Rafa signings.

[Zippity]

Like buying anything, it's a question of quality versus quantity. With £30m do you buy two £15m or five £6m? I don't see the point of the latter because you end up with mediocrities no better than what you've got already. I know about the argument that you need competition for places and cover for injuries but you can have this with existing players including the Academy if the ones you buy are no better. In my view if you can't get your first or second choice forget it. Why buy Atsu when you've got a fit Aarons who's better? Why buy Joselu who's made no impression elsewhere? I know it's early to judge but Merino and Manquillo don't seem any improvement on, say, Haidara or Colback. It just seems to be turnover of players for the sake of it. With cheap players you end up in a season or two with ones you can't offload because no other club will pay them what NUFC are paying them.

Good post. To me, our main job this Summer was to improve the first team, not the squad. I think Lejeune falls into the first category whereas the rest, for me, seem to be squad additions. Obviously we haven't seen enough of Merino to say either way but i don't think he was one of our main targets. if you spread your money too thinly buy buying several low-priced players then you have a squad of more consistency but the quality overall is much lower. I think you should invest the large majority of your money in the first team and bit by bit do the same each window, targeting different positions to keep making little steps up in quality each time.

[toonlegend]

If clubs genuinely had to run in house on fair play in a genuine manner, then we would be competing soon enough.
Let's see Rafa show his management genius and take us to the next step of his tenure by creating the superstars over a few seasons by turning good players into great players and not be reliant on trying to quick fix on a whim.

I like that idea, but he has to be given enough to keep us safe in the 1st place. then build

[ghostrider]

I like that idea, but he has to be given enough to keep us safe in the 1st place. then build

Absolutely. I agree wholeheartedly.
The issue is a touchy one in terms of how this club operates.
As we know, the real nitty gritty in terms of premier league strength is in harnessing the mega money on offer after each season.
Basically speaking we cannot open our cash presents until the end of this season.
This is when Rafa should have the funds available to have a real crack and strength building and would be his best efforts to give himself and the fans some real forward hope....or Ashley gets found out to be dishonest in his stance on Rafa having what the club generates.

There's no hiding place for anyone this time around. We will see proof in the pudding next season, regardless.
However, it's this season where Rafa has to really earn his corn and simply set out the team/squad in such a way where we have a fighting chance of finishing in a sensible place and well away from danger.
This is where his management skills and know how should come to the fore, regardless of bemoaning missed targets.

Any manager worth his salt will set about making good players, better and top managers will make good players better and better players into top players.
I expect rafa to at least make this (his) team better and easily good enough to escape a relegation issue.
That's all that is expected of him and I believe we have enough to achieve it fairly comfortably, with the opportunity to still add one or two signings to the mix before the window closes.


Anyway I'm babbling on but the crux of the matter is (regardless of the past) we will see what's in that end of season pot for him.
If it's not as full as hinted at, then I expect Rafa to walk and fair enough.
I will also accept that as a club, we will never progress, unless we sell the entire soul of the club to a Sheikh and just go for the mercenary ride until it Peters out.

Anyway I'm what iffing and babbling even more.
You get the gist, right?

[Davearmy]

Apparently Rafa wants Jovetic still.

[toonviking]

Lets see what we got when the window shut.

[toonlegend]

to be fair, i did winder why rafa needed an experienced goalie, i now realise that elliott is ok but darlow is not up to scratch. woodman obviously isn't ready yet , so yep we DO need an experienced goalie as well

[Davearmy]

to be fair, i did winder why rafa needed an experienced goalie, i now realise that elliott is ok but darlow is not up to scratch. woodman obviously isn't ready yet , so yep we DO need an experienced goalie as well

^ This... I have no words to Describe Darlow's performance against Forest.