- Aug 6, 2019
- 2,388
- 6,098
I agree, but also at the time, people would've gone ballistic about bringing in Lenglet, even as a 3rd choice, people were losing their mind when we were linked to him again.Even Lenglet on loan would have done.
I agree, but also at the time, people would've gone ballistic about bringing in Lenglet, even as a 3rd choice, people were losing their mind when we were linked to him again.Even Lenglet on loan would have done.
I agree on that apart from Lenglet who would be no better than Dier.There's no denying we got a lot right.
But on this position it was clear at the time that we massively dropped the ball.
Ange even went as far as to state publicly that we needed another CB.
That was BEFORE we sold Sanchez.
I can accept that a starting quality LWF or CF could take several windows until the right player becomes available.
But this role wasn't even that difficult or expensive to solve for a club our size.
Even Lenglet on loan would have done.
If we'd gotten away with it and avoided suspension and injury - it still would have been bad planning.
Because hoping to get away with it isn't a viable plan. Certainly not for an elite club.
Even Lenglet on loan would have done.
But what if this WAS the plan?! It's just unfortunate and unpredictable.I admire your optimism, but better planning really should have avoided this situation.
We can want Laporte and Cancelo at the back, but we don't know the club, vision, plan or available funds. Plus you can't replace a whole squad in 1 window.We went from fans demanding (unrealistically) VDV + Tapsoba. To VDV and Davies, Dier, or Hojberg can probably do a job in a pinch.
Likely unless lucky with injuries etc, but not high, and unlikely both for a long period. That's small percentage odds there.The likelihood that one of Romero or VDV would miss games was high.
We don't know the moves the club was having to make without the right persons in place to make it, Munn, Paratici, Gabbanini, Lange, Lange's mate...Getting a 3rd choice CB was always said to be the plan - until we couldn't shift enough deadwood for the beancounters to be happy, and we aborted the plan on deadline day just as we did midway through the previous summer.
Sanchez needed to go which is why having him not upgraded after the deadline was still an undesirable outcome.
What if Sanchez was also the one pushing for a move and the club acquiesced?Surely weakening our sub-optimal 3rd choice CB when we couldn't replace for half the season made a bad situation even worse.
Either we could have sold Sanchez for less before the deadline, or in January once we'd baulked at doing the necessary business.
More money may well be available for who we need in Jan as some players we're interesting will have short contracts left and selling clubs won't want to lose them for no money. One would hope.We're not talking about a £50m player - it's a routine £10-20m squad maintenance signing.
It is self-inflicted, but it's not reckless, it was calculated and the club played the odds. & it's still not known how badly it'll impact results.Again - total madness and a self inflicted wound that will cost us points.
Agree.In a brighter note good luck to Phillips if he gets the nod. Huge talent for the future, even if 18 is very young for the PL in this (or any) era.
It was a bit reckless but it was also necessary that we cleared space in the squad, that was possibly the priority in the summer because we had, and still have, a fair few players that Ange doesn't really want.I don't think you can say it's unlucky when everyone had identified it as the biggest risk coming out of the summer. We should have signed another CB during the transfer window -- it was obviously part of the plan and we simply failed to execute that plan. Having failed to make the signing, we then took an absolutely massive gamble by selling Sanchez anyway, and we lost the bet. It's not bad luck, it's recklessness.
Wow... where to start.....
But what if this WAS the plan?! It's just unfortunate and unpredictable.
We can want Laporte and Cancelo at the back, but we don't know the club, vision, plan or available funds. Plus you can't replace a whole squad in 1 window.
Likely unless lucky with injuries etc, but not high, and unlikely both for a long period. That's small percentage odds there.
We don't know the moves the club was having to make without the right persons in place to make it, Munn, Paratici, Gabbanini, Lange, Lange's mate...
What if Sanchez was also the one pushing for a move and the club acquiesced?
More money may well be available for who we need in Jan as some players we're interesting will have short contracts left and selling clubs won't want to lose them for no money. One would hope.
It is self-inflicted, but it's not reckless, it was calculated and the club played the odds. & it's still not known how badly it'll impact results.
Agree.
I don't think having more than two senior CBs who suit Ange's tactics constitutes "constantly buy[ing] to cover every eventuality".It was a bit reckless but it was also necessary that we cleared space in the squad, that was possibly the priority in the summer because we had, and still have, a fair few players that Ange doesn't really want.
We didn't get everything done but we were never going to in one window and we've been scuppered by shit luck in one game.
