Salah is not the player you remember anymore

[darkstarexodus]

This isnt about transfer planning. But, Tchouameni wasnt signed to replace Modric. You can make a case for Bellingham but Salah isnt 38 either. We dont know yet how we have planned to move on from Salah given he just turned 31.

The point is that most people shouldnt be allergic to keep some players into their 30s. Kroos also signed a new contract, btw.

How was Tchouameni not signed to replace Modric? Of course he was.

It's just that Real sees succession planning over a longer time period than we do. They identified a need to have replacements for Modric and Kroos at least 2 and maybe 3 seasons before actually necessary.

We wait until the wheels fall off, give it at least one more transfer window after that, and then head at it. Or at least we have with midfield and defence.

I'll give us better grades for finding the next Mane and Bobby but, despite the likelihood of Mo continuing to do well for a few more seasons, we had better be looking at right attackers if for no other reason than to help prolong Mo's time at the top.

 

[Hansern]

How was Tchouameni not signed to replace Modric? Of course he was.

It's just that Real sees succession planning over a longer time period than we do. They identified a need to have replacements for Modric and Kroos at least 2 and maybe 3 seasons before actually necessary.

We wait until the wheels fall off, give it at least one more transfer window after that, and then head at it. Or at least we have with midfield and defence.

I'll give us better grades for finding the next Mane and Bobby but, despite the likelihood of Mo continuing to do well for a few more seasons, we had better be looking at right attackers if for no other reason than to help prolong Mo's time at the top.

Tchouameni plays as a DM, a 6, not the same position as Modric. If anything he replaced Casemiro and Maybe to an extent a future replacement for Kroos. But he’s not a similar type of player to Modric at all.

We’re shit at planning for the future.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Tchouameni plays as a DM, a 6, not the same position as Modric. If anything he replaced Casemiro and Maybe to an extent a future replacement for Kroos. But he’s not a similar type of player to Modric at all.

We’re shit at planning for the future.

They bought talent for the next generation of their midfield, full stop. Who plays in which position will be determined later but they absolutely went in early and hard on the next generation of talent.

(Edit: maybe that's the different between a succession plan based on talent and finding the "right player". When you have enough talent on your books, it's easier to figure out how to use it. And perhaps that's the real genius of "motivators" like Zidane and Ancelotti - give them sufficient talent and they'll fit the pieces together. Although buying bags of talent and developing a plan doesn't seem to have harmed Dog Shagger much either.)

We don't need to find a Mo clone to eventually succeed Mo. But we do need to start thinking about what life after him looks like, whether he goes to Saudi, drops off a cliff in terms of form, or ages gracefully into the sunset.

 

[moron]

Touchamaini is fucking shit, next gen he is not, that team Real Madrid, we should have burried them last CL final, and to be honest when they came to anfield if we had held our nerve we should of fucked them 7 nil like we did to united. That team is garbage and so arw their players.

 

[Modo]

Real have 3 very young top rated midfielders ready to take over after Modric and Kroos.

Do we actually have any future stars or top rated players ready to take over for any position?

Oh yeah...Jones and Elliott

 

[Hansern]

They bought talent for the next generation of their midfield, full stop. Who plays in which position will be determined later but they absolutely went in early and hard on the next generation of talent.

(Edit: maybe that's the different between a succession plan based on talent and finding the "right player". When you have enough talent on your books, it's easier to figure out how to use it. And perhaps that's the real genius of "motivators" like Zidane and Ancelotti - give them sufficient talent and they'll fit the pieces together. Although buying bags of talent and developing a plan doesn't seem to have harmed Dog Shagger much either.)

We don't need to find a Mo clone to eventually succeed Mo. But we do need to start thinking about what life after him looks like, whether he goes to Saudi, drops off a cliff in terms of form, or ages gracefully into the sunset.

They've spent 200 mill on 3 players. 2 of them playing nearly next to nothing before one of them started as a left back. They have the next generation of talent but there are probably 2-3 clubs that can plan like that and spend that kind of cash and pronlong the contracts of older players as well.
To add to that, Real have paid 70 mill for a 16 year old Endrick. The biggest talent in Brazil.

Planning for the future is absolutely key but we're on another level to Real, City and Chelsea who can buy just about anyone they want and not care if it works out or not.

 

[Fabio]

They've spent 200 mill on 3 players. 2 of them playing nearly next to nothing before one of them started as a left back. They have the next generation of talent but there are probably 2-3 clubs that can plan like that and spend that kind of cash and pronlong the contracts of older players as well.
To add to that, Real have paid 70 mill for a 16 year old Endrick. The biggest talent in Brazil.

Planning for the future is absolutely key but we're on another level to Real, City and Chelsea who can buy just about anyone they want and not care if it works out or not.

TBF it's not about buying the toppest tier, it's about showing the fucking ambition not to panic buy

 

[Hansern]

TBF it's not about buying the toppest tier, it's about showing the fucking ambition not to panic buy

Agreed, if we're honest we've wasted the whole 22/23 season in terms of planning forward and as a result are in the Europa League as well.

