Recruitment moving forward

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I think fleck will return to form this is still early in his recovery but Norwood is a busted flush now and we’re unlikely to hold onto Berge long term. It’s no coincidence that our worst performances under wilder have been when we don’t have a functioning pivot when Coutts was injured and we just don’t have a pivot at all currently.

We maybe need to dispense with the Coutrs/Norwood pivot as finding a type good enough this level would cost 40-50 mill. I'd go down a different approach and get a big dirty bugger who can sit in front of the defence. Give some protection but allow the defenders to start getting forward again. We are a soft touch in the middle. Need our 2020 version of Vinny Jones.
 
Mcburnie and Brewster have both shown they are fantastic in the championship and not up too it in the PL. Many strikers are like this like Dwight Gayle etc.

Our strike force is championship standard I would be looking to use them in the division.
Not saying you are wrong but not sure we can make a final judgement on Brewster just yet.
 
I think we maybe overpaid but Mousett, Brewster, Ramsdale and Berge are decent players.

However, I think we got it hopelessly wrong when we signed McBurnie, I am absolutely amazed that someone sanctioned a £17M or thereabouts fee for him, on the basis that he was good at heading the ball.

I just hope we get him off the books, for any price, I can’t bear to watch him mincing about the pitch for another season whatever division were in 😤
Not sure what to think about McBurnie, it's hard not to say he has looked awful at times. That said, there must be a decent footballer in there if he can knock in 20 plus goals in the championship.

Granted he might not be a top striker in the top flight but he's not Sunday league level like many people on here say.

I think people attack him for the fee. If we had paid £5m for him I suspect he'd still get slated but not as much. Sad thing is he didnt set the fee, so the criticism around that should be at the club for paying it. (If you think its too much of course)
 
We maybe need to dispense with the Coutrs/Norwood pivot as finding a type good enough this level would cost 40-50 mill. I'd go down a different approach and get a big dirty bugger who can sit in front of the defence. Give some protection but allow the defenders to start getting forward again. We are a soft touch in the middle. Need our 2020 version of Vinny Jones.
Potentially although last season I think Norwood functioned as the pivot ably but this year he seems to have lost half a yard and can’t cover the space to a sufficient level. He’s then compounding that by not moving the ball as well as he has previously. The issue with bringing in an out and out destroyer is can we be creative enough with the ball with that type of player in midfield. Ampadu has been inconsistent in midfield but has shown flashes that he might be the answer but we’re unlikely to know for sure come January due to him likely being deployed at left centre back going forward.
 
I think we maybe overpaid but Mousett, Brewster, Ramsdale and Berge are decent players.

However, I think we got it hopelessly wrong when we signed McBurnie, I am absolutely amazed that someone sanctioned a £17M or thereabouts fee for him, on the basis that he was good at heading the ball.

I just hope we get him off the books, for any price, I can’t bear to watch him mincing about the pitch for another season whatever division were in 😤
Agree. Watching McBurnie is like watching bleedin' Bambi.
 
Before we start talking recruitment we need to get rid of the wage stealing dross like McBurnie and the past their sell by date like Basham, Stevens and Norwood!
 
We got it wrong with not signing any experienced prem players.

In the summer of 2019 we went mainly for players who had been decent in the Championship and had resale value. If we went straight back down, we’d have a stronger squad at that level than before. Nothing wrong with that approach at that stage really.

In January we went out and signed Berge which was a real statement of intent. A young, exciting, international footballer playing in the Champions League. I thought it was the start of good things to come with our recruitment.

Fast forward to the summer and we go back to the buying from the Championship policy. A completely backwards move in my view. You have to move forwards to establish yourself as a Premier League club. We didn’t and are now seeing the results of it. So frustrating.
 
Recent history suggest players from relegated teams do not come cheap so we are unlikely to lose money on any player. I don’t think our recruitment has been as bad as some think even McBurnie he was signed as a top championship striker who may or may not make the step up thus far he hasn’t shown us that that isn’t what he is we’d only lose significant value on him if we went down and he still didn’t score.

