Ferran Soriano & Txiki Begiristain

[Tim of the Oak]

Last summer's signings weren't Mancini's. It's pretty clear - "his" signings were the RVPs and so on that we were being linked with, but Brian Marwood had been briefed by Khaldoon to not agree to pay the high transfer fees, so he missed out on all of Mancini's targets. Then he ended up rushing through the B or C grade targets that his scouts had identified when it became clear that nothing was happening with the top targets. For failing to sign any of the top targets, Khaldoon then kicked him out of his role and brought into Sorriano and Txiki. It's pretty obvious that Mancini didn't really want any of the players he got simply by how rarely he picked them,

I agree. Hopefully Ferran and Txiki are doing some good work but it is too early to say. We have just spent £90m on five players who will hopefully do well. However, they could have got Demichelis for free a month ago and selling Tevez and releasing Kolo for a total of £10m isn't all it is cracked up to be. Anyone could have released RSC and Bridge at the end of their contracts and "made savings".

We are still not signing our main priority targets like Cavani and Isco a d the sacking of Mancini was a PR disaster. Hopefully, the new sponsorship deals are very lucrative but increasing income in the upper echelons of the EPL is not the toughest gig one could get.

Cavani was overpriced and isco wanted madrid, so what do you want them to fukin do hold a gun to their head???

I would have expected us to attract one of our top targets in the last 12 months. Securing Demichelis on a free transfer wouldn't have been rocket science either.

 

[berniethebusman]

I agree. Hopefully Ferran and Txiki are doing some good work but it is too early to say. We have just spent £90m on five players who will hopefully do well. However, they could have got Demichelis for free a month ago and selling Tevez and releasing Kolo for a total of £10m isn't all it is cracked up to be. Anyone could have released RSC and Bridge at the end of their contracts and "made savings".

We are still not signing our main priority targets like Cavani and Isco a d the sacking of Mancini was a PR disaster. Hopefully, the new sponsorship deals are very lucrative but increasing income in the upper echelons of the EPL is not the toughest gig one could get.

Cavani was overpriced and isco wanted madrid, so what do you want them to fukin do hold a gun to their head???

I would have expected us to attract one of our top targets in the last 12 months. Securing Demichelis on a free transfer wouldn't have been rocket science either.

Demichelis is clearly a Pelligrini buy, the need to buy another defender was more than likely a decision made after him having a few weeks eyeing up the players at his disposal, even then it would have been hard to judge players on early preseason form with the tightest defence in the league a defender may not even have been on the cards regardless by that time Demichilis had already been snapped up. The Nastastic and especially Kompany injuries were a blessing in disguise.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Securing Demichelis on a free transfer wouldn't have been rocket science either.

We were obviously confident of signing Pepe.

 

[citijin]

I think they are spanish

hmmm, thats very good idea. I think i agree with that.

 

[blightee]

all the players they bought in this window are good, however when shaktar said they wouldn't settle for less than fernandinhos release clause, we should have gone elsewhere. They should have known that ozil would be available, and should have replaced toure before we released him. Definitely shouldnt be selling barry before we replace him

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Cavani was overpriced and isco wanted madrid, so what do you want them to fukin do hold a gun to their head???

I would have expected us to attract one of our top targets in the last 12 months. Securing Demichelis on a free transfer wouldn't have been rocket science either.

Demichelis is clearly a Pelligrini buy, the need to buy another defender was more than likely a decision made after him having a few weeks eyeing up the players at his disposal, even then it would have been hard to judge players on early preseason form with the tightest defence in the league a defender may not even have been on the cards regardless by that time Demichilis had already been snapped up. The Nastastic and especially Kompany injuries were a blessing in disguise.

I agree with your points Bernie although Mancini recognised we were short of a centre half at time last year. I think maybe Txiki could have brought the Engineer up to speed on some of our defenders being a bit susceptible to injury and KOlo going left space for Demichelis in the squad anyway. I accept that MP could have thought that he had time to have a look at Boyata and Rekik before signing a defender and maybe the injuries to
Kompany, Micah and Nasti caught him short.<br /><br />-- Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:36 pm --<br /><br />

Securing Demichelis on a free transfer wouldn't have been rocket science either.

We were obviously confident of signing Pepe.

You are probably right. I think we could do with a bit of Pepe's aggression this year because we looked like soft touch nice guys at Cardiff.

 

[Anonymous]

Both men deserve huge amounts of praise. The transfer business we've conducted is the best of the top 6 clubs with possibly the exception of Spurs.

 

[bernabias home shirt]

Both men deserve huge amounts of praise. The transfer business we've conducted is the best of the top 6 clubs with possibly the exception of Spurs.

Def like to see where we are come xmas though and how these players have performed
Before any praise is given

But fwiw I think you could be right.

 

[GXCity]

Both men deserve huge amounts of praise. The transfer business we've conducted is the best of the top 6 clubs with possibly the exception of Spurs.

Spurs have bought players who are at a similar level to our new signings. However, we haven't lost our best player to finance it.

 

[Anonymous]

Both men deserve huge amounts of praise. The transfer business we've conducted is the best of the top 6 clubs with possibly the exception of Spurs.

Spurs have bought players who are at a similar level to our new signings. However, we haven't lost our best player to finance it.

Very true. I think Spurs have done excellent business like us. When you consider they aren't in the CL it's all the more impressive. Shows the benefits of having a DoF who is respected in European footballing circles.