Summer Transfer Thread - The Verdict.

[Small Rodent]

The transfer window means nothing.

What we have bought and what we have left (including the bomb squad) will be only as good as the manager utilises them into his non-working system.

[Axl Rose]

Am disappointed we didn't sign a very good striker.

[Rory]

One thing I am concerned about is that we have no height up front. I don't want us primarily to go down the old-school big 10/small 9 route, but it's an additional option, surely? Why give up on corners and long balls entirely?

Carew, Benteke, Tammy, Gestede...okay maybe not.

But it's there as a bonus. It's not as if we play like Barcelona '08-'10, with crisp, incisive passing. A goal scrambled in from a knock-down is still a goal. They may be the margins, but why not prime ourselves to benefit from them?

[frank black]

Overall I’d score it 4 out of 10. Kamara is brilliant, Carlos I’ve no idea and the others are polyfiller.

It was very much a “We know our place” window and that’s bottom half of the division.

[simboy]

One thing I am concerned about is that we have no height up front. I don't want us primarily to go down the old-school big 10/small 9 route, but it's an additional option, surely? Why give up on corners and long balls entirely?

Carew, Benteke, Tammy, Gestede...okay maybe not.

But it's there as a bonus. It's not as if we play like Barcelona '08-'10, with crisp, incisive passing. A goal scrambled in from a knock-down is still a goal. They may be the margins, but why not prime ourselves to benefit from them?

It is when our attacking options appear to be [or should that be option] to get the full back to by-line or level on the 18 yard box and swing the ball in. 

[PhilVill]

Yesterday shows me quite clearly that the owners have lost faith with Gerrard and the sack is very close. We got a centre back on loan which is sensible and sent a truck load of young lads out for valuable experience which is good. Am now sure he will be gone after Saturday. If Purslow refuses the orders, he'll get the boot too.

[Villafirst]

A mediocre window. The reality is you have to keep investing in this League to push on. Gerrard will soon be out so at least there's a decent pool of players to work with. They just need to be set-up right and work to a proper system, something Gerrard has failed to implement.

[Ian.]

It doesn’t feel an awful lot of thought went into this other than Carlos and Kamara which is absolutely nuts considering how crap we have been. I really don’t get the thought process behind this.

Ok I might not be giving Dendonker any credit but we’ve spent since May coming up with him and no other attacking force with pace?

Gerrard doesn’t seem to want to give Archer a go and we never seem to use or make the most of the pace of Watkins.

Maybe we’ll a bit harder to beat now? However I only see a lower end to mid table finish which doesn’t seem to fit our original agenda.

[Clampy]

Massively unfortunate to have lost Carlos so early on but totally understand the reasoning to bring in a stop gap. As for the rest, Kamara aside, we should be doing better. I think Sarr would have been another good option from the bench now Traore's gone, mainly because we seem to be struggling to create chances. 5/10.

[PaulWinch again]

Overall pretty disappointing after a good start.

[PaulTheVillan]

6/10

On paper Coutinho, Carlos & Kamara are good.

Squad players, Olsen & the others? We needed some numbers.

Dendoncker? Quite happy with this. Adds some height and steel in the middle.

Feel we needed a wide player.

Shame we couldn’t move on Guilbert & Sanson.

[Ian.]

I should add if we had shown seeds of improvement last season and started much better and looked like we had some form of identity and plan, this window wouldn’t seem half as meh as it does.

[andyh]

was all the talk about pushing on, bidding for players like Bissouma and Sarr just a smoke screen? Is it all a bit like Doug?talk, talk, talk but never REALLY go for it?
Did we bid for players but have no intention of actually breaking our ceiling ?

Or, have the club realised that Gerrard is done for and decided to hold back on funds?

[Ian.]

So I suppose we need to bring Freddie and Sanson in from abyss they have been left in?

[AV82EC]

I’m going 7/10. Probably a striker and midfielder short. Feel we had signed some quality with Coutinho, Carlos and Kamara with some good squad stuff to back it up. I think I said in the pre season review thread that the issue was Gerrard learning to put the pieces together and at the moment that isn’t looking good.