The Board

[Jase 43,479]

4 minutes ago, manpe said:

I like how somebody here said that Alonso is the biggest loser of this window - he will now have to bend over and play 7486463 games. He should send Marina a gift basket for consolidating his place.

Have zero clue about him but apparently Zappacosta can play on the left as well. So here's hoping but at the moment, the situation doesn't look very good. Might even have to throw Kenedy into the team!

[manpe 10,855]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

Have zero clue about him but apparently Zappacosta can play on the left as well. So here's hoping but at the moment, the situation doesn't look very good. Might even have to throw Kenedy into the team!

Or simply revert to 4 at the back with Azpi playing LB. We now have the personnel to play 4 at the back.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, manpe said:

Or simply revert to 4 at the back with Azpi playing LB. We now have the personnel to play 4 at the back.

We could but then we'll have a blunted left side going forward again and I know we have switched to a back 4 in certain matches since playing the back 3 but afraid to see how we'll fare with it from the start after the debacle last season and the one before.

[manpe 10,855]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

We could but then we'll have a blunted left side going forward again

State of things, nothing to do. Better than playing Kenedy.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Who knows maybe if Kenedy plays a bit regularly, he might prove to be a decent back-up for Alonso? It certainly is worth a try to give Kenedy some regular game time just to see if his level of performances improve or not. I think if given a proper chance, Kenedy might end up becoming a decent depth player for us.

[Beigl 1,387]

So after all we had a decent transfer window, altough we should have signed more players to have more cover certain positions. Alonso, who isn´t exactly known for pace, will certainly struggle with fatigue in the latter stages of this season, so I hope we might sign some LWB in january. A 3rd striker would have been useful, given we are one injury on Morata away from playing Batshuayi all the time. 

It´s very clear that our board sets his target on winning the league again, because we didn´t buy enough class players to keep up with the top teams in europe. Anyone expecting more than a quarter final will be disappointed. Conte isn´t happy for sure, because he clearly wanted a squad to compete for the CL. I still hope he keeps his cool and stays for a long time with us, because he is certainly the man to go forward. We can axe Marina or Michael for all I care, but the man who got us out of the 2016 trouble needs proper backing. 

[It's too big 625]

I don't think anyone is winning the CL over one of Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern tbh anyway, so dunno why people are thinking of the CL. I am confident we can get through the group stage, maybe even round 16. I don't think winning the thing is feasible for any club in England at the moment. I do feel we'll have to strengthen in January though. This summer was difficult for us because there were few decent players on the market who were not overpriced. Alex Sandro we were obviously after, but Juventus just were not going to let go. Nothing you can do there. I am not sure I am ready to be overly critical towards Marina because of this window. We needed more depth, which we've added somewhat, but the quality of players has been good enough. We aren't in the state of Arsenal, so for that I am grateful lol

[Laylabelle 9,292]

Problem is everyone be overpriced in January 

[Blusan Alamb 295]

Our board has done well in this window bar those two transfers. First, failing to get Lukaku and then allowing Llorente to go to Spurs. I am still hurting over those two transfers. But I think we did enough to get into the top 4.

[mccg 1,528]

1 hour ago, It's too big said:

I don't think anyone is winning the CL over one of Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern tbh anyway, so dunno why people are thinking of the CL. I am confident we can get through the group stage, maybe even round 16. I don't think winning the thing is feasible for any club in England at the moment. I do feel we'll have to strengthen in January though. This summer was difficult for us because there were few decent players on the market who were not overpriced. Alex Sandro we were obviously after, but Juventus just were not going to let go. Nothing you can do there. I am not sure I am ready to be overly critical towards Marina because of this window. We needed more depth, which we've added somewhat, but the quality of players has been good enough. We aren't in the state of Arsenal, so for that I am grateful lol

Hope we can recall some of loanees in January if needs be(Ruben-Tammy i'm thinking if we are screwed) , if the end of this transfer window is anything to go by grrrrrr , like to know the situation with Swansea+Llorente if they bustourballs in that deal then i'd been bringing Tammy back 4 sure!

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

[positivefootball 195]

Excellent work from the board for this window. Give extensions to Emenalo and Marina.

[positivefootball 195]

3 hours ago, It's too big said:

I don't think anyone is winning the CL over one of Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern tbh anyway, so dunno why people are thinking of the CL. I am confident we can get through the group stage, maybe even round 16. I don't think winning the thing is feasible for any club in England at the moment. I do feel we'll have to strengthen in January though. This summer was difficult for us because there were few decent players on the market who were not overpriced. Alex Sandro we were obviously after, but Juventus just were not going to let go. Nothing you can do there. I am not sure I am ready to be overly critical towards Marina because of this window. We needed more depth, which we've added somewhat, but the quality of players has been good enough. We aren't in the state of Arsenal, so for that I am grateful lol

We can easily beat PSG or Barca. Just play 3-5-2, park the bus and counter. Azpi-Luiz-Cahill, ZappaCosta-Baka-Kante-Drinkwater-Alonso, Hazard Morata. Real and Bayern will be harder.

[Jase 43,479]

4 hours ago, Mufassir08 said:

Who knows maybe if Kenedy plays a bit regularly, he might prove to be a decent back-up for Alonso? It certainly is worth a try to give Kenedy some regular game time just to see if his level of performances improve or not. I think if given a proper chance, Kenedy might end up becoming a decent depth player for us.

Doubt it. Didn't even get a look in last season and when Alonso wasn't playing, Pedro ended up at LWB instead.

[Fernando 6,375]

I'm critical about the board as many of you know. 

But come on, we have done good business....well not good but acceptable. 

Caballero, Rudgier, Bakayoko, Morata, Zappa, Drinkwater and bringing back Andreas. 

That's 7 players in. 

Of noteworthy that have left are Matic and Costa....well Costa still here but he is a problem. It was better to do what we did with him because we don't want dressing room problems with the coach and player. And Matic really wanted to leave. 

It would have been better to kept Matic then spend on Drink, but what can you do. 

So as much stick I give to the board I still look at the overall tally of this summer and it ain't that bad. 

[DDA 9,570]

6 minutes ago, Fernando said:

I'm critical about the board as many of you know. 

But come on, we have done good business....well not good but acceptable. 

Caballero, Rudgier, Bakayoko, Morata, Zappa, Drinkwater and bringing back Andreas. 

That's 7 players in. 

Of noteworthy that have left are Matic and Costa....well Costa still here but he is a problem. It was better to do what we did with him. And Matic really wanted to leave. 

It would have been better to kept Matic then spend on Drink, but what can you do. 

So as much stick I give to the board I still look at the overall tally of this summer and it ain't that bad. 

Exactly mate. The meltdowns on thsi forum are well over the top. It hasn't been an all singing, all dancing transfer window but it hasn't been that disasterous either.

This shit about Llorente aswell? He scores headers.... that is literally it. People going on like we missed out on a young Van Nistlerooy or something.

[mccg 1,528]

1 hour ago, xPetrCechx said:

mmm the audacity of him after the out's and in's of this window barring Morata+Bakayoko

[quickpassnmove 924]

6 hours ago, Special Juan said:

New stadium to fund and Roman really pulling in the strings, we must prepare ourselves for more of this in the coming seasons. It's been an horrendous window, it's now up to the players as a group to dig deep and keep winning trophies, but I really do expect things to be very tough indeed.

The part of this that makes no sense to me (and I may be uninformed here) is that assuming there were always provisions for stadia upgrades under FFP rules, why is any club so concerned about budgeting for such upgrades? I thought that expansion would be rewarded if an owner of a club was fully capable of funding it regardless of actual club finances. I must be wrong about this.