Transfer Reality Check

[Saxondale]

Transfer windows wind me up. Yes, signing new players is exciting, but fans get carried away.

 

If you believe half of our fanbase, we need to replace pretty much our entire first team every transfer window. I think we need a little bit of reality check.

 

1) I think fans (of all teams) have a tendency to under-rate their own team’s players and over-rate every other team’s players. There’s an obvious reason for this. We watch our own players for 90 mins, week after week, and form our opinion based on warts-and-all evidence. Our opinions of other teams’ players tend to be formed on Match of the Day highlights and suchlike, where you’re noticing the most interesting aspects of a player’s game.

 

2) Don’t pretend you have a detailed knowledge of a Bundesliga or Ligue 1 player. We all know you’ve formed your opinion based on FIFA or FM. And, frankly, if you genuinely have watched enough foreign domestic league football through which to form a valid opinion of a player, what are you doing with your life?

 

3) All transfers are a gamble. You can apply all the high-tech analysis and informed scouting knowledge to a player, but you cannot know if a player will fit in at a club, or in a team, or in a league. I saw some people on here were absolutely slating our management for signing Silva. This is patently ridiculous. He is a player with a rich pedigree, who everybody thought would be a huge asset. The reasons for him not fitting in are no doubt myriad. Silva has massive international pedigree and didn’t work, Vardy was a non-league player who became one of our all-time top 5 players. It will always be a gamble.

 

4) Signing players is not like on FM. Watch the Sunderland documentary on Netflix and the Leeds documentary on Amazon - they show the reality of signing players. Clubs do their best within the many constraints.

5) A high player turnover is not a good thing. You can’t build a team and culture if the personnel changes all the time. 
 

6) Some players won’t want to sign for us, for whatever reason.

 

7) You can’t pack your squad with too many world class first teamers, because they won’t all be able to start. Top level players don’t want to come to Leicester to sit on the bench. That’s why our squad has to be a mix of top players, high potential players and backup players.

 

[Dahnsouff]

Sense  

 

But no time nor place for such things 

 

[Saxondale]

Just now, Dahnsouff said:

Sense  

 

But no time nor place for such things 

 

I fully expect to get hounded off the forum.

[Kegworthfox]

The most sensible comment on ft for years

[mozartfox]

19 minutes ago, Kegworthfox said:

The most sensible comment on ft for years

TBF Not much competition In that category.

[TrentFox]

50 minutes ago, Saxondale said:

Transfer windows wind me up. Yes, signing new players is exciting, but fans get carried away.

 

If you believe half of our fanbase, we need to replace pretty much our entire first team every transfer window. I think we need a little bit of reality check.

 

1) I think fans (of all teams) have a tendency to under-rate their own team’s players and over-rate every other team’s players. There’s an obvious reason for this. We watch our own players for 90 mins, week after week, and form our opinion based on warts-and-all evidence. Our opinions of other teams’ players tend to be formed on Match of the Day highlights and suchlike, where you’re noticing the most interesting aspects of a player’s game.

 

2) Don’t pretend you have a detailed knowledge of a Bundesliga or Ligue 1 player. We all know you’ve formed your opinion based on FIFA or FM. And, frankly, if you genuinely have watched enough foreign domestic league football through which to form a valid opinion of a player, what are you doing with your life?

 

3) All transfers are a gamble. You can apply all the high-tech analysis and informed scouting knowledge to a player, but you cannot know if a player will fit in at a club, or in a team, or in a league. I saw some people on here were absolutely slating our management for signing Silva. This is patently ridiculous. He is a player with a rich pedigree, who everybody thought would be a huge asset. The reasons for him not fitting in are no doubt myriad. Silva has massive international pedigree and didn’t work, Vardy was a non-league player who became one of our all-time top 5 players. It will always be a gamble.

 

4) Signing players is not like on FM. Watch the Sunderland documentary on Netflix and the Leeds documentary on Amazon - they show the reality of signing players. Clubs do their best within the many constraints.

5) A high player turnover is not a good thing. You can’t build a team and culture if the personnel changes all the time. 
 

6) Some players won’t want to sign for us, for whatever reason.

 

7) You can’t pack your squad with too many world class first teamers, because they won’t all be able to start. Top level players don’t want to come to Leicester to sit on the bench. That’s why our squad has to be a mix of top players, high potential players and backup players.

 

Bad day?? 

[jmono84]

You make good points and I agree when you say fans underrate our own. Like Chilwell for example I would be more than happy if he spent the next few seasons with us starting games and hopefully improving on aspects of his game.

 

At the same time I think it makes sense if the club accepted the fees that are being spouted but I know a lot of it is bs.

 

I suppose I try and take a balanced approach when it comes to our club, I know there’s not much I can do but hope whoever makes the big decisions for us have the best intentions for the long term! Fingers crossed we can get a few gems in this window!!

