Summer Silly Season Transfer Thread 2024

[jayffc]

Make those amends and add in a 20 year old winger and I make the average age circa 26 around mid table in the prem. Raul and Cairney may be replaced next year dropping it even further.

...

We have significantly lowered average age...

You make some good points but your statements above are based on conjecture about the future, essentially false as it stands, and we're still going to end this window with a squad that's squarely in the old/very old range. The implication of that is we're probably having to spend ~£40-50m per year for the next few years just to replace our oldest players and sustain the same quality level, and for a smaller club like us that significantly undermines any aims we have for sustainability or growth.

The average age of our recruits this year (25) would be ok ordinarily but for a club like us that's generally recruited older players in the last couple of years, I'd like to have seen us counterbalance that more dramatically this summer, now that we're settled and should be looking further than just short-term survival.     

This isn't necessarily a critical failing IMO but nonetheless sub-optimal.

Fair points if ya feel it's sub-optimal, although when you pick apart things away from raw number crunching...

None of our oldest 30+ players are first choice starters at this point apart from Leno who's a GK,
So it does make it easier to replace in the coming windows with similar quality.

Cairney 33, is a sub - and we have an 18-year-old "wonderkid" King in his position understudying and already getting is first minutes. Same goes for Andreas Periera in that position who we could still make profit on potentially next year and use to bring in another CM. We also have Harris on loan.

Jiminez is a backup CF who looks plausible will be replaced by 21-year-old Stansfield this year and has already been replaced by 23-year-old Muniz so far. Accept CF may be a position we need to spend on if these don't work out though, but it's possible at the point Raul leaves we'll be replacing/wanting to upgrade on our 3rd choice striker at that point.

Carlos and Mbabu at 29 are the next oldest players and they're leaving this window it seems or arent part of our squad anyway.

Left back you could say is one of our elder areas with Tete and Castagne same age (28). Even then we do have highly regarded Tanton on loan who we're hoping can step up if he proves himself before needing to confirm a need to spend out there. Got a couple years to see how his development pans out before having to worry about it much though.

CB we have Luc DF at RCB we'll be keeping tabs on for the next few years though our RCB's likely have more than 2 good years left in them and both our LCBs are young.

DM is certainly one area where we'll need to look again in a few years, although it's a position where players often don't rely on pace so much so there's that

On the wings:
LW Iwobi late 20s but then we already have ESR younger than him who is a great LW if we choose to deploy him there (+stansfield and Godo developing)
RW needs looking at in the age regard but sounds like we're already looking to try and bring in someone younger already (20 in the case of the lyon kid, 24 in the case of Reiss - Almiron less so 😂 seems he would be more a stop gap)

All in all most positions have young options that we're already developing in the background and seeing how they do before needing to invest heavier in those areas, so that is in itself forward-thinking, we have a better academy than many based on their performance generally and so rightfully are seeing what they can contribute before blocking their path too much before they've had that chance. Add to that that if the team we've assembled can push us up the table, rather than spend all that money covering ourselves now, we might well be, and presumably are aiming to, try and be in a better position to attract an ever better pool of players, and indeed young talent in the future.

Any forward plan is to some degree going to be based in some conjecture of course but one case see the thinking generally in our squad when you look at it close up. We got a good blend of experience and youth knocking on the door and are trending younger now we've established ourselves. Would like you prefer a younger winger to add to the ranks myself and continue that trend, but we'll see what comes in the door.

[FFC1987]

On the age debate, being lazy, but what has Ream and Willian done to reduce it as presumably, it would of been very high with those two in.

[JackHamlet90]

Don't think age is an issue in our team anymore tbh
Leno is the only 30+ player in our line up against Leicester. The rest are under 30

[howitis]

I would love to see Reiss Nelson join us. From what I've seen of him he can play on the left and the right and he already knows a few of our players. I think he'll be a good signing

Agreed, I think he would be a good edition. Be interesting to know if managers ever ask players for opinions of former team mates...

[Craven Mad]

On the age debate, being lazy, but what has Ream and Willian done to reduce it as presumably, it would of been very high with those two in.

We lined up with Ream and Willian a few times last season, such as against Wolves in November, and that put the average age of our first XI at 30.1 years old.

The starting age of our most recent league starting XI (against Leicester) was 27.0.

Along with Willian and Ream dropping from the squad, Jimenez has also fallen behind Muniz, which also helped bring the average age of the first XI down too (Raul is 33 and Muniz is 23).

[Volz]

The age debate is all about just isolating a number and stating it is "higher in average than anyone else in the league hence it is bad", with zero context. Silva has already stated that "we have lost a lot of routine and maturity". You don't get that back from getting in nothing but 18-22 yo potential and young talent. Team chemistry is a puzzle to compose, and if Silva wants our team to have the correct balance of maturity and locker room jokers, I am dead sure he knows what he is going for. Also, age isn't that big a factor in 2024 as it was in 1994, the exercise protocols have made many players being fully capable of contributing well into their mid 30s these days which was more or less unheard of just a couple of decades ago.

