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Grading our summer signings

K

Kingdawson

Banned
So we're more than half way through the season and i think it's a fair time to grade what i've seen so far. I'm going to try and be as fair as possible with this...so here goes:

1) Vlad Chiriches

Started off well but my opinion is that he's performances have gone downhill. Potentially he's good though, and i think he will improve. His game suited AVB's high line more than Sherwood's current tactics. Likes to make runs forward which isn't necessarily a bad thing, has to improve decision making and positioning.
Current grade = C-

2) Paulinho

Not been impressed so far. obviously his strengths are that he can get into the box, has good energy, quite athletic. Needs to get into the game more and get involved in general play. Again there's hope yet, but he needs to put in performances like the Stoke home game and support his midfield partner more.
Current grade = D+

3) Etienne Capoue

Started off well, looked solid in the middle. Think he's a good player and very good cover for Sandro but he's a shocking centre back and should never play there. Think he'd improve with a run of games in the first X1.
Current grade = D-

4) Christian Eriksen
Has been our best performer of all the summer signings. STarted off very well, quieted down, now back to being good again. Love him coming in from the left and influencing play. Has added goals....a negative maybe that he doesn't get involved in general play enough but very high hopes and an impressive start for a young kid.
current grade = B-

5) Nacer Chadli
A very average player that has contributed nothing. Very predictable when playing on the left, always comes infield, rarely does anything of note. I think there is no hope for him sadly. a very 'meh' footballer.
Current grade = E

6) Erik Lamela
Very disappointing so far but he's not been give a fair crack (especially by the previous manager). Has all the attributes to become a very good player and i still have high hopes. Would like to see him playing off Ade or partnering him up top. Think there's more to come from this kid.
Current grade = E

7) Roberto Soldado
Well what can you say about this guy? From watching him at valencia i really didn't want us to sign him. I thought his game was limited and he was not the type of striker we needed. i was pleasantly surprised by his general play...i thought he had zero...he does indeed get involved more than i though. His finishing imo was always overrated and it's proven to be the case. I gave him a pass because he literally had around 2 clear cut chances under our previous manager....under the new mananger i've counted about 5 or 6 big opportunities that he's fluffed. I think it's a write off sadly.
Current grade = E-
 
1) Vlad Chiriches

Has settled more or less straight away, I love how good he is on the ball, I love how calm he is, reads things well, pretty nimble on his feet, a few things to iron out but all in all a very successful signing.
Current grade = B+

2) Paulinho

I wasn't a fan of the signing to begin with and I still lean that way but he's slowly growing on me, I think a change of system would get the best out of him as I feel he'd be best off in a CM3 with freedom to break forward, he leaves us too open in a CM2 and he's not got the game to be a #10. He should really be hitting 8-10 goals by now but for his finishing, hopefully that improves. Hasn't shown to be worth £17m so far but he's not terrible.
Current grade = C-

3) Etienne Capoue

Looked very promising in his first couple of games but since injury has looked well off the pace(was played out of position a couple of times though), he doesn't look to have a long-term future here, will probably be sold for near enough what we paid for him.
Curent grade = D

4) Christian Eriksen

I'm glad that he's proving me right when everyone on here seemed to be dead set against him for some bizarre reason, will only get better and we got him for a snip.
Current grade = A-

5) Nacer Chadli

We only seemed to sign him as we saw him as good value, we make these signings every now and then. Like Capoue, he hasn't had a great amount of games but he's hardly set the world alight when he has had the chance, can't see him being here for a great deal longer. I take solace in knowing we won't make a significant loss on him.
Current grade = D

6) Erik Lamela

This one is tough to grade, in terms of his performances, I'd give him an n/a, I don't know how you can really grade or draw any conclusion from his performances, he's made three league starts, we've handled him terribly. New players need games to get up to speed, not just the occasional ten minutes here and there. ... actual Premier League games. Playing in Europa games in the middle of nowhere might help him to learn more about his team mates (probably little more than an average training session), but they would have taught him nothing about playing against English clubs. As a signing, we've paid £26m for a immensely talented player and haven't even played him .... and now he seemingly has a never ending injury, if he does eventualy get a chance then I still think he'll "come good". I really do hate some of the posts in the Lamela thread, I try my best not to go in there as I know I'll only leave it with the urge to bang my head against the wall. Regretfully though, he gets an ..
Current grade = E-

