IthacaMatt
Old Timer / Unofficial Contributor for 25+ years
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For fans of the Premier League, here's a good summary article from ESPN.co.uk.
Transfer Window recap: Who won? Who lost?
As a Chelsea fan, this summer is the year we realized that we won't spend on elite talent anymore - at least not until the new stadium is completed in 3 years, increasing seating capacity by roughly 5o%. This January window was more of the same.
During the summer, while the Manchester clubs added top-drawer talent, Chelsea let Lukaku get away, never wanted to pay enough to get Alex Sandro at left wingback, only bid 5M to get Llorente as a back-up to Alvaro Morato, and Llorente went to Spurs (where, admittedly, he has been invisible).
Morata got off to a very good start, and he is technically adept and heads exceptionally well. But he has to play stronger and not fall over all the time to try to get a foul call in his favor. Man up, dude! The players look over-worked and flat since about the New Year, and have fallen out of contention.
Giroud is a much better pick-up than Dzeko, even though Dzeko has been playing so well for Roma the past couple years. Yes, he was very good with City, especially under that Italian coach they had before Pelligrini when they won the championship; 2012 I think it was. Giroud will be happy to be the #2 guy, so long as he gets a fair number of opportunities, and with Morata having back trouble, the games are there to be had. He's a very good target man, great at link-up play, has good feet and is a tremendous threat on set pieces. Great fit.
I think that getting Emerson is a great bargain at left back at only 20M, if you look at his film from before his ACL injury in May. He's the fourth player Chelsea have bought in the last 3 windows who have arrived injured, or just getting over an injury, at a discount. It screams "cheap" to the other members of the squad.
Ross Barkley? Ugh. Another Danny Drinkwater pick-up; a squad player. He doesn't make the team better, he provides depth if someone gets hurt, and goes toward the English quota. So there's that. But he's not in any kind of game shape, and probably won't be for a month or two.
It's not a "big club" mentality. It may cost them Hazard and Courtois this summer. With the Russian energy market down, maybe Abramovich is feeling the pinch. Once the new stadium is built, they will be in much better shape to compete at the highest level financially, but 3 years is a long time to wait, especially if you start losing your best players like Arsenal always seems to do.
Liverpool - hmm. I'm glad that theygot Van Dijk to anchor their defense. He's going to do very well for them. Losing Coutinho isn't the end of the world; they've got a ton of attacking talent. But letting Sturridge leave, too, and not replacing either of them, seems kind of irresponsible.
I've go the solution for them, though. Alexis Sanchez's arrival at United means that Juan Mata is going to be surplus to requirements. He's a perfect substitute for Coutinho, sharing time with Adam Lallana. He's crafty, he can score, and he works harder in defense after having played for Mourinho and largely having won him over. He's a great clubhouse guy, too. I loved him at Chelsea. Liverpool needs him. Go get him this summer. You probably only have to spend 25-30M.
Holy crap, United with Sanchez, basically for free, is amazing. He can run off Lukaku and adds so much guile and individual creativity to their attack. He makes them way less predictable on offense, and has 3 years left at the top level. They can be a serious threat in Champions League, if they can rest Matic a bit, and get the best out of Eric Bailly in place of Phil Jones in defense. Over the next couple windows, they have to replace their wingers (Ashley Young and Antonioi Valencia) and they need a creative holding midfielder, but they are looking like a terrific team. Next year they challenge for everything, with just a couple more pieces.
We found out that even Sheik's have spending limits at City. Alexis was going to cost a king's ransom, and with so many quality younger guys on their roster, that was going to blow up their finances. Apparently PSG's Sheiks have more money that Manchester City's. LOL
Arsenal made the best of the Sanchez situation, and signing Ozil to a new contract was critical. Reuniting Miki and Aubamayong hopefully gets the best out of both of them. Lacazette is still a talent, too; give him time. They still have a great attack. They still need a center back and Johnny Evans isn't the answer. They should have done after Ameryc Laporte, who went to City, instead, from Portugal. Arsenal has been looking at William Carvalho from Portugal for a couple years now, to answer that lingering holding midfielder position. Spend the money; he's been your man for two years now. And then go sign some tough as nails young Englishman like Alfie Mawson as a centerback, to add some toughness to your side. Then you'll be much more competitive.
Spurs did well just to hold all their young, underpaid guys, not really have to fend off any serious offers, and added Lucas Moura, a very talented creative midfielder from PSG for only about 25M. A real bargain, and a good counterpoint to Christian Erickson, as a guy to help run your offense.
Everton shouldn't give up on Morgan Schneiderlin so quickly. He's a big-time talent. Liverpool should take a look at him, if Emre Can is intent on going to Juventus this summer. He would be a great substitute.
