Transfer Rumours Summer transfer window

I think it's worth recording somewhere, as BOS and Eze look set to leave us, that it was Ian Holloway who identified their talent (after spells managing Blackpool and Millwall respectively) and brought them both in. Thank you, Ollie, for yet another example of our debt to you.

 

Yep two of his better signings

 

We might possibly think so. But then footballers tend to get seduced by the number of noughts in their pay cheque in preference to learning how to adapt to life abroad

 

I get that. It's a short career and can be ended by injury at any moment. That's a very powerful argument.

 

Bilic gave Eze a big hug after the game, after a lo g chat. Hope he didnt give him Corona virus - obviously Albion arent a safe Club for Eze to go to.

 

Lots of reported interested from Leeds in Eze but mostly from the type of online site that doesn't seem overly trustworthy. Would be good if they entered a bidding war...

 

Seem to be a healthy interest in Eze from Spurs, Spam, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Leeds.

Enough teams to push up the price a bit.

BOS has interest from Leicester and Spam

Manning from Southampton (do they know he cannot defend?).


Looks as though we might lose all 3 ....with BOS and Manning in the last year of contract, if they will not sign we must capitalise on their market value.

What is said about players capitalising on their health and fitness goes both ways, remember. We keep a player and he tears his ligament....nearly all his value evaporates. Eze has played nearly every match this season, he is a fit lad...he might not be next year!

 

After his wonder goal last night the camera's cut to a shot of billic on the sideline with a rueful smile on his face as if to say "f*ck me that was brilliant".....

I'd say he's a huge admirer of the lad and knows he can play top level..... he'd be wasted at palace, West ham, Brighton....still believe Leicester would suit both Eze and Bos down to the ground....

 

I'll no doubt be proven wrong, but I don't get the Manning interest. He's not good enough as a midfielder to make it in the PL, and isn't good enough as a defender either. Maybe as a 'proper' wing back in a team that plays five at the back, but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes to another championship team instead of the PL.

 

I agree, though last night was probably Mannings best game of the season

 

I don't think we've really seen enough of him as a midfielder to judge. I was kind of hoping he'd stay and with Eze and BOS going he might be pushed forward. He can cross a decent ball and clearly offers a bit of goal threat.

 

I can see both sides. Having moved abroad and experienced a different way of doing things I can certainly say there is a plus side to it, and experiencing a different culture is great...when they aren't on strike.

On the other hand, players must fear moving abroad and being forgotten about as they are off the radar. They'd then spend a few years moving around Europe until they find somewhere that works for them. Might be seen as less of a gamble to sit on the bench at a Premier League club and grab your chance when it comes.

 

I think we're a bit fooked

I have the feeling that this transfer window will be the most important one we've had in a while and for years to come. If we don't get in a generous handful of some players with serious championship experience, I can see us getting relegated.

We've lost several experienced players and have been left with a squad largely made up of players who have come through our average-at-best youth system (or someone else's system). The amount of genuine experience left, after several players have gone since before the restart, is very thin. We've seen the results of that in some of the bad recent performances where we look amateur at times.

I'm not usually a doom and gloom sort. We obviously have some positives too and the recent games haven't been all bad all the time. But the signs are there, imo.

 

If I remember right we had a massive turnover of players last summer, 15 or 16 ins and outs I think. Yet we have ended up higher up the table this season that's just finished. So who knows now how next season will be. For the sake of greater stability, togetherness I hope we keep the best and most promising, Eze, BOS, Lumley, Kakay, Cameron (signed for another year already), re loan or buy Hugill, and Barbet. Build around them and sell off some of the others where we can and replace where we need to with more physicality, toughness, and cynicism. But if we have to sell some of the ones I've named because we get offers we cannot refuse, there's no reason that we cannot replace them as well as we did last summer, and especially so with more cash to buy/ loan with. Dont see a reason to be too gloomy about our prospects for next season.

 

It's always a gamble but largely it comes down to the skill of the manager and the scouting network. Stick with the manager for once. Last year it worked anything between spectacularly well and better than we had feared. In other years of course it didn't. The most obvious one being the Ray Wilkins year when he sold Ferdinand, spent a third of the money on Ned ****ing Zelic and the rest I can't even remember and we were fooked. From top 10 finishers to relegation at a canter by the end of the season.

I can't see those errors being replicated but they do need to make sure that Warburton remains happy.

 

Very true.

Our “new” business model is to develop talent, (unfortunately then) sell them, and re-invest in new talent.

Hopefully, we will improve the raw quality of the acquisitions with each cycle.

This model successfully worked with teams which we are emulating.

Do we remember buying a Charlie Austin from Burnley a few years ago? He was great for us, but I remember that Burnley did not miss him in their next season, and they as a club seem to have pushed on.

Last season we had a massive team overhaul and we ended up playing better and with better results. Fact.

In my opinion, we need to keep the faith and continue with the strategy.

p.s. Good young players should come to us as they will know that we will play them. If they develop and perform, they they move to bigger clubs.

p.p.s Great in theory. Let’s hope that it will will work for us in the long run.

 

I think your first p.s. is important. Hopefully as we (re)grow a reputation for bringing young players on the buying clubs will also have to add a premium too as we'll be seen as a safe bet to buy from. I'm sure Brentford sales have a premium on them because of their reputation.

 

West London Sport reporting that we're keen to take Amos on a permanent deal.

Personally I don't see why we would go for that as he has been average at best this year, but then again, you look at the progress of some of the players this year, factor in that this is Amos' first season back from a very serious injury, and have to trust MW's belief in his potential a little bit. Not many predicted BOS was going to be this good 18 months ago, maybe we'll be saying the same about Amos before long.

 

I just wonder whether there may still be health concerns regarding Clarke after his faint at Leeds before he moved to Spuds. Maybe it is also a confidence issue or concerns it could happen again. Then again he has a multi million price tag he might be struggling to live up to.
I would have thought that we could have been an ideal club for him to regain his confidence..

 

No, no, no

Apart from his numerous failings, his pathetic attempt at a tackle then hissy fit after for West Broms second goal shows a lack of commitment for me. I don't want to see him back next season