The Do-Over

[keniget]

I don't have any issues with the sales we've made. Diaz is the only one you can make a case for but if we didn't want to extend on the terms he wanted and / or he wanted to go, the deal was as good as it was going to get and it made sense rather than letting him go on a free.

My priorities were striker, wide forward, midfielder and a central defender.

I did say during the summer that given the striker market was so poor and overpriced, it was perhaps worth keeping our powder dry and waiting to see what's what in 12 months time. I think Ekitike has proven to be a good buy even at the exhorbitant price we paid but Isak always seemed like a risk for me given his injury record. Pace, skill and versatility always seem like winning attributes to me in an attacker - I would've looked for someone with that profile to give us options.

As for midfield, again said at the time, but it was a risk going into this season with an unbalanced group.

 

[Markeh]

do we even need hindsight really.

i wouldn’t have sold diaz, i’d have extended him with the intention to push him off to saudi in a couple of years. i wouldn’t have signed wirtz or frimpong. i wouldn’t have signed isak after we landed ekitike. i would have paid extra for guehi and been very interested in mbuemo and perhaps joao pedro. i also would’ve made a big attempt at wharton, failing that possibly reijnders.

 

[Woland]

Maybe I'm a dickhead but I thought Kerkez and Wirtz and Frimpong were the best young players in the world who happened to be available. I didn't know about Ekitike and I wasn't sure about Isak, but I thought at the start of the season we had some great players in the squad. I still think that's the case. I'm repeating myself. I'm getting old so I guess I should get used to it.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Who knew John Heitinga was so irreplaceable?

 

[Markeh]

my finger is getting further off the pulse as i’m getting older too but frimpong imo was an easy get, we’re a club who loves a clause or player that wants to come. anything to avoid bidding up.

wirtz was never the one in germany for me, he’s clearly a good player but i’ve never thought it would translate that well into the pl. musiala was the one you’d want for that money but i doubt bayern sell him.

 

[Woland]

Well none of them played tonight anyway. Slot seems to want some public flagellation. I wish he'd just get bummed in a dungeon by a witch like any normal higher functioning forty something.

 

[Markeh]

Well none of them played tonight anyway. Slot seems to want some public flagellation. I wish he'd just get bummed in a dungeon by a witch like any normal higher functioning forty something.

slots doing so well i didn’t even bother watching tonight

 

[Fabio]

Maybe I'm a dickhead but I thought Kerkez and Wirtz and Frimpong were the best young players in the world who happened to be available. I didn't know about Ekitike and I wasn't sure about Isak, but I thought at the start of the season we had some great players in the squad. I still think that's the case. I'm repeating myself. I'm getting old so I guess I should get used to it.

Kerkez and wirtz I was elated over. Frimpong I was hopeful for but playing in a 343 is different to a 443 so was expecting a mixed bag for a good fee. I always wanted Ekitike. Isak I was alright providing it didn't impact other business.

Problem is we've lost the link players in the squad. Trent, Diaz, Elliott, all excellent at stretching play and finding space. Wirtz is the only one of the new signings who might be able to do that, as Frimpong never gets played in by Salah, kerkez is actively ignored by gakpo.

 

[Woland]

slots doing so well i didn’t even bother watching tonight

I'm trying to create a worm with code that will not only turn all the electric and connectivity off in my postcode but will close down the traffic grid and arrange a tornado so there will be no possible way I can watch the football on Saturday.

 

[Markeh]

I'm trying to create a worm with code that will not only turn all the electric and connectivity off in my postcode but will close down the traffic grid and arrange a tornado so there will be no possible way I can watch the football on Saturday.

probably just as easy petrol bombing the nearest substation or gouging your eyes out.

 

[Woland]

I'm actually going to take my son to watch the football on Saturday. He's coming home from working in London for the weekend and I can't wait to see him. I could use this innocent seeming ruse to go full jackal on slot.

 

[Farkmaster]

Maybe quotes like the last one from slot is why Hitler remained safe from time machines. People can't stay focused.

 

[MomoWASright]

Someone needs to do over Slot.

Not literally in case someone thinks I’m justifying some Dutch folically challenged hatred.

 

[juniormember]

Kerkez and wirtz I was elated over. Frimpong I was hopeful for but playing in a 343 is different to a 443 so was expecting a mixed bag for a good fee. I always wanted Ekitike. Isak I was alright providing it didn't impact other business.

Problem is we've lost the link players in the squad. Trent, Diaz, Elliott, all excellent at stretching play and finding space. Wirtz is the only one of the new signings who might be able to do that, as Frimpong never gets played in by Salah, kerkez is actively ignored by gakpo.

Yeah what is with that 'ignore Kerkez at all costs' thing from Gakpo? He doesn't do it to Robbo probably because he knows Robbo would rip him a new arshole if he did. But surely the coaching team tells him to use the wide overlapping player on occasions? Surely they don't tell him to cut in and shoot every single time? I don't get it.

 

[LarryHagman]

£75M for Kerkez and Frimpong looks like bad business. The Kerkez interest I can understand but I'm not sure what anyone saw in Frimpong, apart from pace.
If Isak was able to play every week, I'm sure he'd be fine. But if the whole season is going to be niggling injuries like it is now, that would be a disaster.
Wirtz we just have to keep playing and hope it changes for him. Can't approach it any other way with that outlay.

 

[juniormember]

£75M for Kerkez and Frimpong looks like bad business. The Kerkez interest I can understand but I'm not sure what anyone saw in Frimpong, apart from pace.
If Isak was able to play every week, I'm sure he'd be fine. But if the whole season is going to be niggling injuries like it is now, that would be a disaster.
Wirtz we just have to keep playing and hope it changes for him. Can't approach it any other way with that outlay.

Frimpong is unfortunately not used as often as he should on the wing in our attacks. If only Salah could cut inside with the intention of releasing Frimpong on the overlap, we might be seeing him impact games far more than he has been. Kind of the same story on the other side of the pitch, where Gakpo ignores Kerkez's overlaps. But yes, they have been underperforming. Hopefully things can change for the better soon.

 

[MomoWASright]

£75M for Kerkez and Frimpong looks like bad business. The Kerkez interest I can understand but I'm not sure what anyone saw in Frimpong, apart from pace.
If Isak was able to play every week, I'm sure he'd be fine. But if the whole season is going to be niggling injuries like it is now, that would be a disaster.
Wirtz we just have to keep playing and hope it changes for him. Can't approach it any other way with that outlay.

Apart from Ekitike they all look like bad business.

 

[Tinto]

Guehi in instead of Isak. If we had to go for Isak after tapping him up (or whatever we did to make him go on strike), go back in January.

 

[Hyena]

My hot take is that our signings were fine.

Not perfect, but a good coach could definitely deal with the gaps at LW and CB and still win the league.