Are we dining at the top table or not?

[Lancet Fluke]

which is interesting because I assume therefore that they have a name, or names in mind, of players who would also "not be bothered about the CL" and want to come in, who would also be good enough and have the right mentality and attitude for us, which incidentally, they couldn't have otherwise they wouldn't be happy coming in and not playing CL.

but still, I'm interested to here targets from the people who believe Txiki's done something wrong.

Give me the support and resources that Txiki has at his disposal, for instance a scouting network that is there specifically to find players that suit certain roles within a football squad and I will give you a name or two.

that's not an answer, you know who's moved this summer (if you don't, my little update thread will help), you can have a very fair guess at who would want to play CL football, who would be happy to come anyway and you can make a fair guess on their talent, wages etc.

I mean to be honest, I don't think Txiki has someone in his scouting ranks he goes to for "a player who is top class but doesn't want to play CL football, but is still a consummate professional, doesn't want extortionate wages but is good enough to play in the Premier League for the champions", so I don't think his scouting network would be of much help.

I think he would tend to go "let's see where our slight weaknesses are, and we've got a really nice budget next summer so let's go and make 1 or 2 world class signings next summer when we don't have squad restrictions".

It is an answer and it is a perfectly reasonable answer. Just because a player hasn't moved and isn't on your fucking update thread doesn't mean they weren't a viable target. And just because you don't think a scouting network would be of much use doesn't mean it isn't and what you think Txiki might tend to say is of no consequence since it is just you imagining something. Apart from that fucking great post.

 

[Shaelumstash]

And if ManU switch to 433 which Van Gaal has played most of his career then 3 is fine as it is for Chelsea or the Dog and Duck but so fucking what. We play with 2 strikers. We played with 2 strikers under Mancini and we play with 2 under Pellers so to compete at the top level we need 4 given 1 is always injured or playing golf in Argentina. All this post rationalisation as if it's some master plan or a means to buy a world class striker in 2016 or whenever is bollocks.

If we planned to switch formation and play with 1 striker and reduce down to 3 then fine but we didn't plan it nor practised it. Instead on transfer dead line day we sold one striker that we knew wanted to go months ago and are now down to 3. Consequently some are questioning this decision and/or the timing or the gamble that 'we will be okay'. And we might well be who knows but it is legitimate grounds for debate at least until our next match when Stefan grabs a hat trick and we go back to talking about something else.

You're missing the point. Four frontline strikers was and is extremely unusual. How many other clubs have that many?

I'm missing the point? Christ on a bike. We do. We have 4 top line strikers. It is a deliberate policy on our part as we play most games with 2 top line strikers. The squad is structured to have 4 top line strikers. Pellers wants 4 top line strikers. Txiki wants 4 top line strikes which is why he fucking made sure we had 4.

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

I think it's because we're signing what they consider to be a "top line" striker on October 1st - Inehacho. I'm sure we'll manage for the next 3 weeks with only 3 strikers.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

You're missing the point. Four frontline strikers was and is extremely unusual. How many other clubs have that many?

I'm missing the point? Christ on a bike. We do. We have 4 top line strikers. It is a deliberate policy on our part as we play most games with 2 top line strikers. The squad is structured to have 4 top line strikers. Pellers wants 4 top line strikers. Txiki wants 4 top line strikes which is why he fucking made sure we had 4.

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

I think it's because we're signing what they consider to be a "top line" striker on October 1st - Inehacho. I'm sure we'll manage for the next 3 weeks with only 3 strikers.

That is the one argument that does stack up in terms of selling Negredo imo. We need to seriously hope that he gets his work permit and when he does that he is ready.

 

[BillyShears]

I think it's because we're signing what they consider to be a "top line" striker on October 1st - Inehacho. I'm sure we'll manage for the next 3 weeks with only 3 strikers.

