and very wealthy.

[caster troy]

Last month Gerrard promoted Chrisene to 1st team training presumably as cover for Targett. Seems risky to have a 17 year old as our only cover. Bringing in Digne improves the 1st team, gives us cover and allows Chrisene to potentially go out on loan. I guess sometimes you need to bring in older players to buy time for your youth to develop. If Chrisene was 20 and pushing for a first team place I'd be more worried but this seems like a perfectly fine signing for me.