07 Jun 2025 18:35:57
Looks like Gittens will be signing. Very direct and will become a fan's favourite.
Just for the record my first choice (just) was Simmons.
The way Liverpool and City are strengthening there squad, next season is looking interesting.
07 Jun 2025 19:38:07
Tom, don’t know much about Gittens but glad it’s not Garnacho or Kudos.
07 Jun 2025 20:09:07
Tom
We are still £5mil short at the moment.
07 Jun 2025 20:10:43
Jimbo, neither Garnacho or Kudos would be high on my list of players but remember the club may take Kudos if it can dump five players (wages) on the happy hammers. Garnacho in my opinion, will end up being sold for about £30m or a loan and that may tempt the club.
In my opinion we are now a trading club and if the price is right they will buy a player even if they loan him straight out.
07 Jun 2025 20:10:55
Tom
I think Coty and Liverpool are doing their business early.
I think most of our business will be done after the CWC.
07 Jun 2025 21:01:42
Tom, you may be right about trading but it is a load of crap. We effectively did that with Gallagher and Felix. Regardless of loaning players out, I don’t want Garnacho or Kudus anywhere near our club. I want us to sign players who improve the squad. Our players on high wages won’t be wanted or will not move.
07 Jun 2025 21:25:49
And I want to win the euro millions lottery.
I have never really studied Garnacho or Kudos as players.
Any Kudos deal could make sense if they take 4/ 5 players and there wages.
If Garnacho is perceived as good value then I guess the club might be tempted.
Bill, I guess so as we have in my opinion a lot of players to sell.
07 Jun 2025 21:28:40
Would have preferred Rodrygo or Nico Williams - who has linked uo so well with Cucurellaa for Spain - established winners and stars. But guess they would not have fitted our wage structure or tendency lately to buy promising youngsters. Gittens fits that description and will hope he can fulfil potential with CFC.
Question is whether he and Delap- who I think could be really good for us in time - are enough by way of additions up front for us to be real title contenders next season in terms of fire power. Or is it a matter of another couple of seasons?
Guess these additions meant as immediate help with Club World Cup challenge g8ven Sancho back to United and Mudryk effectively gone tooit seems. Perhaps more additions adter mid-June. Have thought we need a couple of established superstars like Rodrygo to. makecus title challengers.
08 Jun 2025 08:42:56
JBS, the thing that worries me is whether Delap will get enough game time: strikers need regular starts to get into the grove. Obviously, there is a long way to go in the transfer window, however I am sure Liverpool, City and Arsenal will bring players in who improve their squads. We certainly didn’t do that last summer. I will wait and see how the window goes but at present I doubt that we can seriously challenge for the title.
08 Jun 2025 08:45:03
Yes Tom, looks like Mike Maignan is a done deal as well. I think that might conclude our business now. Delap, Gittens, Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, Estevao Willian, Paez (might go out on loan) and Maignan is a strong window with Santos and maybe Veiga returning. Still room for 1 more forward and possibly a CH if anyone leaves.
08 Jun 2025 09:24:13
RPD, yes it does look like our squad will have strengthened considerably for next season but unfortunately so have Liverpool, City and probably Arsenal at some stage.
Clubs have to do so much just to maintain there league positions nowadays. Still I think we are moving in the right direction.
I like the idea of signing players early but we do have a lot of players to sell but I’m sure the club will be trying its hardest to reduce the potential squad size and wage bill.
08 Jun 2025 10:06:36
Yes Tom, City, Liverpool and Arsenal will all be stronger as will Man U and ourselves. I expect Liverpool to start as favourites but I would like us to give them a decent run.
08 Jun 2025 10:27:02
RPD, the scousers signing Wirtz will be the signing of the window. I’m very jealous as he is so good. I thought he would be going to Munich.
The spuds will nod have to spend big because of Champions League and wanting to support there (Franks) there new manager.
08 Jun 2025 11:06:52
Never seen Wirtz play Tom but coming to the PL as a world record signing must be decent.