I think he has the potential to be a top player. Obviously he's very raw right now, but I would much rather that 4th spot were given to a player like him who's young and has potential than for us to be carrying four top line forwards which leads to the inevitable strops when all four players are fit and one of them is only playing the odd cup game.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Give me the support and resources that Txiki has at his disposal, for instance a scouting network that is there specifically to find players that suit certain roles within a football squad and I will give you a name or two.

that's not an answer, you know who's moved this summer (if you don't, my little update thread will help), you can have a very fair guess at who would want to play CL football, who would be happy to come anyway and you can make a fair guess on their talent, wages etc.

I mean to be honest, I don't think Txiki has someone in his scouting ranks he goes to for "a player who is top class but doesn't want to play CL football, but is still a consummate professional, doesn't want extortionate wages but is good enough to play in the Premier League for the champions", so I don't think his scouting network would be of much help.

I think he would tend to go "let's see where our slight weaknesses are, and we've got a really nice budget next summer so let's go and make 1 or 2 world class signings next summer when we don't have squad restrictions".

It is an answer and it is a perfectly reasonable answer. Just because a player hasn't moved and isn't on your fucking update thread doesn't mean they weren't a viable target. And just because you don't think a scouting network would be of much use doesn't mean it isn't and what you think Txiki might tend to say is of no consequence since it is just you imagining something. Apart from that fucking great post.

It was indeed a "fucking great post", considering you want to replace a player who didn't want to be here with a top level player who doesn't want to play CL football, who also doesn't want extortionate wages and therefore is rather unambitious with a pretty poor attitude, or is in the Scott Sinclair mould of being nowhere near good enough for us and therefore would be rather detrimental to us, who you incidentally have no idea who that would be.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

that's not an answer, you know who's moved this summer (if you don't, my little update thread will help), you can have a very fair guess at who would want to play CL football, who would be happy to come anyway and you can make a fair guess on their talent, wages etc.

I mean to be honest, I don't think Txiki has someone in his scouting ranks he goes to for "a player who is top class but doesn't want to play CL football, but is still a consummate professional, doesn't want extortionate wages but is good enough to play in the Premier League for the champions", so I don't think his scouting network would be of much help.

I think he would tend to go "let's see where our slight weaknesses are, and we've got a really nice budget next summer so let's go and make 1 or 2 world class signings next summer when we don't have squad restrictions".

It is an answer and it is a perfectly reasonable answer. Just because a player hasn't moved and isn't on your fucking update thread doesn't mean they weren't a viable target. And just because you don't think a scouting network would be of much use doesn't mean it isn't and what you think Txiki might tend to say is of no consequence since it is just you imagining something. Apart from that fucking great post.

It was indeed a "fucking great post", considering you want to replace a player who didn't want to be here with a top level player who doesn't want to play CL football, who also doesn't want extortionate wages and therefore is rather unambitious with a pretty poor attitude, or is in the Scott Sinclair mould of being nowhere near good enough for us and therefore would be rather detrimental to us, who you incidentally have no idea who that would be.

All assumptions based on there definitely being nobody available in the world who would have been a decent 4th choice striker and doesn't come into the categories that you describe. Obviously there is nobody like that in the world and you definitely know. Just like you know a world wide scouting network would be of little use. Not worth discussing with you any further because you're a fantasist especially if you think your previous post was anything other than fucking drivel.

 

[Shaelumstash]

I'm missing the point? Christ on a bike. We do. We have 4 top line strikers. It is a deliberate policy on our part as we play most games with 2 top line strikers. The squad is structured to have 4 top line strikers. Pellers wants 4 top line strikers. Txiki wants 4 top line strikes which is why he fucking made sure we had 4.

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

I think it's because we're signing what they consider to be a "top line" striker on October 1st - Inehacho. I'm sure we'll manage for the next 3 weeks with only 3 strikers.

That is the one argument that does stack up in terms of selling Negredo imo. We need to seriously hope that he gets his work permit and when he does that he is ready.

The other advantage of Inehacho over Negredo is that Inehacho will be allowed to play for us in the CL because of his age, whereas Negredo wouldn't. Keeping the Beast as 4th choice striker could stifle Inehacho's development by restricting his opportunity to play.

