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Race for The Top 10

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,907
78,644
Investment, refreshing, buying the correct players. We aren’t going to be able to do it with the virus the next window. No CL next season means the budget will be small the following summer too we have to get champions league next season because I don’t believe in the club enough to think they will get the right players in going forward without it our scouting and buying of players just seems to have fallen off a cliff.
When my expectations are low with the club we usually do alright.

When I expect us to kick on we usually falter.

I don't have a lot of faith in our recruitment at the moment. Although, we may get lucky if Jose can work his contacts and be a pull.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,957
Yeah it was pretty clear Poch's top choices were Lo Celso and Ndombele. I think we were pursuing Bruno just in case Lo Celso didn't happen - we had reps in Lisbon the day before the window shut. Obviously we made the breakthrough on Lo Celso and Bruno was dropped. There was also the Dybala fiasco.

Hard to believe that was all 10 months ago. That CL final should have elevated us.

The Ndombele signing just looks worse and worse by the week. A terribly bad decision to bring him in. One that could be an albatross round our neck for years.

I look back to Poch’s book where he talks about him and levy not wanting to bring players in at that cost, because if they bomb, then a club our size have a problem. Well, here we are.
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,907
78,644
That's not what the majority of ITKs said.
Yet all the best journos never once said we wanted Bruno.

We seemed to make a very late move, sent reps over and Betis took the bait. It all happened in the space of about 3 days if I recall.
 

sparx100

Well-Known Member
Jan 8, 2007
4,612
6,646
We need to win on Thursday or our chances to make champions league have gone. All the games are winnable and he has no excuse.
 

Dov67

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2005
3,318
10,212
It’s the hope that kills you. Since I have little or no hope that we make top 4 or 5 I should in theory be able to enjoy the remaining games.
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,907
78,644
The Ndombele signing just looks worse and worse by the week. A terribly bad decision to bring him in. One that could be an albatross round our neck for years.

I look back to Poch’s book where he talks about him and levy not wanting to bring players in at that cost, because if they bomb, then a club our size have a problem. Well, here we are.
Yeah, it certainly seems a shame.

I think Poch was desperate to have a player like Dembele and wasn't looking at the output, more about how Ndombele could dictate a midfield rather than numbers he could rack up.

The problem was Ndombele had been noted to drop intensity in the smaller games, which should have been a great big warning sign. Where as Bruno puts in a shift 100% of the time. I think we all got blinded in that respect. It was always my worry with Poch having big money to spend. He'd always done better with the 'smart' signings (Toby, Son, Trip, Wanyama).

Anyway, hopefully Ndombele can raise his intensity and prove a more reliable asset.
 

nedley

John Duncan's Love Child
Jul 28, 2006
13,942
28,069
We bought Ndombele at the start of the windows, we were still being linked to Lo Celso at the end of the window.

Hercules said last summer:
NDombele is seen as replacing Dembele. With that in mind, we wanted another creative midfielder to compliment CE. The rest, you can do the maths. If we only achieve MDombele and CE, please do not shoot me (Yikes).

Eriksen was never replaced. Lo Celso wasn't the replacement for Eriksen. All the other ITKs backed that up also.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,957
Yeah, it certainly seems a shame.

I think Poch was desperate to have a player like Dembele and wasn't looking at the output, more about how Ndombele could dictate a midfield rather than numbers he could rack up.

The problem was Ndombele had been noted to drop intensity in the smaller games, which should have been a great big warning sign. Where as Bruno puts in a shift 100% of the time. I think we all got blinded in that respect. It was always my worry with Poch having big money to spend. He'd always done better with the 'smart' signings (Toby, Son, Trip, Wanyama).

Anyway, hopefully Ndombele can raise his intensity and prove a more reliable asset.

I don’t think he will. I think we should cut out losses, try and bring some money in from him and use it on 2/3 players to make us stronger. If we don’t do that this next window, with limited funds, then we will be in real trouble.
 

nedley

John Duncan's Love Child
Jul 28, 2006
13,942
28,069
I was always under the impression that Bruno Fernandes was going to come in if Eriksen left. Eriksen left, we bulked/bottled (remove which applicable) at the Fernandes deal and we scrambled around for something else and pulled out Gedson. Imo.
 

