The word “list” pops up time and again when talking to our favourite club insiders on transfer targets but it normally brings a shout from fans to “bloody well (and worse) get on with it for ****** sake!!!”.
This started last season when David Sullivan made it clear he had a list of managerial targets after losing out to Real Madrid in the hunt for Rafa Benitez, who will of course start the new season in the Championship with Newcastle.
Being top of a list – as we see – can mean nothing!
Also on the list were the likes of Klopp and it wasn’t until we reached the bottom of the “list”, that we landed a man who has become the sensation of Premier League managerial sensations.
So when I see Alexandre Lacazette falling out of the running as we move down the list I really can’t get very concerned because I believe in this manager and reckon once he moves he will find the perfect striker – Slaven is as good as it gets at this job.
I know for a fact that he waited until the morning of deadline day last summer before giving the nod to move for Michail Antonio having already brought us Angelo Ogbonna, Dimi Payet and of course Manu Lanzini on loan.
Every year however it’s the same with everybody shouting for signings NOW but let’s allow the man to work his way through the list as we remain calm and keep the faith.
He claimed a few days ago there was “no panic” and the mind picture of him doing so is ridiculous – he doesn’t look as though he knows the meaning of the word.
Word this morning is that Christian Benteke is climbing the list of which he’s been a member since the end of the season.
I have no problem with that as I know Slav fancies him a lot and that’s good enough for me. The major issue would be wages and there have been discussions.
It makes a remarkable change to be able to chill at this time of the season and that’s only possible because we all have a manager in whom we can trust.
That he was bottom of the managerial list last season is also vastly encouraging!
COYI
No he never performed very well last year with Liverpoor but they were rubbish,how did they finish in the top ten or get to cup finals,
If our midfield deliver the sort of chances we watched Valencia,Sak ,Emineke and AC waste last year he would get 20 plus easy,
The 2 Daves will look more to our shores with the exchange rate being so bad
Wonder when we will get offered Morata and Rodriguz for Dimitri. .
And would you take it ?
I don’t think the Lacazette deal is dead yet. He must be miles ahead of any other striker on the “list”.
Instead of two strikers for say £45m combined, just buy him at £40m and then use Carroll plus maybe Parfitt-Williams as support/injury cover. Antonio Martinez will be useful cover too. With Payet (who I’m confident we’ll keep), Lanzini, Feghouli and Tore (who reports are saying will be announced next week), we’re amassing plenty of fire power up front.
Sakho and Valencia can move on to free up salary and squad space.
If we can get Benteke for £15m might be worth it but I think he is already on big wages at Liverpool rumoured was £120k a week so I think for that and other reasons it is a long shot to expect him to sign. Marseille have to sell Batshuayi to balance the books so that looks the most likely, why we haven’t put a bid in for Jannsen is beyond me I think he is available for less than £15m, there is also Milic at Ajax he scored loads last season.
Benteke has been found out, which is why he isn’t scoring. In that video of his Villa goals he nearly always had masses of space, which he would not get now apart from his headed goals, which were Carroll replicas!
So, with his massive wages, I’m against Benteke. Is he 4 times better than Sak?? I’d prefer to see Sak’s wages increased and see if his off-field issues can’t be sorted.
However, “In Bilic, we trust!”. Maybe he can get more out of Benteke, afterall, just before his transfer, Jelavic was starting to look REALLY good.
I’d far prefer DS to find some hidden gem, like Antonio…and anyway, to me, the priority is RB not a striker…
It’s a funny old game but Benitez was right at the bottom of my want list. In fact he wasn’t even on it. Whereas Bilic was right at the top so I’m a happy man. Fully vindicated and slaven a right laugh at the Benitez/moyes mob. Where are you now?
You got it right and I got it wrong, Slaven…AGAIN! (Although, I didn’t actually want Benitez or and was only luke warm about Moyes, I didn’t want Slaven either…so yeah, how wrong was I? I’d prefer him now over ANYONE else!
Couldn’t agree more!