Konate won't be signing a new desl

[Insidious]

Speaking of senior centre-backs and given we presumably have a finite budget and we need to bolster our attack and DM areas, what would anyone say to someone like Senesi?

At 28 he is still of a reasonable age for a centre-back, would take a little pressure off the depth of the position, knows the League and is a free agent.

There's bound to be someone we can acquire cost-effectively to keep funds available for the attack?

[sydenham red]

We would be very foolish to sell both Endo and Gomez. Very foolish indeed.

I'd have probably sold Endo just to free up some wages and would have kept Gomez for his final year - and that's if Konaté was staying!!!!

Now that he's going.....eeeesh. I really wouldn't want us spending any big money on a centre-back at this current time as this team is desperate for goals to turn more losses into draws and more draws into wins.

Regarding Bowen, I really do believe that we need three forwards, unless we are going to a 4-4-2 Diamond (4-1-2-1-2) or a 3-5-2 set-up and two of them could do with being rapid, which Bowen isn't.

Ideally (budget+availability questions) I'd do something like bring in two lads of Diomande/Barcola level (Olise is wholly unrealistic) and then still be able to bring someone like a Bowen in for depth/cover.

I wonder if one of our youth centre-backs is going to end up getting some minutes? Or is Gravenberch going to end up having to cover? He could really do with less game time, not more, to bring out his best again.

Messy this!

But what does Endo offer? Comes on occasionally with 15 to go to shore up, gets booked within 3 mins and then can't commit again. Not a CB either, infact im not sure what he is. Hope he has a good WC and sell immediately after that. Gomez must come 2nd in the perenially injured list after Frimpong. Got Bradley and Ramsey for RB and Bradley could come in at RCB and do just as well I believe. Squad players simply have to be available when the unexpected occurs and Gomez/Endo just aren't.

As for Konate he played Mexican stand off with the club over wages just like vvd/mo did but this time the club haven't blinked first. He wont get a move to a big club and be on big wages so don't be surprised if his only option is to renew on his current salary after WC with his tail between his legs. if not we move on and buy a homegrown CB or promote an academy player.

[redgold]

How did we get from a title winning squad to one that looks like it will struggle to compete for top 6 before a games even been played in just one season? That's top class incompetence. Someone has to pay for that.

[Insidious]

But what does Endo offer? Comes on occasionally with 15 to go to shore up, gets booked within 3 mins and then can't commit again. Not a CB either, infact im not sure what he is. Hope he has a good WC and sell immediately after that.

I'd keep Endo and trust him a little more - he is going to be rubbish coming in from the cold all the time.

He's played 240-ish career games at centre-back and 210-ish career games in defensive midfield.

We're going to get such a nominal fee for him that I think he is barely worth selling. For me a player who could have, let's say, 4 starts (all comps) at centre-back and 8 starts (all comps) at defensive midfield bearing in mind League Cup, FA Cup and League phase of the Champion's League.....PLUS can come on for the last 15-20 to prevent burnout for some of our midfielders might prove to be "better value" to keep than to sell.

Saying that, I was saying we shouldn't sell Gomez AND Endo this Summer, so if Gomez stays I am more comfortable with Endo going. I don't want a squad of what I call "bodies" but I do think utility players who can cover a couple of positions sporadically to take the edge off for other players are worth their weight in gold.

He isn't a Milner, but I am reluctant to dismiss some of what he can bring. As a member of the 21st-25th member of a 25-man squad he is fine for me.

[redgold]

How did we get from a title winning squad to one that looks like it will struggle to compete for top 6 before a games even been played in just one season? That's top class incompetence. Someone has to pay for that.

Also, how long does Szoboslai have on his contract? If a top club comes sniffing around him, do you think he'll stay? How long can such a top player fill in out of position for a coach I'm not sure he values.

[Red October]

Speaking of senior centre-backs and given we presumably have a finite budget and we need to bolster our attack and DM areas, what would anyone say to someone like Senesi?

At 28 he is still of a reasonable age for a centre-back, would take a little pressure off the depth of the position, knows the League and is a free agent.

There's bound to be someone we can acquire cost-effectively to keep funds available for the attack?

I think we're gonna have to find some low-price gems this summer. Can't see FSG authorising more huge fees. Anyway, we need to be smarter. Last summer shows why you don't just go and blow a load of money on a couple of big names. We cleared out most of our squad to do it. Now we're up the Khyber. We need to find cut-price options for both first team and back-up. Real mess right now.

[Insidious]

I think we're gonna have to find some low-price gems this summer. Can't see FSG authorising more huge fees. Anyway, we need to be smarter. Last summer shows why you don't just go and blow a load of money on a couple of big names. We cleared out most of our squad to do it. Now we're up the Khyber. We need to find cut-price options for both first team and back-up. Real mess right now.

There's definitely players out there that are free agents or have one year left on deals that can improve the side, provide depth and won't cost the Earth.

People sometimes turn their nose up at that market, but the more we can get a Matip or a Milner, the better.

[RedMagic]

How did we get from a title winning squad to one that looks like it will struggle to compete for top 6 before a games even been played in just one season? That's top class incompetence. Someone has to pay for that.