[RAY Rock]

Everything is rosy at the moment but we are two injuries away from a crisis. A CM is of the upmost importance along with a CF and a LW . Reed , Cairney and Lukic are not up to 38 game season. I am totally underwhelmed with Berge signing he has been relegated twice and plays in the most important position on the pitch his awareness of runners is none existent and he looks slow basically a poor man's Tom Huddlestone. I am hoping we sign in these 3 positions but I am not counting my chickens.

[Favershampaul]

You're not happy with the Berge signing but MS is . Save your appraisal of the player till he has had a run of games he might actually be very effective in this Fulham side.
 I do agree we need some more reinforcements in the positions you mentioned but I think we have the makings of a very solid team and in 48 hours we might look even better.
 Just get me a striker and I'll be very happy .

[JimmyConway]

Everything is rosy at the moment but we are two injuries away from a crisis. A CM is of the upmost importance along with a CF and a LW . Reed , Cairney and Lukic are not up to 38 game season. I am totally underwhelmed with Berge signing he has been relegated twice and plays in the most important position on the pitch his awareness of runners is none existent and he looks slow basically a poor man's Tom Huddlestone. I am hoping we sign in these 3 positions but I am not counting my chickens.

Yes I go along with that though DM midfielder would be my preference. Left back cover is questionable though we might be able to hobble at least until January with the possibility that Bassey can also double up?

[Woolly Mammoth]

I would love to see Reiss Nelson join us. From what I've seen of him he can play on the left and the right and he already knows a few of our players. I think he'll be a good signing

Agreed, I think he would be a good edition. Be interesting to know if managers ever ask players for opinions of former team mates...

Managers have been doing that since Adam met Eve.

[Thailand Mick]

Everything is rosy at the moment but we are two injuries away from a crisis. A CM is of the upmost importance along with a CF and a LW . Reed , Cairney and Lukic are not up to 38 game season. I am totally underwhelmed with Berge signing he has been relegated twice and plays in the most important position on the pitch his awareness of runners is none existent and he looks slow basically a poor man's Tom Huddlestone. I am hoping we sign in these 3 positions but I am not counting my chickens.

I still remember to this day sitting around the swimming pool on holiday when it was announced we had signed Damien Duff, I thought what do we want him for he wasn't the same player as when he was with Blackburn and he was coming from a Newcastle team that had been relegated with alot of fans pointing the finger at Duff along with others. The rest is history.

[MickTheBeard]

The only problem with the arsenal winger he isn't a goal scorer which we need to address doesn't look like 6 to 8 goals per season man which we need to  balance of forwards lack of goals.

[fulhamfan]

we need another Centre Forward

[hopper]

I would love to see Reiss Nelson join us. From what I've seen of him he can play on the left and the right and he already knows a few of our players. I think he'll be a good signing

Agreed, I think he would be a good edition. Be interesting to know if managers ever ask players for opinions of former team mates...

Managers have been doing that since Adam met Eve.

Must be an awkward conversation for the player - can imagine situations where the player naturally wouldn't want to be like 'nah, he ain't all that'

[General]

... should say.. 'but none of them are good enough, so I'm doing a publicity puff piece to see if I can get a club I think I'm worth, instead of ones I think I'm better than.. and will undoubtedly end up at a club I don't like, but will say it's the one I wanted the most..' - knowing it may very well not be better than Fulham and the squad dynamic he had here.

https://twitter.com/NizaarKinsella/status/1829097176384872767

[Deeping_white]

... should say.. 'but none of them are good enough, so I'm doing a publicity puff piece to see if I can get a club I think I'm worth, instead of ones I think I'm better than.. and will undoubtedly end up at a club I don't like, but will say it's the one I wanted the most..' - knowing it may very well not be better than Fulham and the squad dynamic he had here.

https://twitter.com/NizaarKinsella/status/1829097176384872767

This is quite tragic on his part tbh, he's turned down £100k a week with a PL team and here we are going into September and he can't find a club that matches whatever his ambitions might be

[IloveFFC]

https://twitter.com/jac_talbot/status/1829105342854086709

[hopper]

... should say.. 'but none of them are good enough, so I'm doing a publicity puff piece to see if I can get a club I think I'm worth, instead of ones I think I'm better than.. and will undoubtedly end up at a club I don't like, but will say it's the one I wanted the most..' - knowing it may very well not be better than Fulham and the squad dynamic he had here.

https://twitter.com/NizaarKinsella/status/1829097176384872767

Yeah, I don't particularly like the guy really - gave us a real old runaround last summer. Now wanting to play again in PL but clearly not with us. Bit of a weird one really.

Felt he would phone it in a bit in a few of the Chelsea games too.

[IloveFFC]

https://twitter.com/WillLankyMedia/status/1829102585594183710

[Craven Mad]

https://twitter.com/WillLankyMedia/status/1829102585594183710

Burnley fire sale continues...

FWIW Brownhill at £5m would be pretty decent business.

He's not the best passer, but he'd be a solid backup and/or option as a more-defensive 8. Worked well alongside Berge last season in the prem, and is homegrown too.