Should Allardyce have been given/spent more in the summer?

[Parky]

With the side looking so creaky all over the park and SA signing so many reasonable rather than good players did he or the board mis-handle the summer window? Did both or either show enough ambition?

 

It's clear that SA can't really get the players he has to play how he wants hence the lack of continuity in certain positions.

 

In many ways I was happy with the summer window, but a couple of months ago I was sure SA knew what he was doing now it seems he doesn't really or isn't sure the best way to move forward.

 

Might it have been better to spend more on a couple of bigger players just to be sure? Quality players breed confidence throughout the side and also in the long run would attract more quality players to the club.

[Willow]

I think given the reputation Newcastle had under the Roeder regime, I doubt Newcastle was high on the favoured destinations of these so called 'big players'.

I think he did fantastic with what money he had, also given the uncertainty over the clubs finances its probable he'd hit his transfer fund limit at the end.

 

They're all still working out the kinks in positioning and tactics whilst the players are still getting to know each other.

It'll click eventually. Its just the fans impatience and constant questioning of every tiny thing that keeps things pessamistic. Just keep reminding yourself of  times under Roeder and the rabble he had to pick for matches, then you'll feel a little better.

 

Either way, if you really are getting twitchy, January is around the corner and Mort has hinted players may be brought in to reinforce the side after the ANC players go on their travels.   

[ChezGiven]

Quality players can control and use the ball under the intense pressure of the prem league and quality players throughout the side means that the whole team is able to keep possession under pressure by picking and then delivering a ball that stretches the efforts of the opposition.

 

We need more quality as the standards are rising in the league.

[Parky]

Quality players can control and use the ball under the intense pressure of the prem league and quality players throughout the side means that the whole team is able to keep possession under pressure by picking and then delivering a ball that stretches the efforts of the opposition.

 

We need more quality as the standards are rising in the league.

 

The quality of the top 10 sides has improved across the board and we seem to be falling behind to the point it looks like ManC and Pompey have both jumped over us this season. Along with them we have to deal with the already developed sides such as Everton, Blackburn and Spurs (they will get stronger no doubt).

[Guest alex]

Portsmouth were already ahead of us though.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Man City have improved but I'd say their squad is still pretty thin... it wouldn't take many injuries to put a stop to them.

[ohmelads]

Padding out the squad is all well and good, but there was always a feeling during the summer that we needed a player or two to take us up a level and improve the first team, not just the squad. Look at the way Arteta improves Everton or Elano improves Man City. Quite a few people questioned whether or not we had moved forward or just acquired an abundance of mediocrity. With the departures of Dyer and Solano we lost pace and technique which has not been matched by any of the signings brought in. There was a distinct lack of flair in any of the signings and I think we're paying for that at the moment.

 

It was a good transfer window on a number of levels, but it was more about building a good squad than building a good team. There's still a lot of work to do, it's not going to be easy convincing other clubs to sell their better players in January.

[Guest optimistic nit]

no, i don't think he should have. he should spend money in jan and august, but last august i'm not sure if anyone knew what we really needed, after buying a new defence. now we do.

[Isegrim]

I think it's far too early to judge most of the acquisitions. E.g. we basically got a (much needed) totally new back four. They are not the first players to need time to adapt to Premierleague football (individual players like Evra, Vidic etc. looked really shit in their first months). On the other hand each of the players has shown glimpses of promise. Other players like Barton are either short of match fitness or of understanding each other.

 

Imho the job in the summer was to build a squad with sufficient depth to deal with this sort of problems unlike in recent years. The squad now has to start to learn to work together. Improving it with the necessary element of quality is what should happen in the next transfer windows though.

[toptoon]

Sam did well in the summer he brought in 5 new quality defenders. Plus Parker, Dyer and solano wanted out so he rightly let them go and brought in, Barton, Viduka, Smith and Geremi which at the time looked great business.