7) Roberto Soldado

I wasn't particularly thrilled with the signing but I was thrilled that we'd identified a striker(even though I didn't agree with the choice) and spent big on getting him in as opposed to finding market value signings who just aren't good enough. His first 16 games(AVB-era) were pretty much write off, he stood up top on his own and you'd barely see him until he had a penalty to take. Since Sherwood took over he's been a bit more involved but he's a finisher, that's what we brought him in to do but unfortunately he can't even give us that now, he's missed plenty of good opportunities over the past couple of months. £26m, he's 29 soon, he doesn't do much outside of scoring but he has one goal from open play in 20 games, we'd make a massive loss on him if we tried to sell but we're potentially making a bigger loss by keeping him in the team which could cost us a CL place.
Current grade = F


tl:dr version;

Chiriches and Eriksen good. Paulinho average. Chadli and Capoue poor. Lamela disaster but will come good. Soldado disaster.
 
Actually I think I've been a bit harsh on Capoue, I still maintain what I said but he's been very unfortunate in how things have gone, if fatty Cazorla hadn't landed on his leg then he could've been an established 1st choice by now but the injury worked against him and then Tim coming in and promoting Bentaleb certainly hasn't helped. Chadli on the otherhand hasn't really shown anything at any point so he deserves a lower mark in comparison.
 
Chiriches B+ - Looks classy on the ball and while still getting adjusted to teammates and the league he has done very well for the most part

Eriksen B- - very skillful player better than I expected tbh. He has some special ability in his locker, the only reason wasn't graded higher is some games he goes missing

Chadli E - hasn't had a full run of games but when he has he hasn't done much. Hard to say what his best position is and what exactly is he good at? He is a winger who doesn't have great pace or skill to beat a man. He has shown glimpses of good delivery but not enough to warrant a place in the team

Soldado F - was the "type" of striker we thought we had needed for years now. We paid a huge fee thinking we are buying a proven goalscorer who would hit the ground running (at least in terms of finding the back of the net). He has been horrific in front of goal and I confess don't watch La LIga much but thought his overall game would be much more than it is. It appears we have a poacher who does little else to help the team but can't score either

Lamela E- - only reason he doesn't get an F is because he hasn't had as many games as others. You can see he has some ability but again we paid a huge fee and when he has played he has looked completely lost. Many say he should get more game time and that may be true but he certainly hasn't earned it.

Paulinho C He has had some great goals and moments of brilliance, the Stoke game comes to mind when he was unplayable. However, for many games it doesn't appear he knows what role he should be playing and he is fairly anonymous far too often.

Capoue C- probably played the least of any newcomer. A beast of a presence but injuries have not let us see what he is really capable of. He has had some good performances though and
 
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1) Vlad Chiriches

Looks shaky, but that is hardly surprising giving the instability around the club, and the team. I think instability is an affliction all the new players have had to battle. Nevertheless, doesn't look commanding and takes too many risks whilst adapting to the pace of the league. Been given a generous mark as he's not had the chance to play next to Vertonghen, and he's shown enough to suggest that he has decent potential. Time is on his side.
Current grade = D+

2) Paulinho

Despite being largely off the pace he has offered contributions that have won us points. Looked to be finding his feet before he got 'Adamed' against Stoke. Not sure about him in a two man midfield, may well grow into his own in a box to box role in a midfield three. Certainly doesn't look like a Steven Gerrard, but by the same token has a lot more about him than a Jenas. Needs to stop going missing like the latter however.
Current grade = C-

3) Etienne Capoue
Thought he looked tidy before his early injury, has barely had a look in since. Possibly the player suffering the most from the change of manager. If we continue to use him as sparingly as we currently are, will have to go down as a complete flop (after we see how much money we lose on him). Grade suffers due to a lack of telling on pitch contribution.
Current grade = E+

4) Christian Eriksen
The best of what has so far been a bad bunch. Its obvious that he has the tools to be a hit, and is starting to influence games on a regular basis. However a critical assessment of his time so far shows there has been more games in which he has been ineffectual than prominent. Looks by far the best value out of all the signings and someone you can have on the team sheet as a regular fixture. Glad we have him.
current grade = C

5) Nacer Chadli
Poor player, zero contribution. Didn't understand the signing at the time, do so even less now. Timid, ponderous, weak. Doesn't appear overly skillful or to carry goal threat. Waste of money.
current grade = F