[Filberts lovechild]

Totally agree with all your sentiments there, good post!

 

I loved the days when Nige, Shaky, Walshy would have all dealings wrapped up nice & quickly so we didn’t turn into those muppet fans checking for news from “ITK” accounts.

[stripeyfox]

1 hour ago, Saxondale said:

Transfer windows wind me up. Yes, signing new players is exciting, but fans get carried away.

 

If you believe half of our fanbase, we need to replace pretty much our entire first team every transfer window. I think we need a little bit of reality check.

 

1) I think fans (of all teams) have a tendency to under-rate their own team’s players and over-rate every other team’s players. There’s an obvious reason for this. We watch our own players for 90 mins, week after week, and form our opinion based on warts-and-all evidence. Our opinions of other teams’ players tend to be formed on Match of the Day highlights and suchlike, where you’re noticing the most interesting aspects of a player’s game.

 

2) Don’t pretend you have a detailed knowledge of a Bundesliga or Ligue 1 player. We all know you’ve formed your opinion based on FIFA or FM. And, frankly, if you genuinely have watched enough foreign domestic league football through which to form a valid opinion of a player, what are you doing with your life?

 

3) All transfers are a gamble. You can apply all the high-tech analysis and informed scouting knowledge to a player, but you cannot know if a player will fit in at a club, or in a team, or in a league. I saw some people on here were absolutely slating our management for signing Silva. This is patently ridiculous. He is a player with a rich pedigree, who everybody thought would be a huge asset. The reasons for him not fitting in are no doubt myriad. Silva has massive international pedigree and didn’t work, Vardy was a non-league player who became one of our all-time top 5 players. It will always be a gamble.

 

4) Signing players is not like on FM. Watch the Sunderland documentary on Netflix and the Leeds documentary on Amazon - they show the reality of signing players. Clubs do their best within the many constraints.

5) A high player turnover is not a good thing. You can’t build a team and culture if the personnel changes all the time. 
 

6) Some players won’t want to sign for us, for whatever reason.

 

7) You can’t pack your squad with too many world class first teamers, because they won’t all be able to start. Top level players don’t want to come to Leicester to sit on the bench. That’s why our squad has to be a mix of top players, high potential players and backup players.

 

Down with this common sense! What is the matter with you man?

 

[ealingfox]

Yes it is truly impossible to watch more than one football match in a weekend.

[HighPeakFox]

Just now, ealingfox said:

Yes it is truly impossible to watch more than one football match in a weekend.

Fishing mission complete. 

[ealingfox]

4 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

Fishing mission complete. 

 

Ah yes, forgot there was always that old chestnut to fall back on when you've said something thick.

[HighPeakFox]

11 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

Ah yes, forgot there was always that old chestnut to fall back on when you've said something thick.

I hadn't said anything, had I? It was a joke.

 

Now, what was that you were saying about 'said something thick'...?

Edited 11 August 2020 by HighPeakFox

[Jattdogg]

Just sign that ronaldo bloke

[majaco]

3 hours ago, Saxondale said:

Transfer windows wind me up. Yes, signing new players is exciting, but fans get carried away.

 

If you believe half of our fanbase, we need to replace pretty much our entire first team every transfer window. I think we need a little bit of reality check.

 

1) I think fans (of all teams) have a tendency to under-rate their own team’s players and over-rate every other team’s players. There’s an obvious reason for this. We watch our own players for 90 mins, week after week, and form our opinion based on warts-and-all evidence. Our opinions of other teams’ players tend to be formed on Match of the Day highlights and suchlike, where you’re noticing the most interesting aspects of a player’s game.

 

2) Don’t pretend you have a detailed knowledge of a Bundesliga or Ligue 1 player. We all know you’ve formed your opinion based on FIFA or FM. And, frankly, if you genuinely have watched enough foreign domestic league football through which to form a valid opinion of a player, what are you doing with your life?

 

3) All transfers are a gamble. You can apply all the high-tech analysis and informed scouting knowledge to a player, but you cannot know if a player will fit in at a club, or in a team, or in a league. I saw some people on here were absolutely slating our management for signing Silva. This is patently ridiculous. He is a player with a rich pedigree, who everybody thought would be a huge asset. The reasons for him not fitting in are no doubt myriad. Silva has massive international pedigree and didn’t work, Vardy was a non-league player who became one of our all-time top 5 players. It will always be a gamble.

 

4) Signing players is not like on FM. Watch the Sunderland documentary on Netflix and the Leeds documentary on Amazon - they show the reality of signing players. Clubs do their best within the many constraints.

5) A high player turnover is not a good thing. You can’t build a team and culture if the personnel changes all the time. 
 

6) Some players won’t want to sign for us, for whatever reason.

