How much will be spent?

Except when it comes to heated driveways...

 

Touché

 

Ok, playing * devil's advocate here... are our defenders really terrible though? Boyata was a standout for Belgium because they played him to his strengths, while Rodgers wanted smooth, on the floor, defensive midfielder play. Not saying we go with simunovic and Hendry and just hoof mortars all day, but maybe there's better there than we were getting our return on....

 

For me, we need the whole defence overhauled/supported, a good defensive midfielder, a left winger and a forward. We've no idea how about 5 or 6 of our squad of players will look in a months time, and need to trust Lenny/coaches to decide if they need filling/replacing.

 

Jozo - decent squad CB on the basis of his form over the last 3 months, still believe we need better if we want to progress in Europe, injury prone and can't play on plastic pitches which is an issue given 3 are in our league.

Ajer - very good young CB, still has moments of naivety which are to be expected given his age and that he's only taken up the position in the last few seasons, would benefit massively from an experienced, competent and confident CB playing alongside him

Hendry - Lol

Compper - Who the * knows? 83 mins in 18 months suggests he's not going to play a part

Based on that we need 2 new CBs minimum. Ajer and Jozo are the only CBs in our squad that will be playing and both have patchy injury records.

 

I was going to say option 4, but seeing today that KPMG have ranked us as the 30th most prominent club in Europe, first time ever a Scottish club makes the top 30, I'm still going to say option 4.

On a serious note, timing was with Lennon getting the caretaker post after our last manager and I felt he would just toe the line to ensure he got the job. Now he's been publicly offered the job, imo he cleverly deferred his decision and with apparently no other realistic candidates should he decline, he has a wonderful opportunity to drive a very very hard bargain with Lawwell on transfer budget.
This was one of my major fears if Lennon got the job, that he would feel so indebted to Lawwell he wouldn't challenge him. I hope he gets all the guarantees he demands. He's in a great bargaining position to do so.

 

Exactly! Got to speculate to accumulate, we need signings in quick as possible to give us the best possible chance. Our scrambling about last year plus playing players just back from the World Cup cost us.

 

If you were to combine the 9 million compensation package we got for BR and the 3.7 million domestic prize money, that would give Lennon 12.7 million before the board set a transfer budget.

Realistically, I think we need to be spending at least 20 million on 4/5 key additions. We need a first team RB, first team CB, first team LW, and strong contenders for positions like CM and ST.

I'd be happy to sell Ntcham or Rogic if the money was going to be reinvested and boost the transfer kitty. Both are great on their day but could be replaced by a more consistent player.

Just to remind some people as well, Lennon walked away the first time around as the board weren't going to back him in the transfer market, I don't think he would accept the job this time without assurances that he is getting a good budget. He knows how much 10IAR means to the support and I do not think he would risk his reputation by trying to achieve 10IAR on a biscuit tin budget.

 

Spot on mate.

Was just thinking recently that Lennon left last time because of penny pinching. Surely he wouldn’t come back if there wasn’t going to be an improvement in that regard that would harm his reputation if 10 in a row wasn’t achieved.

 

A don’t know about how much will be spent but if our budget was just spent on sorting our defensive side of the team I’d be happy. Player sales going towards that potential number 7 player to play that playmaker or drift in off either wing.

Because in that defensive side of our game the following players are out of contract with us

DDV
Gamboa
Lustig
Toljan
Benkovic
Boyata
Izzy

And if you add potentially

Gordon
Commpar
Hendry

That would need us bringing in 5 players with that budget

Goalkeeper
Right back
Centre back x 2
Left back back

Personally I’d make it 6 players and loan out ralston and sign back up right back.

And if but on the spot for them players will hopefully be around 20m

That would show intent in going for the 10 and set good foundation down for it.

Also show backing for Lenny and supporting their choice. They have to be right in this appointment it was crucial

 

who knows......(undisclosed) will be the key word this summer.

 

Anything under 15 million will be a disappointment.

 

So apparently we have been working on recruitment since Feb. Guaranteed we are panic taking loans on deadline day.

 

No chief scout but apparently a host of identified targets since February of whom have already been sounded out. I can only assume Congerton was asked to provide summer targets and him leaving to Leicester wouldn’t hinder those as they’re in a different market altogether.

Lennon wanting to keep certain players we thought would have left, will hinder squad development but at least will provide some stability through his second first year. This may allow additional resources to be allocated in other positions(maybe I’m dreaming). I’m really interested to see who they bring in and in what positions and for the love of all things, wrap those up swiftly.

 

Not a fan of double posting, but I don’t get the striker need, if we have Ed, Griff and that big guy that hasn’t seen the light of day - I can only assume he wants a two up top formation with cover of a Griff type. 2-5M

Centre back is a no brainer. Same price range.

If Ntcham goes do we keep with Brown/McGregor/Kouassi(whoassi) rotating the number 10 position with Rogic/McGregor/Christie (I really like Calmac in that deeper role)

Left winger - I have a feeling we keep with Sinky and use Mikey out there. I’m sure I saw Lennon try that out. Shved/Jamesey/Dembele are there for the other wing. Knowing Shved is a left footed right winger and Lennon likes a cross, who knows if he’ll feature on that left side. Arzani? Completely forgot he was here. Plenty of wide options currently.

Right back Lustig and Ralston. Good bye ze German. Is two enough? Manny Perez?

Left back we see Izzy going, Gutman appearance?

I’m seeing a spend of 5-10M. Two signings at a bare minimum. No fireworks and a hope it’s enough to take 9iar. The board likely won’t be banking on CL qualification and as usual will be prudent.

 

We will do the same as we do every season. Wait and see if we qualify for the Champions League. Which we won't with the current squad, I'm sure of that. We were a few quality players away from being a very good side at this stage last year, then come the end of the transfer window we had lost Armstrong, our best striker in Dembele without a replacement in mind, and still required a right back, and had brought in Benkovic after the Champions League ship had sailed and made an * of the McGinn situation. The Rodgers and Dembele money will be forgotten about and it will be the same old story this transfer window.

 

The board will have their usual strategy...

There may be smaller signings and outgoing players early window.. but they will wait to see how CL qualification goes before any major commitments are made. Even then I don’t trust that it will be managed correctly and the ‘now routine’ scrambling around, botched signings and desperation loans will be the medicine.

It really gets me that the ‘board’ regard CL qualification as an essential to their business model... but if the money isn’t incoming they treat it as a loss and ‘do business’ to compensate for this.

They expect the 30 million but without any significant investment towards it. This from by far the richest club in Scotland and surpassing its own wealth records every day.

This season if ever would seem like the one to go for it. Investing in a seriously Europe capable squad would guarantee the 10 and at least give us a decent shout at Europe even if it ends up being the Europa League.

I could quite happily settle for an economy drive in season 21/22 if the job has been done.

I really hope we will have the squad to negotiate the qualifiers this summer because if we don’t I fear we may lose one of our gems.

 

He was a stand out cause of the players around him, nothing else IMO.

I thought he was a bomb scare when it mattered in big games.

Not all of our defenders are terrible, Jozo can’t play more than a few games cause of his knees, Ajer is the only stand out and he still makes the odd mistake.

Hendry is * horrendous IMO.

 

20 million for should be the amount that Lennon’s gets bit if I’m honest I can’t see it happening and it will be wait and see pish once again.

I expect us to have zero net spend once again this summer.