Are we really looking at so many average players?

[Exiled_red]

maybe kenny is trying to do what he did when he first took over by signing young british talent

Things are different now, in the mid to late 80's there were very few foreign players in the English game

[RedSince1964]

according to skybet we're favourites for Downing, Barton, Adam and Mata to sign this summer.

In general these guys have no idea what we're up to and are clutching at straws, I'm expecting the transfer window to move back to days gone by as Kenny has been saying all along.

I'm trying to ignore all the links as best I can as in most cases the journo's are guessing and have as much of an idea as we do!


Come 1st Sept we'll know wh

Agreed

[wavydavy]

If we do sign say, Adam, Jones, Henderson, Downing and Jones/Dann etc this Summer then it must surely mean that the most useless signing of the last few years will have been Comolli. You don't exactly have to be The Amazing Kreskin to come up with that lot do you? Wasn't the point of getting him was so he could entice, using his extensive list of contacts, some of the World's top talent?

[calvoboy]

If we do sign say, Adam, Jones, Henderson, Downing and Jones/Dann etc this Summer then it must surely mean that the most useless signing of the last few years will have been Comolli. You don't exactly have to be The Amazing Kreskin to come up with that lot do you? Wasn't the point of getting him was so he could entice, using his extensive list of contacts, some of the World's top talent?

No, the point was to bring in a logical, structured approach to our transfer dealings. Not wasting money by paying large amounts for older players with no sell on value, and using stats to help evaluate player ability. That lot would actually fit, but I'm sure there will be at least one or two top top players coming in. Kenny said so.

[CJ]

i suppose my thoughts are roughly as follows and not sure they make sense but here goes

i want us to win the league but the next step is to finish in the top 4. Once back in the champions league we will not compete with the level of players we seem to be linked with so they are stepping stone players. maybe our lack or european football is affecting our player recruitment. I would say its more lack of champs league football more than anything else.

so say we get some of these players and we improve our league position but then need to improve for europe then will we struggle to sell these players because of the wages we tend to pay compared to some clubs who might be looking at these players?

also what if suarez is injured where does our creative unpredictability come from? we struggled in europe without him.

so a little deflated but then those at the club know more than i do but still a bit worrying.

[DannyMan2006]

We won't be playing European football this season so we don't need that type of players.

I think the reason to why we will sign a few British players is that they won't have any problem with the PL and can deliver straight away. He want players that know what the PL is all about.

KK want to take us back to the top four as soon as possible. We will only sign top top class foreigners IMO.

Squad strength will be improved by signing British players.

[CJ]

so what happens when we get into europe? sell the players we brought in this summer?

[DannyMan2006]

so what happens when we get into europe? sell the players we brought in this summer?

Why sell them? He's not signing 30 year olds like Scott Parker.

He's signing young players with plenty of potential to improve. They're wet behind the ears now but give them a year and I'd expect an improvement. Let's not forget, this is the first real break through season For players like Jones and Mccarthy, whilst it's the first time someone like Henderson has really stepped up his game.

AS I've said elsewhere though, a year from now I would expect us to be adding to a top 4 side, not one that came sixth. And with out whole squad looking stroner after this summer, and a much younger squad at that, we'd be in a great position to add a couple of stars.

[CJ]

Why sell them? He's not signing 30 year olds like Scott Parker.

He's signing young players with plenty of potential to improve. They're wet behind the ears now but give them a year and I'd expect an improvement. Let's not forget, this is the first real break through season For players like Jones and Mccarthy, whilst it's the first time someone like Henderson has really stepped up his game.

AS I've said elsewhere though, a year from now I would expect us to be adding to a top 4 side, not one that came sixth. And with out whole squad looking stroner after this summer, and a much younger squad at that, we'd be in a great position to add a couple of stars.

i suppose the question i am asking is are the players we are looking at good enough to win the league and challenge in europe?

if not then we will have to move them on. they will be like pennants who need to be moved because they are not good enough to win the prem or win a EC.

i accept that its about team and you need a mix but within that mix we need more outstanding players. While the standard of the prem may be less than it was the standard in europe in terms of what is required to win most certainly is not.

i would prefer to build a squad by buying better than we already have in our best 11 then our current best become squad players and we build and build.

this looks more like building the squad by buying better than konch cole etc. I can see why we do this but its not going to win a prem or a EC, also this time we have money where as when we did this a couple of years ago it was because we didnt have money.

