Your assessment of the transfer window (incomings)

[KRBFC]

I’m hopeful that Vincent Kompany and his team can raise the bar with these (mostly) young lads.

He certainly seems to know what he’s doing in the coaching department.

Absolutely, buying players to fit his system and style too. I think Dyche got away from this somewhat, I mentioned in January we should've took a look at Ross Stewart and Twine from League One. I think we tried to get too clever with Weghorst and Cornet, they didn't fit the Dyche team at all. A considerably cheaper option to Weghorst would have been Kiefer Moore (who went to Bournemouth for like £2m). Non of the fans would've wanted him (myself included) but I think he'd have at least fit the system better than Weghorst. I thought Dyche and the club made an absolute pigs ear out of the January window, we could have signed 3 or 4 cheaper players and improved the team but put all of our eggs into fancy international bigger names and more expensive deals (Weghorst and Orsic).

[arise_sir_charge]

Said it at weekend but I keep reading that the loan players are out best signings. It’s far too early to make that call.

The benefit they have is that they are already schooled to some extent in English football having been through academies and played games.

There is every chance some of the permanent signings will be equally as good when they settle in.

One last point, suggesting we’ve not got any PL quality also assumes that a lot of these players are at their ceiling. Again way too early to make that call and one or more of them could turn out to be worth a fortune.

[bfcmik]

I worry about the apparent lack of physicality in the squad, how some players will cope when the going gets tough, and it will. The last few games have been sublime in warm temperatures, but I just wonder how some of these lads will fair when the winds howling and winter kicks in

These lads have either played in England or come through the ranks in northern European clubs. The weather in many of those places can be even harsher than it gets here so I'm sure they will all have experienced the conditions you refer to.

[forzagranata]

It is still too early to know how many of these signings are shrewd bargains who are going to deliver.

Benson and Vitinho look useful and have shown bright moments.
Cullen looks solid enough.
The jury is still out on Muric and Bastian
The loan players have made the impact particularly Tella
But Zaroury, Churlinov, Egan-Riley, Mcnally, Dervisoglu and Beyer - no-one yet knows if any of them are going to be good enough.

[Hedontplayforyou]

Excited to watch the team come together and undoubtedly rotate , whilst showing us just what these new lads are about. The team on Tuesday looked as if it was beginning to click. The few mistakes they made, they recovered and bossed the game throughout

[ClaretPete001]

Two things are being conflated here. Firstly, the jury is out on whether the permanent players will become solid Championship players so from a playing perspective I think VK can do much with them and I think he will but commercially the market only exists in the top half of the PL.

And while I can see THB, Maatsen and Tella possibly making it - I think it's a stretch to see some of the others doing so.

Cornet was different class to this summer's permanent signings (albeit I agree with KRBFC he was wrong for Dyche's team) - I just don't think there can be any debate about that...!

[claptrappers_union]

Though I know this is thread about incomings, but I’m surprised we still have the likes of Lowton, Norris, and Long in the squad. I would’ve thought they wouldn’t be in VK’s plans and would have interest from other clubs for their services.

I think we should get Vydra back on the books though - he’ll be great for the system we play now.

[Elizabeth]

My belief in each new signing grew stronger the more I saw performances on the field as the transfer window progressed. It has been really impressive how the 'new' have gelled with the 'old'.
I started to feel more confident that VK and the recruitment team knew what they were doing.
I would describe it as a whirlwind that will take time to settle down and similar to the feeling of excitement I had as a young child when opening Christmas presents. The signings in the last week or so remain unwrapped but if they are as good as those we've seen on the field it will be something special.
My disappointment at losing most of our best players has dissipated and I can't say better than that.

[claptrappers_union]

My disappointment at losing most of our best players has dissipated and I can't say better than that.

At the time, I thought losing the services of Ben Mee was a disaster for our defence and the loss of a leader. I wouldn’t liked to have seen McNeil stay too, I think he would’ve been immense at this level… but you can’t turn your nose up at £20m.

Pope, Tarky and Cornet, I had resigned to losing anyway. Collins deserves another crack at the top flight.

The players we have brought in more than capable at this level and is a strong, adaptable squad as well…

[AGENT_CLARET]

Loved all the videos

[agreenwood]

Ask me again in May.

[boatshed bill]

It's an incredible volume of work for a new manager and staff.

