Do we actually have a transfer strategy?

[VOOMER]

When Pep first took over our side, he was cautious in his first year - not sure about what we needed to strengthen. Next year, he took decisive steps to fill gaps at CB and RB/LB - and we won two tiles as a result.

Too, we picked up B. Silva on the cheep, a huge asset.

So in answer to the title question - very much yes we have a transfer strategy and we're in excellent hands with this regard. Not all signings will work out - but enough of them do to move us forward; moreover, the signings we make are not at all willy-nilly - they're made with a clear focus on strengthening our side in areas we need most.

IMO we were hampered by three things with regard to transfers last window:

1) FFP rules restrict what we can do in any given window; the club has expressed interest in several top players but backed away once the asking price got too extreme;
2) After winning a title, the tendency is to relax - why should we extensively strengthen if the squad that won the title last year is largely coming back this year? (similar thing happened to Mancini, though Mancini was handicapped further by lack of cooperation with the Director of Football);
3) Management knew that Kompany would be leaving - but presumably, we had much higher expectations of both Stones and Otamendi. Both have suffered a large drop in form this season and to compound matters, Laporte, who had the most touches of anyone in our side and was thus a huge influence on offense, not to mention his defense second only to VVD, got injured.

At any rate, I've full confidence that Pep will strengthen our side substantially next summer.

Sniff sniff

 

[bugsyblue]

We’ve done decently in the transfer market. However if you compare the first half of the decade compared to the second I’d argue we signed generally better players in the early days.

We still need a RB, LB, CB and DM to make us formidable next season. But still not a bad place for us to be!

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Liverpool have managed to create a system that is more effective than ours, where their key attacking assets in full-backs cost them about £7m, their front 3 cost around £100m and when they spotted weaknesses they broke records to patch them up.

Instead we fixed our original weaknesses in one fell swoop in 17/18, rode clear and then tried to be clever and spunked fortunes on squad players who don't discernibly improve us, meanwhile our opportunity to fill in gaps with youngsters has been stifled to our detriment.

Unless we go back to the well with an evolved philosophy and another £200m I don't see us catching the Dippers under Klopp, because by hook or where necessary by crook, they are on it on and off the pitch, exploiting every resource and hammering us as a result. They've been playing dirty for years and we've allowed them to get on top because we didn't ruthlessly crush them on and off the pitch.

 

[asahartford1]

I'm glad we are dodging the money grabbed, but we always seem to be two injuries away from the wheels coming off. The latest debacle has left us with a piss poor central defense, a stale and lacklustre attack and having to spend big again just to repair what should never been allowed to drift in the first place.

The stale and lacklustre attack that has scored 50 goals in half a season, we are getting some strange postings , don't you think?

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

We’ve done decently in the transfer market. However if you compare the first half of the decade compared to the second I’d argue we signed generally better players in the early days.

We still need a RB, LB, CB and DM to make us formidable next season. But still not a bad place for us to be!

I'm actually ok with the FB positions, we'd need to offload before being able to recruit.
CB has killed us this season. Ferna has done ok but we are in treacle when trying to catch players with pace, where we've missed Laporte most.
DM - we've not seen the best from Rodri, seems a repeated theme of players taking time to adjust to the demands
We do need a replacement for Sergio in the next 2 summer windows. Gabby is a different type of player INHO

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Liverpool have managed to create a system that is more effective than ours, where their key attacking assets in full-backs cost them about £7m, their front 3 cost around £100m and when they spotted weaknesses they broke records to patch them up.

Instead we fixed our original weaknesses in one fell swoop in 17/18, rode clear and then tried to be clever and spunked fortunes on squad players who don't discernibly improve us, meanwhile our opportunity to fill in gaps with youngsters has been stifled to our detriment.

Unless we go back to the well with an evolved philosophy and another £200m I don't see us catching the Dippers under Klopp, because by hook or where necessary by crook, they are on it on and off the pitch, exploiting every resource and hammering us as a result. They've been playing dirty for years and we've allowed them to get on top because we didn't ruthlessly crush them on and off the pitch.

Its almost like Liverpool have done something to revolutionise their scouting in the last few years.......

 

[bangkokblueballs]

Pep will NOT go into next season without making us Very competitive.
Liverpool have been pretty amazing for the past 2 years. If they win the premier league this year they have a very difficult task of trying to repeat it again next year. A task we know is very difficult.

I think we have to accept, a bit like Ronaldo and Messi, that the dippers are going to be pushing us every step of the way for the next few years and we are going to be pushing them.
We will lose some but I think we are better team head to head and at full strength we beat them most of the time

 

[Dax777]

Sniff sniff

What are you sniffing at? His response is a thousand times more supportive than your original question.

 

[VOOMER]

What are you sniffing at? His response is a thousand times more supportive than your original question.

Using which formula have you quantified the post is a 1,000 times more supportive and supportive of what?

 

[VOOMER]

Pep will NOT go into next season without making us Very competitive.
Liverpool have been pretty amazing for the past 2 years. If they win the premier league this year they have a very difficult task of trying to repeat it again next year. A task we know is very difficult.

I think we have to accept, a bit like Ronaldo and Messi, that the dippers are going to be pushing us every step of the way for the next few years and we are going to be pushing them.
We will lose some but I think we are better team head to head and at full strength we beat them most of the time

Our strength is our owner. If Madrid offer £120 million for Salah, Mane, or Firmnio then the dippers will sell. If they offered £150 million for KDB, Raheem, or Bernardo they would be told to jog on.
If by chance they blow it again in the league and CL, we will see them off. The dippers have to win the league this season, because they are due to sell there best player again.