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January Silly Season Transfer thread 2024/25

Started by jayffc, December 04, 2024, 12:51:36 AM

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jayffc

#1220
Quote from: Lighthouse on February 04, 2025, 04:20:54 PMInteresting how often Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford and Forest are wheeled out as clubs we should be copying. Then people work out that we are in fact matching and above two of those clubs this season.

I am always staggered by how far we have come and yet how critical a few are. But as I read how upset the Arsenal manager is with the transfer dealings. I guess that is just the way of the World.
Here here

Indeed , we've been hearing the same stuff from the same people about Brentford and Brighton model for last couple years. Now we're above them it's about how brilliant forest and Bournemouth are...meanwhile I'm just over here trying to enjoy Fulham being top half of the table for majority of the year in one of the most competitive leagues in the world ...something we've achieved not even a full handful of times in my lifetime, without every day being told all the reasons why actually were doing poorly and our transfer team are Incompetent and we should be annoyed all the time because we're not as good as "insert* flavour of the season here 🙈

Football is cyclical, clubs slide up and down the league in waves, if you can't thoroughly enjoy Fulham at around 9th without expending so much energy daily moaning and focussing on the worst possible framing of the situation, ya probably gonna have a miserable time when it comes to football for the rest of your life 😅

Rightwhite

Quote from: Drewry66 on February 04, 2025, 04:30:55 PMPeter Rutzler

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/1886722840319156455

'No RB, told a few reluctant to compete with Castagne and Tete who'll return maybe March earliest'

So basically they didn't want to come knowing they'd never play as Tete and Castagne wouldn't be dropped for them. Can't exactly help that.
But the club are crap at transfer windows and show no ambition. It's all TK's fault as well. :guitar-playHDs:

jayffc

Quote from: Drewry66 on February 04, 2025, 04:30:55 PMPeter Rutzler

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/1886722840319156455

'No RB, told a few reluctant to compete with Castagne and Tete who'll return maybe March earliest'

So basically they didn't want to come knowing they'd never play as Tete and Castagne wouldn't be dropped for them. Can't exactly help that.

Makes perfect sense tbh.

Unless a player had a guarantee that Tete was moving on next year , why would even a half decent RB wanting to further his career join that set up.

Tanton and also this new kid from Man City both can play RB worst case, or of course we can shift the system a bit. But not really suprises it wasn't exactly an oppurtunity many would jump at.


Jules

Quote from: jayffc on February 04, 2025, 04:36:18 PM
Quote from: Drewry66 on February 04, 2025, 04:30:55 PMPeter Rutzler

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/1886722840319156455

'No RB, told a few reluctant to compete with Castagne and Tete who'll return maybe March earliest'

So basically they didn't want to come knowing they'd never play as Tete and Castagne wouldn't be dropped for them. Can't exactly help that.

Makes perfect sense tbh.

Unless a player had a guarantee that Tete was moving on next year , why would even a half decent RB wanting to further his career join that set up.

Tanton and also this new kid from Man City both can play RB worst case, or of course we can shift the system a bit. But not really suprises it wasn't exactly an oppurtunity many would jump at.
I wouldn't say Castagne is irreplaceable, so it doesn't say much for the self confidence of our targetted RBs. Tete could be on his way in the summer so to me that spot is wide open for a decent player to come in and stake a claim for the shirt.

LC


Angus Telford

#1225
Quote from: Arthur on February 04, 2025, 03:59:03 PM
Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 03:22:49 PMI mean, that's what Forest have done, and they'll probably make the Champions' League. Bournemouth only 3 pts off the top 4 with a similarly young team. Brighton, despite being underwhelming in the last year or so, made the blueprint for that model, have consistently breached the top 6, and have another very young side brewing now.

So it clearly works, and equally clearly, we're not even attempting it. We seem to strategising no more than one year ahead and staking a claim for 13th.

To truly assess how consistently well the blueprint works, it would need to be known which other teams have tried similar and have come up short. For instance, in the summer of 2022, Southampton invested in the likes of Sulemana, Bazuna, Lavia, Alcaraz, Bella-Kotchap, Mara, Edozie - all, at the time, under the age of 21... and the Club promptly suffered relegation after 11 years in the top flight. And despite having returned at the first time of asking, it's evident Southampton are still much weaker than they were during the first 10 seasons of their previous 11-year stay.