You're talking about other teams though

We won't get our money back on any player we've bought, let alone make a profit, because the desperation to sell will override common sense
 
In fairness McB looked good for Swansea. I preferred him over Maupay. His confidence is shot
TBH the times I saw him play for Swansea at BL, he looked shit.I’m sorry but you only have to look at him run and strike the ball to know he’ll never make a Premier League footballer as long as he’s got a hole in his arse. That’s before you add all his off field distractions to the mix.

If Wilders due any criticism, it’s for agreeing to this last minute desperation signing!!!
 
You're talking about other teams though

We won't get our money back on any player we've bought, let alone make a profit, because the desperation to sell will override common sense
I mean if we do questions would need to be asked. But this is a new regime we had to sell in the past for financial reasons in the short to medium term that shouldn’t be the case now. It’s well publicised that we have recruited sensibly in terms of contracts and therefore as a team in receipt of parachute payments the salary burden shouldn’t exceed our ability to pay so we’d be under no obligation to sell other than either players wanting out or us wanting to liquidate those assets to reinvest.
 
TBH the times I saw him play for Swansea at BL, he looked shit.I’m sorry but you only have to look at him run and strike the ball to know he’ll never make a Premier League footballer as long as he’s got a hole in his arse. That’s before you add all his off field distractions to the mix.

If Wilders due any criticism, it’s for agreeing to this last minute desperation signing!!!

He finished off a certain percentage of the constant two yarders that Swansea provided him with due to their ability to control a football, move off the ball and pass it quickly and incisively.

He'd be a good finisher again if he moved to another club who had players that can control the ball, pass, move and create

He's not a Brian Dean who will hold up what comes to his feet or chest, flick on what comes to his head and chase down what goes beyond him.

He needs 6 yard box service and a constant supply of it, because even top strikers miss more than they score.

If they scored almost everytine something was created for them Aguerro would get about 100 goals a season
 
Sell any striker to a championship team for a couple of million. Any of them.
Use the money to recruit a free agent
Oumar Niasse would be a dream signing at this stage
 



Confidence and Technicality. The keywords and despite the constant reference to it in the horrendous summer window we still need some actual pace and power through out the entire squad. Also more then a couple foreign players would help. (And this is referring to championship recruitment as well as I don't think we have a single chance of survival).
 
LCB and CM depth, I expect.

The issue being, in our current circumstances, we won't want to spend top dollar and we may not be able to attract many.
 
I think people underestimate the difference in class the Premier league is to the championship. If we went down and kept 80% of this squad and CW as manager. I'm 90% sure we would be top 6 next season and 70% top 2. It's about not panicking if/when we go down.
 
So we came up to Premier League just to have a very good championship squad that is where the problem is
 
We've signed too much filler and not enough quality to displace the players who took us up.

In terms of what they provide week in week out, I'd argue that Basham and McGoldrick are among our best performers and credit to them for that but is a damning indictment towards our recruitment that they are still playing week in week out at this level where we haven't found or attracted anyone better.

We rescued a lot of points from losing positions last season which glossed over things a bit, obviously this season, we've come hideously unstuck.
 
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What would we get for Berge, McBurnie, Brewster and Ramsdale in January?
Norwich were right last year to spend nothing if these four are the best you can get for £80,000,000
I've been starting to wonder whether CWAK might have realised this season was going to be horrendously difficult so have already begun building a young squad to push for promotion back to the PL in the next couple of seasons.

You name those four - and add the two young lads from Derby and it begins to look like a development project, more than a team strengthening project.
 
Heard a lot saying our team will be ravaged if we go down but dont see it. If we finish on the record low points total then no one wants many of our players. Norwich lost a couple and we'd be about the same.

People will see the car crash this season and see damaged goods.

I reckon Berge and maybe Egan. Lundstram will go. Mousset possibly abroad.

Berge may see a team like West Ham or Everton sign but we'd only get pur money back...maybe a bit more like the lad Everton signed from Watford...just under 30 mill was it.

Egan ditto. Not sure he is that much worse than a Godfrey type so again a mid to lower club like Newcastle may spend 10-15 mill on him.

Mousset..a Prem club may give us our money back for an impact sub but he's so injury prone/unfit not sure id pay 10 million+ for a player that barely can play. Maybe a French teams signs him but we'd take a loss.

The rest?

