Measured Respond to the window

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I don't think it's been a bad window, by any stretch. We've signed some good players that have improved the squad and we may well end up with half decent cover at GK and CF from free agents.

I don't think we're in anything like the parlous state some folks are claiming.

If Defoe gets injured we're in serious bother.
 


Be quite happy if it wasn't for injuries. Disappointed M'villa didn't come in, Ndong is unknown but hopefully he'll be good. Very suprised given the finances we broke our transfer record.

Lacking up front, but more disappointed with not getting M'villa as he's have actually been a starter. Feelings would obviously change on that with any injury to Defoe. I'd honestly sign Anichebe for a year as a 'lump up front' option for a season, with a view to replacing in January. I'd have been happy enough with Borini as cover tbf - seeing as he's decent there, just not the type I'd ideally want.

I'd sign Anichebe too. Did a job our wide for Moyes too.
 
Pickford
Manquillo Kone Denayer PVA
Kirchhoff N'dong
Januzaj Pienaar Khazri
Defoe

Meh not great, no depth either.

On paper it's not that much weaker than last season. Although Kaboul and M'Vila are proven. Papy/Denayer and N'Dong unproven. Forgot about Pienaar. Classy player. The lack of depth is worrying but when did we last have genuine strength in depth? We've gotten by with Fletcher, Altidore and Graham as our senior forwards in recent times. Asoro might not be great when called upon but none of that shower of shit were either.
 
Aside from a striker, which would have been difficult as they would have known they would struggle for a game. We have a decent right back, bolstered the centre of defence and midfield is better (on paper) than when it opened (the window).

Baby steps, only the striker thing could potentially damage us. Young players are getting a game too, who knows what we might unearth.
 
Positives

Djilobodji and Manquillo - unknown quantities but so far so good.

Januzaj looks decent so far, and with more game time could be brilliant

Kept Kone

Denayer is a top prospect, bit of a coup to get him.

Shifted a lot of deadwood

Negatives

We have 1 fit, recognised senior striker, who is 33.

We spent 5.5m on Man Utd reserves, who've come here not even as starters.

That 5m could have gone to signing M'Vila - one of the best midfielders I've seen for us, and who was begging to join.

We lost Kaboul - crucial to us last year.

Personally, I don't think we are any stronger than last year, arguably weaker if you look at the squad as a whole.
 
Lack of back up striker to Defoe is definitely a concern but glad we didn't panic buy more deadwood.
The one I can't get my head around is the money spent on McNair and Love ,neither look much of a step up from our U23s lads . Hope they prove me wrong but even when we had no CBS available McNair couldn't get a game in the position I thought we had bought him to cover.
Could they/do they get a game with the under 23 team?
 
Letting lens go and not getting a striker in is strange. .

Other than that OK window... stronger team than last year but that doesn't say much. Will sleep on it and be back tomorrow.
 
We signed 3 players who I'd never heard of in January. They all made a big impact.

This window is similar, as again our major, permanent signings are relative unknowns. If they can all hit the ground running and Defoe can stay fit we'll be a solid team, hard to beat and we'll get some decent results.

Hopefully we'll get this keeper over the line anarl like.
 
As it stands...........

Keepers - Two senior keepers and another back from injury before Xmas, sorted
Defence - Plenty of cover across the back four, an upgrade on last season right back, we've kept our main defender, and our experienced influence, and look like having a beast of a centre back pairing. A success in my eyes.
Midfield - Hopefully a decent box to box midfielder has been brought in, a young utility player, and with a couple of mainstays returning from injury within a month, and seb back in January, as well as an improving Rodwell, and a very experienced old campaigner we are in about the same place as we were last season. Maybe a bit better off. M'Vila would have been the icing on the cake, not sure what happened there, maybe someone could start a thread on it.
Wide Players - A lazy bastard has gone but we have a a couple of good young prospects, Khazri is still at the club, and we finally may have a new AJ. I'm fairly happy.
Up front - A clusterfuck tbh. We have a Defoe, and thats about it. A promising but very raw young prospect and the only other striker is injured for three to six months. Just need to hope we can get to January and then spunk our budget on a decent goalscorer.

We have a spine, and in my eyes we've improved albeit slightly from our side at the end of last season. On the downside, our squad isn't great in epth of experience nor quality, but maybe some of the young'uns can make the step up. We also have key players who are injury prone.

