The College Dropout

With a smart and aggressive window we can go from a 4-8th squad to a 3rd - 6th squad. You have to consolidate the position imo. We can agree to disagree. I actually think our work so far indicates we are going for it. I think the Trafford transfer is one you do from a position of power. I don’t think he comes in and takes the shirt straight away unless Pope is sold.

Fully fit we can be brilliant. Shown this time and again. Beat full strength first and second to win the cup. 2 maybe 3 into the first team is fine. It’s the depth we lack. Particularly in the front 6. If we get the players we want/need - the first team is mostly of a great age.

5th at worst. At best - a title challenge. I don’t think all 5 have to be top quality. We are maybe just 2 short of those. It’s the Wilson’s and Willocks who are crucial squad players that are just absolutely well short of the level.

Can’t gamble on Joelinton, Tonali and Bruno being fully fit and sharp for 60 games. Not even + JP. We need another genuine option even if proper backup. Willock is done here. Howe doesn’t trust him or Longstaff.

I actually agree with this except.... at least on the pitch.. we are relatively close to being Arsenal level good. 4-5 players away from 5th being our floor. Agree that we are moving too slow to compound our current short-term overperformance but that can change.

Loads - started at 730

But seriously - no CL next season, I would expect Tonali and Isak (at least) to agitate for a move. I'm happy to do a slow build but that means selling our best players so they can meet their ambitions. The transfer approach that we look to be going down prioritises immediate returns - proven PL experience. A lot of Howe's management prioritises immediate returns - relies heavily on trusted senior pros up in age at the expense of higher ceiling younger players that need development opps. So it doesn't make sense to leave the squad open in this way.

As long as we are all happy to miss out on CL, sell our best players and maybe lose our manager - that's fine.

Doubt he's on £100k+. Brentford are among the lowest wages in the league. A decent payrise will still be comfortably less than £100k. I agree that the reason we don't go for those transfers is resale... but that will be a reason we won't qualify for the CL. Squad depth. This is the cheap route.

Howe hasn't been doing this. Isak & Big Joe get injured - what do we do? Based on last season - we got to a back 5. That's not right.

I’m talking Jorginho to Arsenal, Norgaard to Arsenal, Barkley to Villa - just someone the manager trusts to play due to a few injuries. By the end of last season Howe only truly trusted 3 central midfielders. We can’t go into a 55-60 game season like that.

Than a GK? Yeh. Having to change formations because of 1 or 2 injuries across 4 positions is awful squad building.

It’s €11m. To requalify for the CL we need a fully competent good PL level CM sitting on the bench when we play a 433 with everyone fit. Currently we do not have that imo. And neither does Howe considering the formation changes.

This is the type of ‘a body’ transfer I’ve been referring too. Probably 3rd choice in the role but an important squad position. Happy to sit on the bench for extended periods of time if needed.

Then you sell some of the saleable assets from the deep squad you have. Again - this is exactly what we did last summer. Which is also the case when you don’t qualify for the CL but have CL quality players in the squad not in the competition. You’re being pedantic. Are you saying we have zero assets to sell… to ourselves? We can also buy assets with the express intention of selling them to ourselves - that is allowed in the rules. Are you suggesting that is impossible? Barcelona sold its own future revenue properly. Not even to itself.

Elanga had a better season. Not sure he’s a better player. It’s like Gordon and Barnes. At his best Gordon is more effective and consistent. But Barnes is better technically and is more composed.

I think we will change system if we get Pedro. But we still need midfield cover. If Isak and a midfielder is unavailable- we need to be able to play a competent 433.

Aye Madueke looks technically solid but output and attitude isn’t there. Opposite with Elanga. About the same level overall - good PL winger with potential

Not being able to play 433 effectively because of 1 injury or suspension is a priority. Even if it’s a body. The way the Arsenal CB was able to come in Kiwior - he’s proper backup but he can go against us and Real. We don’t have that player. Miley isn’t trusted. Neither are the other 2 who will probably be sold anyway.

We've got lots of assets. And within the rules, we can buy assets outside of FFP but selling them counts towards FFP. We can buy land and sell it under FFP/PSR as pure profit. We can sell SJP to ourselves. We can buy the land for the new site, then sell it to ourselves.

If you've requalified - yes. That's basically what we've done - but with a years break in the middle. Invested aggressively to give us a team capable of qualiyfing for the CL without having CL football in the same season. We built a squad capable of that 2-3 years ago and not added anything substantially to it in 2 years. We've not patiently built anything.

Trying to break into the top 4/6 isn't a game of patient investing imo This is a fast-paced ruthless game. Growth for us is dependent on immediate results. The advantage others have is compounded. On a basic business level - that doesn't reward "patient investing".

Still think we'll need a body at CM.

Exactly. The only way for any other team to consistently get top 6-like revenue.... is to consistently finish in the top 6. Therefore, having an extended period of losses and/or overperformance. That's true of us and Villa. We can accelerate revenues through dodgy sponsorships up to a point but that's still reliant on overperformance on the pitch. This is why I adovocate pushing hard in the transfer market this season to compound last years CL success. CL is £50m per year in cash and indirectly worth loads in sponsorships. Main thing is qualifying for that back-to-back and only missing seasons by exception. The revenues will follow.

No it's not. 1,100 minutes is not "lots of game time" for a 21-year old. Never has - never will be. That's a bit part player. Yes injuries played a factor but doesn't stop the basic fact that he never got the minutes. He never got a good run in the side.