It's Quiet - a new dawn

[@BluePhil8]

Not even in August and we have signed Ederson, Mendy, Walker, Danilo and Silva. We have moved really swiftly to give Pep the best chance to succeed. Even if we are after another forward and defender we have done so well.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

Not even in August and we have signed Ederson, Mendy, Walker, Danilo and Silva. We have moved really swiftly to give Pep the best chance to succeed. Even if we are after another forward and defender we have done so well.

Aye. You wouldn't think so, reading some of the posts in this forum.

 

[burnley blue mcfc]

We've improved our squad beyond belief already, none of our title rivals are anywhere near improving their squads in comparison

 

[M18CTID]

Aye. You wouldn't think so, reading some of the posts in this forum.

Yep. I think getting Bernardo in so early convinced some fans we'd have all our business done by mid-June or something stupid like that but the fact is some deals take longer to conclude than others. Every summer we hear how the top clubs want to get their business done mega-early but it rarely pans out that way. I'd say we've done the most key business out of the top 7 so far with the exception of Everton.

 

[Bluster]

Good point imo. Kompany took Lescott up a couple of levels. Mendy and Walker could be better than Zaba and Kolarov in their prime too, so it'd leave Mangala a hell of a lot less exposed.

Mangala exposes himself with sloppy thinking and slow reactions. There were many occasions when he was favourite for a ball over the top or down the channels but he ambled back to a ball and gave the chasing attacker a sporting chance to get the ball. His best performances have been when we have been up against it with a strong target man and he has been fully focused all game. We do not have enough of these games to warrant contemplating keeping him.

His control is very poor, regularly slicing clearances in the box, sometimes towards our goal. If he became a regular he would rival Richard Dunne for our o.g. record.
He is also a liability when we have with the ball with a lack of composure. We want our defenders to be able to start our attacks by bringing the ball into midfield. When we played Mangala (and Lescott), Toure has had to come and take the ball off the centre half and start our play. I understand that the manager expects the midfielders to play the ball through the first line of defence so that midfielders are receiving the ball with fewer players between them and the goal.

I cannot believe anybody is suggesting that he could play this season, never mind actually be a cover for left back.

 

[fatbloke]

Lpool fans claiming they've nearly signed keita for 75 million, must be good if he's going for that much?

Kante's twin, would be a brilliant signing for the scouse cnuts if he goes there. I don't think he's got the passing range to fit into Peps playing style but he's a fucking brilliant player.

 

[bluetaco]

Kante's twin, would be a brilliant signing for the scouse cnuts if he goes there. I don't think he's got the passing range to fit into Peps playing style but he's a fucking brilliant player.

Does Danilo? Haven't watched much of him. Seen that we signed him for DM and cover for FB.

 

[doobyedoobye]

Not even in August and we have signed Ederson, Mendy, Walker, Danilo and Silva. We have moved really swiftly to give Pep the best chance to succeed. Even if we are after another forward and defender we have done so well.

On top of that we look capable of raising some serious cash from sales this window

 

[Dobsy]

Mangala exposes himself with sloppy thinking and slow reactions. There were many occasions when he was favourite for a ball over the top or down the channels but he ambled back to a ball and gave the chasing attacker a sporting chance to get the ball. His best performances have been when we have been up against it with a strong target man and he has been fully focused all game. We do not have enough of these games to warrant contemplating keeping him.

His control is very poor, regularly slicing clearances in the box, sometimes towards our goal. If he became a regular he would rival Richard Dunne for our o.g. record.
He is also a liability when we have with the ball with a lack of composure. We want our defenders to be able to start our attacks by bringing the ball into midfield. When we played Mangala (and Lescott), Toure has had to come and take the ball off the centre half and start our play. I understand that the manager expects the midfielders to play the ball through the first line of defence so that midfielders are receiving the ball with fewer players between them and the goal.

I cannot believe anybody is suggesting that he could play this season, never mind actually be a cover for left back.

Well, when you put it like that ...

I suppose for me it's more hope than expectation. I have trouble letting it go that we spent £42m on a player who is a liability. I feel like these sorts of mistakes will to, some extent, devalue any success we have i.e. well done, you won the league, but it's a lot easier when you can afford to blow £42m on a defender who plays half of one season, or £30m on a striker who does the same.

I remember signing Kompany for £6m and Zaba for about £3m. Maybe that'd be £24m and £12m in today's market. Still less than one Mangala.

Our transfer approach seems to be less 'scouting by a rigorous team of experts' and more 'football manager with the cheat code'.

 

[Bluster]

Well, when you put it like that ...

I suppose for me it's more hope than expectation. I have trouble letting it go that we spent £42m on a player who is a liability. I feel like these sorts of mistakes will to, some extent, devalue any success we have i.e. well done, you won the league, but it's a lot easier when you can afford to blow £42m on a defender who plays half of one season, or £30m on a striker who does the same.

I remember signing Kompany for £6m and Zaba for about £3m. Maybe that'd be £24m and £12m in today's market. Still less than one Mangala.

Our transfer approach seems to be less 'scouting by a rigorous team of experts' and more 'football manager with the cheat code'.

I agree. We seem to try to buy either ready made world class players at world class prices or young players to sell on at a profit. There are very few players that have been bought and developed into world class players. I suppose there is no need to take the risk when we have the money we have. Our midpoint players have all proven to not be up to it - Fernando, Delph Rodwell, Garcia. Buy cheap and buy often.

We should have bought a full back a year over the last 2/3 years as everyone could see that our 3 long serving players were getting older and slower and Sagna was always a stop gap. It is the last 3 years that has got ourselves into a position where we have had to pay £130m+ on 3 full backs. We have clearly been in no position to haggle over prices as we could not go into the new season with what we had.

I guess we all want our players to be better than they are and I take no delight in coming to conclusion that Mangala was a bad buy. My brother still ribs me about my view that Lee Bradbury would come good. That's why I don't manage football clubs. If I did, Zabba would still be playing for us at 40 and we would be promoting 5 players a year from the youth squad.