Moreover, the smaller the sample size, the greater the margin for error in terms of drawing the conclusion that 'it clearly works'.

You can treat the statement that it clearly works as having an implied caveat "when executed competently".

Look, you make a valid point which I've conceded on here before, that it's essentially a glass half full/half empty debate as to whether we should compare ourselves happily to the latest basket cases (eg Wolves) or unhappily to the latest success story (eg Forest).

We certainly had our own period as the basket case to trump all other basket cases circa 2013 to 2018.

Since then we've settled somewhere around the middle. I'm not buying the claim above that we're matching Bournemouth or Brighton because the relative youth of those squads puts them in a much better long-term position than us. But nonetheless it's not terrible.

However, personally where I can see something better within our reach, I will continually push and moan that we should have the ambition and guile to grasp it. If others want to settle for a spell of mediocrity that is of course their prerogative. As in all facets of life.


jayffc

#1226
Quote from: LC on February 04, 2025, 05:33:56 PMDid Brodie Dair join in the end?

Yes he did

So 2 young additions to the academy at CF and RB/DM...the city lad being slightly closer to knocking on the door allegedly than the Scottish kid

As for the Castagne comment above, Castagne might have had a couple less brilliant games this year but he's still been a very good full back for us that could start at several premier league clubs, and with the club making clear they want Tete to stay and extend ideallt, there's no guarantee for any RB coming in that they won't be third choice very quickly....possibly 2nd and adding to that we've got Tanton and this new City kid in the door who can also play there so realistically ,if you're decent enough to compete with those you ,probably have options on the table and so why would you not just go somewhere where you're far more likely to start without the possibility of having a 3+ way fight for the position?

If you're going on loan it's likely because you want game time, if you're going on a perm it's still presumably less headache or risk to just find a club that doesn't have that situation.

Count Flapula

Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 05:38:42 PMHowever, personally where I can see something better within our reach, I will continually push and moan that we should have the ambition and guile to grasp it. If others want to settle for a spell of mediocrity that is of course their prerogative. As in all facets of life.

You really did pick the wrong team to support.

BTW Brighton have finished 6th once, 9th once and bottom half every other season since returning to the EPL. Hardly "continually breaching the top 6th". Not knocking them as they have done comparatively very well within the context of their history, but so are we the last 2/3 seasons, yet you chose to "moan and push" about that like that makes one iota of difference/helps the club "be better". It doesn't - you're just moaning on a FFC message board about your perceived disappointment in how we are doing while waxing lyrical about a young team of players who are below us. As with your  Cauley/Muniz comparison, I'll take that with the massive pinch of salt it merits and continue to enjoy where we're at, while always hoping for better (same as you, but without the moaning and pushing).

Drewry66

Supposedly we were trying to pay 30 million euros for Chukwueze:

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/1886865834330697950

Suggests not enough time to get it done but there were also suggestions the player wasn't keen.

He prob wasn't an option until Milan signed a load of players on deadline day. Was really prob one of the few options that was a potential upgrade so can understand this if true as Marco said we'd only spend if they felt they could add something more than what we have. Possibly one to revisit for the summer then if he doesn't get much game time at Milan until then.


SG

Quote from: Count Flapula on February 04, 2025, 08:29:23 PM
Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 05:38:42 PMHowever, personally where I can see something better within our reach, I will continually push and moan that we should have the ambition and guile to grasp it. If others want to settle for a spell of mediocrity that is of course their prerogative. As in all facets of life.

You really did pick the wrong team to support.

BTW Brighton have finished 6th once, 9th once and bottom half every other season since returning to the EPL. Hardly "continually breaching the top 6th". Not knocking them as they have done comparatively very well within the context of their history, but so are we the last 2/3 seasons, yet you chose to "moan and push" about that like that makes one iota of difference/helps the club "be better". It doesn't - you're just moaning on a FFC message board about your perceived disappointment in how we are doing while waxing lyrical about a young team of players who are below us. As with your  Cauley/Muniz comparison, I'll take that with the massive pinch of salt it merits and continue to enjoy where we're at, while always hoping for better (same as you, but without the moaning and pushing).

Well said. Tired of the criticism instead of appreciating what we are achieving.

Stoneleigh Loyalist

Quote from: jayffc on February 04, 2025, 08:05:44 PM
Quote from: LC on February 04, 2025, 05:33:56 PMDid Brodie Dair join in the end?