Also, how long does Szoboslai have on his contract? If a top club comes sniffing around him, do you think he'll stay? How long can such a top player fill in out of position for a coach I'm not sure he values.

I've previously mentioned this a number of times. The longer Slot stays and the longer we remain in the doldrums the more likely it is that players such as Szoboszlai, Ekitike and Ngumoah will look to go elsewhere. Szoboszlai's contract runs till the end of the 27/28 season. There are already other clubs sniffing around him

[jozza800]

There's definitely players out there that are free agents or have one year left on deals that can improve the side, provide depth and won't cost the Earth.

People sometimes turn their nose up at that market, but the more we can get a Matip or a Milner, the better.

People moan when we're not spending money. People moaned because we spent big money last summer...

------------------

There a few interesting 'frees' floating around this summer.

I'd certainly be looking at Diaci Kamada from Palace and Harry Wilson.

How about Vlahovic? Maybe more of an old fashioned centre forward but he knows where the goal is.

[jr81]

Just saying, but now not paying that extra 5mil for Guehi looks an almighty cluster fuck. For last season and the future. They had a top cb for a fraction of his real price.

The 2 young guys are highly rated in their respective countries so hopefully they push on.

If we got Senesi in a free to supplement the rest it might not be too bad. Knows the Premier league, has a good injury record. He is left footed so it would mean a potential move for virgil to his natural right side.

[Red October]

There's definitely players out there that are free agents or have one year left on deals that can improve the side, provide depth and won't cost the Earth.

People sometimes turn their nose up at that market, but the more we can get a Matip or a Milner, the better.

Yes. I've no doubt that there are. I really hope we can find a few. We desperately need them. We've picked up a few over the years.

[Red October]

People moan when we're not spending money. People moaned because we spent big money last summer...


.

I thought it was great at the time that we were making a statement. With hindsight losing some good players to fund it was a mistake. Particularly Diaz. But we also lost quality from the squad like Kelleher who could easily have stepped up this season as our No. 1.

[Steveo]

jozza oversimplifying things again..? Possibly taken out of context tho..

We didn't ONCE spend the money we needed to spend until Klopp was GONE... And this summer - even in wake of a highly unexpected title win...was the panic.

To try and say people moaned when we weren't "spending money' to back Klopp and now they moan that we are "spending money" to back Slot... Well that's an insult to Jurgen and those who were actually watching...and frankly it's a hugely disingenuous narrative taken on its own. One that wouldn't fool any but the most obtuse

Got my suspicions on quite a few posters in here. Seems the same voices again and again trying to confuse, obfuscate and minimise where the real responsibility lies time after time ...and shift it elsewhere.

[jozza800]

No obfuscation going on Steveo. It's not an attack on Klopp (as I am fairly sure you think every post I make is!), it's not a defence of the ownership, it's litteraly what happened.

After splurging last summer, many have said we should go back to being frugal and unearthing diamonds. These are comments that have been made.

You can keep saying that the club panicked and spent half a billion pounds as much as you like. It didn't make any sense the first time you said it and it makes about the same sense now!

Why did the owners 'panic' AFTER winning the title? At what point during the summer did they think "Maybe Arne isn't the man for the job, we better drop £500m on new players, it's clear he can't keep us at the top..." Was it during the tropy lift, or maybe the trophy parade...

Now, if we'd had the season we'd just had and they'd spent that money then the panic narrative might make more sense.

The tuth is, very few of us know what is actually going on behind closed doors. We can only see what is being played out on a Saturday afternoon. I watch a lot of football (not as much as I used to), but I know enough to know that Slot should have got far more out of the side than he did this season.

[Steveo]

Yawn..

Classic strawman tactics here... trying to escalate my point to an extreme by throwing around "half a billion" like I said they blindly threw cash into a furnace. It didn't make sense to you the first time because you’re completely missing the point... or just deliberately ignoring it to protect the hierarchy.


A panic summer doesn't mean they think Slot isn't the man... let's be honest... the bloke is completely useless and out of his depth anyway... but the board suddenly woke up to the cold... hard reality of life post-Jurgen. They realized the Klopp discount had officially expired... and the miracle alchemy that papered over the cracks for years was gone. Winning that title was an incredible achievement in spite of the historical underbacking... not proof that the frugal model was sustainable. The owners have been completely remiss for years... and throwing money now was a total panic response to protect their asset value once the safety net was gone.

Bringing back Edwards and hiring Hughes is just more smoke and mirrors... they are simply there as a buffer to protect the billionaires from the flak. It's a shield... nothing more. And then you try the classic forum pivot... "Slot should have got far more out of the side"... talk about proving my exact point about you and a few other regular voices trying to confuse... obfuscate... and minimise where the real responsibility lies. You try to frame it as these reasoned... logical points... but it’s just a clever distraction from the wider truth.

You've gone from defending the narrative to shifting the blame squarely onto the manager... anything to avoid looking at the long-term boardroom strategy and the real culprits at the top. It wouldn't fool anyone who actually watched what Jurgen had to contend with window after window.