Transfer in's and out's rumours etc.

[WTF11]

The trouble is it seems you are determined to beat us into submission with your opinion of Orta until we agree with you....
EVERYONE on here knows you don't rate him, most agree to an extent, but feel that overall the "Team" running the club which includes our DOF are on the right track, we are building what appears to be a successful squad that hopefully will establish itself in the Premier league this season and then progress onto bigger and better things.

We don't really need you to explain in such detail why you dislike Victor - or contnually list all the failures that have been at the club over the last three or four years, we all know, you have been free with your opinion of him for the past three years, so please - give it a rest will you? lets move onto the current playerds he's bringing in, and hope to enjoy their perfomances and a successfull season eh [Both Koch and Rodrigo looked a lot better last week given limited time at the club]

Just a shame about the French lad failing his medical from what we have heard of him.

I don't dislike Orta, I don't know him from a hole in the ground. It's his past record and the waste he has incurred that I find distasteful, seemingly something most others don't see as significant. A 1st team player who did much the same would have been hounded out of the club by now, (and have been) strange that.

As for the more recent incomings, I suspect that there is sufficient control exercised by others at the club to limit the damage he can cause and he has been given more free rein to experiment with the U23 squad than those who are destined more immediately for 1st team places.

And I wasn't "listing all the failures over the last three or four years", even I run out of the will to write a post that long, it was specifically regarding his first year as DoF and comparing to his second, no others.

[WTF11]

You missed of Bamford, Meslier... and the long list of young players inc Bogusz, Caprile, Davis, Galloway, Stevens, Struijk et al... more importantly we are now Cat 1, which has major benefits ongoing for the club.

And how many of those names I "missed" arrived in 2017/18, the year I SPECIFICALLY mentioned in detail? The post was quite clear, I was comparing what Orta did 1st years as DoF with what happened when Bielsa arrived (and if you read again, you will see I refer SPECIFICALLY to Bamford arriving in 2018/19). Keep up (and take the blinkers off).

[whitestomper45]

Moving goalposts to make some point and you ignore the big changes to the Academy which like 1st team has good/bad signings yet has move up a step.... only one person with blinkers

[cherrypie7]

Firstly, I do not think we will have any players coming through the door between now and Monday. So here is my take on the acquistions:
Rodrigo: Decent and will get better
Koch: Decent and will get better
Llorente: No idea because he hasn't played
Greenwood: Excellent. Just 18, bright future
Gelhardt: Decent, hope will get better, 18, has a future
Drameh: Decent, will get better, 18, has a future
Cresswell: Decent.
Summerville: Very, very fast but having major issues fitting into the team.
Overall good business. Only problem is we never got a central midfielder. So.. will have to depend (as I have already mentioned) on Klich, Phillips, Rodrigo, Shackleton, Roberts. Hernandez. I think its safe to say that Forshaw is an injury liability and so I have not included. Does feel a little thin on top quality especially as Rodrigo is more of a striker.

[Jezleeds]

If early players bought/loaned by Orta before Bielsa were poor, even if we spent more on them, might it be possible that they weren't actually poor, but that they were just poorly coached/nurtured?

Allioski didn't look much in 2017-18.

And that the ones he's brought in since under Bielsa were similar in quality/level, but have been better coached to live up to their potential?

I'm happy to admit i criticised various players for their level of play in the time between Orta's arrival and Bielsa's, but looking back i'm wondering if with Bielsa in charge, people like Sako might have been more effective - Christiansen and Hickinbotham have hardly pulled up trees since leaving us, in terms of developing talent. Of course, Orta had a hand in the recruitment of the latter, although i now think that PH was just brought in temporarily to steady the ship that year.

Some i agree were an absolute lost cause and not good enough, especially his goalkeepers over time - but not many. I think Ekuban had a lot of potential, for example. I see his strike rate was 1 in 3 in the top Turkish division last year, a total of 9 in 28 games - and played for Ghana four times, scoring twice. Some of those lads would have thrived under MB.

[spaldy]

it's easy to forget just how little we had 3 years ago. we had to make a whole lot of acquisitions and we didn't have much money and no reputation as a destination place to get top youngsters.

One thing to keep in mind is that we've retained most everyone we wanted to retain during his tenure. totally different than during the dark years. Have to give a lot of that to the DOF. it's easy to go after the "bright and shiny objects" and I think a lot of what Scum, Citeh, Hotspurs, Arsenal and Chelski are experiencing reflect chasing these players. Not that Pool and others dont' as well but they tend to have a squad and fill in some spots. Fat Lampard and scum have all but blown up their squads.

If we settle down and play to our potential and keep developing these super youngsters we have we could be really good

One thing is for sure that I'm grateful for. We are not relegation material and that means a lot the first year up in the prem!

[Jezleeds]

We are not relegation material and that means a lot the first year up in the prem!

All tricky October games ahead Spaldy - hope you're right but not sure we can be sure about anything yet.

[Billyni]

Think domestic transfers are still allowed for another fortnight after Monday’s deadline?

[whitestomper45]

Loris Karius - £4m
Ragnar Klavan £4.2m
Naby Keita - £53m
Xherdan Shaqiri - £13.5m
Takumi Minamino - £7.25m

The above signed by Liverpool DOF Michael Edwards, who many think is doing a good job.

[WTF11]

Moving goalposts to make some point and you ignore the big changes to the Academy which like 1st team has good/bad signings yet has move up a step.... only one person with blinkers

If anyone is "moving the goalposts" to suit their argument it's you (not for the first time).

My post detailing issues with Ortas performance was clearly limited to the comparison between his 1st & 2and year as DoF, nothing to do with the Academy or any of the non-1st team squads. You chose to bring that and the mire recent "controlled" acquisitions etc etc, to suit your argument.

But hey, as usual tackle man, not ball.