McBurnie, Brewster and Ramsdale...none proved themselves good enough at this level or even close yet.

Fleck barely looks Champ at the moment and his form has been like this for a fair while. Not sure anyone touches him even as cover.

Baldock is decent but he is still one of the worst RWBs / RBs in the league. Those scoffing have a quick scan through the teams and you'll struggle to see many he'd get in over if you take out the other bottom 3 teams. The fact he's been one of our best players makes it frightening.

Stevens...horribly off form and age wise teams will be put off.

Jack...depends if he gets fit. However if he is done this season he ain't going anywhere next summer....look at Brooks coming back from injury as an example no-one have signed.

Bash..too old and dropped off this sesmason.

Norwood...not good enough for Prem sadly

Freeman as above

Sharp and McGoldrick on the way down

Lowe/Bogle/Osborn/Robinson squad players even at Champ
I know you're notoriously critical, but baldock one of the worst full backs on the league.

Completely disagree, as a full back theres not many others, if any id actually want over him. Hes arguably the best defender around in his position.
 
Where do we turn now? We have spent a lot of money on our strike force and a lot of our players have very specific roles in the side so it’s difficult to just buy a like for like replacement.

But I don’t trust the recruitment team to even spend another £20m on a striker?

But we need change?

Not sure where to turn.
If we’re still bottom going into the new year....There will be no more recruitment
 
I know you're notoriously critical, but baldock one of the worst full backs on the league.

Completely disagree, as a full back theres not many others, if any id actually want over him. Hes arguably the best defender around in his position.
And he shouldn't be expected to score as well...no other fucker does
 
No point wondering if we can sell Brewster haven't Liverpool got first option on him? I don't think the lad will be going anywhere unless Liverpool waive their right to their buy back option.
Prince A has got a huge decision to make fairly soon does he stick with Wilder or twist. No doubt he will be having a conversation with CW on the way to move the club forward that could well be sell Berge in January and try to bring in a few fresh faces the problem being these would be from the Championship. No Premier league player will move to us if there is little chance of avoiding the drop and we are close to that point now. The other option is to start recruiting for next season in the Championship and we could lose 2-3 of our best players Berge, JOC, Baldock, Fleck take your pick. Whichever we do we have to move on the dead wood and the over 30's to get some youth and pace into the club. Next month will be very interesting that's for sure, or traumatic.
 
TBH the times I saw him play for Swansea at BL, he looked shit.I’m sorry but you only have to look at him run and strike the ball to know he’ll never make a Premier League footballer as long as he’s got a hole in his arse. That’s before you add all his off field distractions to the mix.

If Wilders due any criticism, it’s for agreeing to this last minute desperation signing!!!
McB is the least like a natural footballer - his gangly body , awkward gait are just what you don't want - he simply doesn't have the tools for the job , even his forehead slopes backwards which sends every header straight up in the air.
We got £1m for DCL who had all the right attributes but needed coaching to be a top CF.
We paid £17m for McB but surely the person who signed the cheque could never have seen him play ?
Maybe they just saw his record of a few goals for Swansea ?
 
TBH the times I saw him play for Swansea at BL, he looked shit.I’m sorry but you only have to look at him run and strike the ball to know he’ll never make a Premier League footballer as long as he’s got a hole in his arse. That’s before you add all his off field distractions to the mix.

If Wilders due any criticism, it’s for agreeing to this last minute desperation signing!!!
to be fair to chris maupay was his first choice but of course money again was the issue whichever way you want to look at it and disagree with another poster maupay was a far better option than mcburnie if we got a 10m offer for him i would snatch their hands off hes just not a premier league striker as for the other point a poster has put on i do think chris had one eye on the championship with his recruitment but i think berge egan and joc are the only ones that may be sold but very interesting topic this one and also interesting to hear so many different viewpoints utb fto
 



If you really are ancient then you will have been taught the importance of punctuation , capital letters and paragraphs in order to make the written word clear and understandable .

Please try to incorporate that teaching into any future posts since your present method of posting is almost unreadable .

At Silent’s boarding school , it would have merited nothing les than six with the slipper ( trousers down ) and the withdrawal of your pre bedtime ‘treat’ from matron . :)
 

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