are we wasting this window?

[Dubai Blue]

just thought i'd bump this for new thoughts now the window is shut.
i think we have missed a trick here.

Agreed. We're on a good position now and we could have used 2 or 3 new players to provide an impetus for the rest of the season. We've really got to kick on and secure that fourth place. A couple of new players in certain key positions can only have helped achieve that goal.

 

[samharris]

Viera and Johnson will do ok...matters out of our hands helped to scupper the gago and mariga deals.

very quiet window all round.

 

[CHT]

Think its apparent that the Mancini appointment is short term until the end of the season , hes been told prove yourself with pretty much the existing squad , win a cup / secure a top 4 place and the jobs yours with a decent treansfer kitty ...

His signings / targets / tactics have pretty much underwhelmed me if im honest .........

Vieira - Injured, legs wont cut it in the Premirship but may be a big influence around the place .
Johnson - Good prospect , nothing more , and do we really need another winger ..

Robinho - Done to Death but i see no benefit for us in letting him play elsewhere for 6 months ..
Weiss - Good for the lads development , But if Bolton are going to use him as a sub we could have ...


Dont feel we have strengthened at all really , Manicini has improved defensively where we look better organised but in the 3 difficult games weve had i think we have been comfortably second best ..

Hopefully with a few returning from injury soon his options will open up and we can have a good go and hell clinch the job.

 

[johnny crossan]

just thought i'd bump this for new thoughts now the window is shut.
i think we have missed a trick here.

Agree. Premiership squad capped at 25 next season and 5 current players out of contract, Benjani, Sylvinho, Vieira, Petrov & Taylor. Most of these need replacing also there are injury issues with Santa Cruz & Michael Johnson and Robinho is unlikely to return.
An influx of more than 3 players in the summer is likely to cause significant disruption and it would have been preferable if we could have attracted a couple more in this window. I'm thinking particularly in midfield and at left back where lack of cover could affect our push for the top four.

I might add that the work permit issue with Mariga was entirely predictable and someone in the Club is very culpable.

 

[grinner]

I agree also.

The reason it was a quiet window was that hardly any teams
have got the money to spend, hence loads of loans.

Our finances meant we had a huge advantage over spurs, villa
and liverpool, but haven't really taken it.

It's a gamble not spending the money, hoping we come in the top 4
so we can buy better players in the summer, but should we have
improved our chances of doing so by spending where others couldn't.

 

[BurnCK]

I believe we've spent more than any other club in England this transfer window so it's defo not wasted. We did try and sign Gago from Real Madrid, but I think our owners have finally decided that they won't be held to ransom on transfer fees anymore, which in my opinion is a only good thing.

All I think we're missing is a creative midfielder. Other than that we have more than a big enough squad with cover all over the pitch.

 

[Bill]

I believe we've spent more than any other club in England this transfer window so it's defo not wasted. We did try and sign Gago from Real Madrid, but I think our owners have finally decided that they won't be held to ransom on transfer fees anymore, which in my opinion is a only good thing.

All I think we're missing is a creative midfielder. Other than that we have more than a big enough squad with cover all over the pitch.

i think the main thing was to improve the full backs too, i honestly feel this season could just fall short and that is a chance missed.
the money we have would mean we buy 2 fullbacks for the team now, not because mancini may or may not be gone in the summer.

without 4th spot (which is there for the taking) we again have to pay over inflated prices to get top players in, we could have bought now and would have saved us loads of dosh in the summer, regardless of who is in charge.

 

[Fuzzmaster101]

I believe we've spent more than any other club in England this transfer window so it's defo not wasted. We did try and sign Gago from Real Madrid, but I think our owners have finally decided that they won't be held to ransom on transfer fees anymore, which in my opinion is a only good thing.

All I think we're missing is a creative midfielder. Other than that we have more than a big enough squad with cover all over the pitch.

i think the main thing was to improve the full backs too, i honestly feel this season could just fall short and that is a chance missed.
the money we have would mean we buy 2 fullbacks for the team now, not because mancini may or may not be gone in the summer.

without 4th spot (which is there for the taking) we again have to pay over inflated prices to get top players in, we could have bought now and would have saved us loads of dosh in the summer, regardless of who is in charge.

I can't say I agree De Niro. I think we have easily got a good enough team to get 4th but I'm thinking maybe if we play really well even higher. I think a left back would have been handy but I'm sure Mancini who works with the players day in and day out knows whether what we have is good enough. Hopefully with Lescott and Bridge coming back there is not too much to concern ourselves with. I think he has a plan for the summer once we get a top four finish. I hope it includes Aguero and Hamsik! ;)

 

[Bill]

i think the main thing was to improve the full backs too, i honestly feel this season could just fall short and that is a chance missed.
the money we have would mean we buy 2 fullbacks for the team now, not because mancini may or may not be gone in the summer.

without 4th spot (which is there for the taking) we again have to pay over inflated prices to get top players in, we could have bought now and would have saved us loads of dosh in the summer, regardless of who is in charge.

I can't say I agree De Niro. I think we have easily got a good enough team to get 4th but I'm thinking maybe if we play really well even higher. I think a left back would have been handy but I'm sure Mancini who works with the players day in and day out knows whether what we have is good enough. Hopefully with Lescott and Bridge coming back there is not too much to concern ourselves with. I think he has a plan for the summer once we get a top four finish. I hope it includes Aguero and Hamsik! ;)

you may be right, fingers crossed.

in my mind though with where we should be heading its should'nt be down to fingers crossed we should have been nailing 4th or even 3rd in the table.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Well it's done now, the proof will be in the pudding and if we finish 4th it will have been a shrewd window but if we miss out then we'll look back at this as an opportunity missed. That said, whether the right sort of players were available is debatable. Would we have been signign full backs only for them to be replaced in the summer?

I personally think our squad is strong enough and we should be breaking the top 4 with what we have. Just need to be wary of liverpool.