[Tw@]

Outstanding

[123EasyasBFC]

We have a competitive squad now, If players aren’t performing or fitness wise they need a rest we have ready made replacements, there should be no passengers, you always want more and in Jan we might need to bring in for example another cb or another holding mid to reduce corks load.

Our squad other than roberts know they have a month break in November to recover so it’s time to really put a shift in before then

[Tw@]

Loved all the videos

Ohh naughty

[Tw@]

I’m actually looking forward to the games now rather than being depressed and expecting the same awful dross

[Commy]

VK has worked absolute wonders in assembling such a collection of promising players together in such a short space of time. We seem like we've got strength in depth and the football we're playing is on another planet. However, the cautious side of me kicks in. I worry about the apparent lack of physicality in the squad, how some players will cope when the going gets tough, and it will. The last few games have been sublime in warm temperatures, but I just wonder how some of these lads will fair when the winds howling and winter kicks in. Finishing on a positive note, i'm cautiously optimistic and give the window 10 out of 10, I can't remember one quite like it.

Did you see the video of Vitinho after Tues game where he said he was freezing? He won't leave his house when it does start to go cold.

[COBBLE]

A plan that seems the best I could think of being executed brilliantly.

[ClaretTony]

Did you see the video of Vitinho after Tues game where he said he was freezing? He won't leave his house when it does start to go cold.

Heaven help him if he feels cold now.

[Commy]

Heaven help him if he feels cold now.

He was shivering and said he was from Brazil and the weather was different lol. Also said he had been told it was going to get worse. I think it was on Twitter.

[Swizzlestick]

He was shivering and said he was from Brazil and the weather was different lol. Also said he had been told it was going to get worse. I think it was on Twitter.

He’s been playing in Belgium! Hardly bloody Copacabana beach. He’ll be reyt.

[Rileybobs]

Did you see the video of Vitinho after Tues game where he said he was freezing? He won't leave his house when it does start to go cold.

He lived in Bruges for 4 years.

[ClaretTony]

He was shivering and said he was from Brazil and the weather was different lol. Also said he had been told it was going to get worse. I think it was on Twitter.

It reminds me of the West Indian professional at Burnley Cricket Club a few years ago. He left them with a massive heating bill, he'd had it on all summer.

[Cirrus_Minor]

Did you see the video of Vitinho after Tues game where he said he was freezing? He won't leave his house when it does start to go cold.

I have worked in Brazil and once remember during August (their winter) the temperature was between 18 and 20 degrees, probably similar to todays temperatures. The whole office were shivering and sneezing in big coats whist we (the Brits) were knocking about in tee shirts and shorts.

[tiger76]

Something which hasn't been mentioned on this thread yet, is we've managed to retain Brownhill, when at one stage it did look possible he might be eyed by PL clubs.

The harsh reality of relegation always meant we were likely to lose several guys who impressed at that level, but we have managed to retain an experienced core, as well as snapping up a few promising youngsters from the lower leagues and also Europe.

Will that be a mixture that ensures promotion, impossible to predict for certain, but we should be able to give it a right good go with what we've got now.

[claptrappers_union]

Are we thanking him for selling players and spending part of it for bringing in new ones or are we thanking Vincent Kompany for wrestling the recruitment from him and choosing the players?

I suspect that part of the reason it took so long to finally announce Kompany as our manager is because of negotiations of his terms and control over transfers.

The signings are clearly VK appointments. If they’ll be good signings in the long run, only time will tell but one been more than impressed with the new players I’ve seen so far at this level.

Jury still out on Pace for me though, however he is doing more than enough on righting the wrongs since the takeover

[louieollie]

Refreshing ............exciting............forward thinking.

[Cirrus_Minor]

Certainly managed to get many in during the transfer window. Obviously time will tell on them and some have impressed already. But I still see those inherited from last season being the mainstay for first team selection and doing the heavy work.

[Swizzlestick]

I suspect that part of the reason it took so long to finally announce Kompany as our manager is because of negotiations of his terms and control over transfers.

The signings are clearly VK appointments. If they’ll be good signings in the long run, only time will tell but one been more than impressed with the new players I’ve seen so far at this level.

Jury still out on Pace for me though, however he is doing more than enough on righting the wrongs since the takeover

Agree with this. Aside from misgivings about the leveraged buyout out etc, substantial praise has to be given for the Kompany appointment - it’s rejuvenated the club and the fans.

