Transfer in's and out's rumours etc.

[cherrypie7]

Ian Wright, Ledley King, Thierry Henry, Yaya Toure, Teddy Sheringham, Strachan, Giggs all played at a very high level well into their 30s - he is only 29, in his prime, and is supposed to be very professional and an excellent trainer.

It’s all good for me - he brings quality and experience. Who do you compare him to in the squad - Bamford and Roberts - hmmmn Rodrigo please.

Looks like we are going to try to bring in another forward too so looks promising.

In other news looks like Colin is trying to bring Sol Bambi to Boro - now that is the sort of signing that would have worried me.

There's a fellow called Messi who is 33. Wants to leave his club. Decent player from what I've heard.

[LeedsFTW]

Ian Wright, Ledley King, Thierry Henry, Yaya Toure, Teddy Sheringham, Strachan, Giggs all played at a very high level well into their 30s - he is only 29, in his prime, and is supposed to be very professional and an excellent trainer.

All those players had played numerous years in the premiership (pre 30's) so that level of quality was already established.

Rod is still an unknown quantity in the premiership, so for that fee and due to age it is likely his transfer value will depreciate. So I definitely see why people see this transfer as a risk.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

It’s part of the investment cost of staying in the premier league not sure he is a player we are looking to make a profit on. For his proven quality at international level and in Spain it is a decent price compared to market rates.

At the same time we seem to be investing heavily in youth to either grow our own or make money spinning them.

All seems sensible as there are very few sure things in life - just look at Covid.

[Tichi1]

Sorry Spaldy that's not right.

I hate every signing that wastes the clubs limited funds, and despite what others might assert, I've been right a hell of a lot more times than wrong (want me to list them all, happy to, but you would get bored) and when I have been wrong (Harrison, White, Bielsa as examples), I've said so, unlike certain other contributors who think any signing is a good one as long as it's for LUFC, and look what dross that philosophy has brought to the club.

The right player, for the right position, either able to "hit the ground running" in positions we need that, or able to contribute immediately but with potential to grow as required, preferably with experience either of the PL or the Championship but that's not an absolute. Nationality is irrelevant.

I think everyone here would agree that signings that Waste money are not what we want to see, the trouble is that established premiership players that would improve our performances, and fit into the Bielsa mould are either few and far between, happy where they are, or unaffordable, Championship players that look like good buys [Watkins, Benerhama, et al] are unknown quantities in the premier league, so are therefore by default risky signings, so the ones that we DO get will almost always have to come from lower divisions [Geldhart] or abroad - prefferably relatively unknown to be affordable. IMO age is irrelevant, we need players who will help us establish ourselves in the premier league as a priority, players that have been able to perform under pressure, and the best judge of that is our manager - again IMO.

There are NO players that would be available to Hit the ground running, or able to contribute immediately - again just my opinion, as to date no players arriving have been Bielsa ready when first recruited, so I don't know who you may have in mind that fits your criteria?

I don't agree that any of our other contributers think "Any signing" is a good one, I think the majority on here tend to keep their powder dry, try to be optomistic, show a little faith in their club management, and wait to see how certain players perform BEFORE slating the club/players/Orta uncle Tom Cobley and all, and are either happy with what they already know of these guys, or HOPE to be pleasantly surprised with just how good some turn out to be, but inevitably when picking up relatively unknown, or untested players that our manager wants on board, we are going to get some duds, and some goods, but like I say, most on here wait to see performances ON THE PITCH - Before moaning about individuals.

I have been happy with the youngsters already recruited - which will hopefully save us both transfer trauma, and funds in a year of two, and am pleased with our Spanish international forward, sanctioned by our manager. My ONLY dissapointment so far is the amount of time wasted on trying to get White - who for teh fees quoted is untested at the highest level, when Robin Koch - looks to e a better, cheaper, tested at the top level defender, that we should have had on board a coupe of weeks ago.

I am positive, that even with our existing squad, no additions, no Bielsa ready recruits we can hold our own in the league, when there are the likes of Villa, Palace, Burnley, West Ham, West Brom, Fulham [None of whom seem to have done a lot in the transfer market so far either] Everton, Sheffield Utd, Scum....[Last one was a joke] so when the new guys get up to speed, I am positive we will take quite a few by surprise, and have a good season, and if I'm wrong, and youre right I will hold my hand up.

