Obviously we're all annoyed about the mess up yesterday and the lack of strikers in our squad but our dealings compared to those around us are fairly good. The window started with strong rumours around Suarez, Agger and Skrtel leaving but they're all still here. Meanwhile Arsenal have lost their two best players and Spurs have lost two of their best. Spurs have brought in a few but is Dembele as good as Modric and Dempsey as good as VdV? I don't think so.
Add to that Arsenal are looking absolutely ttoothless with their fans seemingly given hope on this season. Popped onto the Tpttenham board and they say they have no chance of fourth. So who will get fourth? Newcastle could surprise again but considering the gloom around both London clubs I don't think any of us should be writing off our chances for fourth yet.
PS, I'm not saying we will get fourth or that I'm happy about our deDdline day dealings.
Not too bad
posted on 1/9/12
Agreed.
Although I'm appalled with what happened yesterday, I think the poor activity from our top four rivals has softened the blow. As long as Suarez and Borini stay fit until January we are fine. Big ask of course with so many games but lets cross our fingers.
Why we didn't just sign Dempsey at the beginning of the window I will never fully understand and then offering a meagre £3m was a huge gamble never likely to pay off.
Heads should roll.
posted on 1/9/12
Dembele is definitely a classy signing, he scored a cracker today for them. Sigg / Dempsey aren't VdV's standard.
I think Spurs big problem is switching to such a defensive system. They never played 2 holding midfielders under 'Arry they gassed teams down the wings instead. Not sure they have the right players for AVB's system just yet.
Arsenal will always be a problem but playing them early before they've sorted their attacking out seems a bonus. Then again same could be said about us.
posted on 1/9/12
Spurs I think is more about how AVB does than the quality of their signings.
Their squad is still very good, but like us they have a completely different system and manager.
Unlike us AVB has changed a largely succesful team as opposed to a struggling one.
How their players react to that will determine how well they do. They have started slow but they did last season as well, albeit with harder games.
Arsenal are written off every year but for me they will still be the team to beat for 4th. They beat the poor teams in the league far more comfortably than we ever manage.
Newcastle look strong, as do Everton who had a surprise result today for me.
We are a distant outsider for 4th.
Not impossible, but I won't be betting on it.
posted on 1/9/12
Heads should not roll at the first mistake, chalk it up to inexperience and leave things settled for a while, fed up of the chopping and changing at our club !!!
posted on 1/9/12
Sadly I'd say out all the top teams Man Utd strengthened their squad based on players in and out however their net spend would have been simuliar to Man City and only Chelsea would have spent more in the league.
Chelsea made some very good additions however these replaced a number of players who left on a free also the new addtions are all attacking players. Chelsea really needed to sign a player capable of playing s a DM,
I'm suprised Arsenal did not go for another Central midfielder since Wiltshire is still going to be out for a while and will take some time to get back to is best.
In terms of spurs I'd agree with Suarez's teeth, had they have singed Moutinho as well then they would have improved their squad for sure.
In terms of us we are clearly short a striker to play with Suarez and Borinin. We are also a wide player short also. Until Jan we will be more dependent on some of the emerging players such as Morgan, Sterling and Pacheco than perhaps we would like.
Given all the experienced players who have left I am not happy Cole is still here, as his £90K week wages could be much better spent on playing the wages of a player like Llorente.
posted on 1/9/12
Arsenal get written off every year and still finish top four, they have to be the favourites, with us and Spurs pushing. I would have been optimistic about it if we signed a striker, but hopefully we'll still be in the race in January. It depends on if Podolski and Giroud can start finding the net, how badly AVB phucks Spurs, and of course, if we can find some consistency in front of goal to turn performances into results. Far too early to say, but one or two injuries up front will put us in a lot of trouble as even with a full squad I just don't see where the goals are going to come from. It's conceivable that Gerrard, Suarez and Borini will all reach double figures but the rest of the squad combined have about 10 goals in them.