Another good post. Just wanted to highlight this bit, unfortunately those same people who don't want others to critique our transfer operations WILL NOT be the first to complain. They are so entrenched in their view they will continue to make excuses ad nauseam. They haven't learned anything in seven years. I know, because I used to be one of them who afforded our owners/committee the benefit of the doubt, and called for patience - like Klopp is doing now.
There are none so blind as those who cannot see. I soon realised that the constant dicking around in the window's, or lack of became habitual. If we're not wasting good money on computer analysed data-based bean counted players, then we're f**king around on the manager's own targets. Happened under Rodgers and it's happening now under Klopp. I mean, the fiasco of VVD was put down as a "storm in a tea cup", but someone. That insouciance is an act to calm what is rightly a monumental show of unprofessional incompetence. A target. A priority. Early on. Big fee. Cocked right up. That's more than a storm in a tea cup and that is frankly not even an excuse worthy of rebuttal.
How many times has it been said down the years "next summer will be the tester", it was said last season when we made the CL under Klopp. It was over to FSG now to keep their end of the bargain up and deliver for the manager and team. We're fast becoming a parody of ourselves, except it's not 'we're gonna win the league next year' anymore, it's 'we're gonna need a good window to kick on now', every f**king window we say this as though it's more important than the football itself. And it is, because if you don't value add quality to your team year on year, you end up what half these bells do, constantly making excuses for this club's poor fortunes.
People will say, wait until the window closes, and their circular logic will start again in the next window, it's the same old sh*t excuses - ad nauseam. You won't wake these people out of their slumber grooveshark, let them carry on in their flippant indifference to our very chequed transfer history. If making FSG look better than they are is where it's at for them, so be it.
My main worry is this, that as a team, the framework to get needed to get success is not there.
We are looking for a young striker, but Real Madrid being exorbitant with the fee on a player who does not start for them. Why not move for Lukaku and get a player in early and see how it works in pre season? That is what United did.
We really like Mbappe, but he might stay, he might move elsewhere. Wenger has gone to France and a record fee has been put forward; all that could be done, has been done. However, having all your chips in one basket does not make sense, so let us get Lacazette in and insure ourselves from any potential inactivity on that end, and let us do it quick because quality strikers who are available are such a rare occurrence. We really want Lemar, the player is not against joining but Monaco may not want to sell. If he does not join, we have a deal of Mahrez in the pipeline. None of the dithering that has seen us fumble through transfer windows.
We would love to get Alexis Sanchez, but Arsenal might dig their heels in and decide they do not want to sell to a Premier League team. Let us get an attacker who can play as a number 10, or as a playmaker wide-ish right. He will get us some goals, but will create countless chances, and in Aguero and Gabriel Jesus we have finishers who also fit how we want to play. Bernado Silva long term we see as a replacement to David Silva, but currently, an upgrade to Nolito, and the departed Jesus Navas. Ederson we hope will be a solution at GK for the long term.
We need a CB. The asking price for Van Dijk is extortionate, why not agree a fee with Roma for Rudiger as we get rid of Ake in the process? Why not sell the backup keeper and get a really good GK in for nothing then work or that striker, midfielder and wingback? By the way, the thing I love about Chelsea is how they can move for a player and a deal gets done in moments; they are the best team at doing that in the Premier League, and do not feel the need to leak.
These are my worries, that there are those who think that they can be more clever than anyone else in the transfer market. Look at some of the names that were being given as options to Salah, they did not inspire confidence, and who knows what the options to Van Dijk and Naby Keita are?