6) Erik Lamela
Have seen nothing of him. Has contributed nothing. Has been utilised exceedingly poorly. Paying 30 million for his contribution so far has to be seen as one of the most abject failures in the transfer market of any club, this, or possibly any other season. We have all heard of his quality and his potential, but the grade is based on what he has shown in a Spurs shirt. Could stand to lose a fortune unless we utilise the lad far better.
Current grade = F

7) Roberto Soldado
Massive disappointment. Unlike Lamela has had chances but hasn't ever looked like taking them. Build up play looks better than his finishing, we were expecting, and required, the opposite. May stil come good, although its hard to see how a sudden improvement is going to materialise. But on both he and Lamela the club has blown an unbelievable amount of money on zero contribution. Incredible.
Current grade = E-
 
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Chiriches B- - Beside some too causal moment i think he done well in his first half season . I think he'd just get better and become an excellent signing. The return of Vertonghen would give a help and they could form a great partnership.

Eriksen B - Not a second i would doubt about his talent and his skill. What impressive me is ,from what i know about him , his will to throw his body in the challenges though his lean body is something i never expect , especially against Southampton when he was played in the center. Will only get better.

Chadli E - Looks like a functional player to me , he doesn't have outstanding pace/skill/passing/dribbling/long shot/finishing . I think without a clear team system or style , kind of player like him is more likely to struggle.

Soldado D- : I personally like him however everything just came wrong at the same time unfortunately. Playing in a new country while his team has nearly completely changed the squad / startling line up . Doesn't suit to AVB style while at the same time the lack of penetration and also playing as a lone striker in the 4231 formation did made his game more difficult . After Sherwood replaced AVB we switched to 442 , provide a few assists and set up good chances (the pass to Lennon against MU) but just blew out most of the chance which i am really disappointed. Never doubt about his link up play but the truth is that is something you can't do on your own it needs your teammate too. Sad to say he just didn't work in this team and i try to be nice to give him a D-.

Lamela N/A - Shiny when every time he moves towards the center and i think the majority would agree his best position is behind the striker but what keeping me concern i wonder if the manager and coach would every realize that (considering Sherwood's comment on Capoue...). Not enough playing time and i won't completely rule him out until then.

Paulinho C - Not really fancy this signing at the first beginning as i wanted a CM play-maker who can carry the team ,offer what we need. And , you know Paulinho is totally a different player. I think he adapted the tempo and the league well but just not consistence enough.

Capoue C - Have a high hope on him . Good in defending but also comfortable on the ball and able to spread the play in quick, looked promising in the first few games before his injury. Felt sorry for him when he was played out of position . Don't think he'd get enough playing time under Sherwood. Wish him all the best.
 
Chiriches B - I like him but like most young ballplaying CBs he needs to sharpen his judgement a bit. Think he was bought with a view to replacing Verts next season, and I expect he'll be ready for that

Eriksen B - I wasn't keen on this signing because I was worried about how perpiheral he often was in games. This does still happen but he has shown signs that he will become more influential in time. Still think we need to use him in a 5-man midfield to get the most out of him.

Chadli D - I like that he's a very tidy player who never gives the ball away. But he serves no purpose in a counter attacking team. May do well under LVG or FDB.

Soldado D - alround play is excellent - great improvement on Defoe. Still think he'll break his shooting duck and explode onto the scene. Class is permanent.

Lamela D - Don't think he was ever meant to feature much these first six months anyway. Bale was about to be flogged to Forest at a similar stage in his career. I think we'll look back at this point in similar fashion.

Paulinho C - promising signs. I'd like to see him as the most advanced of a CM trio in front of Sandro + Capoue/Dembele

Capoue C - thought he looked great as a DM alongside another proper CM like Paulinho/Dembele. Would like to see him used there again.



Overall I'd just conclude that it's too early to tell. Other than Soldado, all these players are under 25; and were all bought for a system that we've (temporarily at least) abandoned.

For years we've had a crap squad and 1-3 brilliant players. The whole point of last summer's investment was to upgrade across the board with decent technical players, and I think that's what we've done.

With the right manager in place from July, I still have faith that all these will be long term successes.
 
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Good thread. Sad too when you look at it like that. Only really Eriksen can be heralded a success so far but most signings will always take some time to settle. I'd rather a sticky slow start followed by years of quality than Pa**** Cisse or Jelavic signings which are great to begin with.

