Summer 2022 Transfer Thread

[Ian.]

Bale off to LA. Good.

Another rumour thankfully wrong.

[Aldridge Villa]

Only press rumours I know but Soucek from West Ham would be superb. Recall many posts on this forum last year as to how he and Rice dominating midfield were essentially the difference between the 2 teams last year.

[eamonn]

Oh yeah, Risso banged on about it a lot.

[ozzjim]

Soucek would be a brilliant signing for any club in the mid table region at the numbers being mooted. Moyes got some stick for playing him too deep last season which hurt his game, but in the 3 in our midfield he would add height, a genuine goal threat and a bit of bite. Won't get him, but he would be a good signing.

[jwarry]

This has been an interesting summer - I think we have made some shrewd signings. 

I do think there are a couple of missing pieces that needs addressing - I dont think either Watkins or Ings suits the style we have been playing under SG. 

Also, it feels like more needs to change if we are going to change the culture in the club that I think SG is after.

I guess a lot will also depend on how much SG and his team can improve us with a full season, and also how much better players like Bailey and some of the youth players coudl be

This is the big unknown for me.  Would a preseason make a difference.  Or does Gerrard simply believe he hasn’t got the right players for how he wants to play

[Beard82]

This has been an interesting summer - I think we have made some shrewd signings. 

I do think there are a couple of missing pieces that needs addressing - I dont think either Watkins or Ings suits the style we have been playing under SG. 

Also, it feels like more needs to change if we are going to change the culture in the club that I think SG is after.

I guess a lot will also depend on how much SG and his team can improve us with a full season, and also how much better players like Bailey and some of the youth players coudl be

This is the big unknown for me.  Would a preseason make a difference.  Or does Gerrard simply believe he hasn’t got the right players for how he wants to play

I’m hoping it’s a bit of both

Our lack of a dcm or ability to play out from the back limited the effectiveness of what he was trying to do - and our signings will help with that

A dcm should also help our midfield - which was too soft and went missing too often

I think he wants the a bit more fight in the team and I think this new CB will bring that

The big unanswered question for me is more about how the forward players will work - as they rarely looked in tune last season - I am not convinced that there is a combination that works with the narrow formations we played last season

Unless we’re going to see a new formation introduced or a new forward

[Steve67]

This has been an interesting summer - I think we have made some shrewd signings. 

I do think there are a couple of missing pieces that needs addressing - I dont think either Watkins or Ings suits the style we have been playing under SG. 

Also, it feels like more needs to change if we are going to change the culture in the club that I think SG is after.

I guess a lot will also depend on how much SG and his team can improve us with a full season, and also how much better players like Bailey and some of the youth players coudl be

This is the big unknown for me.  Would a preseason make a difference.  Or does Gerrard simply believe he hasn’t got the right players for how he wants to play

I don't think we are finished yet in the market and Gerrard has no excuses going into the new season as that 'reset' button will have been well and truly pressed.  Digne, Coutinho, Kamara, Carlos and a couple of others, ready to go straight into the team will mean that he owns this team.  He inherited Cash, Ramsey, Watkins, Buendia, but has to put the stamp on the side and get them to play Gerrard's way.

[Beard82]

This has been an interesting summer - I think we have made some shrewd signings. 

I do think there are a couple of missing pieces that needs addressing - I dont think either Watkins or Ings suits the style we have been playing under SG. 

Also, it feels like more needs to change if we are going to change the culture in the club that I think SG is after.

I guess a lot will also depend on how much SG and his team can improve us with a full season, and also how much better players like Bailey and some of the youth players coudl be

This is the big unknown for me.  Would a preseason make a difference.  Or does Gerrard simply believe he hasn’t got the right players for how he wants to play

I don't think we are finished yet in the market and Gerrard has no excuses going into the new season as that 'reset' button will have been well and truly pressed.  Digne, Coutinho, Kamara, Carlos and a couple of others, ready to go straight into the team will mean that he owns this team.  He inherited Cash, Ramsey, Watkins, Buendia, but has to put the stamp on the side and get them to play Gerrard's way.

I think this is fair - but as another transition season of sorts - I wonder what the expectations are - I would think top half is the bare minimum that would be considered acceptable but I think that’s a big ask for a relatively rookie manager with a new assistant and a relatively changed squad.  I think the bored will be expecting a European challenge to be honest

[Moonraker]

As a member of the bored I cant be bothered to comment...

[Rigadon]

I'm not sure anybody will be satisfied with another 'transition' season, if that means maintenance of a mid table position.  We've spent to much money for that already.  We aren't going towing the league, but we should be aiming for Europe and a cup.

[Risso]

In no way at all will "top half" be acceptable. Top 8 bare minimum, a proper push for top 6 though is what I want to see.

[Brazilian Villain]

In no way at all will "top half" be acceptable. Top 8 bare minimum, a proper push for top 6 though is what I want to see.

Agreed, and I think we'll do better than generally expected. We're currently 50.5-52 points in the 2022/23 points spread betting and that might be worth putting a few quid on for those that like a flutter.

[eamonn]

In no way at all will "top half" be acceptable. Top 8 bare minimum, a proper push for top 6 though is what I want to see.

Gerrard talks a lot about the need to go deeper in the cups. If we won one of them, he'd probably survive finishing as low as...12th?

[Risso]

I fancy us to beat Man U in the third round this year.

[eamonn]

The knock-out defeats to them and Chelsea last season were sickeners. More than held our own away to both clubs.