NUFC Transfer Rumours

[Holmesy]

9 minutes ago, cubaricho said:

 

How long have you been a fan to think that we’ve “gone backwards” and not forwards as a club?

 

We have two relegations this side of 2000. We had Joe Kinnear as a manager ffs. Ashley as an owner. 
 

We’ve only gone up. We won silverware for the first time in 70 years. 
 

“Gone backwards” get the fuck out of here.  

So between last season and this season, you think we’ve gone forwards? Are you ok? 

[Theregulars]

Just now, Holmesy said:

So between last season and this season, you think we’ve gone forwards? Are you ok? 

Small; far away.

[oldtype]

1 minute ago, Holmesy said:

So between last season and this season, you think we’ve gone forwards? Are you ok? 

 

There is literally not a single club on the entire planet in any sport that "goes forwards" every single season.

 

Which is why looking at the multi-year trajectory is the sane thing to do.

[Bimpy474]

1 minute ago, oldtype said:

 

There is literally not a single club on the entire planet in any sport that "goes forwards" every single season.

 

Which is why looking at the multi-year trajectory is the sane thing to do.

 

Spot on.

[Guybrush]

 

3 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

So between last season and this season, you think we’ve gone forwards? Are you ok? 

I don't think that's what he said like 

 

We lost our best striker and we've had some injuries, so the squad has taken a hit (backwards), however we're in the last 16 of the Champions league (forwards). It's not binary. 

 

 

[Rich]

We’d have been going some to better last season, like. You’re looking at winning another cup and finishing higher than fifth, while going far in the CL and the other cup at the same time.

 

Not saying it was impossible to do that, but the summer made it almost so. Now we’ve discussed who’s to blame for that to death, but if we still had Isak here and firing there’s no doubt we’d be miles better off.

[Holmesy]

1 hour ago, Wolfcastle said:

Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth have done great but its not much more than the Ashley project but with effort. Sell, buy cheaper replacements, tread water.

Which, as smaller clubs they have to do. Ashley applied small club mentality to a big club when he didn’t have to.

But those clubs continue to punch above their weight by being smart and being very well run. 
I do think there’s a place for that kind of system, structure and approach at a higher level, as we have proven with players like Tonali, Bruno, Thiaw, Isak etc.

I’m not suggesting we become a selling club, I’m suggesting we employ better, wider scouting and raise our risk profile a bit. Because as was proven last season, we can’t sign the cream of the crop because the cartel get first dibs. So we either accept second fiddle - Elanga/Ramsey/Wissa or we become smarter and better at identifying and courting players who aren’t as prominently on their radars.

[SUPERTOON]

Personally think the squad needs to much doing to it, for us to focus more on prem proven players. We may have to look for cheaper, unproven talent to get what we need in. 

[Rich]

2 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Personally think the squad needs to much doing to it, for us to focus more on prem proven players. We may have to look for cheaper, unproven talent to get what we need in. 

Aye. If we end up without Europe, as seems likely, it’s surely a perfect time for a bit of a reset/restart in terms of our overall approach?

 

I’d back Howe any day to get us back to being greater than the sum of our parts, regardless of what calibre of players we can attract, with more time to train.

 

A top-class goalkeeper is an absolute must, mind, whoever that could be.

[Optimistic Nut]

1 hour ago, Holmesy said:

Bournemouth have one of the smallest turnovers in the PL yet manage to sign some truly excellent players. It's inevitable that some of their first team and squad will be average. They generally sign well, spend well, sell well and punch above their weight.

The risk of their model is lower than the risk of ours. If Rayan turns out not to be good enough, they've spent £28m and can probably recoup most of that. If he does well, they'll probably triple their money.
Do you think we'll ever see £55m for Elanga if we decide to sell him? Or £43m for Ramsey? And do we seriously think either of them will help us consistently break into the league's top 4?
 

 

 

 

 

How many have left Bournemouth & Brentford and really taken it up a level at one of the big clubs?

 

No idea how either of the two centre-backs are getting on that left. Semenyo I'll give you. 

[Drewboy74]

Definitely a GK and a striker.  I'm not sure who mind. If Howe can persuade the big lads to stay without Europe, promise them a couple of big signings with one game a week then maybe he can convince them that a shot at the title isn't so far fetched. 

[Johny4317]

1 hour ago, Holmesy said:

Which, as smaller clubs they have to do. Ashley applied small club mentality to a big club when he didn’t have to.

But those clubs continue to punch above their weight by being smart and being very well run. 
I do think there’s a place for that kind of system, structure and approach at a higher level, as we have proven with players like Tonali, Bruno, Thiaw, Isak etc.

I’m not suggesting we become a selling club, I’m suggesting we employ better, wider scouting and raise our risk profile a bit. Because as was proven last season, we can’t sign the cream of the crop because the cartel get first dibs. So we either accept second fiddle - Elanga/Ramsey/Wissa or we become smarter and better at identifying and courting players who aren’t as prominently on their radars.

