Neil Dawson
UTC Legend
Of the 14? 4. Combined fees of over 40m the rest either let go as not good enough or injury prone…
The Abuse of Kelly v3
- Thread starter NWCherries98
- Start date
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Lol. Keep grinding that axe Neil. What happened tonight? You were just getting into full flow slagging Traore off then went quiet.
Neil Dawson
UTC Legend
Well he scored a goal against Swansea reserves and I realised I was wrong and he’d just paid back his 22m transfer fee
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Well those of us who haven't got a weird axe to grind against new signings enjoyed his performance. I'm sure you'll get another opportunity to slag him off next time he doesn't start a game or get on the scoresheet. Anyway what were you saying about Rodrigo Riquelme, Morgan Rogers, Todd Cantwell and Shane Long not starting on Saturday being proof that our recruitment team aren't up to it? I loved that one.
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Not particularly but Kelly was a Howe signing so we get the pleasure of Neil grinding his axe on the thread whether we like it or not.
NWCherries98
Fans' Favourite
What’s the main reason you don’t rate Traore? He’s not set the world alight obviously but what is it specifically about him that you don’t like as a player?
Neil Dawson
UTC Legend
I think we waste money. I watch him play and he hasn’t got the work rate and is light weight. He doesn’t bring much to the game skill wise and two managers haven’t started him. I think this is what happens when you give £22m to unprofessional recruiters.
Clubs like Sunderland did the same. Collect a disconnected bunch of expensive agent led deals with no strategy in terms of how many in what position and whether they can meet a managers style. We are the fourth largest spenders in the PL and if we don’t bring money in for any of these players like Brighton do we are f***ed and risk losing our club. Do you look at any of our players and think the big six will be hunting them down for 70m deals? I’m surprised more people aren’t worried about long term damage.
I watch Zab completely lose players and think there’s better championship centre half’s for a quarter of the price…
Brighton signed Mitoma for 2.6m. Burnley and West Ham are looking at Divock Origi for 7m
So for me Traore is indicative of our flawed strategy . It may well be he is one for the future and blossoms into a fine footballer. If so i will ecstatically hold my hands up and say I was wrong like I have on other occasions.
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
There's thread after thread about the likelihood of FFP biting us in the **************** like it has for all of the other mid/bottom clubs who had spending sprees. It's a massively risky strategy but that strategy is down to Bill Foley. Before Foley the spending was much more sensible but he clearly has a plan to revolutionise the club.
The squad as it stands looks very strong with the possible exception of out-and-out strikers. Iraola is starting Zab over Howe's Mepham. Your argument is as ever all over the place. The only constant is that you don't like Hughes.
The squad as it stands looks very strong with the possible exception of out-and-out strikers. Iraola is starting Zab over Howe's Mepham. Your argument is as ever all over the place. The only constant is that you don't like Hughes.
Neil Dawson
UTC Legend
So the fact the risky strategy is down to Bill Foley makes it alright? Not sure what your point is although you might be about to go down your normal ‘he is an American billionaire and we are all window cleaners’ route for why we should just shut up and be happy.
For the umpteenth time it’s not about ‘liking’ Hughes. Met him a couple times and he seemed nice, loved him as a player. I think there are better recruiters out there who are experts in their field not just former players of the club they recruit for.
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
No it doesn't necessarily make it alright but that is where we are and there's not much we can do about it. Tbh I'm not really sure what you think should be done about it either. Bill Foley is here and he's spunking loads of money on exciting players. Well, those of us without an inexplicable axe to grind against the recruitment team think they are exciting anyway.
My view is that I don't care if it all ends in tears if we get a new ground. Most of the clubs who got a new ground over the last 20-30 years went bust at some point after so that will probably happen to us but at least we'll have been transformed as a club.
As for Hughes tbh it's quite strange you are still banging the drum against him. Obviously individual signings here and there won't work out but most people I know think we've had several really good windows in a row, all with different budgets, aims and objectives. I don't know of anyone other than you who incessantly criticises Hughes - what exactly has he done wrong?
Where are all of the terrible signings over the last few years? Sure we signed a load on the cheap or on loan in the champ bit what else do you expect to happen when they are trying to get promoted whilst cutting costs.
Neil Dawson
UTC Legend
I’ve not said they are terrible signings. As with your assertion they are exciting only time will tell on that. I’ve said they aren’t worth what we’ve paid for them and better recruiters would have found cheaper alternatives that wouldn’t have risked our future as much and built a more balanced squad. Six right wingers and one left back and one injury prone defensive midfielder for example…
I do care if it all ends in tears. So we differ there. I’ve sat under the stand counting buckets of 2p coins after games so our kids had a club to follow so maybe I’m over sensitive to it.
