2017/18 Premier League Predictions

[epic73]

And in today's market, £44M is peanuts too.

You can't even get peanuts for £44M in todays market.

 

[Renegade]

That we would also be adding another 28 year old in Matic for a similar price doubles the problem. Personally I would never sign a player past 25 for a peak fee. I dont see the value there and personally I can never take to players who have already established themselves elsewhere. I'd be very disappointed if this becomes the norm from now on.

I think it has been the norm since 2013...the tendency has been to spend big money on already proven players. Ferguson's emphasis on signing potentially world class players has been stripped from the club's transfer policy.

The signing of already fully developed (or waning) talents - Mata, Falcao, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan - has shown that this is already the new norm for United's transfer policy and neither Matic or Perisic will be a deviation. These signings outweigh the signings of players like Martial, Herrera, Bailly and Shaw. Even Pogba was already a prepackaged world class player, despite his youth.

United = Galacticos.

 

[Bilo]

Galacticos

Or rather, Galacticold

 

[JimJams]

I think it has been the norm since 2013...the tendency has been to spend big money on already proven players. Ferguson's emphasis on signing potentially world class players has been stripped from the club's transfer policy.

The signing of already fully developed (or waning) talents - Mata, Falcao, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan - has shown that this is already the new norm for United's transfer policy and neither Matic or Perisic will be a deviation. These signings outweigh the signings of players like Martial, Herrera, Bailly and Shaw. Even Pogba was already a prepackaged world class player, despite his youth.

United = Galacticos.

The thing is you now spend big money on those potential players too, so I dont see much issue. Shaw was 30mill? Martial 36-57mill, Bailly 30mill, Herrera 30millish? And now the largely unproven Morata will command a fee reserved for players who have been banging in the goals consistently for a number of years.
When you spend so big on potential with years to develop theres not really much difference between that and spending big on proven players who are older.

 

[Renegade]

The thing is you now spend big money on those potential players too, so I dont see much issue. Shaw was 30mill? Martial 36-57mill, Bailly 30mill, Herrera 30millish? And now the largely unproven Morata will command a fee reserved for players who have been banging in the goals consistently for a number of years.
When you spend so big on potential with years to develop theres not really much difference between that and spending big on proven players who are older.

The issue that (I assume) Scruff and I have is that United have gone from a club that focused on signing youth to a side that now focuses on big signings of established players. United always spent pretty big on youth relative to other clubs, so the fees for 'potential' above aren't that much of a departure from the Ferguson era (taking inflation into account), but the signing of 'world class' 26+ year olds that have already made their name elsewhere wasn't really a priority until Woodward took charge. It gives the club more of a mercenary feel.

All that said, Mourinho has been targeting more prospects in the transfer market than Moyes or LVG.

 

[Mr. Scruff]

So you wouldn't have sanctioned the signing of Van Persie?

£22m wasn't peanuts in 2012.

Nope

 

[Stevencc]

Nope

Who would you have bought in his place, assuming you'd have made a signing in that position?

 

[Bilo]

Who would you have bought in his place, assuming you'd have made a signing in that position?

Zlatan moved for the same money.

 

[Stevencc]

Zlatan moved for the same money.

But Scruff's rule would have prohibited him from signing the glorious Swede too.

 

[Bilo]

But Scruff's rule would have prohibited him from signing the glorious Swede too.

Well piss off then. Paulo Dybala, moved to Palermo for 8 mill. How about that, why didn't you sign him???

 

[Stevencc]

Fergie had probably never heard of him!

 

[JimJams]

Nobody had, he'd just signed for Palermo and took a few years before getting himself up n running. SAF can be forgiven. Miccoli was Palermos number 1 striker til he left.

 

[Stevencc]

I could forgive SAF for anything.

 

[Bilo]

It was tongue in cheek. You bought the league for £22M, of course it was a good deal.

 

[SALTIRE]

RVP got the plaudits, but iirc wasn't Rooney the better player that season?

 

[Stevencc]

Nah.

 

[SALTIRE]

Nah.

So did Rooney ever have a good season at Man Utd as according to all you lot, he's only ever been shite there despite his record!

 

[Stevencc]

So did Rooney ever have a good season at Man Utd as according to all you lot, he's only ever been shite there despite his record!

He's had his moments but he hasn't had one in a long time!

 

[HarvSFC]

Euro 2004 to be exact.

 

[SALTIRE]

He's had his moments but he hasn't had one in a long time!

Poor bastard, no love from you lot, and its getting to him. He's back on the Big Mac's...

I hope you are happy now Steven!!!

 

[Stevencc]

He's a bad influence on his teammates too, look how Mkhitaryan swanned back into training after his summer holidays...

 

[SALTIRE]

He's a bad influence on his teammates too, look how Mkhitaryan swanned back into training after his summer holidays...

Blimey, if he continues like that then Lucas will continue to get more assists than him in the season.

 

[Mr. Scruff]

Who would you have bought in his place, assuming you'd have made a signing in that position?

I remember us being heavily linked with a certain Dortmund striker who has gone on to bang them in with Bayern since. Think Van Persie ended that.

But to be perfectly honest I never wanted another striker at the time. Rooney had just come off the back of one of his best goalscoring seasons and we had signed Kagawa as a number 10 who we all had high hopes for. Welbeck AND Hernandez were excellent squad player to have. I wanted Ferguson to sign a partner for Carrick more than anything else but alas it the gaping hole in midfield was ignored once more.

But Scruff's rule would have prohibited him from signing the glorious Swede too.

No it wouldn't, I said peak fee. I'm not adverse to a free signing or reduced fee like schweinsteiger. It's literally paying top money for a player who realistically only has one contract at their best that I disagree with.

 

[Bilo]

Blimey, if he continues like that then Lucas will continue to get more assists than him in the season.

How have I missed this???

Lucas the Messi of central midfield.

 

[Eastbridge]

Who are the football players in the Big 5 League that are close to retirement? If we base it on the '800' mark (number of appearances), there are some big names including John Terry (with 801), Wayne Rooney (755), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (839) and Gareth Barry (823). But those names are expected, either because all of their colleagues retired, they're old enough or they just confirmed it themselves. Considering the 800 mark further, some names might shock you. Example: Cristiano Ronaldo (862).

Check here what am I talking about.

-- Eastbridge

 

[Stevencc]

No.

 

[Dave]

1. Chelsea
2. Man City




3. Arsenal
4. Man Utd
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool


7. Everton
8. Southampton
9. West Ham
10. Leicester


11. West Brom
12. Crystal Palace
13. Newcastle
14. Burnley
15. Bournemouth
16. Huddersfield
17. Stoke
18. Swansea
19. Brighton
20. Watford

 

[epic73]

1. Chelsea
2. Man City

3. Tottenham
4. Man United
5. Everton
6. Arsenal

7. Liverpool
8. Southampton
9. West Ham
10. West Brom

11. Leicester
12. Crystal Palace
13. Burnley
14. Stoke
15. Bournemouth
16. Newcastle
17. Swansea
18. Brighton
19. Watford
20. Huddersfield

 

[SALTIRE]

Everton ahead of 7th Liverpool, lots of lols.

 

[Leewilson]

Stoke will once again flop under Hughes.