tnb 12:39 Sat May 13
Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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A point was just raised on another thread that got me thinking, but I'm not going to reply on that thread as it isn't particularly relevant to the original post, which was just a fishing expedition anyway. So I'm putting it here.
I have seen a few people make reference to our Europa League qualification last year in relation to last summer's transfer policy. It seems that some people feel it made our thinking more muddled and in some way is a partial explanation if not excuse for how the window panned out. No disrepect to anyone who thinks that, but I don't get it. Does anyone care to explain?
Surely being in an additional competition, albeit starting at an early stage and as it turned out only briefly being there, ought to make it easier to recruit and if anything make you more ambitious about it? I fail to see how qualifying for the early rounds of the EL somehow forces you to waste money on the likes of Tore and Feghouli?
Is it just me?
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Replies - In Chronological Order ( Show Newest Messages First)
tnb
12:40 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Just to be clear, the reply was valid and warrants discussing. It was the OP who I feel was fishing.
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Ricky
12:54 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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They assumed we would qualify and therefore have a lot more fixtures.
They therefore spread the transfer and wage budget over a greater volume of players to increase the size of the squad, prioritising this over the quality of the squad.
As you largely get what you pay for, we ended up with a load of shit.
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SurfaceAgentX2Zero
1:03 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Ricky 12:54 Sat May 13
Is the correct answer.
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BubblesCyprus
1:18 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Ricky 12:54 Sat May 13 Well said could not have explained it any better
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JayeMPee
1:42 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Ricky - got it in one!
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tnb
1:50 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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The end result being that we ended up with more, worse players? Granted that does sound like Sullivan and co, but surely that's incredibly short sighted.
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Alex V
1:50 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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On reflection, I don't think it did affect it much. After all, squad size is really dictated by regulations.
I think we're looking for a convenient explanation of what happened last Summer. I think the truth is that the players who came in were not bad players, but the situation they came into was dysfunctional.
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Sven Roeder
1:50 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Good to see Bilic in his Evening Standard column say our priorities are players who can go straight into the team. And adding pace.
Getting players who are GOOD rather than ones who are SHIT will also help
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tnb
2:07 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Exactly, Sven. If we really did just decide to buy bodies then that is a ridiculous way to go. But as we still ended up with a relatively small squad, as our various injuries have shown (look at the back of most programmes too, our squad list is very often the shortest) I'm not even convinced that was the plan.
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Alex V
2:16 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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For the premier league we registered 24 out of 25 senior players (Sam Westley taking up the 25th spot as a makeweight). For comparison Spurs and Man City only registered 20. Our squad was almost full basically.
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Bernie
2:27 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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We really needed to fill the squad up with seasoned pros as it was clear Bilic didn't want to attack Europe with the kids.
I think it's fair to say we wouldn't have purchased Tore, Calleri, Feghouli, Nordveidt had we not been in the EL.
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Darby_
2:35 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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I think the depth of our squad probably saved us from a more serious relegation scrap this season.
Most of our past seasons you wouldn't have been able to replace an out-of-form Noble with a player that starred in the Bundesliga, or replace an out-of-form Cresswell with a player that cost £6m.
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SurfaceAgentX2Zero
2:40 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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I see you are including Sam Westley in our 25 but forgetting to include for Tottenham, Deli Ali (who regularly plays for England) Harry Winks (who started against us and made 19 Prem appearances until injury finished his season at the start of April), George-Kevin N'Koudoo (14 appearances including 6 Prem), Josh Onomah (12 appearances including 5 Prem) and one other youngster who has appear in all the cups.
Nothing like twisting the facts to suit yourself.
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Alex V
3:13 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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That's a pretty desperate reach for a point to score. I don't dispute Spurs use young players brilliantly - I've been making that point for years. Similarly we have that option - we should make more of it and I've been calling for the likes of Fletcher, Cullen, Burke, Fernandes to play more for years on here.
My point was that we could only buy one more senior player given registration rules - hence our squad was nearly full, we can't really say it was smaller than others.
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Alex V
3:21 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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I think a major problem with our squad has been that it just wasn't planned properly in terms of senior options. Many clubs have 2 or 3 strikers, we had 4 this season. We had 4 predominantly right wings in the squad, very attacking ones too. If you consider that Payet was a shoe-in for the first 11 on the left, I think that's why the squad seemed small at times - it was top heavy with attackers and not balanced. The mix was not right at all.
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13 Brentford Rd
3:33 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Don't see the point of entering a completion that you no intention of properly competing in and treating it as an inconvenience.
In any case the squad was not really good enough to fulfil the owners claims of "next level"
Problem with our owners is they go for quantity over quality and are always looking at the freebies and loans market trying to save money.
They want 3 players for 35m when what is required is one or two.
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Alex V
4:11 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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I look at our haul of high-priced 'marquee' signings over recent years. Jarvis, Carroll, Valencia, Ayew, Zaza. Why does anybody want more of that?
I want no more of that. I want money spent on clever signings that will deliver more than they cost. I'd take a first 11 of 'freebies' (which of course aren't free in reality) as long as they could do the business.
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Side of Ham
4:12 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Sullivan is the Harry Redknapp of owners, buying large quantities of bargains in the hope a couple come off.
EVERYTHING in moderation.
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Side of Ham
4:21 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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What we NEED is a few players who BOSS their positions and take hold of games on a consistent basis.
They generally cost money and our owners are too often at the back of the queue for the Kante discoveries.
That's why we need to pay out as they can't change.
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13 Brentford Rd
4:28 Sat May 13
Re: Europa League affecting transfer policy?
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Sullivan must be worried as they seemed to have reached their limit in terms of excuses & bullshit and ability take the club any further. Next season will be the defining one for them.
They have made their bed with the stadium move and now have deliver on their promises!
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