[johnnyjones]

9/10 for incomings

10/10 for videos

[clive40golf]

It’s been very exciting to see Burnley activity going after targets and getting deals done very quickly, plus there’s been none of the stupid £1:50 starting offers that have got us off on the wrong foot with the selling club immediately.
As stated, it’s far too early to tell, but if you work on 50% of our buys coming good, then that’s more than acceptable.
My main hope is that the players we have on loan, we have an option to buy, as these have been the Jewels in our crown.

[Vegas Claret]

this from twitter sums it up for me

[Taffy on the wing]

FOOKIN’ FANTASTIC!

[Suratclaret]

My assessment…WOW!

[sox8595]

I’m actually looking forward to the games now rather than being depressed and expecting the same awful dross

100% agree, it was starting to feel like a chore to go and watch matches, I am a very poor loser and the long walk home after some of the displays last season made me wonder if it was worth it

[Pheonixknight]

It feels a bit like when you was a kid, very occasionally you would find some money on the pavement or in this case, borrow some money from a weird uncle that always wanted it back...legging it to the corner shop and buying a lucky bag...closing your eyes and crossing your fingers as you opened it.

[JohnDearyMe]

Feels a long way from the transfer window when we sent that fax out asking if anyone had any players available for us.

We've certainly got competition for places in most areas of the pitch but i worry we are too dependent on keeping Rodriguez fit until January. Barnes has looked like a fish out of water in this new set up so far so hopefully we won't have to turn to him to spearhead our attack.

[RVclaret]

Hilarious seeing a few posters (no shocks as to who) decide who is and who isn’t good enough for the Prem so they can desperately find an angle against the business we have done.

1. We’ve barely seen any of the permanent signings to judge who has high ceilings and who doesn’t, I’d argue everyone that we’ve seen so far has shown good promise
2. It doesn’t really matter as right now we are now in the Championship
3. Comparing signings in the Championship to PL (I’ve seen Cornet mentioned) is ludicrous
4. Some of the signings like CJ and McNally are quite clearly for the medium term
5. Some of the signings are now in a new league / country so need time to adapt, some may do so quicker than others

[claretandy]

If i'm being harsh it's an 8.5 for me, we didn't get the dominant, left sided centre half or a striker instead on Jay.

[RVclaret]

If i'm being harsh it's an 8.5 for me, we didn't get the dominant, left sided centre half or a striker instead on Jay.

Dervisoglu is a striker.

[Goody1975]

If i'm being harsh it's an 8.5 for me, we didn't get the dominant, left sided centre half or a striker instead on Jay.

Dervişoğlu may be your replacement for Jay and Beyer may come in at left sided centre half, they are unknowns until we see where they fit it and their performances but time will tell if you are upping that to a 9 or higher.

[Nonayforever]

Separating the transfer side from the business side, it has to be said this window is almost a 100 % success.
There appears to be only 2 or 3 that got away with the cost being a factor.
The window does appear to be a V K window as opposed to an A Pace window , with one poster intimating he was helped by a bigger club. That I can accept as the work involved must have been overwhelming for our existing staff.
If we can focus on the football it should be a throughly enjoyable season.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Everyone should be happy with the window though you have to accept not everyone will be. It's has been a bit weird seeing comments about we haven't spent as much as we have brought in or nor have we replaced the players sold with either the same or better quality but then it wouldn't be this place without seeing weird comments.

It has been the best window of the last few seasons, roll on tonight.

[taio]

Everyone should be happy with the window though you have to accept not everyone will be. It's has been a bit weird seeing comments about we haven't spent as much as we have brought in or nor have we replaced the players sold with either the same or better quality but then it wouldn't be this place without seeing weird comments.

It has been the best window of the last few seasons, roll on tonight.

As per another thread, Alex James has written a really good article which is very positive and well balanced with some words of caution which include the very thing you find weird:

'While there has been backing from the board, the Clarets have spent far less than they received. In part that's down to income dropping without the Premier League riches, in part it's because of the debt now on the club as a result of the leveraged buy out. How the ownership model plays out in the long term only time will tell and those question marks will likely always exist.'

[claretonthecoast1882]

As per another thread, Alex James has written a really good article which is very positive and well balanced with some words of caution which include the very thing you find weird:

'While there has been backing from the board, the Clarets have spent far less than they received. In part that's down to income dropping without the Premier League riches, in part it's because of the debt now on the club as a result of the leveraged buy out. How the ownership model plays out in the long term only time will tell and those question marks will likely always exist.'

