January 2023 Transfer Rumours, Discussions and Done Deals Thread

[ozzjim]

No. The owners have been great, but they have never really gone for it full on.

[Risso]

When we got promoted, did you really, honestly, think that four years on we wouldn't have a squad good enough for top half?

Not at all. We've got some of the richest owners in world football, and one of the most highly regarded managers too. Yet apparently we should be content to finish behind the likes of Brentford, Brighton and Fulham. But don't worry, it will all magically be sorted at some unspecified point in the future.

[lovejoy]

With FFP the wealth of our owners is somewhat irrelevant. Also when we got promoted 4 years ago i did not expect to see such quality in the squads of Brighton, Fulham and Brentford.

[Rigadon]

If that’s it for signings until the summer we start the 2nd half of the season worse off in terms of players than we started it.  That’s the bottom line really. 

[Risso]

With FFP the wealth of our owners is somewhat irrelevant. Also when we got promoted 4 years ago i did not expect to see such quality in the squads of Brighton, Fulham and Brentford.

It doesn't seem to be irrelevant for any other team. We also made £100m profit on one player 18 months ago, and have cleared out a lot of players such that we couldn't actually put out a proper full squad in the last league game.

[john e]

Reading these comments on deadline day, and our continued lack of a forward line, I'm depressed at the prospects for the rest of the season and it's not 11 o'clock yet! Hopefully we're moving under the radar.

To agree with a previous post, thank goodness we've got 28 points, and hopefully we can stay out of trouble!

Cheer up, we'll be fine and finish top half. This thread is so miserable today I'm hoping for a Flin5tone post to lighten the mood.

I reckon we’ll finish bottom half (just) . It will be a brilliant season if we finish top half. I don’t think our squad is good enough yet.

When we got promoted, did you really, honestly, think that four years on we wouldn't have a squad good enough for top half?

I did,
At the time with the new owners being one of the richest in the premiership I thought we would
I’m still actually believing we can do it this year

[kippaxvilla2]

We did allow that chump Gerrard to spend £80m on players though.  Maybe that is it.

[curiousorange]

I'm really beginning to dislike the phrase "Trust the process".

[LeeB]

We did allow that chump Gerrard to spend £80m on players though.  Maybe that is it.

We got so far along on our 'journey', then replaced the wheels with square ones, syphoned out the petrol and used it to set fire to our hopes and dreams.

But the kindly Spannish AA man is sorting it out now.

[frank black]

Reading these comments on deadline day, and our continued lack of a forward line, I'm depressed at the prospects for the rest of the season and it's not 11 o'clock yet! Hopefully we're moving under the radar.

To agree with a previous post, thank goodness we've got 28 points, and hopefully we can stay out of trouble!

Cheer up, we'll be fine and finish top half. This thread is so miserable today I'm hoping for a Flin5tone post to lighten the mood.

I reckon we’ll finish bottom half (just) . It will be a brilliant season if we finish top half. I don’t think our squad is good enough yet.

When we got promoted, did you really, honestly, think that four years on we wouldn't have a squad good enough for top half?

No, I reckon we screwed up last season and this with the Gerrard appointment.  That said, I think we have the players and manager to finish in the top half this season. Emery has enough about him to use the squad effectively if injuries hit.

I have faith in him over the longer term, but I think we’ll have a sticky patch soon. We will have a pretty poor bench and can’t “put our houses on” many of the first team.

[Pat Mustard]

Yep, we blew a year's potential development when we appointed Gerrard - if we had got Emery or someone similar when Smith was sacked then we wouldn't be here now.  The way we came up meant that year 1 was always going to be a struggle, then there were definite signs of improvement in year 2 (with admittedly signs that Smith had hit a ceiling).  I'd be tempted to call Gerrard's reign the lost year, but now we can get back on track with a manager who knows what's needed.

[Paul.S]

When the new owners came in I remember them saying they’d put money in initially and then the club would need to be self sustainable. They said developing our own was the key and then invested a huge amount into that side of the club. No more loans and developing other clubs talent and no more players with no prospect of a sell on fee.
They have put money in so is this the next phase of what they said? Only investing money we have and giving the young players a chance?

[Drummond]

When we got promoted, did you really, honestly, think that four years on we wouldn't have a squad good enough for top half?

Not at all. We've got some of the richest owners in world football, and one of the most highly regarded managers too. Yet apparently we should be content to finish behind the likes of Brentford, Brighton and Fulham. But don't worry, it will all magically be sorted at some unspecified point in the future.

The manager has only been around for a couple of months though. Before that they fucked up royally and a whole year was wasted.

[PaulWinch again]

Well going into the second half of the season with one senior striker is verging on a fuck up for me.

[kippaxvilla2]

We are being linked with Vitinha so obviously that won’t be happening.