 

7) You can’t pack your squad with too many world class first teamers, because they won’t all be able to start. Top level players don’t want to come to Leicester to sit on the bench. That’s why our squad has to be a mix of top players, high potential players and backup players.

 

So we should bid for de Bruyne?

[Finnegan]

3 hours ago, Saxondale said:

2) Don’t pretend you have a detailed knowledge of a Bundesliga or Ligue 1 player.

 

Oh here we go again, YOU don't watch a lot of European football so NOBODY does.

 

The Bundesliga and Ligue 1 are two of the most televised leagues in the UK, there's infinitely more Bundesliga games on the TV than Championship games yet everyone's a Brentford expert and you're fine with that. 

 

If you had people on the forum lining up to claim they know everything about some Romanian second division player then I'd get it but the fact that some people get so easily triggered by the one or two on here that watch a bit of European football at the weekend is just really getting boring. 

[Saxondale]

19 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

everyone's a Brentford expert and you're fine with that. 

 

See bullet 1) in my post.

[majaco]

Not everyone wants to sign for us?  I read on this forum that we are massive.

 

You make so e great points.  The squad turnover point is well made.  Our policy of selling one big player a season  is sensible.

 

At the start of the window, I was hoping for two  big signings - established players to strengthen our match day players.  Players who would genuinely challenge to start.  Perreira, Maddison, Tielemans being recent examples

 

On top of this, I would like to see a couple of young squad players with potential to come in.  Justin and Soyuncu being recent examples.

 

A priority has to be keeping a strong core of players so there is squad stability.

[nnfox]

Some good points, but I'm not sure they hold much weight really... take Francisco Trincao...

 

1) He is definitely better than anything we've got.  You just need to see his YouTube reel to know that.

 

2) He's a Barcelona player but has been playing in Portugal.  I first heard of him when he was 17 and have been following his progress in the Portugal League since then and he is definitely well good.

 

3) All transfers are a gamble? Err, not this one mate.

 

4) There will be some backwards and forwards to get the deal done but once Brendan gets to flash him a smile and put his arm around him, the deal's as good as done.

 

5) High player turnover is always possible.  Get him in on loan for two years.  He wouldn't stay for much longer anyway (he's really good, I've watched him in the Portugal league).  It's best to plan in advance and not get upset about players leaving.

 

6) He definitely would want to sign for us.  He could live miles away from London in a country where he doesn't know the language or have many friends, for a team that nearly qualified for the Champions League.  It's inconceivable that he'd want to chance his arm at Barcelona when he can come to Leicester.

 

7) Fill the team with world class players, then fill the bench with world class players as well.  They are all in it for the glory of Leicester trying to get to the FA Cup final and won't mind doing their bit. 

 

[Dahnsouff]

Bit subtle in this heat mate. 

[majaco]

If we signed all the players in the transfer talk section, we would have a serious amount of dead wood to offload.

[Saxondale]

2 hours ago, nnfox said:

Some good points, but I'm not sure they hold much weight really... take Francisco Trincao...

 

1) He is definitely better than anything we've got.  You just need to see his YouTube reel to know that.

 

2) He's a Barcelona player but has been playing in Portugal.  I first heard of him when he was 17 and have been following his progress in the Portugal League since then and he is definitely well good.

 

3) All transfers are a gamble? Err, not this one mate.

 

4) There will be some backwards and forwards to get the deal done but once Brendan gets to flash him a smile and put his arm around him, the deal's as good as done.

 

5) High player turnover is always possible.  Get him in on loan for two years.  He wouldn't stay for much longer anyway (he's really good, I've watched him in the Portugal league).  It's best to plan in advance and not get upset about players leaving.

 

6) He definitely would want to sign for us.  He could live miles away from London in a country where he doesn't know the language or have many friends, for a team that nearly qualified for the Champions League.  It's inconceivable that he'd want to chance his arm at Barcelona when he can come to Leicester.

 

7) Fill the team with world class players, then fill the bench with world class players as well.  They are all in it for the glory of Leicester trying to get to the FA Cup final and won't mind doing their bit. 

 

Can't argue with any of that.

[Monsell1976]

Half a dozen quality signings for competition for places as we are in Europe, and for me it’s about out goings, no point having massive earning players on the books that are never going to play.

 

 Rodgers has hinted the squad is to big, and wants it down to 25, as he stated it’s hard to keep players happy, interview earlier in the year.

[urban.spaceman]

8 hours ago, Saxondale said:

2) Don’t pretend you have a detailed knowledge of a Bundesliga or Ligue 1 player.

Can I still say stuff like 'my Freiburg supporting mate says Soyuncu is ****ing mustard'?

[gerrytaggart]

10 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

Can I still say stuff like 'my Freiburg supporting mate says Soyuncu is ****ing mustard'?

Unless mustard is the name of a 10/10 stunner then I refuse to believe this rumour.