The Annual Summer "It's been a poor transfer window" Discussion thread - Apocalypse Now - 30th August 2024

[mil1lion]

A lot hinges on Solanke. It annoys me that we only have two strikers and that's the role you sub on most often to change games.

Richarlison was dropped from Brazils squad, came back early, and is injured again (out for the newcastle tie). Solanke has a knock, shit happens and he'll be back. It's a key role and those two need to get their shit together.

That 65M marquee signing has a lot riding on it. We need him to consistently hit the net or we won't improve. And I understand folks who say it's far too underwhelming, but let's give him a few months to show what he can do.

Only 2 strikers? None of the top teams have more. They all have players who can also play up top like with us and Son for example. You can't keep more than 2 happy for 1 spot.

 

[Misfit]

I agree that some day one, starter quality was needed up front. RW especially. Kind of disappointing in that aspect. Got a striker in though and if we're lucky we'll just about make it through the whole season with one of them fit ay any moment in time.

On the other hand our depth is massively improved with quality youngsters and if they progress as hoped then suddenly we'll fine ourselves with an abundance of quality starters in a season or two. I'd much rather that than decent pros who have already arrived at their ceilings and just take up space on the bench.

Not that bummed about the window overall tbh. I never expected all aspects of a long overdue rebuild to be sorted in just two windows and they aren't. Next summer though, targeting and crucially landing some genuine upgrades at LB and RW is a must. No need to buy in bulk now etc. A real injection of instant quality (RW particularly, Destiny makes finding an upgrade/competition willing to come to us trickier) in just a couple of areas is needed and there's no excuse to go all out to get it.

 

[DangerMouse]

Our new youngsters are hungry and passionate. They are going to rip it up sooner than we think. Also, my Leeds supporting other half 'forgot' to do the dishes tonight and I firmly believe that football karma is coming in the shape of Archie Gray leading us to our first trophy in bloody ages.

 

[jolsnogross]

Only 2 strikers? None of the top teams have more. They all have players who can also play up top like with us and Son for example. You can't keep more than 2 happy for 1 spot.

I'd like us to change that paradigm. If we target playing more than 50 games a season, as we should, they'll play plenty if they're doing the business.

And rather than the two we have worrying about their happiness, they should worry about keeping all of us, their manager, and teammates happy. Sitting in the treatment room for as long or longer than you're available isn't getting us anywhere.

And frankly, being happy with a lack of competition while sitting crocked on the sidelines isn't exactly motivating them to get fit asap.

 

[sparx100]

Think we could have made a real statement. Squad depth has improved but the first 11 in my view hasn't. Goalkeeper, Centre back, a real number 6 and probably a more experienced winger needed. Done well with the outgoings but perhaps a little underwhelmed with the nature of the incomings.

 

[mil1lion]

I'd like us to change that paradigm. If we target playing more than 50 games a season, as we should, they'll play plenty if they're doing the business.

And rather than the two we have worrying about their happiness, they should worry about keeping all of us, their manager, and teammates happy. Sitting in the treatment room for as long or longer than you're available isn't getting us anywhere.

And frankly, being happy with a lack of competition while sitting crocked on the sidelines isn't exactly motivating them to get fit asap.

First off no player is happy to wait on the sidelines. Second it's just not possible to have space to register 3 strikers for 1 spot and be well covered across the squad. Also you're not going to have a 3rd striker as good up front as Son anyway. It's just not going to happen with senior players but we do have Lankshear from the academy as well for extra depth.

 

[dj_stu]

You seemed to have forgotten who covered when we had injuries. Lo Celso (gone), Hojbjerg (gone), Skipp (gone), Emerson Royal (gone).

Those 4 players averaged 25 appearances last season. Have we brought in the players to replace over 100 appearances?

Bergvall, Gray, Bentancur, Spence are their effective replacements.

 

[dj_stu]

Why blame others for missing out on players? If we wanted them we should have paid what was needed. We have the money. If we don't get the player then it's our fault.

I'm by no means singling you out here, but there are far too many fans with a ridiculously simplistic, Football Manager 2012 "if you want them, buy them" outlook.

There are so many factors that need to pretty much all go the right way to make a single transfer happen (and to be judged a success), and the price is only one of those. The others include, but are not limited to:

- player's ambitions (e.g. wanting CL football)
- player's wage demands
- player's attitude
- does the player desperately want to play for Spurs?
- player's suitability to our system
- player's happiness at existing club
- player's family
- player's injury record
- player's ability to settle in a different country or region
- is the player homegrown/under 21 or are they going to add more issues with squad eligibility?
- player's agent fees
- player's agent wanting to insert unreasonable clauses
- player's agent / selling club leaking links to teams like Spurs to get bids in from bigger clubs
- what is the agent telling the player to do? (what loyalties does the agent have?)
- selling club's need to sell
- selling club's ability to replace player
- selling club not offering reasonable payment terms
- selling club's relationship with us (rival? past issues?)
- does Ange want that type of player?
- does Ange want that type of personality?
- other clubs competing for player offering stupid money
- other clubs may be more suitable for some of the above reasons

I'm sure there are a good number of other factors that I've missed.

