Discussion: Looking forward to January

[CP-RJW]

Originally Posted by Dave Hedgehog

Before we get lost in the hysteria of the Jan transfer window, it's worth looking back at some of the most prominent transfer business in the last year or so from clubs around us.

• Everton: drooled all over Zaha before deciding Moise Kean was a much better player; Kean has been a total flop at £36m. They also signed Iwobi for £22m (flop). Lots of noise from Everton fans over the summer, and suddenly they have gone very quiet.
  
  
• Arsenal: drooled all over Zaha before deciding Pepe was a better player; Pepe has flopped at £72m. Lots of noise from Arsenal fans, and suddenly they have gone quiet.
  
  
• West Ham: Haller has struggled at £30m+, Pablo Fornals has done bugger all at £22m+.
  
  
• Newcastle: Almiron and Joelinton both look like very expensive duds; personally I'm not convinced by Saint Maximin either, fun player but ineffective.
  
  
• Watford: Sarr cost £27m, I literally haven't even heard his name mentioned since. Welbeck cost £10m. They are bottom.
  
  
• Brighton: Maupay a decent player with time to establish himself, but doesn't currently look worth £20-30m.
  
  
• Sheff United: paid £15-17m for Ollie McBurnie, who's a solid player but never worth that much.

That's a selected sample but it's staggering when you compare those transfer fees with their impact on the pitch.

We know we need to sign players - desperately - but spending money is not a guarantee of success. Sometimes, big transfer fees set a player up to fail.

Fans who scream and shout for the club to "spend some ******* money" (including me) are wrong and all the available information proves that they're wrong. The club are right to be much more careful about transfer business than we have been previously.

Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match conference about us: "They haven't had a spectacular transfer window but working together longer can improve you as well."

He's right and our performances this season prove that. We're better off building for the long-term rather than rushing decisions. Sometimes that means holding tight and trusting the current squad, then picking the right moment to get a bargain.

Cut to the last week of January and I'll be screaming for the club to spend some ******* money...

It’s ridiculous to write off any player as a flop a third of the way into the season. Particularly with most of these teams facing managerial turmoil and instability.

[orp pisshead1]

Originally Posted by CP-RJW

It’s ridiculous to write off any player as a flop a third of the way into the season. Particularly with most of these teams facing managerial turmoil and instability.

Add to fact foreign players normally need a season to settle in .

[Ardent Eagle Forever]

Originally Posted by orp pisshead1

Add to fact foreign players normally need a season to settle in .

Max Meyer anyone?

[hedge end eagle]

Would still like us to sign karlan Grant

[Eddie McGoldrick's tash]

Originally Posted by hedge end eagle

Would still like us to sign karlan Grant

Yeah, I like him. He is an option

[orp pisshead1]

Originally Posted by Eddie McGoldrick's tash

Yeah, I like him. He is an option

Reckon we could get him too

[spt1978]

Would like us to get the West Brom RB and then plan for the summer. We need to add some youth and pace to the side.

[adrenalin john]

Originally Posted by spt1978

Would like us to get the West Brom RB and then plan for the summer. We need to add some youth and pace to the side.

This ^^^

Unless an unexpected upgrade suddenly arises (messi on loan) akin to the late signing of Batman last year

[adrenalin john]

Originally Posted by libran

I think we need to stop looking at these short term fixes or we'll be in exactly the same position come next transfer window that we have been for years.

Bring in a young striker that can play for seasons

Sorloth?

[Dave Hedgehog]

Originally Posted by CP-RJW

It’s ridiculous to write off any player as a flop a third of the way into the season. Particularly with most of these teams facing managerial turmoil and instability.

That is not the point I'm making.

All of those players could come good. But the reality is that many of them will not. Or they will fail to repay their transfer fee.

This league is littered with extremely expensive flops which get brushed under the carpet.

If we want to rebuild the stadium and academy, our transfer spend will have to be carefully managed and deliver value-for-money. There are very few clubs in this league which could currently claim they've received value-for-money on their summer transfers.

But Palace must have one of the best points-per-spend return in the league this season.

Too many of us have our heads in the sand about the financial reality facing the club in the next 2-3 years. We need outside investment, and we need to work on a shoestring transfer budget.

If you spend this winter screaming for expensive, flashy signings, you'll be bitterly disappointed. And the reality is that we do not need those kinds of signings to develop the squad.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Originally Posted by orp pisshead1

Add to fact foreign players normally need a season to settle in .

Which is why we tend to prioritise players with PL experience - Kouyate and Tomkins are good examples of 'uninspiring' signings that are ready to go, off-the-shelf PL signings.

Giving a player 12 months to settle in is a luxury we can't afford.

[spt1978]

Would rather we did not have any big loan signings as well, the fee plus wages equal a large amount of cash.

[Eddie McGoldrick's tash]

A right back and a striker should definitely be signed. If we can't get the right players on permanent transfers then loans are fine with me.

The Premier League table is very tight and congested this season. Even if we have a good first half of the season we can't afford to get complacent about survival.

Continuing with no right back or striker cover would be a risk.

[hedge end eagle]

Originally Posted by orp pisshead1

Reckon we could get him too

Me too, his goal again today showed he can make something out of nothing and he can only get better

[orp pisshead1]

Originally Posted by hedge end eagle

Me too, his goal again today showed he can make something out of nothing and he can only get better

Pretty sure he’s a south London lad too.

[Ron Dogers]

Originally Posted by Dobbo

Roy has said a new striker is a possibility in January.

If one can be found in the Luvapoo/Everton/Tranmere treatment room available at 22:59 on Jan 31st?

[SussexRed&Blue]

What we have done is reduce our risk to getting stung with big transfer fees and high wages on long contracts.

The deals we have done recently are on experienced players who have been out of favour/out of contract at their clubs with low or no transfer fees.

Although it is a short term strategy it does reduce our exposure in overpaying on transfer fees.

Guaita big success, Ayew good value for money, Cahill great experience and leadership/attitude. Meyer free transfer skilful but not totally worked out but would probably have re-sale value. McCarthy low risk/fee compared to upside if he returns to his old Everton Form.

Hopefully we can add some younger players with potential but who are nearly out of contract like Ferguson at West Brom etc.

Unfortunately we just don't have money to burn on the likes of the Bentekes or Sakhos any more.

[carter]

The two at Brentford I’d love here. Watkins & Benrahma. Too young and too much flair for Hodgson though

[aashman12]

Originally Posted by carter

The two at Brentford I’d love here. Watkins & Benrahma. Too young and too much flair for Hodgson though

Or just looks at their model of getting the players off the big clubs when released or from lower league,

[Jason]

Originally Posted by hedge end eagle

Would still like us to sign karlan Grant

I think given our more cautious transfer policy these days, we have probably missed the boat on that one now. Huddersfield would probably want 15m+ for him (and given the insanity that is the current market, that's probably not unreasonable). I just don't see us spending that kind of money on a player who still very much represents a calculated gamble.

Which raises the question as to why we didn't move for him this time last year, when a couple of million would have got him. But that ship has sailed now. The key for me is that we need to be putting in place a system that will identify the next Karlan Grant, or Ollie Watkins etc, and then both allows us to by them relatively cheaply from Leagues 1-2 (or equivalent standard leagues elsewhere), and provides a structure for them to develop.

We need to bring down the average age of the squad if we are ever to build for the long term, and if we can't compete for the top young talent at championship (or similar) level, then we need to be buying sensible calculated risk "development projects" from lower down . . . .at least until our academy is up to scratch for the level we are now at.