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I keep harking back to Hope saying that we will sign 3 “30 million” players this Summer. We have only signed one so far. Can see us getting two more quality additions and if we can get Broja or someone similar on loan, then that is some window. 
 

Such a shame the players we are wanting rid of are so old or bad that nee one wants to actually pay for us for them. 

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Just looking at the squad in Austria, with two strikers, there is no way we are not signing a striker. Wide right seems more possible than definite to me, in that we have cover. Central midfield is again seen as desirable rather than essential. I assume that as actual availability and cost becomes clear, including loan options as sides decide they are happy to release, it will take shape. We need to add into that who we can sell/send on loan; including perhaps one or two who are in the first team squad. 
 

I think we will definitely get a striker, we are likely to get a wide player, and may possibly pick up a central midfielder. I’m sure they know what they want and just hope the opportunities arise. 

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9 minutes ago, Big River said:

there's a huge statement signing coming... I can feel it in my fingers.

Lucas Paqueta

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1 hour ago, Abacus said:

Even leaving aside FFP, I'm not sure we have much option other than a slow build.

 

Top players will be hesitant to join us, and you can't blame them until we get some sort of European spot.

 

Anyway, I'm quite enjoying the sensible approach taken so far - seems the opposite of the scattergun recruitment that caused Everton a lot of bother. At the same time as starting to sort out the infrastructure and the back office, it just feels like we're going in the right direction.

 

A couple of exciting attacking players and I'd be very happy indeed.

 

Just taking the Everton point - I think they were more victims of poor scouting and overpaying for average players, Michael Keane being a prime example. I recall vividly they were the first club to start offering 'the big sums' that we see today after the inception of the new TV deal at the time, and got lots of business done early in the summer window. They thought they'd get out there quick and snap up these prime targets and pay what they thought would be too good for the selling clubs to turn down, but would shortly become the normal, and in the long-run look like good deals. Except no-one really went ham like they did and they've been left to count their pennies. 

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Actually, Everton's recruitment pattern was quite similar to Leeds' when they overstretched. I remember the £7m odd they paid for Seth freakin' Johnson, a player they really didn't need at all :lol:

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1 hour ago, jonny1403 said:

 

Our form in the second half of last season was almost perfect. It's not sustainable or realistic to suggest we will maintain top 3 form throughout an entire season. We are competing against Man U and Arsenal for top 6, not West Ham and Leicester. That's a huge gap to bridge in one transfer window.

We were 9 points off 6th last season after giving the other 19 clubs a 14 match head start. Sustainable would be the same squad as last year trying to replicate the previous season like Ashley’s model. We are improving throughout the club, both on and off the pitch. We have become very difficult to beat, especially at home which will be the bedrock of our season. There’s nothing to be afraid of apart from City/Liverpool. Top 6 isn’t a pipe dream, it’s there if we are bold in the transfer market and continue our progress in the coaching department.

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As much as i would love us to sign Paqueta, he's not going to suddenly transform our midfield into one that's dominating possession.

 

We need a proper defensive midfielder, yes Big Joe and Bruno can win the ball back and be progressive but that's very suited to the counter attack style.

 

Imho, someone to sit in the middle that has the size and mobility to just cover that space and give the others (including Willock and Shelvey) the platform to do their best work.

 

Shelvey in particular has not been the player we thought we were getting, he was never supposed to be someone sitting in front of the back 4.. we thought we were getting the Swansea version with lots of long range shots etc, and the truth is he hasn't really had all that much chance to be that guy because we were basically overrun in the middle over the last 5 years.

 

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25 minutes ago, Big River said:

there's a huge statement signing coming... I can feel it in my fingers.

I think we've gone passed the stage of "statement" signings in English football now like. When the likes of villa get a name like coutinho and its barely a big deal

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Someone’s going to get an absolute bargain in buying Cornet this window. If it wasn’t for the more exciting names in Diaby, Asensio, Paqueta etc. I’d be very happy if that someone was us.

 

 

Edited by McCormick

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9 minutes ago, jack j said:

I think we've gone passed the stage of "statement" signings in English football now like. When the likes of villa get a name like coutinho and its barely a big deal

 

He's no longer the player he was at the end of his Liverpool days. Statement signings are either young players who are highly sought after or elites / borderline elites in their prime. He is neither. Still a great player and a cracking signing for Villa though.

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We'll naturally see more possession when we have more dangerous players at the top pf the pitch. 

 

Botman, Trippier, and Pope settling into the side and us getting more experience playing out from yhe back will help too.

 

Bruno/Joelinto/Paqueta would be more than enough against most of the league. 

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2 hours ago, Jaqen said:

Think it's pretty obvious there's a budget in place. They've been telling us since the start of the window and everyone has just convinced themselves it's a ploy to keep prices down. 

 

 

 

Obviously there's a budget in place, but not necessarily that we have £X million pounds available and not a penny more. The budget simply means we won't be taken for mugs and will expect to get value for money, whether we spend £50m or £150m. That's not a ploy to hoodwink anyone, it's just good business.

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28 minutes ago, Novocastrian said:

We were 9 points off 6th last season after giving the other 19 clubs a 14 match head start. Sustainable would be the same squad as last year trying to replicate the previous season like Ashley’s model. We are improving throughout the club, both on and off the pitch. We have become very difficult to beat, especially at home which will be the bedrock of our season. There’s nothing to be afraid of apart from City/Liverpool. Top 6 isn’t a pipe dream, it’s there if we are bold in the transfer market and continue our progress in the coaching department.

 

It may not be a pipe dream but it's certainly not "more than realistic". We are behind West Ham as it stands let alone the top 6.

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2 minutes ago, jonny1403 said:

 

It may not be a pipe dream but it's certainly not "more than realistic". We are behind West Ham as it stands let alone the top 6.


The numbers don’t suggest we’re that far behind. We didn’t win for 14 games and we were only 9 points off it. Surely that tells you that it’s very doable? 

 

 

Edited by AyeDubbleYoo

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