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Just ever so slightly more than the 300k we paid for his brief services then 🙂

Depends how optimistic you are I guess. Do we want the likes of Brighton and Brentford etc to take the risk and get the reward when they are right and we are quoted 40/50/60m in a few seasons time when they look to sell or do we jump in now with the fee that's maybe worth a gamble and either keep them and spend less or flip ourselves. I don't think we can do one extreme to the next mind they all can't be hot raw prospects as they will not all work out.

So he's a murphy replacement not a Gordon one then?

Well we either didn't try or we did try and they stepped in doing a deal there and then. Either way if your a positive person the recruitment team can still spot a gem based on his performance after signing. Or negatively that us not acting has let us miss out on someone who in hindsight appears to be a good pick up at 30m-ish.

I thought it was reported we wanted him but wanted it to happen in the summer and that then brings in to question did we or did we not have money to spend in jan as delay meant we missed out.

I think only a few months ago cashing in on osula the one only likely to turn a profit would be a no brainer. However a combination of can we peddle one of the other 2 and would we get an acceptable offer that's not financially crippling. Plus the narrative at least given say by Craig no hope is why sell osula to buy another osula. I disagree with the narrative though if osula can fund a replacement and upgrade even if wissa stays we could utilise wissa on the wings or big nick in a 10 and have room to accommodate another forward. I fear we are going to gamble on osula trajectory continuing and a massive uplift from one of wissa or big nick or both.

Think injury issues would be an issue https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/giorgio-scalvini/verletzungen/spieler/571604

Its a factor but knowing wilson was on his last legs didn't need Mitchell to be here still to point that out. The rat may or may not have let the club know that season was his last so again him wanting to go may not have been that shock it felt in the summer when it happened. Taking away the person who pulls the strings and gets the deals done cannot be underestimated at all but those who would draw up the lists to bring to that person very much are here and remain so as others have said you praise their successes of which there are many but you acknowledge the failures too. Like I say no europe or europe will mean very little to some players but in terms of having the strongest hand possible having it is better than not. We are likely to never be in a position where we are the only bidder those teams you mention are still here and operating and are coming off the back of more successful seasons than us making them potentially stronger competition this summer in recruitment. Even if a player couldn't care less it's less games to ensure say a younger player is going to get game time. Every home fixture is worth what 3 or 4m in revenue lost? Even if the prestige or prize money of non champions league competitions pay far far less its still money coming in to balance the books/invest in recruitment etc. Being calm as you say us very easy to portray when the window hasn't officially opened and we have no concrete incoming yet. As mentioned before have to judge this new iteration of recruitment on its own merits thus summer.

You could go mega negative and say: If you thought it was bad attracting players off the back of a trophy and qualifying for the champions league try having neither of those. 🤣 Luckily I think the club recognises that something needs to change in approach in order to get back on track so we do have to give them every chance to make it work but like I say we can't afford any more misses at the min.

While I agree the narrative of last summer was now we in the CL we can attract bigger names and suffered gazump after gazump so being in europe for some players means nothing. Every player will have their own motivation for coming to a new club being part of something up and coming i suspect in earlier windows was one of the things which helped us get bruno etc. The issue is what are we selling to players? Is it now that we will develop you and not stand in your way of a move? Rather than we are a project on a trajectory to something great in the next 2/3 years? Say player A has 2 bids one is us the other is a club in some form of europe. We dont pay the biggest wages/ we had a poor mid table finish to the season/ we didn't win anything. I am not saying no europe means no chance to all players but any advantage or selling point helps. Which is why I described it as a dent not a disaster.

I dont disagree and feel we both saying give the current setup a chance there are some good eggs in there just in a different way. Elanga was a 2 season pursuit rather than a panic buy mind but yes our recruitment in the take over era has been largely hit filled. Even the signings we miss out on or get linked with but don't sign I don't often hear myself say we dodged a bullet with that one. It's all what iffery now had a senior team been in place and gotten some of our targets higher up the list then this may have been a different end of season narrative entirely. However other than big nick which according to craig no hope was never on any 1st or 2nd draft recruitment list they were all on a target list so it shows that our setup can make missteps like any other club. Trouble is now thanks to last summer we cant afford any more misses.

Not wanting to side one way or another on the negativity nelly debate but some of the obvious criticism seem to be more around. The main "splurge" money has now gone so it's not like we can simply drop another 200m and pretend the summer gone didn't happen. This does massively impact this summer and our ability to spend the season ending in no Europe also could dent our projects pulling power. The main signings we know for various reasons haven't worked are too expensive to simply discard. While the context of the summer window cannot be down played having no upper management essentially and people stepping into roles due to nessecity. The staff that were here to oversee the summer talent ID last year still are here. We have had no sacking from the poor recruitment of last summer essentially. I want to judge this current setup on this window and give them a chance but I don't have anything against those concerned or a little dubious it's going to be somehow straight back on track unearthing the next bruno or first season botman (appreciate your not saying that either by the way).

Depends on quite a few unknowns really. He may want to go if the right bid comes in? The Terms of this pending fine and the rebuild needed may dictate another sale? Tino no longer likely to leave due to declining interest? The lack of a current front of shirt sponsor and finishing outside of european places may mean another big sale is now needed?

If gordon continued with his 23/24 form I recon he would have become a 100m player. Obviously he didn't so its all what iffery right now. The equation for me when you review did you get good value also involves who we got to replace them. Last summer I said to myself wilson got 1 league goal? The rat 23? If we can get 2 replacements that cover the output combined we have done well as it turns out we didn't. The 70m+ sale of gordon will only be deemed a success/good value if we recruit someone that doesn't diminish the side next season.

Depends what version of him you get to be honest he peaked with us in the 23/24 season with 21 goal contributions. Willing runner almost boundless energy at times,rarely injured can in theory play across the front 3. Good to a point on the dark arts of drawing a foul/getting pens. The reason I say to a point it was frustrating when he didn't get the decision and carried on staying on the floor effectively taking us down to 10 men. Negatives? Can blow hot and cold or seem to get up for bigger games so feels like he chooses when to be at his best. Not a clinical finisher but can scare the shit out of slow and ponderous full backs but doesn't always utilise his pace to take on his man. He likes to cut inside alot which can lead to ball retention issues. His first touch is questionable at times it just seems to bounce off him and he can have it robbed off him a fair bit. Isn't going to be as reliable when asked to do defensive work. To add temperament issues hes had a few red cards the one against Liverpool this season was just rash and not needed. Again not knowing enough about the league to know how soft/harsh the refs are over there. On his day he's electric we saw it less and less of that version but not knowing enough about your side or the league he will likely do well as his best performances this season have definitely been in the champions league.