Yiddo100

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2019
9,894
52,009
I was always under the impression that Bruno Fernandes was going to come in if Eriksen left. Eriksen left, we bulked/bottled (remove which applicable) at the Fernandes deal and we scrambled around for something else and pulled out Gedson. Imo.
The links with Fernandes were strong in the the summer, Eriksen didn’t leave untill January so we maybe didn’t get the funds to be able to afford Fernandes
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,907
78,644
Just checked.

Last season after 27 games we were 10 points ahead of Chelsea and 7 ahead of Arsenal.

Arsenal finished 1 point behind and Chelsea went past us.

Of course, we have less games to do it but we can still reel Leicester back. Going to be extremely tough but two wins for us and two defeats for them can decrease to 4. Then that gap isn't big at all.

Can't afford any slip-ups at all though.
 

WinksyBoy

How does one change one's username....?
Jun 26, 2020
1,000
1,588
Posted on the other thread-
Utd will drop points against Leicester and West Ham. Wolves will drop points against Sheff Utd and Chelsea.

We won't drop any points. :)
 

JayB

Well-Known Member
Aug 24, 2011
6,652
26,046
Just checked.

Last season after 27 games we were 10 points ahead of Chelsea and 7 ahead of Arsenal.

Arsenal finished 1 point behind and Chelsea went past us.

Of course, we have less games to do it but we can still reel Leicester back. Going to be extremely tough but two wins for us and two defeats for them can decrease to 4. Then that gap isn't big at all.

Can't afford any slip-ups at all though.
We had an epic collapse during that period though. It would take similar for us to move past Leicester. Their final two matches are both top five six-pointers, though, so two wobbles and they could be under major pressure.
 

arunspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,807
35,543
It was said here & in news article so many times - Its either Bruno or Lo Celso.
We went with Lo Celso given the financials and Poch liking. By this time we already had Ndombele. Bruno was never coming after we decided on Lo Celso

I don't regret one bit choosing Lo Celso.

In hindsight, Lo Celso settled well in a deeper role instead. So, it's now Lo Celso or Ndombele in Jose mind. Had Jose been there instead of Poch, I have no doubts he would have wanted us to have Bruno over Ndombele

But this is all in the past -we cant change anything about it. Now, I only hope, Ndombele start showing some guts and plays well in training and get into the team. If he can get his attitude sorted, he will be far better than Fernandes or potentially any PL midfielder
 

arunspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,807
35,543
I can't see where Wolves or United going to drop points, which we can take advantage of.
For now, we cant look at others - just keep winning and try to get a run going
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,907
78,644
I don’t think he will. I think we should cut out losses, try and bring some money in from him and use it on 2/3 players to make us stronger. If we don’t do that this next window, with limited funds, then we will be in real trouble.
I'm starting to lean slightly that way.

When you see the energy other players of that calibre in the PL have off the ball, you do start to be a bit concerned.

Let's hope when he gets a game we see more intensity about him or at least defensive awareness cause if he plays anything like he did (defensively) before we are in a bit of bother.

Although I imagine he'll still have suitors on the continent.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
Hercules said last summer:
NDombele is seen as replacing Dembele. With that in mind, we wanted another creative midfielder to compliment CE. The rest, you can do the maths. If we only achieve MDombele and CE, please do not shoot me (Yikes).

Eriksen was never replaced. Lo Celso wasn't the replacement for Eriksen. All the other ITKs backed that up also.

So it wasn't a choice between Ndombele or Fernandes which was the original comment then.
 

doctor stefan Freud

the tired tread of sad biology
Sep 2, 2013
15,170
72,169
Don't win on Thursday and this thread can be locked.
It’s just a matter of time. Which is probably what we deserve given how crap we’ve been most this season. I just hope Mourinho is able to build a solid foundation over the next few games, preseason and next season and hopefully we’ll be back in contention for the 21-22 season
 
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