Rate Our Window!

[Mello Yello 2,294]

Our Window was slightly  Opaque with some small cracks in two of its corners....Which is a bit of a pane....but It could also do with a good old spray with some windolene followed by a good rub with a clean cloth....

[mrD66M 99]

Financially speaking, a solid 9/10. Offloaded players who didn't start / stalled, were on big wages AND signed experienced players + players with future potential and made a profit overall.

Football wise, maybe a 7/10. The disappointment comes from not signing a permanent striker (Cannon would have been good) after Teemu left, allowing Idah to go on loan to get solid minutes, and a proper DCM. Good yet lacking ambition IMO. 

[Google Bot 3,278]

1 hour ago, Yelloow Since 72 said:

As for Sara, it's a drop down to Núñez who has similar skill

I don't think he has anywhere near the physicality of Sara, though.  Sara brings both technical skill backed up with a physical presence.  I never think of Nunez as a ball winner who can steam up field with the ball, finishing it with lay off, or deft through ball, and that's how I see Sara - without him we're a completely different proposition.

Fassnacht would be better cover up top than Idah as he's smarter, but losing Sara would really expose the current model for what it is - well sourced parts at minimum spend to support an already existing multi-million talent.

We need to be proud of who we've picked up across the past few seasons and bringing through a few gems, not all of them work, but that doesn't mean the models have failed, rather it shows the uphill struggle we face and the reality that so much has to come together in a short time to get success in the top tier. 

And many of these players are out for their own interests above the squads - Rashica a prime example.

Last seasons failure was just a complete drop in mentality - players were held who wanted to leave, a divide formed between fans and manager even when getting results, and (post Wagner) the number of injuries we endured.   I really think we would've had a shot in the playoffs if it wasn't for those injuries.

We can only do what we can do, however.  And I think the window's been a huge success, Injuries to key players are something that will cripple us, and not much that can be done - we can't bench a 7-10m player to have up our sleeve.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Google Bot

[Canary Wundaboy 1,359]

I really didn’t want to, but I was swayed heavily by the last week. I refuse the believe the club didn’t have a reasonably decent idea that Josh’s injury was serious. Yet we left it till the absolute last minute to get someone in up front and the final-seconds sale of Big Andy left us with no time to spend the money that sale gave us.

Otherwise I feel it was a really good window, offloaded a lot of players who were not delivering, got some big earners off the wage bill and brought in lots of nous and experience. Just a shame that it’s going to be a while before it’s all assembled together on the pitch!

[Nuff Said 5,141]

1 hour ago, Mello Yello said:

Our Window was slightly  Opaque with some small cracks in two of its corners....Which is a bit of a pane....but It could also do with a good old spray with some windolene followed by a good rub with a clean cloth....

I think you speak for most of here Mello, there’s not much I enjoy more.

[chicken 2,625]

1 hour ago, Google Bot said:

Big money for us though, and it was in reply to the suggestion that we've found a model that works based on this seasons strategy.  However, I was pointing out that the strategy wouldn't work without two signings that would break the model of cheap youngers and free signings of experienced players.

We looked much different with Idah leading the line on Saturday, and compare us in pre-season with and without Sara.  Two massive parts of the team that shows that we need to generate cash to bring in that level of player, and not all of them work.

All a bit messy really. 

There is an overall club strategy and then there is the strategy for this season.

The reason I say that is because there would have been a strategy in place, probably since the end of last season, around which players we would be determined to keep and build the team around this season and those which we would allow to leave for the right price. Omobamidele, Rashica and Aarons are not shock departures.

There has no doubt been interest in Sargent and Sara, and perhaps, if money wasn't raised by other sales, we may have been more open to interest.

The fee paid for them doesn't really make a difference to that other than how much we will try to recoup - should their contracts be long enough to do so.

Equally, how much we paid for them is immaterial to their place in the squad. Their ability is. Tzolis cost more than Sargent and the majority of the rest of the squad, he isn't in it.

The overall model of the playing side of the club isn't to never spend money on players, or to never spend large amounts on players, but that to do so, we have to sell and take risks with the money raised through sales. Sometimes we take in freebies that performances outstrip those of our most expensive ever signings - like Pukki. Other times we sign players like Sargent who are largely derided for two seasons and then suddenly become irreplaceable key components of our squad.

It is all part and parcel of the bigger picture. Which of course also includes fan pressure. There are many who still feel that we could have spent more and spent better the first season in the premier league under Webber and Farke - for example. 

[BroadstairsR 2,168]

From the 37th. minute of the match against Rotherham the most telling thing concerning the success of the window (and to a certain extent the success of Wagnerball) depended upon acquiring, hopefully fairly temporary, an adequate replacement for Sargent.

Let's hope that the blurb surrounding the signing and playing style of Hwang, especially from the manager, can be fulfilled sufficiently enough so we can then have hope that this boy proves to be a decent replacement

Edited September 4, 2023 by BroadstairsR

[chicken 2,625]

27 minutes ago, BroadstairsR said:

From the 37th. minute of the match against Rotherham the most telling thing concerning the success of the window (and to a certain extent the success of Wagnerball) depended upon acquiring, hopefully fairly temporary, an adequate replacement for Sargent.

Let's hope that the blurb surrounding the signing and playing style of Hwang, especially from the manager, can be fulfilled sufficiently enough so we can then have hope that this boy proves to be a decent replacement

I think it's also worth noting that it was the first game we started Idah up front.

Again, though, we conceded two goals, from throw ins. Absolutely nothing to do with Idah. Other players also had good opportunities to create or score goals and they didn't take them.

The emphasis on Idah is both an example of scapegoating and generally poor judgement from armchair experts.

After all, it certainly didn't stop Idah scoring or assisting Vs Huddersfield. 

[BroadstairsR 2,168]

1 minute ago, chicken said:

I think it's also worth noting that it was the first game we started Idah up front.

Again, though, we conceded two goals, from throw ins. Absolutely nothing to do with Idah. Other players also had good opportunities to create or score goals and they didn't take them.

The emphasis on Idah is both an example of scapegoating and generally poor judgement from armchair experts.

After all, it certainly didn't stop Idah scoring or assisting Vs Huddersfield. 

I didn't even mention Idah. Wouldn't dare.

[jaberry2 550]

Hard to rate our window but hopeful when Sainz is back he adds some real quality going forward. The acquisitions we have made look useful and think its been a good window, albeit some further depth would of been nice. 

Edited September 4, 2023 by jaberry2

[Monty13 2,234]

It’s really hard to rate just after closing, the real results of it will take a while to show through.

I’d say the outs all make sense and we made decent money, absolutely no issues now we see the whole picture.

The early signings all look very good, shrewd purchases who are already performing.

Those we haven’t seen on paper look like a continuation of that hopefully.

Holding onto Sara and Sargent was essential and has been achieved.

Only real concern I have is losing Sargent to injury and our replacements, this could really derail our season. Hopefully our South Korean loan fills the boots of him or Idah finds some consistency.

On paper its been a very good window IMO, but I’ve thought that about some that turned out to be shockers in the past with hindsight.