08 Aug 2019 18:34:00
Pitiful window overall, with questions over the entire transfer team and their ability to function at a semi-competent level.

The positives.

We brought in a very good young rb to solve a long-standing problem area.
We brought in a good cb, who looks like he could have positive impact in the dressing room.
James looks a decent addition.

The negatives.

At the start of the window the club was looking to solve 4 positions: rb, cb, cm/ cam, rw. In addition they were aware that both Pogba and Lukaku wanted to leave, and replacements would be needed if they did.

We identified 3 key targets early on: AWB, Maguire and Fernandes. In turn, their clubs gave us clear indications of what they valued these players at.

After a bit of dwadling, we signed AWB.
We dragged out the Maguire transfer until, inevitably, paying what Leicester stated from day 1.
We kept trying to low ball Sporting, until it was clear they wouldn't sell for cheap. Then we pretended that we were never interested.

These 3 could have been tied up in the first month. Instead they dragged out until the end of the window. A few weeks back Ed002 stated that Maguire and Fernandes were the priorities, and other business could be addressed once they were sorted. We never sorted them all, and ended up short in midfield.

We haggled for months over Lukaku. Well done, we got an extra £5-10m, but at the expense of having no time to sign a replacement. No biggie, he was just our highest scoring attacker in both years he was here.

We blocked Pogba's move to Real. A player the previous manager called a virus for his disruptive presence. Will be a fun season when our sole creator blames the club for ruining his big move.

But more problematic, we had courted his replacement, and left him high and dry. SMS will think twice after that.

No rw, or any real attempt to sign one.

Conclusion:

We start the season with a better defence than last year, but a worse midfield and attack. Remember that we were already miles behind City and Liverpool, and this window doesn't conclusively get us any closer.

I know the apologists would like to pretend that everything is a okay, but I see us damaging our reputation every summer with our shambolic approach to transfers. When we're struggling to keep pace with the top 4 they'll be sure to remind us how much worse things were in the 80s.

1.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 19:31:23
Fighting for Europa league is what its come to.


Funny how we were interested in so many players yet wpuodnt make realistic offers.


What's happend to this dof role we were sorting out.

It's all a mess and we now know what ambitions the club has.

2.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 19:42:03
With our improved defence we can compete in plenty of nil nil draws.