 

We still have good players but his tactics have been shocking lately and the players have not taken to his formations/selections. In Jan/end of season if we could sign a couple of top top quality players i.e.  the likes of Edmilson, Riquelme, Berbatov or Ashton, SWP etc etc they could make all a big difference.

[wacko]

I think he's going about it the right way. There are holes in the squad that need patching first. He brought in a number of good, solid players in the summer, rather than spunking his entire wedge on one brilliant player.

[Parky]

I think he's going about it the right way. There are holes in the squad that need patching first. He brought in a number of good, solid players in the summer, rather than spunking his entire wedge on one brilliant player.

 

We didn't really spend much, should we have spent more though and patched up plus one or two quality players?

[wacko]

I think he's going about it the right way. There are holes in the squad that need patching first. He brought in a number of good, solid players in the summer, rather than spunking his entire wedge on one brilliant player.

 

We didn't really spend much, should we have spent more though and patched up plus one or two quality players?

In an ideal world, but was the money there? I got the impression that that twat Shepherd gave that even bigger twat Souness most of the transfer kitty for the next few seasons.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Was the uncertainty over the takeover and the debt not a factor in the amount Sam was allowed to spend?

[Mowen]

I think it's a decent foundation. I'd have preferred more progress, but we now have a decent squad which will be dependable in the main and the players are getting to know each other. Slotting in a couple of class players will be much easier within a stable regime, as they will be afforded the support they need. Hopefully we won't take too long to buy them though, as we really need some true quality.

[Parky]

I think he's going about it the right way. There are holes in the squad that need patching first. He brought in a number of good, solid players in the summer, rather than spunking his entire wedge on one brilliant player.

 

We didn't really spend much, should we have spent more though and patched up plus one or two quality players?

In an ideal world, but was the money there? I got the impression that that twat Shepherd gave that even bigger twat Souness most of the transfer kitty for the next few seasons.

 

Well initially I thought as you the money wasn't really there...But then Ashley paid off a huge chunk of the debt...

 

 

He can't be enjoying what he's watching.

[wacko]

I think he's going about it the right way. There are holes in the squad that need patching first. He brought in a number of good, solid players in the summer, rather than spunking his entire wedge on one brilliant player.

 

We didn't really spend much, should we have spent more though and patched up plus one or two quality players?

In an ideal world, but was the money there? I got the impression that that t*** Shepherd gave that even bigger t*** Souness most of the transfer kitty for the next few seasons.

 

Well initially I thought as you the money wasn't really there...But then Ashley paid off a huge chunk of the debt...

 

 

He can't be enjoying what he's watching.

After the transfer window had closed? I don't know the details. How much did he pay off? How much debt is left?

[Yorkie]

I think he was given a sufficient amount really. Underneath it all there was a decent enough squad already at the club and we were always going to enhance the budget with certain sales - there was always a chance the likes of Parker and Dyer would go and the board probably knew that. He was permitted enough so as to strengthen the squad so that it was a conpetent, capable outfit. Which is exactly what he's done.

 

I think we'll see big money next summer. (January always being nigh on impossible to bring in the massively influential players)

[Parky]

I think he's going about it the right way. There are holes in the squad that need patching first. He brought in a number of good, solid players in the summer, rather than spunking his entire wedge on one brilliant player.

 

We didn't really spend much, should we have spent more though and patched up plus one or two quality players?

In an ideal world, but was the money there? I got the impression that that t*** Shepherd gave that even bigger t*** Souness most of the transfer kitty for the next few seasons.

 

Well initially I thought as you the money wasn't really there...But then Ashley paid off a huge chunk of the debt...

 

 

He can't be enjoying what he's watching.

After the transfer window had closed? I don't know the details. How much did he pay off? How much debt is left?

 

 

Two chunks iirc £30m and then £45m.

[KaKa]

I can't help but feel he was only given so much initially as he wasn't exactly their guy, and they probably wanted to see how he would go about things before backing him fully with funds.

