The Post Transfer Deadline Day (positive) Thread

We still have some weaknesses to fill to cover for injuries / suspensions but we can make do until next season. At the start of the season full backs and a keeper were the most important signings and we now have some of the best in the world in each position along with another Silva who looks brilliant.

Our main problem now isnt which players we have in the squad, as they are great, its using them effectively and taking our chances. The players we have should be more than capable of scoring the chances they get, for some reason we have developed a problem throughout the side when it comes to converting chances.

If we scored half the chances we missed already this season we would be cruising and instead of games becoming a struggle we would be playing teams of the pitch looking class. Same story as last season.

If we get our shooting boots on we will be looking like world beaters. Up to Pep to get us firing on all cylinders now.
 
Pretty delighted with our transfer business tbh. I know it will sound like the standard thing to say when you miss out on a player, but I genuinely didn't want Sanchez and was pretty consistent in saying that the whole time, I still have no idea where he was going to play and he's not getting any younger. Even now we've been forcing poor Sane to play as the worlds worst wingback to shoehorn Aguero and Jesus into the team at the same time, so fuck knows what we'd look like with yet another striker who wants to play all the time. If missing out on him means playing less 352 then that's great news as far as I'm concerned. As for Johnny Evans, just thank fuck that that didn't happen, I'd far rather have Mangala than that shit show, the only reason I could see for it was him being HG, but even that isn't a particularly big deal considering we signed Walker and kept hold of Delph.

The real business was done early and emphatically well. Mendy, Danilo and Walker has turned out biggest weakness into the best in the league, while Ederson is a fantastic addition. Bernardo is just the icing on the cake. Even as a kid with Benfica B he looked like a potential Ballon D'Or winner and he has gone from strength to strength. £43m, in this market, is probably the bargain of the summer, only £3m more than Oxlade Chamberlain, which is pretty hilarious.

Overall, delighted. We've signed the players we needed, left the squad with a bit of room for the kids to get a chance and hugely improved the overall age of the team. The only real weakness in the squad is maybe a top quality young centerback, but there really aren't many of them about. Maybe John Stones can become that, but I'm not holding out a lot of hope tbh. Maybe a young pivot as well, as Yaya isn't getting any younger and Fern is a bit worrying of late.
 
So we've ended up with a first team squad of 24 including 4 promoted from the EDS and including 6 English players, with options for each position. Looks good to me. Not too dependent on any single player although I'd hate to lose Kompany long term, and if Aguero and Jesus stay fit and firing, we won't miss Sanchez.
 
If Pep decides to go with the formation and personnel he used for the second half of last season with de bruyne and silva behind two out and out wingers ahead of them, with the new additions especially in goal and full-back positions the team should win the league. Last season after the 4-0 defeat to everton where pep played a diamond 4-4-2, he decided to switch to 4-3-3 with sane and sterling on the wings against spurs and even though the match ended a draw, it could and should've been 4-5 more goals to the team. He stuck with that formation for the rest of the season and lost only 3 of the last 24 games(to chelsea, arsenal and monaco). Don't forget this was a team that had clichy and at times zaba/sagna at full backs positions and bravo in goal. Both sane and especially sterling got overplayed at times which affected some of their performances but the team going forward was unstoppable for the majority of games during the second half of the season. With the addition of b.silva and jesus a season wiser, I don't know how anyone can be anything less than optimistic for the season.

Yes a Kompany injury will be an issue but so would be the case for the other top sides losing their best defender. Stones and Otamendi I still don't trust as a partnership but should hopefully be better this season.

Ederson
Walker Kompany Otamendi Mendy
De bruyne Fern/yaya Silva
Sterling Jesus Sane

This would be my first team for the majority of the season with aguero coming in for jesus or one of the wingers and jesus being shifted to the wings if needs be(i.e lack of form/injury). I'm not yet convinced with b.silva as a winger/inside forward as I feel though he can beat players with his quick feet, he lacks the pace that's often needed to get away from defenders on the outside therefore his play tends to become a bit predictable where he cuts in a lot. In sane and sterling you have players who can cause problems one on one going either side and also have the pace to beat them which is needed against packed defences. In fact I would use de-bruyne there before bernardo even though he is still more than capable of playing there. Sterling and jesus can both occupy any of the forward positions so it won't be lacking cover. Gundogan, b.silva will rotate the no8 positions and gundogan could even do a job in the sitting role. This team will will the league and another trophy barring any or few major injuries and if pep doesn't mess with the formation and personnel too much like he often did last season.
 
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Great Window for us - We have strengthened areas where we had issues - I expect us to be a lot better. The key thing is - we need our strikers & attacking Midfielders putting chances away. that cost us at least 15 points last season

We also still have some dosh in the pot for the next window..

Lets crack on with the season now. Well done Txiki & Pep -
 
I watched Brazil last night and the way they played off Jesus makes me very positive. They fire the ball at him and he instantly passes it back into the runners. Neymar and then Coutinho just had a field day buzzing around him. He also then bursts in behind and stretches the opposition. He is quick and strong.

With Sane, Sterling, Aguero, De Bruyne, Silva, Bernardo we have so many who will thrive off quick ball into Jesus. We all sore the glimpses of Jesus Sane Sterling last season. I think De Bruyne would thrive playing no10 and feeding off him. I can see Aguero doinng the same with more time together.

The key for me to piece this team together is cm. Gundogan could be the dm pivot we are desperate for to balance the side. He is the best cm technically in the league by a mile. There is no reason he couldnt play that role. Pep needs to balance this side. Get the balance right and we will be incredible.
 
We needed to improve our GK and fullbacks and bring in the only promising long term replacement in for David Silva (bermardo) before someome else got him.

We did all that, plus got off the books players that would never have played anyway (nasri, bony).

losing out on Sanchez is down to the fuckwittery of Arsenal, and just what it is. maybe having an extra striker would be better, but Sne and Raheem can cover and this may give the young one a chance to play.


Overall a very good window and no complaints
 
Whatever shortcomings over the squad, it now has a much lower average age.
 
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