Yes he did

So 2 young additions to the academy at CF and RB/DM...the city lad being slightly closer to knocking on the door allegedly than the Scottish kid

As for the Castagne comment above, Castagne might have had a couple less brilliant games this year but he's still been a very good full back for us that could start at several premier league clubs, and with the club making clear they want Tete to stay and extend ideallt, there's no guarantee for any RB coming in that they won't be third choice very quickly....possibly 2nd and adding to that we've got Tanton and this new City kid in the door who can also play there so realistically ,if you're decent enough to compete with those you ,probably have options on the table and so why would you not just go somewhere where you're far more likely to start without the possibility of having a 3+ way fight for the position?

If you're going on loan it's likely because you want game time, if you're going on a perm it's still presumably less headache or risk to just find a club that doesn't have that situation.



Why has the signing not been announced?

demeant0r

Quote from: jayffc on February 04, 2025, 04:36:18 PM
Quote from: Drewry66 on February 04, 2025, 04:30:55 PMPeter Rutzler

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/1886722840319156455

'No RB, told a few reluctant to compete with Castagne and Tete who'll return maybe March earliest'

So basically they didn't want to come knowing they'd never play as Tete and Castagne wouldn't be dropped for them. Can't exactly help that.

Makes perfect sense tbh.

Unless a player had a guarantee that Tete was moving on next year , why would even a half decent RB wanting to further his career join that set up.

Tanton and also this new kid from Man City both can play RB worst case, or of course we can shift the system a bit. But not really suprises it wasn't exactly an oppurtunity many would jump at.

Maybe it just shows that even other RBs know how good our current RBs are.


Arthur

#1232
Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 05:38:42 PM
Quote from: Arthur on February 04, 2025, 03:59:03 PMTo truly assess how consistently well the blueprint works, it would need to be known which other teams have tried similar and have come up short. For instance, in the summer of 2022, Southampton invested in the likes of Sulemana, Bazuna, Lavia, Alcaraz, Bella-Kotchap, Mara, Edozie - all, at the time, under the age of 21... and the Club promptly suffered relegation after 11 years in the top flight. And despite having returned at the first time of asking, it's evident Southampton are still much weaker than they were during the first 10 seasons of their previous 11-year stay.

Moreover, the smaller the sample size, the greater the margin for error in terms of drawing the conclusion that 'it clearly works'.

You can treat the statement that it clearly works as having an implied caveat "when executed competently".

Look, you make a valid point which I've conceded on here before, that it's essentially a glass half full/half empty debate as to whether we should compare ourselves happily to the latest basket cases (eg Wolves) or unhappily to the latest success story (eg Forest).

We certainly had our own period as the basket case to trump all other basket cases circa 2013 to 2018.

Since then we've settled somewhere around the middle. I'm not buying the claim above that we're matching Bournemouth or Brighton because the relative youth of those squads puts them in a much better long-term position than us. But nonetheless it's not terrible.

However, personally where I can see something better within our reach, I will continually push and moan that we should have the ambition and guile to grasp it. If others want to settle for a spell of mediocrity that is of course their prerogative. As in all facets of life.

It goes without saying we would all like to see the Club become more successful year upon year. The more convinced any of us are that we can see the pathway to greater success, the more inclined we are to be disappointed when the Club act differently. I understand that.

My post was not about identifying the club or clubs to which we should compare ourselves; I am wondering whether the supposed blueprint is being over-simplified. In my opinion, the implications of your caveat, 'when executed competently' are vast.

Most pertinently, it covers the unpredictability of player recruitment and a dependency upon the skills and tactics of the manager.

Aside from this, there's the adage, 'There's more than one way to skin a cat'. Reducing the average age of the squad more slowly over time may also prove to be successful for some clubs.

And for what it's worth, I don't think Forest have followed the 'Brighton blueprint'. For three summers following promotion, I would say their focus was very much short-term - on the need to be strong enough to avoid relegation. By chance more than design, they have 'fallen on their feet'.

Drewry66

Quote from: Count Flapula on February 04, 2025, 08:29:23 PM
Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 05:38:42 PMHowever, personally where I can see something better within our reach, I will continually push and moan that we should have the ambition and guile to grasp it. If others want to settle for a spell of mediocrity that is of course their prerogative. As in all facets of life.