 

 

[Dr Spectrum]

Amount of money spent is irrelevant if it aint spent right (See Souness, G).

 

He's definetly made one poor signing. £6m pissed away on a player who ain't worth 6 magic beans.

 

But I'm not sure about whats going on with a few others - Rozehnal,  Faye, Enrique, Cacapa, and Baye. Why are they in and out of the side? Does he not fancy them now he's had a chance to work with them (Rozehnal is less impressive each and every time I see him)? Is he spoilt for choice? Don't know. If you were better at the back that Milner cross would have got you a jammy win, instead its seen as a jammy draw cos of the chances they had. Wonder how things would have gone differently if you had gone into the game having played the same back 4 in every game this season. At the moment it seems to be a new back 4 every week. Not on, the premiership is not pre-season training and not many fans are going to sit on their hands and "give him time" if you're losing games while he experiments. Point is despite Parky's insistence that you needed Elano's long lost twin brother, we would have gone to shite this season if it wasn't for our defence. Players like that need a platform to work from or the moments of genius (Which aren't common) aren't worth owt. Like Martin's goal against us. Great goal out of nothing, worth fuck all cos the defence wasn't up to it. Seems to me Sam has got it wrong in buying too many defenders who aren't proven in the premiership. Cacapa couldn't deal with a bit of pace? Baye and Enrique need to 'settle'? What a waste of time. If only he'd gone out and got some proper, proven centre halves you might have the back 5 sorted already without the need to chop and change looking for the right setup and held us off. You might have kept Sunderland quiet. All these games Sam has gone looking for a point might have ended in wins cos the opposition never got a sniff. I know its easier said than done but just looking at two guys - Distin would have saved Martin Jol's job. He'd also be in the Liverpool side at the moment. And he would have improved Newcastle no end. I wonder how many (former) premiership managers wake up in a cold sweat about letting him walk to bloody Portsmouth. And Tal Ben Haim has looked pretty shite for Chelsea but he's fitted in well to Allardyce's formula before. Obviously it would have taken big offers in terms of wages to get these two guys, so in that sense, eyes I think he should have 'spent' more, but thats not quite the same. IMO he should have spent differently. Less exotic, more proven players.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

I can't help but feel he was only given so much initially as he wasn't exactly their guy, and they probably wanted to see how he would go about things before backing him fully with funds.

 

 

 

My thoughts exactly, Ashley buys the club and sees a man just put in charge who isn't his choice.

 

Why would you give Sam £50m to spend without having an idea on how wisely he can use funds first.

 

Imo Sam had enough to play with, and wasted £6m of it straight off - whether the Dyer delay put paid to his plans of getting Elano and Smith was second choice is a moot point, Smith should never have been signed for this team as he doesn't fit anywhere in particular and shouldn't be first choice in any position as he aint as good as Dukes as a main front man or any of the midfielders

[Parky]

Amount of money spent is irrelevant if it aint spent right (See Souness, G).

 

He's definetly made one poor signing. £6m pissed away on a player who ain't worth 6 magic beans.

 

