The Moonlit Knight
Banned
What are your season's expectations now we know what the team will be? I think we should be top six, but I am underwhelmed and I wouldn't be shocked if we missed out on top six this year (which concerns me as I think we'll lose Bale if that happens, and we may lose him anyway if we don't get Champion's League).
I feel for Defoe too. He signs a new contract, probably under the impression it will be Ade, him & Kane as our strikers and then we go and do an opportunist purchase of Dempsey who will surely now become Ade's back up, dropping Defoe to third in the pecking order. I bet deep down he is sick as a pig that he will be stuck at the club until at least January.
Our previous manager got a LOT of flak over the last couple of years about "MOTD" purchases. This transfer window we have seen us sign Lloris (ironic considering a new keeper for this season wasn't a pressing requirement IMO) who is hardly an unknown and? Ade, Sigurdsson, Dembele and Dempsey. Four Premiership players, which isn't a bad thing really.
So I know we are changing our formation but with the transfer business done (assuming Moutinho isn't coming in) I don't feel good about VDV leaving. Our team has gone from being a cavalier, attractive short passing team playing with flair to a functional, direct passing and workmanlike outfit in one transfer window. Not impressed at all.
Like for like?
Friedel - he is old and I felt would have done for this year but I understand the requirement to buy a younger keeper. Whether Lloris will be the next big thing or the next Gomes, unable to cope with the physical aspects of the Premiership, remains to be seen but he is highly rated and we have to say it's an upgrade. So good business there. The information that Lloris was not sure about joining us may prove to be trouble ahead if we don't qualify for the Champion's League in the next two years.....
Modric/Dembele : I like Dembele a lot, but he is no Modric but Modric had to go so not really much we could do there. So weaker there.
VDV/Sigurdsson : I know we have a change of formation but VDV is a far superior player to Sigurdsson IMHO so we are definitely weaker here.
Dempsey : Ironic transfer for me. He won't be a first team player for us, and probably wasn't one of our main targets. I wonder if AVB sees him as Lennon's replacement and not as a striker? Either way I don't think he strengthens the first team.
Ade : Well we had him last season, so no change.
So IMO we now have a functional midfield that lacks flair, but is athletic and should be hard working and well organised. Comparitive to our rivals I don't think we've done that badly even though I think we're weaker than last year. Arsenal are definitely weaker, Liverpool probably about the same. The two Manchester clubs & Chelsea are out on their own. The threat to us is still Saudi Sportswashing Machine (as strong as last year), Everton & now I think Fulham. It's just too close to call and I think the distance between 4th to 8th this season is going to be very small.
My final thought is that with the 4th place margin likely to be so close I am again frustrated that we've waited until deadline day to conduct most of our business. We have 1pt from 2 matches and had we had our business done before the season we'd probably be sitting on 4pts now. If we miss out on 4th by a couple of points it will be just like last year and I will be sick as a parrot.
I feel for Defoe too. He signs a new contract, probably under the impression it will be Ade, him & Kane as our strikers and then we go and do an opportunist purchase of Dempsey who will surely now become Ade's back up, dropping Defoe to third in the pecking order. I bet deep down he is sick as a pig that he will be stuck at the club until at least January.
Our previous manager got a LOT of flak over the last couple of years about "MOTD" purchases. This transfer window we have seen us sign Lloris (ironic considering a new keeper for this season wasn't a pressing requirement IMO) who is hardly an unknown and? Ade, Sigurdsson, Dembele and Dempsey. Four Premiership players, which isn't a bad thing really.
So I know we are changing our formation but with the transfer business done (assuming Moutinho isn't coming in) I don't feel good about VDV leaving. Our team has gone from being a cavalier, attractive short passing team playing with flair to a functional, direct passing and workmanlike outfit in one transfer window. Not impressed at all.
Like for like?
Friedel - he is old and I felt would have done for this year but I understand the requirement to buy a younger keeper. Whether Lloris will be the next big thing or the next Gomes, unable to cope with the physical aspects of the Premiership, remains to be seen but he is highly rated and we have to say it's an upgrade. So good business there. The information that Lloris was not sure about joining us may prove to be trouble ahead if we don't qualify for the Champion's League in the next two years.....
Modric/Dembele : I like Dembele a lot, but he is no Modric but Modric had to go so not really much we could do there. So weaker there.
VDV/Sigurdsson : I know we have a change of formation but VDV is a far superior player to Sigurdsson IMHO so we are definitely weaker here.
Dempsey : Ironic transfer for me. He won't be a first team player for us, and probably wasn't one of our main targets. I wonder if AVB sees him as Lennon's replacement and not as a striker? Either way I don't think he strengthens the first team.
Ade : Well we had him last season, so no change.
So IMO we now have a functional midfield that lacks flair, but is athletic and should be hard working and well organised. Comparitive to our rivals I don't think we've done that badly even though I think we're weaker than last year. Arsenal are definitely weaker, Liverpool probably about the same. The two Manchester clubs & Chelsea are out on their own. The threat to us is still Saudi Sportswashing Machine (as strong as last year), Everton & now I think Fulham. It's just too close to call and I think the distance between 4th to 8th this season is going to be very small.
My final thought is that with the 4th place margin likely to be so close I am again frustrated that we've waited until deadline day to conduct most of our business. We have 1pt from 2 matches and had we had our business done before the season we'd probably be sitting on 4pts now. If we miss out on 4th by a couple of points it will be just like last year and I will be sick as a parrot.