Chiriches is a fantastic footballer. But needs to form a steady partnership and learn about the different centre forwards you get in this league. He is silk on the ball though and it's a far cry from Daws' hoofs.

Paulinho, I've open key said I've been disappointed in so far. But I'm trying to understand why it's so different when he plays as a two man midfield for Brazil alongside Luis Gustavo. There has been a few more promising signs.
 
Mosquito_Coasting said:
Your bias against Paulinho has got the better of you there, KD. No way he deserves less than a C-.
Click to expand...

It's so boring when i'm accused of **** like that. I'm also meant to be incredibly biased against Chiriches, and tear into him at any time ...yet he gets a C-.

This thread is for you to give your grades not critique other posters grades.
 
I think it is impossible to evaluate Lamela and Capoue.

Lamela has barely played under either manager which neither of them giving any reason as to why.
Capoue started well but had a very long injury. When he wasn't very good in his first couple matches back the fans and manager turned on him.

It annoys me how fickle some of our fans can be. Don't get me wrong, I can see why people think they have been **** signings as a lot of money was paid but we haven't seen a lot. But Lamela and Capoue who have been slated have barely played. Lamela's only started 3 times in the PL ffs!

The only signings I would say have been truly awful are Soldado and Chadli who have been given quite a bit of game time and done **** all.
 
I'm slightly embarrassed that I didnt recognise this at the time but to sign 7 players to replace 1 and none of them had previously played a minute of English football is quite frankly the most ridiculous piece of business any club has ever done in the transfer window.

Chadli and Lamela completely surplus to requirements and their lack of game time is a reflection of this. Capoue is probably the most suited to English football but the combination of a bad injury and a new manager who doesnt fancy him hasn't worked in his favour. Chiriches I think will be fine; Paulinho will work in the right shape and with the right tactics. He has had games where he has been anonymous but has also chipped in with some important goals. Eriksen has shown promise but for every excellent game he has put in an average one - think he'll be a great signing but will be next season before we see any consistency from him. Soldado was a victim of AVB playing an attacking strategy which was completely unsuited to him and has therefore played him badly out of form which he may not recover from.

When judging the quality of the signings (as opposed to grading purely the players) you have to take the transfer fee into account; therefore my grades would be:

Paulinho B-
Eriksen C
Chiriches C
Capoue C
Chadli E
Soldado E
Lamela U
 
GPRD81 said:
I'm slightly embarrassed that I didnt recognise this at the time but to sign 7 players to replace 1 and none of them had previously played a minute of English football is quite frankly the most ridiculous piece of business any club has ever done in the transfer window.

Chadli and Lamela completely surplus to requirements and their lack of game time is a reflection of this. Capoue is probably the most suited to English football but the combination of a bad injury and a new manager who doesnt fancy him hasn't worked in his favour. Chiriches I think will be fine; Paulinho will work in the right shape and with the right tactics. He has had games where he has been anonymous but has also chipped in with some important goals. Eriksen has shown promise but for every excellent game he has put in an average one - think he'll be a great signing but will be next season before we see any consistency from him. Soldado was a victim of AVB playing an attacking strategy which was completely unsuited to him and has therefore played him badly out of form which he may not recover from.

When judging the quality of the signings (as opposed to grading purely the players) you have to take the transfer fee into account; therefore my grades would be:

Paulinho B-
Eriksen C
Chiriches C
Capoue C
Chadli E
Soldado E
Lamela U
Click to expand...

They didn't just replace one though did they? Caulker, Parker, Huddlestone and Dempsey also left. I would've liked a couple of PL experienced players though like Cabaye and Benteke. Can you explain how Paulinho gets a higher grade than Eriksen and Chiriches? Especially when you say you've taken their fees into account.
 
Rossi22 said:
They didn't just replace one though did they? Caulker, Parker, Huddlestone and Dempsey also left. I would've liked a couple of PL experienced players though like Cabaye and Benteke. Can you explain how Paulinho gets a higher grade than Eriksen and Chiriches? Especially when you say you've taken their fees into account.
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B- to a C is very marginal! I think Paulinho has been marginally better than the other 2 pound for pound. Paulinho has had more of an impact in more games than Eriksen has IMO. Maybe for his £7m fee Chiriches should actually be a 'B'.
 
Does someone have to hand a breakdown of all transfer incomings over recent windows? Would be interesting to see what % of our more successful signings were bought from outside of the PL/had no previous PL experience.
 
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