08 Jun 2025 14:22:25
I think we will all have to wait until the end of the summer transfer window to see where CFC stands in relation to our likely rivals for top 4 or 5 to see who seems to be the strongest. That means outgoings question as well as incoming. Clearly we already look to have a squad of great potential but we'll have to see whether Delap is given enough starts over Jackson to gain match rhythm and confidence and/ or whether we will still be bringing in another attacker.
Then there is the CH and GK question of whether we're as good as rivals eg Liverpool or Arsenal in those positions as well as attack/ midfield.
I'd think if all fit we're probably strongest in midfield.
Yes RPD but Liverpool likely to be title favourites on look of things now
Would think we need.
08 Jun 2025 14:44:17
Tom, winning the lottery is not comparable to a club like Chelsea signing players who improve the squad. That is why we have SDs etc- that is supposed to be their job.
08 Jun 2025 15:33:19
Jimbo, the SD’s do there job but it will never please everyone. In fact there is more chance of winning the euro millions than pleasing everyone.
08 Jun 2025 17:17:43
Tom. I don’t think they are doing their job. Last summer’s window was dreadful and most of the players brought in will be moved on.
08 Jun 2025 17:35:52
There isn’t a single SD set up at virtually any club that gets every decision correct and it’s impossible to make every fan happy.
Generally speaking I think the majority of fans have been happy with our recruitment since our current SD’s took on there duties. Will they have bad, average. good, very good windows over the course of there employment, of course they will.
I know, when they have a bad window…Let’s sack them.
08 Jun 2025 19:30:57
Tom, I disagree with your assertion that the majority of fans are happy with our recruitment. Also, I am not aware of any top club in the PL or Europe who has two SDs, not to mention a Director of Professional Football and Head Scout and Head of Global Goalkeeping: they must be tripping over themselves to find things to do. Just as well SJR didn’t take over the club or they might have found themselves in the dole queue.
08 Jun 2025 19:50:18
Jimbo, you want the manager, SD’s and GK coach all sacked.
I haven’t got a clue why us having two so called SD’s is an issue. Given the size of the global football footprint I would be surprised if there wasn’t a lot more than two people involved in recruiting top global footballing talent.
Unlike some I had zero interest in SJR being involved in our club as I did some research on his companies history and it didn’t give me any comfort.
08 Jun 2025 22:05:34
Tom, it’s not an issue about getting people sacked; you don’t need 2 SDs which has nothing to do about global footprint. All top clubs including us have scouts across the globe. Our head of Global Goalkeeping , Ben Roberts, went 50 miles down the road to bring in his mate Sanchez. I never wanted SJR, I was commenting on duplication of roles leading to ineffective performance.
09 Jun 2025 04:31:46
Jimbo, the structure, including two SD’s I s something the owners feel works. If they don’t believe it’s working they will make changes.
They made a decision to source “young” players from a massive global football footprint. At the time the clubs approach was fairly unique in the premiership. The owners, in my opinion, decided this required a different approach. There is nothing wrong about having a different approach.
I repeat, no recruitment set up at any club has a perfect recruitment record. If your issue is we have a “large” recruitment department, I would suggest that is a requirement the club needs as it is, again in my opinion, a trading club.
I have seen no evidence that having “two” SD’s has caused the recruitment to an “infective performance. ”
Our GK coach, I assume has been involved in recruiting several Keepers not only Sanchez. They are all reasonably young and I have no idea how many of them will have successful careers and for that reason I’m not going to right him of as a GK specialist for a while yet.
You want the coach, SD’s and GK coach all sacked. That’s ok.
{Ed001's Note - it was not a different approach, it was the same as Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth and others, just with more money to spend.}
09 Jun 2025 08:12:14
Or it could be the same as lots of clubs who have made recruitment mistakes.
09 Jun 2025 08:30:32
Sorry Ed, I misunderstood your reply. I guess the owners by hiring Winstanley were hoping to replicate best in class. I believe he came from there after about 8/ 9 years service.