Your thoughts?
Transfer Window recap: Who won? Who lost?
As a Chelsea fan, this summer is the year we realized that we won't spend on elite talent anymore - at least not until the new stadium is completed in 3 years, increasing seating capacity by roughly 5o%. This January window was more of the same.
During the summer, while the Manchester clubs added top-drawer talent, Chelsea let Lukaku get away, never wanted to pay enough to get Alex Sandro at left wingback, only bid 5M to get Llorente as a back-up to Alvaro Morato, and Llorente went to Spurs (where, admittedly, he has been invisible).
Morata got off to a very good start, and he is technically adept and heads exceptionally well. But he has to play stronger and not fall over all the time to try to get a foul call in his favor. Man up, dude! The players look over-worked and flat since about the New Year, and have fallen out of contention.
Giroud is a much better pick-up than Dzeko, even though Dzeko has been playing so well for Roma the past couple years. Yes, he was very good with City, especially under that Italian coach they had before Pelligrini when they won the championship; 2012 I think it was. Giroud will be happy to be the #2 guy, so long as he gets a fair number of opportunities, and with Morata having back trouble, the games are there to be had. He's a very good target man, great at link-up play, has good feet and is a tremendous threat on set pieces. Great fit.
I think that getting Emerson is a great bargain at left back at only 20M, if you look at his film from before his ACL injury in May. He's the fourth player Chelsea have bought in the last 3 windows who have arrived injured, or just getting over an injury, at a discount. It screams "cheap" to the other members of the squad.
Ross Barkley? Ugh. Another Danny Drinkwater pick-up; a squad player. He doesn't make the team better, he provides depth if someone gets hurt, and goes toward the English quota. So there's that. But he's not in any kind of game shape, and probably won't be for a month or two.
It's not a "big club" mentality. It may cost them Hazard and Courtois this summer. With the Russian energy market down, maybe Abramovich is feeling the pinch. Once the new stadium is built, they will be in much better shape to compete at the highest level financially, but 3 years is a long time to wait, especially if you start losing your best players like Arsenal always seems to do.
Liverpool - hmm. I'm glad that theygot Van Dijk to anchor their defense. He's going to do very well for them. Losing Coutinho isn't the end of the world; they've got a ton of attacking talent. But letting Sturridge leave, too, and not replacing either of them, seems kind of irresponsible.
I've go the solution for them, though. Alexis Sanchez's arrival at United means that Juan Mata is going to be surplus to requirements. He's a perfect substitute for Coutinho, sharing time with Adam Lallana. He's crafty, he can score, and he works harder in defense after having played for Mourinho and largely having won him over. He's a great clubhouse guy, too. I loved him at Chelsea. Liverpool needs him. Go get him this summer. You probably only have to spend 25-30M.
Holy crap, United with Sanchez, basically for free, is amazing. He can run off Lukaku and adds so much guile and individual creativity to their attack. He makes them way less predictable on offense, and has 3 years left at the top level. They can be a serious threat in Champions League, if they can rest Matic a bit, and get the best out of Eric Bailly in place of Phil Jones in defense. Over the next couple windows, they have to replace their wingers (Ashley Young and Antonioi Valencia) and they need a creative holding midfielder, but they are looking like a terrific team. Next year they challenge for everything, with just a couple more pieces.
We found out that even Sheik's have spending limits at City. Alexis was going to cost a king's ransom, and with so many quality younger guys on their roster, that was going to blow up their finances. Apparently PSG's Sheiks have more money that Manchester City's. LOL
Arsenal made the best of the Sanchez situation, and signing Ozil to a new contract was critical. Reuniting Miki and Aubamayong hopefully gets the best out of both of them. Lacazette is still a talent, too; give him time. They still have a great attack. They still need a center back and Johnny Evans isn't the answer. They should have done after Ameryc Laporte, who went to City, instead, from Portugal. Arsenal has been looking at William Carvalho from Portugal for a couple years now, to answer that lingering holding midfielder position. Spend the money; he's been your man for two years now. And then go sign some tough as nails young Englishman like Alfie Mawson as a centerback, to add some toughness to your side. Then you'll be much more competitive.
Spurs did well just to hold all their young, underpaid guys, not really have to fend off any serious offers, and added Lucas Moura, a very talented creative midfielder from PSG for only about 25M. A real bargain, and a good counterpoint to Christian Erickson, as a guy to help run your offense.
Everton shouldn't give up on Morgan Schneiderlin so quickly. He's a big-time talent. Liverpool should take a look at him, if Emre Can is intent on going to Juventus this summer. He would be a great substitute.
Your thoughts?
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