An interesting take has been offered by new CandH follower Hoolio on why the window was so disappointing. Here he explains that he believes why the summer market will become very big indeed.
There’s an easily readable sub text here it’s got nothing to do with Moyes being too careful, (Caleta Car) Man U as seeing us as top four rivals (Lingard) or even West Ham being seen as a “small” club by some top players (Gabigol – and others).
I honestly think Rice and Bowen are gone in the summer and no amount of tinkering in January would have prevented it.
If you accept this then you can see that the next window is the biggy because two or three hundred milion (player sales plus Kretinsky money) will have to be spent very wisely indeed on extended contracts for those remaining and HUGE signings to make up for the losses.
If we are to become proper top 6 plus contenders long term this is the real reason for the half-hearted attempts during the window.
The only possible thing that could alter this path is if we win the Europa League (and with it Champions League qualification) because we’re not going to finish top four and probably wouldn’t have even if we had signed a half decent striker and centre back in January (who weren’t available anyway)
COYI’s
Well 8 players by my count are likely to go in the summer before we factor in Rice and Bowen. Thats David Martin (end contract) Darren Randolph (sold) Areola (end loan spell he’s clearly not fancied by Moyesie) Fredericks (end contract), probably Issa Diopp (sold), Noble (end contract), Masuaku (sold – if the stories about him being up for sale in this window just gone are true), Yarmolenko (end contract). And then Kral who hasn’t figured much – is he going to be returned? Thats an awful lot of churn in a small squad and you’ve gutted the 2 most talented players out. And as this article suggests Rice and Bowen do go, we are unlikely to be offering CL (as we are highly likely to finish outside the top 4), maybe Europa if we are lucky between now and the end of the season (and finish top 6) but with such churn in the squad why would the top players want to head our way?
They had the option to really go for it this transfer window, really have a tilt at the CL spot and maybe secure Europa or FA glory, secure Rice and Bowen – and they just blew it…..don’t give me ambition for top club slots – there’s no other way to read it…..
Totally agree. Why oh why did we end up this way. So much promise and now the opposite. If this does not rattle the conference of the players showing the lack of will on recruitment to win things then why stay at a club that has no ambitions. I cannot believe that we may be throwing everything away, we are asking our thin squad to fight on two cups plus a top four or six finish with one striker who has gone off the boil a bit no back up for left back and a quality centre back as two of ours currently are in there thirties and one is totally lost his confidence. I hope and pray I am wrong but we won’t have long to wait till Saturday against Kiddiminister a few bad tackles and then injuries for the Watford game. It will be interesting to see who is going to be our striker on Saturday as Antonio won’t be back from International duty in time to play
Not sure Bowen will go but Rice will probably generate some bids, if we sign some good players early in the window who knows, its also World Cup year so Rice might decide to hold off a move until then (mid season) because he may not get the games at a new club. Agree though that the next window needs to involve some major spending to replace the dead wood and provide competition, Vlasic and Benrahma are both improving and if either hit a vein of form they could have the Lingard effect on us. We now need to hope we stay injury free and start to get decisions go for us, as usual we are getting all the bad calls from the refs.