Anyone who expects a club to be relegated from the Prem, sells their best players and expects to spend the same or more has no grasp on reality at all.

[claretspice]

I haven't seen anyone suggest they expect that, though.

But we've sold more players than most relegated clubs do, and probably not got as much for them as was hoped. That has to be relevant in judging the success of the transfer window, as is the fact that most of the players we've brought in appear to be more ones for the future with a hefty element of calculated risk, rather than the sorts of proven Championship players with scope to improve that we bought last time we were in this league, for example (Gray, Lowton).

As I said last night, that was probably inevitable and the window has overall gone as well as could be expected. But I don't think there's anything wrong with people reflecting that had the financial imperatives been different (i.e. less debt to manage), we'd nonetheless have probably been sat here with a stronger squad and a better chance of promotion. I don't think the point is more complicated than that.

[taio]

Anyone who expects a club to be relegated from the Prem, sells their best players and expects to spend the same or more has no grasp on reality at all.

Not sure it's an expectation thing - it's more of a context and factual thing and to help demonstrate that we appear to have had a really promising transfer window against a backdrop of significant change and limitations. It's not weird to consider the broader factors and to provide some words of caution.

[claretonthecoast1882]

ok

[Hipper]

Not bad. I think we've sold some outstanding, Premier League players for a bit less than we really ought to have received, and replaced them with players who are generally inferior now and probably have a lower ceiling (Benson for McNeil, McNally for Collins, etc.). If we are honest, our promotion chances this season predominantly rest on players who were already here (Jay, Cork, Brownhill) and loans. If we don't go up this season another big rebuild awaits next summer, with a lot less money and room to manoeuvre.

But if you accept that the finances probably made that sort of equation an inevitability, I suspect we've probably done as well as can be expected. We've made ourselves a reasonable each way bet for promotion this season and you can see how the players we've brought in may provide us with the quality to keep us reasonably competitive and potentially an income stream in the medium term. There's still a bit of a danger that by fudging the promotion/fire-sale equation we've neither done enough to ensure promotion, nor to ensure we're able to pay our debts next summer - but for all that I think Kompany and his team deserve credit for the balancing act they've pulled off. That they've seemingly done better still on the training ground in gelling a coherent team out of such disparate parts so quickly is even more creditable and is the real story of the summer for me.

Whilst I agree with the gist of what you say - we've replaced players of Premier quality with others of lesser ability but some potential, at least at Championship level - and, as you say, finances seem to have dictated some of this.

However, so has the ambition of the outgoing players. I'm not convinced we could have stopped the departures. Finance has dictated what we could bring in. I also don't see why a big rebuild should be necessary next season if we fail to get promoted - if we do go up, yes. If we are still in The Championship we will need to replace the loanees, perhaps by buying them, or using players like McNally who may have raised their game, or further loans. The only other possibility is that some of the players we bought progress so well the Premier league or better Championship clubs (or even European ones) will be interested in them.

This must have been the most exciting transfer window I've known, comparable only to the Bond year. I hope we fair better then that season. In fact I'm sure we will judging by the evidence so far - I fully agree with your final sentences that VK and his coaching staff, and all the players, deserve lots of credit for have got it together so quickly although of course we hope for further improvements!

[RVclaret]

I haven't seen anyone suggest they expect that, though.

But we've sold more players than most relegated clubs do, and probably not got as much for them as was hoped. That has to be relevant in judging the success of the transfer window, as is the fact that most of the players we've brought in appear to be more ones for the future with a hefty element of calculated risk, rather than the sorts of proven Championship players with scope to improve that we bought last time we were in this league, for example (Gray, Lowton).

As I said last night, that was probably inevitable and the window has overall gone as well as could be expected. But I don't think there's anything wrong with people reflecting that had the financial imperatives been different (i.e. less debt to manage), we'd nonetheless have probably been sat here with a stronger squad and a better chance of promotion. I don't think the point is more complicated than that.

Not sure I agree wIth this part. Watford have ‘sold’ more players than us for a start, so I don’t need to look far back (at all) to disprove your first point. As for the second part on fees received, an Athletic article today suggests we expect to receive 30m for Collins with clauses, I saw you mention the fee for him at 21m was low, but what about when it reaches 30? Most would agree 20m for McNeil was good business. Holding out for the full 17.5m for Cornet, despite clubs making funky below the belt offers? We’ve also held onto Brownhill despite top 10 PL interest.