And now just imagine having to line up all of the above in a neat row to ensure a successful transfer. Ange has said time and again he will not bring in players just to be bodies and I back him all the way on that. We've done that far too much in the past and it finally looks like we're implementing a smart transfer policy to build a squad that is not just a collection of mercenaries for the immediate future, but a group of players that can grow together and actually make sense for what our manager wants to achieve.

Calm rant over

 

[dj_stu]

It depends on what the goal is: to compete for 4-7 or for the top spots. If it is the former, then sure, the transfer window was decent enough, I guess. If it is the latter, it is nowhere near good enough. This squad simply cannot compete with the elite sides over the course of 38 games, which is something I thought the new stadium was meant to facilitate.

There was no chance in hell that we would be able to compete for top 3 this season. We have no CL football and we are not willing to blow crazy money on mercenaries. We are building something that takes time. Arteta took the best part of 3 years to start challenging for the top 3. We are one year into a refreshingly forward-looking plan. Cool yer boots.

 

[SaKkA.kenchiku]

6/10

We've really only brought in one player for the here and now in Solanke.

We've chosen to go the youth route, but that won't keep Romero here next summer.

I can see where you’re coming from and I do not want to lose Romero but I am not sure Romero is critical to us. He still has errors that cost us such as Leicester. He’s quality and obviously so by the fact Real looking at him. He’s strong, aggressive and scores goals. It would be a big loss but I dont think it would impact our progress… compared with losing a Bale and even Kane. Now you could argue Kane leaving didn’t impact us, but I think Kane in the Ange system would have elevated us into 4th at least last season. So I would go with a 7/10 in my humble opinion as its a good step to the next summer where I hope it pushes us to challenging for the prem, right to the end Of season which was where we were in peak Poch era.

 

[$hoguN]

Think we could have made a real statement. Squad depth has improved but the first 11 in my view hasn't. Goalkeeper, Centre back, a real number 6 and probably a more experienced winger needed. Done well with the outgoings but perhaps a little underwhelmed with the nature of the incomings.

We don’t have room in the squad for another CB. Romero, VDV, Dragusin and Davies is as good as any club especially when Gray can cover it. At 6 (which I don’t even truly think fits as a description in our system) we have Bissouma, Bentancur, Gray and Devine/Hall. Would we really add depth there?

yeah another GK would have been positive but the academy lads are highly rated and Austin had a decent preseason.

LB is the only real concern we have

 

[Moorpheus19]

We're just about 'deadwood' free now bar Reggie which is good.

But the squad feels thin in key areas.

 

[Farmdog]

Fuck sake

 

[SuperLuka]

I was hoping to do the bulk of the rebuild this summer with 2 or 3 quality first team signings and maybe a quality young player or 2. If we'd done that, next summer we could concentrate on improving just 1 or 2 players. Unfortunately we are still going to be looking for a RW, AM, DM possibly a striker and CB next summer.

 

[nedley]

Just read the latest word for word Ange interview, and he’s either a good liar or seems very happy with how things are going…
The latter is good enough for me probably because it mirrors my own feelings.
I find it hard to comprehend how anyone could fail to look at City, Arsenal, and Liverpool (under Klopp), who’s managers took at least 2 - 3 seasons to build title challenging squads but then expect us to simply get the job done in just over a year.
Ange has only been here for around 12 MONTHS FFS, and we already look like a completely different proposition.
I know we’re all starved of recent success but some of you would do well to give him and the club the time they deserve to build something worthwhile and quit moaning about so called ‘underwhelming’ 5/10 windows, particularly when the man in charge has a completely different (and more realistic) view.

That's fine.

But lets hope we have a good season, challenge and maybe win a cup.

Because if we struggle, have a season finishing lower than last season and issues arise where the squad is tested then people will quite rightly be asking questions.

But anyways, heres to a postive season ahead.

COYS.

 

[Stamford]

We're always building for a brighter future. Just hope one day it actually arrives.

 

[Dannyspur]

I was really disappointed when I saw that Neto had gone on loan from Bournemouth to Arsenal as backup keeper. He is way better than Forster. Then I read he is a life long gooner supporter realising his boyhood dream and I totally stopped being disappointed.

 

[SirHarryHotspur]

Reasonably happy with the window , can see no reason why this squad can't equal or improve on last season position with all of last seasons first choice players still in the squad.
When all fit we will have three central strikers , Solanke, Richy and Lankshear so that is a definite improvement.

 

[spursfan77]

We’ll easily have the lowest wages to turnover ratio in the league now……..you’ll never sing that!

Cheers Danny boy!

 

[spursfan77]

I was hoping to do the bulk of the rebuild this summer with 2 or 3 quality first team signings and maybe a quality young player or 2. If we'd done that, next summer we could concentrate on improving just 1 or 2 players. Unfortunately we are still going to be looking for a RW, AM, DM possibly a striker and CB next summer.

We’ve trimmed so much fat there there’s zero excuse not to do it next summer. But I suspect some other excuse will be made and swallowed up by the usual few.