[asturianblanco]

the "profit" surely is staying in the prem no? thats why you buy players at the top of their game, and they cost 30m+ in the top divs.

for 2 seasons under Bielsa, the games we struggled in were the games where we didnt score first, and in 2 seasons we drew very few games. Seems clear to me that with some added firepower we can put some games to bed quickly that might have eluded us with only Bamford to aim at. Sure, this season some of the quality sides in the prem might pull our trousers down, but with our all out attacking style,workrate, team ethic and ball retention, i expect us to win enough.
Better this than signing a few workhorses "who know the prem" but are not quite good enough, playing ok each week losing most games 1-0, srapping enough 0-0s and a few wins that guarentee that we at least have some interest in the relegation battle before we eventually go down. no thanks.

[asturianblanco]

spot on Tichi.

[cherrypie7]

I think everyone here would agree that signings that Waste money are not what we want to see, the trouble is that established premiership players that would improve our performances, and fit into the Bielsa mould are either few and far between, happy where they are, or unaffordable, Championship players that look like good buys [Watkins, Benerhama, et al] are unknown quantities in the premier league, so are therefore by default risky signings, so the ones that we DO get will almost always have to come from lower divisions [Geldhart] or abroad - prefferably relatively unknown to be affordable. IMO age is irrelevant, we need players who will help us establish ourselves in the premier league as a priority, players that have been able to perform under pressure, and the best judge of that is our manager - again IMO.

There are NO players that would be available to Hit the ground running, or able to contribute immediately - again just my opinion, as to date no players arriving have been Bielsa ready when first recruited, so I don't know who you may have in mind that fits your criteria?

I don't agree that any of our other contributers think "Any signing" is a good one, I think the majority on here tend to keep their powder dry, try to be optomistic, show a little faith in their club management, and wait to see how certain players perform BEFORE slating the club/players/Orta uncle Tom Cobley and all, and are either happy with what they already know of these guys, or HOPE to be pleasantly surprised with just how good some turn out to be, but inevitably when picking up relatively unknown, or untested players that our manager wants on board, we are going to get some duds, and some goods, but like I say, most on here wait to see performances ON THE PITCH - Before moaning about individuals.

I have been happy with the youngsters already recruited - which will hopefully save us both transfer trauma, and funds in a year of two, and am pleased with our Spanish international forward, sanctioned by our manager. My ONLY dissapointment so far is the amount of time wasted on trying to get White - who for teh fees quoted is untested at the highest level, when Robin Koch - looks to e a better, cheaper, tested at the top level defender, that we should have had on board a coupe of weeks ago.

I am positive, that even with our existing squad, no additions, no Bielsa ready recruits we can hold our own in the league, when there are the likes of Villa, Palace, Burnley, West Ham, West Brom, Fulham [None of whom seem to have done a lot in the transfer market so far either] Everton, Sheffield Utd, Scum....[Last one was a joke] so when the new guys get up to speed, I am positive we will take quite a few by surprise, and have a good season, and if I'm wrong, and youre right I will hold my hand up.

I couldn't have put it any better. Literally, couldn't. Because if I write that much it would take time on my phone, and I would have been kicked out. Just want to add i am puzzled that Arsenal let Sam Greenwood, a striker, go to Leeds.

[WTF11]

I think everyone here would agree that signings that Waste money are not what we want to see, the trouble is that established premiership players that would improve our performances, and fit into the Bielsa mould are either few and far between, happy where they are, or unaffordable, Championship players that look like good buys [Watkins, Benerhama, et al] are unknown quantities in the premier league, so are therefore by default risky signings, so the ones that we DO get will almost always have to come from lower divisions [Geldhart] or abroad - prefferably relatively unknown to be affordable. IMO age is irrelevant, we need players who will help us establish ourselves in the premier league as a priority, players that have been able to perform under pressure, and the best judge of that is our manager - again IMO.

There are NO players that would be available to Hit the ground running, or able to contribute immediately - again just my opinion, as to date no players arriving have been Bielsa ready when first recruited, so I don't know who you may have in mind that fits your criteria?