The problem is most clubs know about every player as we’ve seen in the last few days about the ancient links between Osula and Man U! So on that basis it’s about providing a player/agent the best options…Going from the model of a smaller club (offering agents a chance to give players a platform to move again and make them more money) V expecting agents to place their players here as a destination club is a huge shift change! Add to that it only takes the big clubs to miss out and have to spend big on a Caceido to Chelsea then hoovering up any good young player to try and avoid it which is driven by PSR! 

[Deuce]

Our transfer strategy is likely going to land somewhere between the two poles of “compete with the cartels directly” and “do a Brighton/Bournemouth and unearth diamonds from abroad.” Neither alone is feasible for a club of our current standing and supposed ambition. 
 

I wish we’d be more aggressive in targeting cartel cast-offs…someone like Reijnders who is supposedly on the outs at City but still a quality player. Or youth players fighting for regular playing time. It’s how we landed Willock and Hall, for example.

 

 

Edited March 9 by Deuce

[oldtype]

10 minutes ago, Deuce said:

Our transfer strategy is likely going to land somewhere between the two poles of “compete with the cartels directly” and “do a Brighton/Bournemouth and unearth diamonds from abroad.” Neither alone is feasible for a club of our current standing and supposed ambition. 
 

I wish we’d be more aggressive in targeting cartel cast-offs…someone like Reijnders who is supposedly on the outs at City but still a quality player. Or youth players fighting for regular playing time. It’s how we landed Willock and Hall, for example.

 

 

 

 

Issue with that is probably that cartel cast-offs come pre-loaded with cartel wages, and are typically unwilling to take the necessary pay cut to come to us. 

[Deuce]

Just now, oldtype said:

 

Issue with that is probably that cartel cast-offs come pre-loaded with cartel wages, and are typically unwilling to take the necessary pay cut to come to us. 

Sure, but I also don’t think it’s the ironclad truth that we think it is. 

[oldtype]

18 minutes ago, Deuce said:

Sure, but I also don’t think it’s the ironclad truth that we think it is. 

 

I'm not saying there won't be players who are willing to make the move, but it probably does narrow the pool enough that aggressively targeting cast-offs may not be a viable strategy. Particularly with competition from Saudi now. 

 

Willock and Hall were youth products who probably never got put on huge contracts at Arsenal or Chelsea. I'm all for targeting that profile of player, which we appear to already be doing.

 

Someone like Reijnders on the other hand would probably break our wage structure and I understand why we would be reluctant to do that when he already has a sample of underperforming in the PL.

 

 

Edited March 9 by oldtype

[TRC]

4 hours ago, oldtype said:

 

I'm not saying there won't be players who are willing to make the move, but it probably does narrow the pool enough that aggressively targeting cast-offs may not be a viable strategy. Particularly with competition from Saudi now. 

 

Willock and Hall were youth products who probably never got put on huge contracts at Arsenal or Chelsea. I'm all for targeting that profile of player, which we appear to already be doing.

 

Someone like Reijnders on the other hand would probably break our wage structure and I understand why we would be reluctant to do that when he already has a sample of underperforming in the PL.

 

 

 

Reijnders is going to have to take a pay cut or go to Saudi then.

[Ikon]

Not sure how/who! But my first priority would be to improve our front line. More firepower and technical ability. After that we can add to other positions. 

[nufcjmc]

19 minutes ago, Ikon said:

Not sure how/who! But my first priority would be to improve our front line. More firepower and technical ability. After that we can add to other positions. 

Not disagree that the attack is far from ideal with 100m+ not trusted to leading the line.  Playing through our middle and the number of goals leaked added to older players going again and again means even if we have a positive end to the season we have more than 1 area which needs work. 

 

Big summer is thrown out there alot but really needs to be.

[lovejoy]

Keep an eye on Mathys Tel in the summer.

 

We’re very keen.

[toon25]

Just now, lovejoy said:

Keep an eye on Mathys Tel in the summer.

 

We’re very keen.

Please god no.

 

Looks like a competition winner every time I've seen him

[KaKa]

1 minute ago, lovejoy said:

Keep an eye on Mathys Tel in the summer.

 

We’re very keen.

 

That's interesting. 

 

Sometimes I think I see something there and other times I'm not so sure. 

 

Being at Spurs certainly hasn't helped that's for sure.

[Disco]

Not to play upfront I hope.

[Pilko]

4 minutes ago, lovejoy said:

Keep an eye on Mathys Tel in the summer.

 

We’re very keen.

 

Always thought he looked absolutely chod for Spurs.

[TRC]

In fairness to Tel he hasn’t had a proper manager in his time there. It could be a good buy low option. The opposite of what we did last summer.