We have an experienced and proven manager who seems capable of getting the best out of what he has got. Lets see what he can do with this lot :lol:
 
Positives

Djilobodji and Manquillo - unknown quantities but so far so good.

Januzaj looks decent so far, and with more game time could be brilliant

Kept Kone

Denayer is a top prospect, bit of a coup to get him.

Shifted a lot of deadwood

Negatives

We have 1 fit, recognised senior striker, who is 33.

We spent 5.5m on Man Utd reserves, who've come here not even as starters.

That 5m could have gone to signing M'Vila - one of the best midfielders I've seen for us, and who was begging to join.

We lost Kaboul - crucial to us last year.

Personally, I don't think we are any stronger than last year, arguably weaker if you look at the squad as a whole.
We needed to add to our squad of the end of last season so the positives cancel each other out tbh.

Manquillo-Yedlin
Papy-Kaboul
McNair-Brown
N'Dong-M'Vila
Januzaj-Fletcher/Johnson/graham
Love-Matthews
Kone-Kone

I'd rather have the right hand side personally. Denayer is the outlier and not needed despite me being a big fan.
 
As it stands...........

Keepers - Two senior keepers and another back from injury before Xmas, sorted
Defence - Plenty of cover across the back four, an upgrade on last season right back, we've kept our main defender, and our experienced influence, and look like having a beast of a centre back pairing. A success in my eyes.
Midfield - Hopefully a decent box to box midfielder has been brought in, a young utility player, and with a couple of mainstays returning from injury within a month, and seb back in January, as well as an improving Rodwell, and a very experienced old campaigner we are in about the same place as we were last season. Maybe a bit better off. M'Vila would have been the icing on the cake, not sure what happened there, maybe someone could start a thread on it.
Wide Players - A lazy bastard has gone but we have a a couple of good young prospects, Khazri is still at the club, and we finally may have a new AJ. I'm fairly happy.
Up front - A clusterfuck tbh. We have a Defoe, and thats about it. A promising but very raw young prospect and the only other striker is injured for three to six months. Just need to hope we can get to January and then spunk our budget on a decent goalscorer.

We have a spine, and in my eyes we've improved albeit slightly from our side at the end of last season. On the downside, our squad isn't great in epth of experience nor quality, but maybe some of the young'uns can make the step up. We also have key players who are injury prone.

We have an experienced and proven manager who seems capable of getting the best out of what he has got. Lets see what he can do with this lot :lol:

Thinking about this optimistically - if we end up with Bendtner on a free his style of play might work extremely well with Januzaj playing behind him for the odd game JD is rested in :cool:
 
The FA/Allardyce carry on left us playing catch up and given that i think the window hasn't been as bad as some make out. That being said, the striking options are woeful should anything happen to Defoe. Granted a free signing could come in, but we knew how desperate we were there and we shouldn't be looking at free agents as a only and last resort now.

Can't really add anything to the M'Vila situation that hasn't already been said (good and bad). Managing to keep Kone has shown Moyes will not be messed about, which can only be a good thing. Hopefully Kirchoff is fit after the international break and stays injury free (big ask) and Cattermole is to come back.

Don't know anything at all about N'Dong but he looks like he'll add a real presence in the midfield.
 
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We needed to add to our squad of the end of last season so the positives cancel each other out tbh.

Manquillo-Yedlin
Papy-Kaboul
McNair-Brown
N'Dong-M'Vila
Januzaj-Fletcher/Johnson/graham
Love-Matthews
Kone-Kone

I'd rather have the right hand side personally. Denayer is the outlier and not needed despite me being a big fan.
i agree mate. right back is the only area im remotely happy with.

its been a shambles from the start, topped off with a hammer to the bollocks.
 
Considering everything that's happened this window (and it has been chaos) I'd say we've done ok. We've just got to try and get through this season/until January and Moyes will be prepared for our next window. If everyone was fit I'd have no worries, it's the injuries to central midfield that have a lot of us rightfully concerned. It's a transitional season, just got to stick together through this one.
 
Could they/do they get a game with the under 23 team?

Not sure what point you are trying to make.
If I was one of th Robsons , Ledger or the other CB who was close to the first team last preseason ,then got injured ( his name escapes me ) , I would be a bit put out that ,the management thought Love and McNair were better bets.
 
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