 

[Fabio]

Agreed, if we're honest we've wasted the whole 22/23 season in terms of planning forward and as a result are in the Europa League as well.

We arguably wasted a majority of the last 3 years in transfer windows with no coherent long term vision. Only January signings seem to make a bit of sense.

I know this place is a frothing mess every summer, but I feel like we're getting to the stage where early frustrations are justified, as we see this every fucking year.

Thuram should have been sorted pre euros, as his fee will only go up. If he got injured, never mind. We're buying long term not for the next 6 months.
Kone similar.
Gravenberch we should have dropped immediately when Bayern said they weren't selling. They're a huge club and I doubt there's an amount we'd be willing to pay that would tempt them.
I'm pleased Ali was bought handy, however it's a missed opportunity by the club not to capitalise on the good feeling he brought, by unveiling a second mid. We could (and should) have been negotiating for months as it's been obvious (for 2 years) our midfield needs an overhaul. It genuinely seems like we've been courting Bellingham so hard that everything else got binned off in the hopes Dortmund would take a lot less and Madrid wouldn't force a bidding war. Player power only goes so far.

It's par for the course recently, and it seems so long ago that our transfer "vision" and signings were coherent.

 

[binomial]

Real have 3 very you too rated midfielders ready to take over after Modric and Kroos.

Do we actually have any future stars or top rated players ready to take over for any position?

Oh yeah...Jones and Elliott

No point comparing us to a Madrid.

Our midfield line up in 5 years time will be Bajcetic Morton & Jones.

 

[Hansern]

Real have 3 very you too rated midfielders ready to take over after Modric and Kroos.

Do we actually have any future stars or top rated players ready to take over for any position?

Oh yeah...Jones and Elliott

Good that you left out one of the more exciting young midfielders around in Bajcetic.

 

[Modo]

Good that you left out one of the more exciting young midfielders around in Bajcetic.

OK that's one.

 

[mark1975]

What’s FFP?

It's a mythological scenario, a bit like when us Catholics used to get told when we were kids that we'd never go heaven if we didn't eat our tea. It's used against clubs who are owned by murderous regimes as a fear factor to ensure they don't spend ridiculous amounts of money. And it works in exactly the same way, obviously.

 

[mark1975]

It's a pointless exercise anyway, we're not going to get loads for Salah and while he is still pulling out figures that make a difference, we're still gaining something from keeping him, we've had more than our money's worth from him and we'll get another couple of seasons of more than decent figures. The question is whether we actively replace him while he's still here, that's what the gobshites up top need to be focusing on.

 

[binomial]

It's a pointless exercise anyway, we're not going to get loads for Salah and while he is still pulling out figures that make a difference, we're still gaining something from keeping him, we've had more than our money's worth from him and we'll get another couple of seasons of more than decent figures. The question is whether we actively replace him while he's still here, that's what the gobshites up top need to be focusing on.

Nevertheless it'd be interesting to see what the Saudi's would be willing to offer for Mo....if they were desperate to get him this summer....if it's anything less than 100m then it'd be more or less irreplaceable....but we're heading down that route anyway as naturally there isn't anyone out there other than Mbappe or Haaland who commands the numbers he does.

Will we find another Mo and transform a 15-20 goal season getter into getting double those figures on a regular basis for us? Who knows.

 

[mark1975]

Nevertheless it'd be interesting to see what the Saudi's would be willing to offer for Mo....if they were desperate to get him this summer....if it's anything less than 100m then it'd be more or less irreplaceable....but we're heading down that route anyway as naturally there isn't anyone out there other than Mbappe or Haaland who commands the numbers he does.

Will we find another Mo and transform a 15-20 goal season getter into getting double those figures on a regular basis for us? Who knows.

Yeah agreed. And it's a bit more complex than just replacing the numbers, it's his (positive) impact on our overall game, his pace on the break, his ability to keep hold of the ball (when he doesn't try to over do it), and then there's the fact he's a big game player too. Winner against City last year, tore United a new one again, two against Spurs, opening goal vs Napoli, Milan, Everton, Arsenal at home.. it's a lot to factor in when replacing him.

 

[binomial]

Yeah agreed. And it's a bit more complex than just replacing the numbers, it's his (positive) impact on our overall game, his pace on the break, his ability to keep hold of the ball (when he doesn't try to over do it), and then there's the fact he's a big game player too. Winner against City last year, tore United a new one again, two against Spurs, opening goal vs Napoli, Milan, Everton, Arsenal at home.. it's a lot to factor in when replacing him.

It's that dreaded saying, you never quite know what you've missed until it's gone.

I'm sure we'll feel the effects of that in a year or 2 but the main thing for us is that we're well prepared for when that time may be......panic buying, going from 1 target to another isn't an option. As long as we're prepared and we'ree determined in our minds what we'll do....I'm sure we'll be ok....or at least in a better position to be.