I don't agree that any of our other contributers think "Any signing" is a good one, I think the majority on here tend to keep their powder dry, try to be optomistic, show a little faith in their club management, and wait to see how certain players perform BEFORE slating the club/players/Orta uncle Tom Cobley and all, and are either happy with what they already know of these guys, or HOPE to be pleasantly surprised with just how good some turn out to be, but inevitably when picking up relatively unknown, or untested players that our manager wants on board, we are going to get some duds, and some goods, but like I say, most on here wait to see performances ON THE PITCH - Before moaning about individuals.

I have been happy with the youngsters already recruited - which will hopefully save us both transfer trauma, and funds in a year of two, and am pleased with our Spanish international forward, sanctioned by our manager. My ONLY dissapointment so far is the amount of time wasted on trying to get White - who for teh fees quoted is untested at the highest level, when Robin Koch - looks to e a better, cheaper, tested at the top level defender, that we should have had on board a coupe of weeks ago.

I am positive, that even with our existing squad, no additions, no Bielsa ready recruits we can hold our own in the league, when there are the likes of Villa, Palace, Burnley, West Ham, West Brom, Fulham [None of whom seem to have done a lot in the transfer market so far either] Everton, Sheffield Utd, Scum....[Last one was a joke] so when the new guys get up to speed, I am positive we will take quite a few by surprise, and have a good season, and if I'm wrong, and youre right I will hold my hand up.

I wasn't for a moment thinking, or suggesting, that anyone would want us to waste money, that would be pure stupidity, just that I differ from most on what is (or was) a waste, that much is obvious. The search for suitable players who would fit in the positions where we have "issues" wouldn't be easy, that much I'd also agree with you on, but that's why the DoFs and scouts of this world are paid the big bucks, and are expected to "score" more often than they miss, surely none of that can be at issue? Right now, I 'd agree with you again on there being few, if any players who could "hit the ground running" and contribute immediately (and by that, I was referring to when we begin the new season) as we're too close to that point for any newcomer, (even Messi!) to achieve that state of nirvana, but that needn't have been the case, not if preparation had really been in place (as has been mentioned in other posts) regarding which players we would seek to acquire should we have achieved promotion. Once more, I agree with your observation regarding the lack of significant transfer activity by a great many PL teams. things is, they already have a PL-capable squad (even if some are staying there by the skin of their teeth), and just about every one of them has access to a larger transfer kitty than we do, given the longevity of most in the PL.

The fact that others prefer to keep their powder dry with regards to comments about any players suitability/fitness for purpose is their choice, and they are entitled to make it. I think, if the blinkers are taken off for a moment, you will see that I haven't "slated players" (or Uncle Tom Cobbley either), simply stated my opinion if I think a player isn't right or good enough (Btw, I don't see anyone getting on BBs back for suggesting Cook "isn't good enough" even though some would welcome him back? Then again, he's not me so that's ok). If I could be ar5ed to trawl back through the gargantuan list of players that Orta has foisted on the club over the last couple of years, my hit rate would be shown to be a damned sight better than his.

My criticism, and I take absolutely not one word back, is directed almost 100% at our DoF (I say almost, as he has to have had sanction from the owner and the Board, who bear some measure of responsibility for the dross he has been allowed to bring to the club, in contrast to the (mostly) sound job they have done in directing/managing the non-football side of the clubs operations). Its usual, in business and elsewhere, for past performance to be used as a guide (stress, a guide) to the future. So far, every time Orta has been allowed to influence a player of significance coming to the club, (even when the guiding hand of Bielsa is/has been applied), money ends up being poured down the drain. I shudder to think how much his "supermarket sweep" exploits around the lower leagues in Europe and the Far East cost the club, or the "dream" relationship with Cultural Leonard etc etc etc. That being the case, despite Bielsa having "approved" the move for Rodrigo (just as I assume he approved the ill-fated move to get JKA on board?), I have no confidence that we are making the right choice. Thing is, we are too close to seasons start (and not that far off the close of the transfer window, given how much time deals take to put in place nowadays), for alternatives to be made real.

I hope I'm proved wrong, honestly I do, I just don't think (in this particular case at least) I will be.

[WTF11]

I couldn't have put it any better. Literally, couldn't. Because if I write that much it would take time on my phone, and I would have been kicked out. Just want to add i am puzzled that Arsenal let Sam Greenwood, a striker, go to Leeds.

I don't do much on here via the phone, gets too tiring!

[asturianblanco]

Did the dross that the DOF brought to the club achieve promotion? confused