But on the bright side, we do have a couple of promising young CBs that may now get the chance to shine.
If we constantly buy to cover every eventuality, there will never be a pathway for the youngsters to show what they can do.
Then we'll be left with a load more Tanganga's and the like who have had way less football than they needed and not progressed.
It's a fine balancing act and it won't always work out but to be honest, I'm not to upset about it because it's so early in Ange's reign.
We never know, Phillips may grasp his chance with both hands and we may end up having more money to spend elsewhere?
Oh I do agree with that and said so at the time, it was our one major failure of the transfer window and pissed me off.I don't think having more than two senior CBs who suit Ange's tactics constitutes "constantly buy[ing] to cover every eventuality".
There are loads of areas in the squad that likely need to be strengthened over the next two or three windows -- LW, striker, Maddison alternative, Hojbjerg replacement, second-choice goalkeeper, second-choice left back, etc. Many of those are relatively low priorities that didn't need to be addressed ugently in the summer.
CB is different. It was our biggest weakness last season to begin with, Ange was publicly outspoken during the summer about it, and it's clear we had made it a high priority right up until the moment that the window closed. We simply failed to get it across the line. It's true enough that we couldn't get all of our business done in one window, but this is one particular piece of business that absolutely should have been addressed.
We all knew we were taking a massive, massive risk. Now we've got to live with the consequences.
Up the Spurs mate. Phillips will be fine.Oh I do agree with that and said so at the time, it was our one major failure of the transfer window and pissed me off.
But with Dier, Davies and Sanchez still on the books, it was all a bit of a juggling act.
Yes, we let Sanchez go after our window had shut but again, I don't really think we had much choice in that and snatched at the opportunity to clear a squad place and free up some wages.
It was a gamble and it has bitten us on the arse but I also think it needed to be done and we have been shafted by some pretty unexpected circumstances, with losing both CB's in one game.
For me, this is all part of the "painful rebuild" that we so desperately needed.
By no means ideal but it's part of the process.
It's weird because football is probably the one thing in my life that I always see the positive side of, it's my escape.
I'd rather see Phillips than Sanchez anyway tbh. Even if he's raw and makes more mistakes. Sanchez would be out of contract next year I believe so playing him would not make sense in the long run. No doubt we should have got another senior centre back though as need to replace Dier too. Having 1 of Dier and Sanchez isn't the worst situation as they will both be gone in the long run anyway. You just knew this situation would come up though when we failed to get another centre back.
Yep, I'd much rather Phillips or Dorrington get a chance, than shoehorn someone like Hojbjerg in there.Up the Spurs mate. Phillips will be fine.
2021/2 admittedly in a different system Dier was excellent. The truth is he is not as bad or as good as the 2 extremes of opinion.I saw vintage Sanchez last night in the Bayern game… he was solid as rock and playing very well and then albeit not costing a goal his curse of getting vertigo and losing his bearings struck again. He has a good game overall but it’s his nasty habit of having brain farts that cost him his career in the EPL.
Hopefully with Dier having had months to reflect on his performances that he’ll step up at least until VDV and/or a new CB comes in.
Oh I do agree with that and said so at the time, it was our one major failure of the transfer window and pissed me off.
But with Dier, Davies and Sanchez still on the books, it was all a bit of a juggling act.
Yes, we let Sanchez go after our window had shut but again, I don't really think we had much choice in that and snatched at the opportunity to clear a squad place and free up some wages.
It was a gamble and it has bitten us on the arse but I also think it needed to be done and we have been shafted by some pretty unexpected circumstances, with losing both CB's in one game.
For me, this is all part of the "painful rebuild" that we so desperately needed.
By no means ideal but it's part of the process.
It's weird because football is probably the one thing in my life that I always see the positive side of, it's my escape.
Yeah, I'm hoping Ange sanctioned the sale of big Dav because he was told he'd get a new CB asap in January.Honestly I think part of it is Ange sussed out that sanctioning the club's sale of Sanchez was the best way to guarantee the club pulls it's finger out in January.
Sanchez was above Dier in the pecking order, and Dier is above Phillips now.
So if either CB had gone down - which is to be expected especially the run of 2 PL games a week in December - then it would have been Sanchez in first with Romero / VDV.
With both CBs down Sanchez + Hojbjerg / Phillips still gives me more confidence than Dier + Hojbjerg / Phillips.
At least we could keeping pushing up and keep them away from our goal.