Txiki is the best DoF in the business, there's no way he would have sold Negredo as an oversight and then suddenly wake up today and think "Oh shit, that leaves us one striker short for the season." There will no doubt be method in the madness.

Sad to see Negredo go, but from what I've seen of Inehacho, he has the talent to be one of the very best.

 

[BillyShears]

It is an answer and it is a perfectly reasonable answer. Just because a player hasn't moved and isn't on your fucking update thread doesn't mean they weren't a viable target. And just because you don't think a scouting network would be of much use doesn't mean it isn't and what you think Txiki might tend to say is of no consequence since it is just you imagining something. Apart from that fucking great post.

It was indeed a "fucking great post", considering you want to replace a player who didn't want to be here with a top level player who doesn't want to play CL football, who also doesn't want extortionate wages and therefore is rather unambitious with a pretty poor attitude, or is in the Scott Sinclair mould of being nowhere near good enough for us and therefore would be rather detrimental to us, who you incidentally have no idea who that would be.

All assumptions based on there definitely being nobody available in the world who would have been a decent 4th choice striker and doesn't come into the categories that you describe. Obviously there is nobody like that in the world and you definitely know. Just like you know a world wide scouting network would be of little use. Not worth discussing with you any further because you're a fantasist especially if you think your previous post was anything other than fucking drivel.

You're entitled to your view that the club have dropped a bollock. However JMW makes a perfectly valid point. We needed a forward who basically was happy not to play in the CL, but have CL quality, and be available at a price which wasn't prohibitive with regards FFP. It really isn't such a surprise that in that circumstance the club have chosen not to buy anyone and pin their hopes at least until January on us not suffering a horrendous injury crisis.

This is even before you take into consideration the idea which is perfectly legitimate, that the club in fact always intended to sell Negredo and never had any intention of replacing him this summer. Again something which is a perfectly acceptable point of view - not least because it's what has actually happened.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

It is an answer and it is a perfectly reasonable answer. Just because a player hasn't moved and isn't on your fucking update thread doesn't mean they weren't a viable target. And just because you don't think a scouting network would be of much use doesn't mean it isn't and what you think Txiki might tend to say is of no consequence since it is just you imagining something. Apart from that fucking great post.

It was indeed a "fucking great post", considering you want to replace a player who didn't want to be here with a top level player who doesn't want to play CL football, who also doesn't want extortionate wages and therefore is rather unambitious with a pretty poor attitude, or is in the Scott Sinclair mould of being nowhere near good enough for us and therefore would be rather detrimental to us, who you incidentally have no idea who that would be.

All assumptions based on there definitely being nobody available in the world who would have been a decent 4th choice striker and doesn't come into the categories that you describe. Obviously there is nobody like that in the world and you definitely know. Just like you know a world wide scouting network would be of little use. Not worth discussing with you any further because you're a fantasist especially if you think your previous post was anything other than fucking drivel.

it wasn't fucking drivel, it was emphasising the point that it makes more business and footballing sense to save your transfer money for a proper replacement on the right terms, with the right mindset and a squad space for them, rather than buying someone "decent" for the sake of it, who then will take up that squad space until you can eventually force them out.

To replace a player like Negredo you need an excellent striker, and in terms of emphasising the character that striker would need (a la Falcao) to move to a club like us, in that role, my post was on the money. You don't buy Negredo calibre strikers who then are happy to play the odd Prem game, and you don't waste your money and squad space doing so, or on buying someone inferior who would hog that squad space.

 

[cleavers]

You're entitled to your view that the club have dropped a bollock. However JMW makes a perfectly valid point. We needed a forward who basically was happy not to play in the CL, but have CL quality, and be available at a price which wasn't prohibitive with regards FFP. It really isn't such a surprise that in that circumstance the club have chosen not to buy anyone and pin their hopes at least until January on us not suffering a horrendous injury crisis.

Or we could have gone in for Welbeck.......