[Fosterbloke]

The players we are looking at have solid foundations in the things that help them become better players. Technical skills, mentality, age and experience in the PL.

People far better qualified than I are building a team for the future as well as one for the present so I'm confident that they know why they are looking at players like Cattermole and Henderson.

[DannyMan2006]

i suppose the question i am asking is are the players we are looking at good enough to win the league and challenge in europe?

if not then we will have to move them on. they will be like pennants who need to be moved because they are not good enough to win the prem or win a EC.

i accept that its about team and you need a mix but within that mix we need more outstanding players. While the standard of the prem may be less than it was the standard in europe in terms of what is required to win most certainly is not.

i would prefer to build a squad by buying better than we already have in our best 11 then our current best become squad players and we build and build.

this looks more like building the squad by buying better than konch cole etc. I can see why we do this but its not going to win a prem or a EC, also this time we have money where as when we did this a couple of years ago it was because we didnt have money.

I don't think any realistic fan expects us to go on such a spree that we win the title next season. So if we forget that for a moment the next target is top 4.

Will buying settled premier league players give us a better chance of hitting the ground running? Yes. Are we linked with players who will improve? Yes.

Would we all prefer a fancy signing like Augero/Sanchez/Hazard? Yes. Are they likely to join us this year when they can sign for a team who is always in the CL? No.

-

Let's remember, few years gone by we've had to sell our best players. This year they're all staying. Under Hodgson we were linked with journeyman premiership players, now we're linked with the best up and coming players in the league.

It's a start and it's an improvement. Anyhow, we should all know by now that players we are linked with are not always the players we sign.

[RedSince1964]

If we do sign say, Adam, Jones, Henderson, Downing and Jones/Dann etc this Summer then it must surely mean that the most useless signing of the last few years will have been Comolli. You don't exactly have to be The Amazing Kreskin to come up with that lot do you? Wasn't the point of getting him was so he could entice, using his extensive list of contacts, some of the World's top talent?

I agree with you to a point bud but, how many real class players are going to come to our Club without cl football etc, i do think we'll entice two or three quality players to join us who have'nt got cl to play for but, we will see plenty of young decent quality squad players coming in also

I peersonally think Kenny & Commoli are going in the right direction with the Club mate and i hope they will achieve their goal

[CJ]

I don't think any realistic fan expects us to go on such a spree that we win the title next season. So if we forget that for a moment the next target is top 4.

Will buying settled premier league players give us a better chance of hitting the ground running? Yes. Are we linked with players who will improve? Yes.

Would we all prefer a fancy signing like Augero/Sanchez/Hazard? Yes. Are they likely to join us this year when they can sign for a team who is always in the CL? No.

-

Let's remember, few years gone by we've had to sell our best players. This year they're all staying. Under Hodgson we were linked with journeyman premiership players, now we're linked with the best up and coming players in the league.

It's a start and it's an improvement. Anyhow, we should all know by now that players we are linked with are not always the players we sign.

i dont expect augero/sanchez or hazard but i do hope for better than we have been linked.

my point is that we are building to win the league and CL, these players dont help us achieve either of those, they will improve the squad not sure they improve the best 11 so as we know from a few years ago when we sign these players we just trade and trade up till we get what we want. the reason then was money but its not the reason now.

[DannyMan2006]

i dont expect augero/sanchez or hazard but i do hope for better than we have been linked.

my point is that we are building to win the league and CL, these players dont help us achieve either of those, they will improve the squad not sure they improve the best 11 so as we know from a few years ago when we sign these players we just trade and trade up till we get what we want. the reason then was money but its not the reason now.

We weren't signing young top talents who were highly rated then. We weren't even signing players who were in the England squad.

I know Pennant was given as an example, he wasn't highly rated when we signed him, he was a decent player at a low placed club in Birmingham. He was nowhere near the England squad either. The players we have been linked with are nothing like him.

[CJ]

We weren't signing young top talents who were highly rated then. We weren't even signing players who were in the England squad.

I know Pennant was given as an example, he wasn't highly rated when we signed him, he was a decent player at a low placed club in Birmingham. He was nowhere near the England squad either. The players we have been linked with are nothing like him.

they are not far off. not one has played in europe not one has won anything have they?

i might be wrong but i hope they have the potential to achieve that i cant see.