Summer Transfer Misery and Recriminations.

[selassie]

But we didn't improve. Our football at the tail end of last season was the worst I've seen us play for decades. When we really needed that win, when the key moments arrived, we saw the same outcome as usual. £60mill of talent absorbed into a mess. Will it make a difference if Wenger shells £60mill more on a striker who is then not utilised to the full or ends up victim to our tragic injury policy? I know what you mean. From time to time players like Ozil, Alexis can pull out a little extra that makes a difference when the margins are narrow. Rarely, it has to be said, but sometimes. So if you keep adding more of the same eventually you get to a position when they are all pulling rabbits out of the hat. But that's Argentina from the other night, isn't it? No guarantees at all, mainly because the man at the helm doesn't know how to extract the best results regardless of who is on the pitch. The only reason I'd spend big now, and by big I mean lots of money but not enough because that's just us, is to keep the likes of Ozil and Alexis at the club. Give it another go, one more time around. Bring a big(ish) name in and see if we can do something. If that fails then I guess we don't need Ozil or Alexis anyway, aside from the entertainment they provide in our footballing desert.

But then it goes around again. If he won't spend £70, £80mill, which it what it will cost for genuine rather than hyped talent, then what will we get? Morata? Probably not as he'd be almost that much and with silly wages bunged on top. Lukaku then? £70mill - Evertonians on crack. A kid for £15mill? That's why I wanted Vardy for £20mill. He's actually worth the 40 odd mill we'd be prepared to spend. He hits the ground running, hits the ground when he's in the box, and I genuinely think it would be difficult for Wenger to ruin him because he's one dimensional (and so is Vardy). Should have signed him.

Oh I agree our football was turgid from January onwards and at times we actually looked like we had gone backwards...but I am of the opinion that we need to do something rather than nothing. We need to pragmatically address our deficiencies irrespective of the cost, if we sign a new striker on the cheap great but if we have to overpay so what? It's not our money, we're not going to go bankrupt, especially not given we are sitting on piles of cash because the man at the helm prides himself on not overpaying in the current market. We're not in a position to pick and choose, what's that saying..."a glass of water is worth a fortune to a man dying of thirst".

I would have quite liked Vardy too but he didn't want to come here and it's no point us waiting around for another opportunity to exploit, that's basically why we are in this mess in the first place.

[selassie]

No, where have I said that?? What I'm saying is overpaying for hype is stupid and pointless and not spending (which you mentioned before) is just as silly. Get some decent players, spend on quality where possible but watching Mane and that other guy go to Palace for those prices is laughable. I hope we don't go down the same route. If we go big for certified quality like an Ozil or Alexis, then great.

Overpaying in your opinion? If we bought Mane at 34 million and he scored 20 goals for us next season and we won the league then it wouldn't be overpaying.

It's not even overpaying really..it's the current market rate, I personally think the fees are crazy too but that's what players trade for between PL clubs now.

I think House prices are crazy in London but they sell for the price they sell for because the market dictates that.

I see what both you and NQ are saying, I'd preferably would like a Alexis/Ozil type signing too but we're not going to aggressively pursue a player of that Ilk, those type of signings are ones that fall in our lap.

[Özim]

Overpaying in your opinion? If we bought Mane at 34 million and he scored 20 goals for us next season and we won the league then it wouldn't be overpaying.

It's not even overpaying really..it's the current market rate, I personally think the fees are crazy too but that's what players trade for between PL clubs now.

I think House prices are crazy in London but they sell for the price they sell for because the market dictates that.

I see what both you and NQ are saying, I'd preferably would like a Alexis/Ozil type signing too but we're not going to aggressively pursue a player of that Ilk, those type of signings are ones that fall in our lap.

Pretty much agree with this, you pay up or you get noone, fees are ridiculous but so is the money clubs get from TV deals so it's not like they're short of cash.

It's a choice and we prefer not to pay and therefore not to compete for the top prizes, if you make the right signings and they win you the league or the CL they pay back their transfer fees many times over, the club also gets money from the shirt sales.

Problem has always been that we have a manager who doesn't seem keen to pay for top established players and yet he goes and splashes out 33 million on some unknown which is odd, it's almost like he feels he has to be the one to discover them.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Thoughts on the Daley Blind rumours.........can't see Jose ever selling to us again!

(For some reason Can't help thinking of the Silvestre deal we struck with Manure........)

Would make squad stronger and upgrade on what we have let go so I say why not

[Marc Overmars]

Not sure why we'd be after Blind, unless Wenger wants him for his ability to play CB and DM.

[GP]

Firstly, he's not very good.

Secondly, Mourinho isn't going to sell us shit.

[Niall_Quinn]

Thoughts on the Daley Blind rumours.........can't see Jose ever selling to us again!

(For some reason Can't help thinking of the Silvestre deal we struck with Manure........)

Would make squad stronger and upgrade on what we have let go so I say why not

First I've heard of it.

Initially I reacted with revulsion, then I went into denial, then I found it funny, then I started a letter writing campaign.

Blind is fucking useless. We don't need to bring shit into the team, we need quality.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Not sure why we'd be after Blind, unless Wenger wants him for his ability to play CB and DM.

Which is probably it.....first and foremost we should use him as DM and with Coq and Eleney there we have a strong corp.....he helps out with CB duties as cover only, Chambers can go out in loan? And we lose nothing. Comes from Ajax who play football so he has football intelligence. I say for 16 mil yes please as we can use money on real needs CF and CD

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Wenger is probably the last manager on earth that would buy Sturridge, lol. Superb finisher on his day but he absolutely....ABSOlutely does not pass when you want him to. The only time in his career he has with any regularity was when Suarez was around and even then he tired his best not to.

He is as greedy a footballer as a professional can get away with these days.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Blind leading the Blind.

Me.