This has been the best, most dignified transfer period since i can remember. If only we had this attitude, integrity and smarts during the Klopp era. But it's never too late. I hope this ushers us in a new era where we continue to behave like a top club.
According to Kicker, what Sancho did was at least by the rules and cannot be compared to a strike. He had a scholarship contract as a youth player which he is allowed to terminate. And that is what he did.
Actually Spielverlegung had a similar article about him. Considering we already have Schürrle, this was an awful purchase. For 55M we could have got a much better player instead of Yarmalenko and Schürrle. We also bought that tall useless POS Toprak. So no, this hasn't been an outstanding transfer window. It's positive in that we got Dahoud, Sancho, Toljan and Zagadou along with Phillip. Park, Rode and Neven are still on the payroll. And we have average trash like Schmelzer, Toprak, Castro getting key min.
We don't know how things are going to work out, but losing Dembele is a huge blow. I don't think there is anything wrong with looking at how other Ukrainian players have struggled to adapt abroad and predicting that another might. Shevchenko the only successful one I can think of in recent times and even that was 15 years ago. I just think our attack is lacking that bit of magic.Last year I said Dembele, Reus and Auba was as good as anything out there except Barca and Madrid. Well Barca have taken Dembele, Reus is injured at best for over half the season and Auba is still brilliant. All the signings have been very good, but we need a special player that can change the game. We need realistically a Brandt or Draxler.
Sancho and Pulisic are actually excellent dribblers who can generate moments of magic. We also have Dahoud. We need a balanced squad, outstanding strategy, well drilled midfield and a rock solid defence. Our squad looks a lot better than it did last year.
Pulisic is a very talented player, but he is 18 soon to be 19. In a year or two years time he could be The Man, as of now he is best as a support role. If Reus was fit things would be different. I have not seen Sancho, but people here say he is a couple of years away from doing being ready for the first team.
That's not a good thing. We should be competing with City. I actually think Yarmolenko(should he settle) and Philipp are very good options and replacements. The problem is I don't expect Reus to be any good for the whole season. This entire season will all be about rehabilitation for him. Do you think Pulisic and Yarmolenko/Philipp compare with what other top teams have to offer Hazard and Willian/Pedro, Ronaldo and Isco/Bale, Messi and Dembele, Neymar and Di Maria, Robben/Ribery and James Rodriguez/Muller, De Bruyne and Sane, Mkhitaryan and Sane? Sadly our wingers are a level below the other top teams.
I do think Pulisic is the real deal. But despite Reus being healthy or us having Miki or Dembélé, PEA has scored around 75% of our goals. This means we need to have key players like Weigl, Dahoud, Raphael making life easier for him. Furthermore, Phillip isn't completely useless like Schürrle. I agree, that having Reus and Götze healthy is critical because they are both goal threats, but their absence can be substituted.
I agree Pulisic is the real deal, but I don't think he is quite yet ready to carry the attack. I think that is a year or two too soon. This is the weakest our front 3 has been for several years. PEA is a goal machine and he scores so much, because other players like Miki, Reus and Dembele set him out. We are without all three this season. The rest of the squad is better than it has been for a while and we have some real depth. Toljan(LP)---- Sokratis(Toprak)----- Bartra(Subotic)----- Raphael(Schmelzer) --------------------Weigl (Sahin) -------Dahoud(Castro)----------Gotze(Kagawa) Pulisic(Yarmolenko------------------------------Philipp(Schurrle) ----------------------------Auba------------------------- There's real quality in the first team and real depth. It's just one magical player away from being ready to challenge on all fronts.
A front 4 of Lewandowski, young Götze, brand new Reus, injury prone Kuba looked extremely weak after Kagawa left. Your hindsight is always 20/20.
No it didn't. Reus was the German player of the year and had carried Gladbach to the top 4. Gotze was the most gifted German player of his generation and getting better and better. Lewandowski whilst not the monster he would become was an excellent young striker getting better at better. I would compare his level to Morata currently or Lukaku. The only weak link was Kuba. I could be wrong and I certainly hope I am. I feel the midfield is really going to have to carry the team.
You are great at running numbers. 55 mil not counting the salaries vs 9 mil salary for Miki for 4 years. 25 mil is a good buy for Yarmolenko though.
I would have given Miki the bumper deal to keep him from going to United. But I think Raiola had already convinced him. Our mistake was negotiating with him too late.
25 mil for Yarmo is incredibly good. I'm starting to warm to this deal. It's a real pain though that we still have Schuerle, rode and Durm. I wonder why the Durm deal didn't work out?! I'm really looking forward to seeing Yarmolenko in action, I think he will be very good.
We dropped the ball with the timing of all 3 departures in that season. But I don't think there as much we could have done to keep him. Along with Pogba and Ibra, imo Raiola presented them as a package to Utd. Plus, Utd and the EPL would be hard to resist for dollars and exposure
Selling Miki and buying Dembele was fantastic business. I would swap Miki for Dembele every single time. The problem was Reus getting injured, Hummels leaving and not replacing Gundogan. We upgraded on Miki. This year we have upgraded on Castro but downgraded significantly on Dembele and Reus is injured for even longer.
I think it's time to lock this, as summer business has concluded. Anyone who wants to make a winter thread to discuss January speculation may do so.