But I'm not sure about whats going on with a few others - Rozehnal,  Faye, Enrique, Cacapa, and Baye. Why are they in and out of the side? Does he not fancy them now he's had a chance to work with them (Rozehnal is less impressive each and every time I see him)? Is he spoilt for choice? Don't know. If you were better at the back that Milner cross would have got you a jammy win, instead its seen as a jammy draw cos of the chances they had. Wonder how things would have gone differently if you had gone into the game having played the same back 4 in every game this season. At the moment it seems to be a new back 4 every week. Not on, the premiership is not pre-season training and not many fans are going to sit on their hands and "give him time" if you're losing games while he experiments. Point is despite Parky's insistence that you needed Elano's long lost twin brother, we would have gone to shite this season if it wasn't for our defence. Players like that need a platform to work from or the moments of genius (Which aren't common) aren't worth owt. Like Martin's goal against us. Great goal out of nothing, worth fuck all cos the defence wasn't up to it. Seems to me Sam has got it wrong in buying too many defenders who aren't proven in the premiership. Cacapa couldn't deal with a bit of pace? Baye and Enrique need to 'settle'? What a waste of time. If only he'd gone out and got some proper, proven centre halves you might have the back 5 sorted already without the need to chop and change looking for the right setup and held us off. You might have kept Sunderland quiet. All these games Sam has gone looking for a point might have ended in wins cos the opposition never got a sniff. I know its easier said than done but just looking at two guys - Distin would have saved Martin Jol's job. He'd also be in the Liverpool side at the moment. And he would have improved Newcastle no end. I wonder how many (former) premiership managers wake up in a cold sweat about letting him walk to bloody Portsmouth. And Tal Ben Haim has looked pretty shite for Chelsea but he's fitted in well to Allardyce's formula before. Obviously it would have taken big offers in terms of wages to get these two guys, so in that sense, eyes I think he should have 'spent' more, but thats not quite the same. IMO he should have spent differently. Less exotic, more proven players.

 

 

Excellent analysis.

[Guest optimistic nit]

Amount of money spent is irrelevant if it aint spent right (See Souness, G).

 

He's definetly made one poor signing. £6m pissed away on a player who ain't worth 6 magic beans.

 

But I'm not sure about whats going on with a few others - Rozehnal,  Faye, Enrique, Cacapa, and Baye. Why are they in and out of the side? Does he not fancy them now he's had a chance to work with them (Rozehnal is less impressive each and every time I see him)? Is he spoilt for choice? Don't know. If you were better at the back that Milner cross would have got you a jammy win, instead its seen as a jammy draw cos of the chances they had. Wonder how things would have gone differently if you had gone into the game having played the same back 4 in every game this season. At the moment it seems to be a new back 4 every week. Not on, the premiership is not pre-season training and not many fans are going to sit on their hands and "give him time" if you're losing games while he experiments. Point is despite Parky's insistence that you needed Elano's long lost twin brother, we would have gone to shite this season if it wasn't for our defence. Players like that need a platform to work from or the moments of genius (Which aren't common) aren't worth owt. Like Martin's goal against us. Great goal out of nothing, worth fuck all cos the defence wasn't up to it. Seems to me Sam has got it wrong in buying too many defenders who aren't proven in the premiership. Cacapa couldn't deal with a bit of pace? Baye and Enrique need to 'settle'? What a waste of time. If only he'd gone out and got some proper, proven centre halves you might have the back 5 sorted already without the need to chop and change looking for the right setup and held us off. You might have kept Sunderland quiet. All these games Sam has gone looking for a point might have ended in wins cos the opposition never got a sniff. I know its easier said than done but just looking at two guys - Distin would have saved Martin Jol's job. He'd also be in the Liverpool side at the moment. And he would have improved Newcastle no end. I wonder how many (former) premiership managers wake up in a cold sweat about letting him walk to bloody Portsmouth. And Tal Ben Haim has looked pretty shite for Chelsea but he's fitted in well to Allardyce's formula before. Obviously it would have taken big offers in terms of wages to get these two guys, so in that sense, eyes I think he should have 'spent' more, but thats not quite the same. IMO he should have spent differently. Less exotic, more proven players.

 

 

i think he's bought the correct defenders, maybe with the exception of roz, who i think is good, but really not sure if he's a prem player. but you buy 5 new defenders and your not going to have a solid defence straight away, even if those 4 are gallas, terry, neville and riise.

[jackyboy]

Things don't change overnight. Some people have short memories regarding what we had 3 months ago, a defence studded with stars like Ramage, Babyaro, Bramble, Taylor, Carr to name but a few.  The players brought in have never played together and Sam is still in the trying out stage to see what works best.