👋 Farewell Tim Steidten

[Ozza]

Was Rodriguez a Steidten signing? Or a Lopetegui signing? Just heard Gonzo say on his YT channel that Guido was given a 100k/wk contract with us. If that's true then that alone is reason enough fire one or both.

Pretty well mentioned and by ITKs on here that he was JL’s along with Kilman and Soler

[EastVillageHammer]

We’ll never know for sure, all we can say definitively is the coalition wasn’t a particularly effective one.

[Albie Beck]

Although Brighton and Hove Albion appear to be the exception that prove the rule?

Brentford too. But they both have a more scientific approach although it remains to be seen if that works in the really long term.

[Albie Beck]

Was Rodriguez a Steidten signing? Or a Lopetegui signing? Just heard Gonzo say on his YT channel that Guido was given a 100k/wk contract with us. If that's true then that alone is reason enough fire one or both.

I thought it was the Dwarf and the Duchess who negotiated the contracts, with input from sundry tame agents.

[Ironing Board]

We’ll never know for sure, all we can say definitively is the coalition wasn’t a particularly effective one.

The worst coalition since Cameron-Clegg!

[MB]

I thought it was the Dwarf and the Duchess who negotiated the contracts, with input from sundry tame agents.

Ultimately they are the money people, but we’ve had a “committee” doing the picking for a while. How that works and what weight various people have/had is the unknown.

[MB]

Brentford too. But they both have a more scientific approach although it remains to be seen if that works in the really long term.

Works is also relative. It is a great approach if you are looking for higher mid table, but when the big boys can, and do, poach your best players then you are in a constant building phase.

You also need a fan base with the patience to blood these young foreign players which is much easier at Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham than it is here.

We are a tweeny club. Not big enough to buy the finished product, but probably too big (at least in the eyes of a lump of the fan base) to “do a Brighton”. The answer is probably a bit out of pot A and a bit out of pot B, but eventually you are fishing in the same pool as clubs with two, three and even four times the revenue. You then settle or you “dither”

[EastVillageHammer]

You then settle or you “dither”

It works until it doesn’t. Sometimes you land a Kudus or a Paqueta and everyone sits back and thinks “why didn’t he go to City/Liverpool etc.

Other times we sign no one, or a Mavrapanos rather than Maguire, who you really wanted and were waiting on.

[MB]

It works until it doesn’t. Sometimes you land a Kudus or a Paqueta and everyone sits back and thinks “why didn’t he go to City/Liverpool etc.

Did they? Some on here maybe, but that is the hype train talking mate.

Kudus had been linked to “The Big Six” for at least 12 months before he signed for us which suggests they were looking and had passed (ironically).

Paqueta had one big flop on his track record so I doubt he was on many radars when we signed him. Payet like in that not quite young enough, is he good enough type way. Who knows how real the links to Man City were. Diop was going for £50m to Man Utd once upon a time…

If they were in that big six pool then it was caught in the shallows where we could scoop them up!

Good players both of course but not quite what we needed/not quite it for what we bought them for. Story of our transfer business once we go over £30m.

[DusseldorfHammer]

On Brighton and Tony Bloom.

They're making extra money from selling their Scouting and Data Intel to other clubs. They have found a niche.

[EastVillageHammer]

Did they? Some on here maybe, but that is the hype train talking mate.

I think the fact that both came quite late on in windows and then finally signed made people think that was a good way to do business. Bide your time and you’ll get a better quality of player once the big clubs have done their business.

In reality I think the best run clubs identify the players they want and that are feasibly in their bracket of players they can get and do business early.

I think as you’ve said, we kind of fall between the cracks as we’re big enough to outspend 60-70% of the league, and want to fish in that bigger pond, but can’t compete if Arsenal, City or Villa and Newcastle now and their foreign equivalents come in for those players we’ve gone for.

To my mind, we should be doing what Brighton or Brentford do, and leveraging the size of our club to do it bigger and better than them. But it takes vision, it’s long term, and it doesn’t involve using favoured agents of our owner.

[carnage]

Did they? Some on here maybe, but that is the hype train talking mate.

Come on, Paqueta was Brazils number 8 when we signed him. And how to city was done before the betting story broke.

[Ironing Board]

On Brighton and Tony Bloom.

They're making extra money from selling their Scouting and Data Intel to other clubs. They have found a niche.

Indeed, maybe Brighton is the promotional tool?

[MB]

Come on, Paqueta was Brazils number 8 when we signed him. And how to city was done before the betting story broke.

And who did we beat to his signature when we signed him? Exactly...

We also need to stop all this Brazil's this and Italy's that and Germany's the other. It is meaningless and lumbers you with players like Rodriguez.

The only papers on that deal were the news kind...

[Ironing Board]

And who did we beat to his signature when we signed him? Exactly...

We also need to stop all this Brazil's this and Italy's that and Germany's the other. It is meaningless and lumbers you with players like Rodriguez.

The only papers on that deal were the news kind...

Part of the attraction of exotic internationals is the reflected glory of great players past. There was a time when people imagined every Brazilian had the skill of Pele. Ironically, Brazil football went down that path of trying to develop more robust, powerful players as it led to more success in their domestic league.

Scotland used to produce great forward players like Dalglish, Law, Archibald, etc, but who would want a Scottish number nine these days?

[Albie Beck]

Ultimately they are the money people, but we’ve had a “committee” doing the picking for a while. How that works and what weight various people have/had is the unknown.

The "committee" haggled with each other over the targets, but I thought it was Brady and co who actually hammered out the detailed terms with them. What a joyous experience that must be for a prospective signing and their representatives. No wonder we often struggle to get deals over the line.

[Ironing Board]

The "committee" haggled with each other over the targets, but I thought it was Brady and co who actually hammered out the detailed terms with them. What a joyous experience that must be for a prospective signing and their representatives. No wonder we often struggle to get deals over the line.

I think most clubs these days have these sorts of committees though, in some form or another.

[mattyD]

I think most clubs these days have these sorts of committees though, in some form or another.

How on earth then did our committee green light on Guido and c.£30m on Fulkrug?

[DublinDave]

How on earth then did our committee green light on Guido and c.£30m on Fulkrug?

Because a committee is only as good as the sum of it's parts.
Lop, Steidten, Sully & Salty, not exactly the A team are they..?

[Ozza]

I mean i have absolutely no idea but it does feel like…

“Julen you get 3, Tim you get 3, i get a couple but if either of them fail, then Tim its on you…is everyone clear?”