Summer 2022 Transfer Thread

[Dogtanian]

I think Watkins and Ings definitely improved toward the end of the season, and they seem to get on which can be an issue with ego strikers to the detriment of the team.

Ollie got 4 goals and 1 assist in his last 10 league matches, Ings got 2 goals and 2 assists in his last ten appearances. Taking into account Ings has rarely played the full 90 in that period, it means;

• Ings = a goal contribution every 130 minutes.
  
• Watkins = a goal contribution every 175 minutes.

That suggests that with the right setup, a more settled team this season, and the right coaching, we have two players who are capable of a goal contribution every other game. So the question is do we gamble a massive amount of money bringing in a proven striker ( assuming we can convince them to join us ) or do we put faith that we can get that performance out of them for a whole season and use those funds to strengthen elsewhere.

[dicedlam]

Watkins can practice all he likes, but neither him or Ings for that matter have shown the quality to take us where we want to be, that is if the club have any aspirations of making the top 6 next season.

I fear that hoping a kid can step up to the plate if both Watkins and Ings are shooting blanks is a massive risk and ultimately, I believe not strengthening this particular area could cost Gerrard his job.

[Gareth]

I wouldn’t be against selling Watkins or Ings but quite where we get a proven improvement that is willing to join I’m not sure?

[Dogtanian]

Well, last season we scored 54 goals. The highest of anyone outside the top 8. Arsenal and Man U, in 5th and 6th, scored 61 and 57 respectively.

Our goal scoring wasn't fantastic, but we were more let down by our inability to hold onto a lead and the amount of goals we conceded, particularly those 'gifted' to the opposition. Improvements to the defence and game management will have us moving up the table even with our existing strikers.

I'm all for putting the ball into the back of the net more often, but it's going to cost serious amounts of money and will have a big impact on FFP and our ability to strengthen other areas. I'd love us to go out and get a proper clinical goal-getter, but I can see why it's sensible to go with what we have. Another £30m striker isn't going to add much, we'd have to spend £70m+ and any player commanding those fees have better options than a team that finished 14th last season. That means you're going to break the bank on wages to even get them to the table, and it's still going to be a hard sell.

[paul_e]

Well, last season we scored 54 goals. The highest of anyone outside the top 8. Arsenal and Man U, in 5th and 6th, scored 61 and 57 respectively.

Our goal scoring wasn't fantastic, but we were more let down by our inability to hold onto a lead and the amount of goals we conceded, particularly those 'gifted' to the opposition. Improvements to the defence and game management will have us moving up the table even with our existing strikers.

I'm all for putting the ball into the back of the net more often, but it's going to cost serious amounts of money and will have a big impact on FFP and our ability to strengthen other areas. I'd love us to go out and get a proper clinical goal-getter, but I can see why it's sensible to go with what we have. Another £30m striker isn't going to add much, we'd have to spend £70m+ and any player commanding those fees have better options than a team that finished 14th last season. That means you're going to break the bank on wages to even get them to the table, and it's still going to be a hard sell.

Ings is the problem for me. I like him as a player but he doesn't fit into a team that plays one up front so, to get him games, we have to play a front 2 and that forces one of Coutinho or Buendia out of the team and makes our whole front 3 easier to mark. On top of that he was a bit of a 'flat track bully' last season with is goals and assists almost all against the weaker teams (his only goal contribution against a top half team was against wolves in the game that started Smith's spiral. That's partially down to us just not playing very well against top half teams last year it was noticeable that he went missing in a number of those games.


It isn't about goals (directly) for me, I think this team has plenty of goals in it, but it's about getting options in that let us control tempo and territory, last year we really struggled to dictate play in most games because teams knew that if we went long they had a decent chance of winning possession back so they could press hard on our defence. If we can stop that by giving them something more to worry about we'll get more time on the ball to play in midfield. I think this is why Gerrard was playing Bailey even though he was clearly struggling for form and fitness, he was hoping it gave us more threat running in behind teams to pin their defenders deep. It didn't work because he wasn't fully fit and didn't have the extra yard of pace you need to do it.

[cdbearsfan]

Yeah, if you are playing one up front you need someone who contributes an all round game, constantly looking for the ball, holding it up and bringing others into play, while remaining an active goal threat. Watkins was one of the best in the league at that the season before last, and I'm not so keen to write him off as others are. Our game doesn't suit Ings up front on his own and I want to see the Philendia combination starting most games so Ings should be competing with Archer for first choice as impact sub, not in the starting lineup.

[eamonn]

Philendia! Inspired.

[OCD]

I think this is why Gerrard was playing Bailey even though he was clearly struggling for form and fitness, he was hoping it gave us more threat running in behind teams to pin their defenders deep. It didn't work because he wasn't fully fit and didn't have the extra yard of pace you need to do it.

Presumably he didn't have the pace because he was still coming back from injury as he's probably the fastest player in the squad when he is.

I keep seeing us being linked with Jonathan David and he is expected to come to the Premier League this summer, so we'll see what happens there.

[paul_e]

I think this is why Gerrard was playing Bailey even though he was clearly struggling for form and fitness, he was hoping it gave us more threat running in behind teams to pin their defenders deep. It didn't work because he wasn't fully fit and didn't have the extra yard of pace you need to do it.

Presumably he didn't have the pace because he was still coming back from injury as he's probably the fastest player in the squad when he is.

I keep seeing us being linked with Jonathan David and he is expected to come to the Premier League this summer, so we'll see what happens there.

Yeah, absolutely, I did mean to link him not being fully fit to him being down on his pace. Jonathan David would be decent but would still mean our threats were all the 'in behind' type rather than the bullying type that I think would be useful. The problem is there aren't a huge amount of top quality hold-up players around right now.

[KevinGage]

Lies. damned lies and statistics etc but I'm sure I seen a stat at the end of the season that had us on par with Citeh and a few others of that ilk with overall chance conversion.

I was surprised at that, but it suggests that Watkins, who by his own admission wasn't fully at it last year didn't do too badly.

He was involved with England just prior to the Euros and - in the Covid summer before that - his campaign ran longer than most as Brentford won the Play Offs.  He's one of a couple of players (Mings, McGinn) who might look sharper following their first real extended break since 2019.

Still hope we'll be in the market for a different option up top, mind. A young Benteke would be ideal.

[Clampy]

Kalinic has finally gone.

[OCD]

Everton might now buy Dennis with their Richarlison money, which might lead to Watford buying Keinan Davis for £15m.

If nothing, it shows the possible knock-on effects of one deal and how the transfer market machinery could start cranking up as more players return to pre-season training.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Kalinic has been permanently transfered to Hadjuk Split according to the official site. No mention of a fee, so guess that goes down as an FFP loss but less wages going out might leave that neutral.

Has to be one of our worst signings of recent years. Chunky transfer fee, five year contract and deemed not good enough within weeks of arriving.

[Legion]

He never got an opportunity, did he?

[paul_e]

Seems to be more and more noise about Otavio being fueled by Portuguese press. Looking at his game I think I can see the thinking behind it, we'd be signing him as a centre mid not a right winger but doing the job McGinn was asked to do last year of sitting a little deeper on the right of a 3 and covering behind Cash when he gets forward but also trying to spread play himself. I've only seen highlights but he does look a good fit for that job.