Summer 26 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[Dante Lavelli]

An Interesting plot twist. We sell very well, but there’s room for improvement when signing new players. Get that right and it could bridge the financial gap and keep us in the top 5 for the foreeesable.

[PaulWinch again]

I’d love to know how the Tammy deal came about. Profile, identification etc all seem odd to me.

[Sexual Ealing]

Yeah, it looked like a daft signing from the get-go.

[Dogtanian]

I’d love to know how the Tammy deal came about. Profile, identification etc all seem odd to me.

We were linked to him before he did his ACL weren't we? So got to have been some idea there.

[VancouverLion]

I'm pretty sure I read at the time of signing Tammy that Unai had been chasing him for a good few years. Or did I just imagine that?

[TheToffnar]

Yeah, it looked like a daft signing from the get-go.

Malen wanted to leave, we didn't have a back up striker and where severely limited in the market. He seemed a good fit at the time, not least because Emery clearly wanted him also.

[Dogtanian]

I do think the plan was for him to start more games as an alternative to Watkins, but when Watkins went into beast-mode, he didn't get the time on the pitch to get up to his best. Then he got the injury which has obviously been impacting him.

[TheToffnar]

There's definitely a few people that are over egging their criticism of him. Considering how few minutes he played, his return was decent and he arguably scored the most important goal of the year for us against Sunderland.

I full pre season under his belt (recovery permitting), he'll look more the part.

[Dogtanian]

Yep, considering how wet a lot of people got for him every window we were linked to him since 2019.

Malen didn't really do it as a starter, not like he did as a sub, and he didn't want to be the sub, unfortunately. But as far as strikers go who can be the main main when needed and were available and in our price range, Abraham was a good choice.

Just need to sort his shoulder out, get him a pre-season, and get him more minutes on the pitch. Then we will see if it was a mistake or not.

[PaulWinch again]

My point was more that if the stuff Unai said is to be believed, him being the driver for signing Tammy doesn’t add up.

On the broader point - and I do hope he comes good - but he doesn’t really do what Unai seems to want his centre forward to do.

[Dogtanian]

I'm sure I've also read articles where Emery often prefers players he is aware of and will sometimes push those over ones brought to him he doesn't know. Wasn't that said about Rogers?

So maybe he is talking about the theoretical split, but the reality is that Emery is the boss.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah perhaps I guess the only thing that really matters is all those involved are very clear on lines of responsibility.

[TheToffnar]

Didn't the Tanswell article covering the signing specifically state that Olabe and Vidagany where over there at Unais behest?

[kippaxvilla2]

Newcastle have bod for that Munoz lad we were linked with.

Pa pa papa pompompom pom pom pom pommmmm

[eye digress]

He likes control but I get the impression that it's as much by getting people to take responsibility for things he's trusted to them so that, as a collective, everything is in control. Look at the set pieces for example, he goes and sits down so McPhee can be the guy in the technical area, that's not a control freak who wants to own everything but rather someone who likes to have clear boundaries between responsibilities and will do everything he can to give people as much autonomy as they need.

Far be it from me to criticise the Messiah, but it is always notable when Emery discusses set plays how reluctant he is to give McPhee full credit. He always inserts himself in the process, along the lines of "McPhee executes the set piece plan that we have decided together".

I mention it as it always strikes me as being somewhat out of character for someone who is generally very studiously humble.