Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo (AKA Monchi)

[AV82EC]

After the dust settles tomorrow, I'd suggest Sawiris will be considering how Monchi and Co have performed and be making any decisions he feels are appropriate.

The real issue for me is how the Triumvirate patch up what looks like a fractured relationship with the squad as its quite patently evident they are all very unsettled. Change isn't necessarily a bad thing but badly managed it can create all sorts of issues. 

 

[ASHTONVILLA]

Not sure we can entirely bame Monchi for this messy window.

I don't know quite what he was supposed to do regards us having to sell before we bought. H has clearly been trying very hard to shift on both the unwanted (Bailey, Buendia, Dendoncker, Coutinho etc) and the wantaway (Martinez). Not his fault we had no takers earlier than with have for the former, or that that Martinez has been a complete dickhead.

I do think that Malen, Onana and Maatsen have been poor value signings. But he has also had some good value signings like Rogers, Garcia and Tielemans. He has also been quite good at moving players on for reasonable fees, and at playing the loan market.

[ozzjim]

He's clearly got no ability to actually scout anyone

[Chris Smith]

I would assume Emery tells Monchi the areas he wants to strengthen and then the data analysts and scouts come up with options.

The concern is when we buy young players they seem to be quickly disregarded and loaned / sold begging the question why do we buy them in the first place?   

Isn’t some of that just wheeler-dealing to try to generate funds for PSR purposes?

[andyh]

Not sure we can entirely bame Monchi for this messy window.

I don't know quite what he was supposed to do regards us having to sell before we bought. H has clearly been trying very hard to shift on both the unwanted (Bailey, Buendia, Dendoncker, Coutinho etc) and the wantaway (Martinez). Not his fault we had no takers earlier than with have for the former, or that that Martinez has been a complete dickhead.

I do think that Malen, Onana and Maatsen have been poor value signings. But he has also had some good value signings like Rogers, Garcia and Tielemans. He has also been quite good at moving players on for reasonable fees, and at playing the loan market.

Because after all the transfer windows he has had, we are still playing what is predominantly Dean Smith/scouse git’s team.

We should have had a far better return than that.

[Villatillidie25]

Not sure we can entirely bame Monchi for this messy window.

I don't know quite what he was supposed to do regards us having to sell before we bought. H has clearly been trying very hard to shift on both the unwanted (Bailey, Buendia, Dendoncker, Coutinho etc) and the wantaway (Martinez). Not his fault we had no takers earlier than with have for the former, or that that Martinez has been a complete dickhead.

I do think that Malen, Onana and Maatsen have been poor value signings. But he has also had some good value signings like Rogers, Garcia and Tielemans. He has also been quite good at moving players on for reasonable fees, and at playing the loan market.

Maatsen is fine. He was basically a PSR fiddle with Kellyman. Questionable whether we needed a LB at the time given Digne and Moreno but Moreno’ career has nose dived since his injury and Maatsen will likely be first choice this year so over the long term it’s likely to be fine. Malen was a waste but only because rashford and asensio became available late in the day which meant we didn’t actually need Malen. Onana is the only one really. He’s fine, he’s just made of glass and we overpaid.

[paul_e]

Not sure we can entirely bame Monchi for this messy window.

I don't know quite what he was supposed to do regards us having to sell before we bought. H has clearly been trying very hard to shift on both the unwanted (Bailey, Buendia, Dendoncker, Coutinho etc) and the wantaway (Martinez). Not his fault we had no takers earlier than with have for the former, or that that Martinez has been a complete dickhead.

I do think that Malen, Onana and Maatsen have been poor value signings. But he has also had some good value signings like Rogers, Garcia and Tielemans. He has also been quite good at moving players on for reasonable fees, and at playing the loan market.

Because after all the transfer windows he has had, we are still playing what is predominantly Dean Smith/scouse git’s team.

We should have had a far better return than that.

but a big part of the job has been to deal with the fact that the 2 season before he came in saw a combined loss of nearly £200m in the accounts and this summer, when we should've been able to put FFP behind us, we've been hit with an extra set of restrictions that force more horse-trading. I firmly believe the main task Monchi was set for the last couple of years was to clean out the squad and get us to a point where we have room to properly invest again and I think we'd have seen that begin this summer but now everything is delayed for a year whilst we get through this punishment.

[Dave]

I firmly believe the main task Monchi was set for the last couple of years was to clean out the squad and get us to a point where we have room to properly invest again and I think we'd have seen that begin this summer but now everything is delayed for a year whilst we get through this punishment.

As PWS has said a couple of times, since Monchi took the reins we've spent £400m. I guess whether or not that is "properly investing" depends on your expectations. But while I'm always prepared to give players the benefit of doubt, particularly given the age of some of them, I think it would be hard to make the argument that it's been £400m well-spent overall. 

And given he completely screwed his last two clubs by spending huge amounts of money to make them both worse, it feels fine to ask whether he's actually worth persevering with.

[Demitri_C]

Monchis doing as much damage as gerrard did with teh signings he bought in.

The financial  mistakes  he is making is taking us back years.

[AV82EC]

I firmly believe the main task Monchi was set for the last couple of years was to clean out the squad and get us to a point where we have room to properly invest again and I think we'd have seen that begin this summer but now everything is delayed for a year whilst we get through this punishment.

As PWS has said a couple of times, since Monchi took the reins we've spent £400m. I guess whether or not that is "properly investing" depends on your expectations. But while I'm always prepared to give players the benefit of doubt, particularly given the age of some of them, I think it would be hard to make the argument that it's been £400m well-spent overall. 

And given he completely screwed his last two clubs by spending huge amounts of money to make them both worse, it feels fine to ask whether he's actually worth persevering with.

If Sawiris decides he isn't, then what? We seemingly bought a triumvirate, take one side away and does that break the relationship/trust between owner and Vidaganay/Emery? We need to tread carefully here as we're in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

That said I absolutely accept the question marks around Monchi.

[PeterWithesShin]

It's 400m since Unai took over rather than all spent by Monchi, just to be fair. While there are the likes of Diaby and Duran that improved us and then fucked off, I just think that we've done a pretty poor job on improving the starting 11 with new signings.

[PeterWithesShin]

I can't help but think for example we'd currently be better off if we'd put Barrenchea into the first team squad and spent the Onana money elsewhere. Admittedly there's an element of Hindsight FC but it never felt Onana was the best way to spend 50m.

[Crown Hill]

I can't help but think for example we'd currently be better off if we'd put Barrenchea into the first team squad and spent the Onana money elsewhere. Admittedly there's an element of Hindsight FC but it never felt Onana was the best way to spend 50m.

Could never see how he was going to fit in give our style of play and so it has proved.

[Monty]

I like Onana, but Tonali money on him was always a bit of a surprise.

[PeterWithe]

So we have scouts and data analysists collecting info from all over the world, and the players we need are sitting on the benches at Liverpool and ManU.

Not where I thought we'd be shopping.