Big Fat Transfer Window Thread 2024

I think the more difficult job will be getting out

Realistically we need 7/8 players coming in, but the quality of those signings will depend massively on how many wages we can free up

 

It is why I think it is imperative that we manage to get a couple of bosmans of the quality of a Casteels type in. Despite being cash rich, realistically how likely is it we spend over £30m. I think even if the board agreed to push the boat out that’s what they will have in mind. As the previous rebuilds of squads have been around £20-25m under Ange and Lennon post Rodgers.

 

GK x2 , LCB, LB, Bernardo, DM, CM (if/when MOR goes), LW/RW, Idah & Miovski..

Kwon, Yang, Holm, Lagerbielke, Montgomery, Kelly & Vata (if the last 2 commit) on loan..

Punt, Oh, Kenny, MJ, Welsh, Siegrist, Tillio and probably a few more I've forgotten..

Edit: Haksabanovic, punt. Kobayashi

 

How not 20 pal?

Hart
Bain
Seigreist
Lagerbielke
Kobiyashi
Welsh
Holm
Mccarthy
Yang
Kwon
Mikey J
Hacksaw
Vata
Oh
Lawal
Kenny
O'Reily
Shaw
Montgomery
Tilio

Some might be loans but none of them for me should be in our first team pool next season and they are registered first team players

 

Our transfers since Ange's second season are:

Siegrist
Bernabei
Jenz
Mooy
Haksabanovic
Abildgaard
Kobayashi
AJ
Iwata
Oh
Holm
Tilio
Yang
Kwon
Nawrocki
Lagerbielke
Palma
Phillips
Bernardo
Kuhn
Idah

22 players signed overall. At a push you could say that 6 of those have been a 'success' so far. But even that's being generous.

That's absolutely shocking and completely unsustainable. We turned it on in the last few months of this season but after reading that list it's clear we've massively gotten away with one yet again. Luckily for us Rangers' recruitment was even worse.

They need to rectify that (and then some) this Summer. But we've been here far too many times to expect anything different unfortunately.

 

We won't punt 3 GKs, Bain will be there..

 

Yeah spot on

 

Mon Celtic get the finger out...

 

It is funny how we've all said about the squad quality all season is poor.

Yet written out, it really hammers home how bad it is.

If the board were serious, they would be making sure the money is spent to get in 8 players, all with enough talent that could arguably be first team starters and domestically we'd * the next league.

Will they do it though?

 

Aswell as several spl standard 1st teamers we need at least 2 good enough to be in cl squad as 1st choice..mainly defence for me.

 

You need it for Europe as well.

When you are not that good at football but play attacking football in Europe you need to have a wee bit extra about you from set pieces or physically. Like you need to be good at defending counter attacks with fast defenders and you need to defend and attack set pieces well so the "bonus" goals are going in your favour.

We won't defend counters well with Scales and Taylor and we are currently worse than mediocre in the air.

That Bodo/Glimt for example were like land of the giants and very physical and played similar football to us with worse players and ran over the top of us.

 

We were just discussing Hatate in his thread, bags of ability. But could Rodgers maybe punt him, he lacks strength and his ball retention is inconsistent, you can imagine Rodgers hating that.

 

I like him but wouldn't be against it.

McGregor would play there anyway and will probably need to move further forward over the next few years as he loses pace and is less effective deeper. McGregor probably still scores and assists 20+ a season playing in Hatate or O'Riley position so we don't lose creativity or goals, maybe even gain more.

People have to remember though that Hatate now is only getting fit, he was injured almost all season so the last 10 games are like a pre-season to him. His season was only beginning at the end. Look at Alistair Johnson he was similar, never started training until mid August and having been injured for months and an operation it was probably December/January before he was actually fit.

Was he not out for like 3 month then a few weeks and then like 2 month again, that many set backs are like you've not even been fit for 6 month.

 

I guess its a gamble selling O'Riley & Hatate..

I think Hatate will be here for another season outwith a big offer..

 

Yeah, Bodo embarrassed us from a tactical, technical and physical standpoint.

Leipzig were another, no doubt a good side but nothing special. But the way we got wee guy'd by them and Bodo was pathetic.

Pace and physicality goes a long way in Europe. It's not like we're a team bulging with technical prowess either, we're distinctly average on the ball against any competent European side.

Need to get the recruitment spot on this summer - power, pace and technical ability is essential.

 

Because we'll never be able to unload that many... Probably could unload 3 that we don't want to, about another 4-5 on loan (loss on us topping up wages), might have 3-4 out of contract (?). And that would be a good window for actually unloading dross. Rest would require a huge write-off of cost to release/pay off. Our board will never sanction it.

My point wasn't to disagree with what you/we WANT to go out, it was to do with the realism of what we CAN get off the books... And then, they'd panic about the amount needed to backfill, so they'd clamp down on high-end transfers and buy a new load of projects, restarting the cycle...

My point was that we need a multi-window strategy that's laid out/priced out for the board to go along with. Something conservative enough they don't immediately reject it, but which would produce the forward momentum we need. If we got 10 out, and 5 quality additions in, I'd be happy. If we get 4 more out in January and 2 quality in, I'd consider that BRILLIANT business. Go again with about 6-7 out next summer, with 2-3 quality additions, and it would be the catalyst for the kind of squad we would all be "happy" with. Fill the vacuum created with our development/youths, to meet all criteria in Europe and generate the youth development side...

Pie in the sky, probably, but it's my ideal way forward over next 2 seasons

 

Aye all those European teams who are not that good but who do well in Europe Leipzig, Atalanta, Roma, Leverkusen this season, West Ham also they are more physical than technical really and they do consistenyly well

Where as when you think of teams who are more like us when they do well theres not many, Ajax when they reached the EL final and then CL semi are one of the only mediocre physical teams who tried to pass the ball on the ground and that like us who have done well. Barcelona in recent seasons are like a better version of us with the same problems and they're near enough useless now in Europe.

Arsenal and Man City as well moved toward more physical units to get better. Two of them now essentially play or would 4 centre-back types with a big midfielder and big forward and both are good from set pieces.

I don't think we will do much about it though, we've really had this problem since Boyata and Dembele left when Rodgers was first in charge.