I also know we can’t effect it. But that’s 90% of fans forum content wiped out. Last time I looked we couldn’t influence what left winger starts but all over the world people like to talk about it.
Anyway we are going off thread again and will get told off! Hope that’s answered your points enough for us to leave the discussion.
GON started him when he was fit, he was injured for a period but played when he could, this season 3 league games and 1 Cup game he started the cup and came off the bench in 2 of the 3 matches, if your gonna make wierd claims at least fact check them first?
kirsikka
UTC Legend
I'm assuming the fourth largest spenders is referring to net spend, as actual spend we would be much further down the list, and specifically to this window alone.
Generally (unless you're Forest), a squad is built over numerous windows. We've certainly been going through an accelerated upheaval but to get a better idea of relative net spend to other clubs you need to look over a longer period.
Here's the five year net spend table:
www.football365.com
We're 13th on that and only really one or one and a half signings beyond the team in 17th. You could call that extra spend the Bill effect if you like. Of those below that, Luton are there for obvious reasons, Everton's comes after a period where they made big losses and were put under special watch by the PL which restricted them (part of the reason why I think they may escape FFP sanctions), and the five year point is where the Brighton model started to pay back. The two years prior to this they were net spending £60-70m a season.
We're spending a lot of money, but it isn't an amount that particularly takes us out of our lane. It simply puts us in a similar ball park to most other clubs at our tier of the PL.
As you said, fingers crossed the signings turn out to be good ones.
In terms of balance, I think we're only a backup left back from having a well covered squad after the international break. I appreciate others have a different opinion, especially in the striker department.
Generally (unless you're Forest), a squad is built over numerous windows. We've certainly been going through an accelerated upheaval but to get a better idea of relative net spend to other clubs you need to look over a longer period.
Here's the five year net spend table:
Premier League net spend table over the last five years
Forget the league table, it's all about the Premier League net spend table. And Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal are ahead of the other 17.
www.football365.com
We're 13th on that and only really one or one and a half signings beyond the team in 17th. You could call that extra spend the Bill effect if you like. Of those below that, Luton are there for obvious reasons, Everton's comes after a period where they made big losses and were put under special watch by the PL which restricted them (part of the reason why I think they may escape FFP sanctions), and the five year point is where the Brighton model started to pay back. The two years prior to this they were net spending £60-70m a season.
We're spending a lot of money, but it isn't an amount that particularly takes us out of our lane. It simply puts us in a similar ball park to most other clubs at our tier of the PL.
As you said, fingers crossed the signings turn out to be good ones.
In terms of balance, I think we're only a backup left back from having a well covered squad after the international break. I appreciate others have a different opinion, especially in the striker department.
I can see what you are saying regarding Traore but I believe he needs to be given a run of games before we can judge.
He clearly is a talented player.
Unfortunately we can’t judge ourselves against Brighton in terms of identifying talent, as they are probably the best in the country at present and that includes against the so called top six . They started hoovering up talent if I recall when Houghton was in charge.
Origi also scored the grand total of 2 goals last season
kirsikka
UTC Legend
I have a friend in Milan who thinks Origi is the worst striker he's seen play for them since Luther Blissett, and he hasn't even tried to make up for it by producing interesting literature or art.
Origi may be available cheap, but it's because he has a really high salary which they agreed to as they got him on a free. Getting his wages off the books is the key as far as Milan are concerned.
Might be he does well if he comes back to England, but I don't think he'll work out especially cheaper than other options when it's all added up.
Origi may be available cheap, but it's because he has a really high salary which they agreed to as they got him on a free. Getting his wages off the books is the key as far as Milan are concerned.
Might be he does well if he comes back to England, but I don't think he'll work out especially cheaper than other options when it's all added up.
Red_Kettle
New Signing
Wait until Neil hears about Wu Ming, the talented young Chinese striker that Brighton are signing on a free.
DJ
Moderator
23 years old, playing in a new country and division but written off before he’s played 400 odd minutes of football.
Neil Dawson
UTC Legend
He hasn’t started a league game in three opportunities after a full pre season. It’s hardly a weird claim. Startingy a 2nd round caravan cup game is actually more proof you are second choice these days.
I think we'll recoup a decent wedge from Kerkez, he looks to be a genuine star of the future.
I personally think that we'll struggle to hold onto him for very long but when he does go, he should at least bring a hefty profit.
