We spent 115 million or so, we had the money, we just chose to spread it a little more thinly. We could have not bought two or three players and bought a 40m player, United were able to do it, we just didn't chose to.
Nobody of course would directly replace him, but we didn't buy a single player that replaces anything that he did. We bought players that we already had versions of.
Lambert - Borini
Lovren - Agger
Markovic - Ibe
Moreno - Flanagan/Enrique
Manquillo - Johnson
Can - Lucas/Gerrard
Lallana - Henderson/Coutinho
Balotelli - Suarez
We have at best, slightly improved in some positions, and bulked up the squad. But the Suarez quality that we had last season has not been close to being replaced. That's why it was not a good summer.
We've succeeded in being a more rounded average team, rather than a quality team hoping for very few injuries.
I think your criticism is excessive, and too general. I think we desperately needed to increase the depth of the squad. We were right to sign two new full backs, IMO that will yield a big improvement as the season develops. A player in the Markovic mould was needed, as we only had Sterling last season. Some kind of body in CM was clearly needed, and that Can is a versatile one makes the signing all the more sensible.
These IMO were all correct calls. I think we went wrong, though, in not getting a keeper, in not replacing Skrtel and dealing with the Sakho issue, and in not having a clear enough plan for how the attack would set up, either as a front 3 or continuing with a 2.