You really did pick the wrong team to support.

BTW Brighton have finished 6th once, 9th once and bottom half every other season since returning to the EPL. Hardly "continually breaching the top 6th". Not knocking them as they have done comparatively very well within the context of their history, but so are we the last 2/3 seasons, yet you chose to "moan and push" about that like that makes one iota of difference/helps the club "be better". It doesn't - you're just moaning on a FFC message board about your perceived disappointment in how we are doing while waxing lyrical about a young team of players who are below us. As with your  Cauley/Muniz comparison, I'll take that with the massive pinch of salt it merits and continue to enjoy where we're at, while always hoping for better (same as you, but without the moaning and pushing).

Brilliant post.  ::thumb::

Angus Telford

#1234
Quote from: Count Flapula on February 04, 2025, 08:29:23 PMyou chose to "moan and push" about that like that makes one iota of difference/helps the club "be better". It doesn't - you're just moaning on a FFC message board about your perceived disappointment in how we are doing

Odd because I was under the impression that none of the posts on this board made one iota of difference, and they're all purely driven by the general human inclination to socialise and discuss one's opinion (ok and occasionally a bit of WUMery if we're honest). But maybe i'm under a misapprehension there and I should now refrain from posting unless it helps the club somehow. 

Brighton, by the way, have spent at least a quarter of each of the last three seasons in the top 6.


MickyAdamsFamily

I would be very unhappy if we were to follow the Forest model...
They are in a very fortunate position at the moment, no doubt, but the club is not well run in any way that would make sense for us (or almost any other normal club). They're owned by a man of extremely dubious character and "business", who has used his cross-ownership of multiple clubs in other countries to flout PSR rules and hide the skulduggery of his dealings. In their first season after promotion, they spent untold sums acquiring something more than 25 new players, thus exceeding the number a team is allowed to register, not to mention the squad already on their books (with which they were promoted). They sacked their competent manager (Leicester would love to have him back now, I'd bet), and their one stroke of genius (more likely luck) was to hire Nuno, who was available having escaped the trainwreck/poisoned chalice that is Spurs...

Count Flapula

Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 09:52:24 PMOdd because I was under the impression that none of the posts on this board made one iota of difference, and they're all purely driven by the general human inclination to socialise and discuss one's opinion (ok and occasionally a bit of WUMery if we're honest). But maybe i'm under a misapprehension there and I should now refrain from posting unless it helps the club somehow. 

That would be great, thanks.

Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 09:52:24 PMBrighton, by the way, have spent at least a quarter of each of the last three seasons in the top 6.

At least a quarter eh? This is up there with your Muniz/Cauley comparison.

jayffc

#1237
Quote from: Count Flapula on February 04, 2025, 11:29:42 PM
Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 09:52:24 PMOdd because I was under the impression that none of the posts on this board made one iota of difference, and they're all purely driven by the general human inclination to socialise and discuss one's opinion (ok and occasionally a bit of WUMery if we're honest). But maybe i'm under a misapprehension there and I should now refrain from posting unless it helps the club somehow. 

That would be great, thanks.

Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 09:52:24 PMBrighton, by the way, have spent at least a quarter of each of the last three seasons in the top 6.

At least a quarter eh? This is up there with your Muniz/Cauley comparison.

The ratios speak for themselves at this point. We can but dream.

Such endless, unnecessary and active sapping of joy in what could be taken as a really enjoyable season really on the whole. Obviously we'd all love to get into Europe and should aim for it by all means but my god I can't even escape the relentless negativity having blocked due to the ability to read quote replies 🙈💀 Muniz = Woodrow? Give me strength ...bet it was presented as some sort of fact too wasn't it😅 classic


Angus Telford

Quote from: Count Flapula on February 04, 2025, 11:29:42 PMThis is up there with your Muniz/Cauley comparison.

You mean... factually correct but over your head?
Indeed.

Count Flapula

Quote from: Angus Telford on February 04, 2025, 11:45:15 PM
Quote from: Count Flapula on February 04, 2025, 11:29:42 PMThis is up there with your Muniz/Cauley comparison.

You mean... factually correct but over your head?
Indeed.

 👇

Quote from: jayffc on February 04, 2025, 11:43:50 PMMuniz = Woodrow? Give me strength ...bet it was presented as some sort of fact too wasn't it😅 classic