David Moyes' Claret and Blue Army!

[Diogenes]

I tend to be phlegmatic about pre-season. I have seen enough good pre-seasons followed by relegation and enough poor followed by a good season.

What is certainly true is that our 'attacking' ability hasn't improved and getting Scamacca match fit cannot come soon enough (and hopefully some others). I am less concerned about us defensively, as many are on here, than our attacking prowess. If we lose many early games it will not be just down to Creswell. Indeed, at the moment, without further signings up front, his abilities from an attacking perspective would be sorely missed.

[Gazmundo]

To everyone slamming Moyes for having a poor transfer window.

A - there's a month left (yes ideally all of our business would be done before the season starts but that rarely happens due to the protracted nature of getting deals over the line, unless you pay over the odds for players). Plus many of the best players will wait until the end of August in order to get the best possible deal
B - ask yourselves how the window is going for our main challengers Man U, Moneybags Newcastle. Leicester, Brighton etc.

[westham,eggyandchips]

Odd take on this window. He's signed two definite starters (three in my opinion) and still has a month of the window left to go.

But we're only seven days from the season starting. He's had a long time to identify targets (From January). Our business should be well and truly done by now.....or close to being done.

I do wonder if he has a little sulk on for not getting Lingard. I reckon he wanted him badly, and would have paid the extra wages being as it was a freebie transfer.

[Danny's Dyer Acting]

But we're only seven days from the season starting. He's had a long time to identify targets (From January). Our business should be well and truly done by now.....or close to being done.

I do wonder if he has a little sulk on for not getting Lingard. I reckon he wanted him badly, and would have paid the extra wages being as it was a freebie transfer.

You're not being realistic. Look around the league, it's probably only Liverpool who would say they are done. If the richest/most attractive sides in the world are still trying to get their deals done then it's insanity to think we should be any different.

[1895Hammer]

Fine balance right now. Aguerd ( fit) & Scamacca start and improve us, add a quality left back and pacy wide forward we go up again, stick in an Onana or Sangare ( or that Fofana we saw against us yesterday) and our passing improves. Bring in those extra 3 and it’s 5 new starters, the keeper position is covered, and Downes & Ashby add youthful back up. That’s quite a transformation and should reverse the second half slump of last season when we were lower mid table in the form rankings. Cresswell, Antonio, Ogbonna, Benrahma etc mixed with a few rising youngsters gives us a far stronger bench.
We need to accept we aren’t getting CL superstars, but we can get very good “ nearly there” players to improve, as with Aguerd and Scamacca. Bring in 3 more like that over the next week or 2 and we can push for 5-8th and Europe again, don’t and we will slide to mid table and lose Rice and Bowen by this time next year.

[Gazmundo]

But we're only seven days from the season starting. He's had a long time to identify targets (From January). Our business should be well and truly done by now.....or close to being done.

I do wonder if he has a little sulk on for not getting Lingard. I reckon he wanted him badly, and would have paid the extra wages being as it was a freebie transfer.

I think you and many others really don't appreciate how hard it is to sign players. Downes was the exception but signing most other high calibre players is very complex and time consuming. There are many parties involved and clubs often won't let a player go until they have identified a replacement (bit like buying/selling a house). Often players and agents stall in order to get as many options as possible. Two clubs, the player, player's family, player's advisors, sponsors, agents etc. It's really not as simple as you think.

[BondsoBob]

I think you and many others really don't appreciate how hard it is to sign players. Downes was the exception but signing most other high calibre players is very complex and time consuming. There are many parties involved and clubs often won't let a player go until they have identified a replacement (bit like buying/selling a house). Often players and agents stall in order to get as many options as possible. Two clubs, the player, player's family, player's advisors, sponsors, agents etc. It's really not as simple as you think.

It's the same for every club though isn't it?

[billtho]

To everyone slamming Moyes for having a poor transfer window.

A - there's a month left (yes ideally all of our business would be done before the season starts but that rarely happens due to the protracted nature of getting deals over the line, unless you pay over the odds for players). Plus many of the best players will wait until the end of August in order to get the best possible deal
B - ask yourselves how the window is going for our main challengers Man U, Moneybags Newcastle. Leicester, Brighton etc.

A month ago there were 2 months left

[CarltonColesLeftFoot]

It's the same for every club though isn't it?

yes it is... why?

I agree though, you look at Joules Kounde to Chelsea and Frenkie De Jong to Man Utd and you realise how easy signings are at the top end of the table.

[CarltonColesLeftFoot]

A month ago there were 2 months left

and in that month we've got Scamacca & Downes over the line. In two weeks, there'll be two weeks left too.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

A month ago there were 2 months left

Good calendar work. We've signed Scamacca and Downes since then, add another two this month and things are looking better, more than that fantastic.

But ask yourself, was Bilic a bad manager when he spent barely anything and brought in free transfers like Feghouli, Fletcher, Zaza and Nordtveit? Was Pellegrini a bad manager when we signed one big money player in Haller then signed cheap punts like Ajeti?

Or is there some other common denominator in our managers and their slow transfer windows?

[BondsoBob]

yes it is... why?

I agree though, you look at Joules Kounde to Chelsea and Frenkie De Jong to Man Utd and you realise how easy signings are at the top end of the table.

I actually meant the logistics as pointed out by Gazmundo are pretty much the same for most clubs I believe.

[Albie Beck]

Or is there some other common denominator in our managers and their slow transfer windows?

...let me think...

[Bubbles Fortuna]

...let me think...

Between Dithering Sam, Dithering Slaven, Dithering Manuel and Dithering Dave I can't spot the pattern.

[BondsoBob]

Between Dithering Sam, Dithering Slaven, Dithering Manuel and Dithering Dave I can't spot the pattern.

[Burnley Hammer]

Where has he been after the last two games? Appeared frustrated and angry after Rangers, then McKinlay speaks after Luton and now Nevin spoke after Lens today.

:arry:

Pretty sure Pearce and Irvine did it in previous seasons

[Burnley Hammer]

This might explain the performances - he's been driving them too hard and they're all knackered!

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/footb ... s-27622201

[Bubbles Fortuna]

This might explain the performances - he's been driving them too hard and they're all knackered!

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/footb ... s-27622201

Conte gets praised to the moon for having his players vomitting on the side of the pitch, Moyes gets called 'old school', which is really just a polite way of saying 'dinosaur.'

[Burnley Hammer]

To be fair, it was just an informal chit chat... the little insight into pre-season training from Declan Rice can be seen here:

[Ironing Board]

But we're only seven days from the season starting. He's had a long time to identify targets (From January). Our business should be well and truly done by now.....or close to being done.

I do wonder if he has a little sulk on for not getting Lingard. I reckon he wanted him badly, and would have paid the extra wages being as it was a freebie transfer.

You can only do business if the other side is willing to sell. There is a lot of playing chicken at this stage of the window. Teams want to get the best money for their players.