Fed up

[RVclaret]

This is what makes the summer’s transfer policy seem even more ludicrous.

You know my view on this, those extra 4-6 points we’ve been completely screwed on by VAR (still waiting for them to level out), plus a better replacement for Foster than we had (Fofana as a reference point), and we’d be very much in the mix, looking at the table just above us. I think being in the mix would have been accepted. I don’t believe the recruitment was as bad as made out (descriptions such as a travesty, disaster, ludicrous etc), aside from a clear unbalance with wingers / not signing a striker or left back.

[NewClaret]

First half was definitely not good enough, second half was improved. Kompany gets enough criticism for poor subs when today his subs made the difference.

This is a good point. Replied to a post the other day criticising Kompany’s subs. Today they were game changing. Credit where it’s due.

I’ll also say that there’s also been criticism of our recruitment team and signings. Today our three January signings made the difference and dragged us from the jaws of defeat. Again, credit to Kompany and the recruitment team where it’s due.

[BabylonClaret]

No.

[Jamesy]

This is what makes the summer’s transfer policy seem even more ludicrous.

It is indeed ludicrous. Never in my 56 years of watching Burnley have I seen as many signings in one season. I wouldn’t mind if VK had got adequate cover for all positions, however we have got all these players and look weak as p!ss in all areas other than our two strikers. You couldn’t script it.

[NewClaret]

Respectfully I disagree. I think the long-term plan is to buy cheap players with potential, add value and sell them on. The cynic in me believes that we will sell any player in the summer if we get the correct offer. For all the stick Vitinho gets, he is the perfect example of this policy bought for 1.5M can possibly be sold for 5m.

So you really think our strategy is to forego £50m of PL revenue just to sell players for a profit? Do you really expect us to make >£50m profit on players this summer? Because if not your argument makes no financial sense at all

[BabylonClaret]

Simple Question.
Do you think our current team and management ( starting team yesterday) will get us immediate promotion from the Championship ?
I assume that is the clubs Plan B if we are relegated

Sorry - missed the posts in between.

Simple answer is no. I think they are too disjointed, too easily knocked about and (understandably) have zero confidence.

Managers will have seen our players and will be tbi king how we can be stopped - the Champ may be lower quality and slower but its a physical grind and I don't think many of our new signings will be able to assert themselves

[NewClaret]

It is indeed ludicrous. Never in my 56 years of watching Burnley have I seen as many signings in one season. I wouldn’t mind if VK had got adequate cover for all positions, however we have got all these players and look weak as p!ss in all areas other than our two strikers. You couldn’t script it.

Out of interest, have you watched any of the interviews with Matt Williams after the summer or January transfer windows?

[Big Vinny K]

Respectfully I disagree. I think the long-term plan is to buy cheap players with potential, add value and sell them on. The cynic in me believes that we will sell any player in the summer if we get the correct offer. For all the stick Vitinho gets, he is the perfect example of this policy bought for 1.5M can possibly be sold for 5m.

That might have been the plan in his first transfer window but unless you missed something that’s not what happened last summer.
You buy a number of players for around the £15m (give or take £2m or £3m) then you can’t afford for many of them to not work out…..right now we have at least 4 or 5 of them where you would find it difficult to get your money back (and potentially worse than that).

Whilst we are bringing Brighton into the discussion they went through something similar with a number of transfers around this figure that did not work out.
And then things started to change for them (after a number of years of making big losses)
Ben White I think was at Brighton as a youngster and they made £50m on him. Caciedo cost virtually nothing and they made £100m plus. Curucella cost nearer to £15m but they got a ludicrous amount for him (£60m plus).

A number of the Brighton players in their current team cost little or came from their youth system. So it’s not just their recent transfer / scouting strategy they must also have a good academy.

If you are wanting a closer comparison to what we did this summer I’d say Notts Forest scatter gun policy in their first summer was a better comparison.

[Jakubclaret]

This is a good point. Replied to a post the other day criticising Kompany’s subs. Today they were game changing. Credit where it’s due.

I’ll also say that there’s also been criticism of our recruitment team and signings. Today our three January signings made the difference and dragged us from the jaws of defeat. Again, credit to Kompany and the recruitment team where it’s due.

It could have perhaps been more game changing actually starting them working on the premise of what they actually did when introduced & applying that over the 90 & maybe then you have a different result. By all means if that’s credit worthy not actually doing the right thing to start with so be it. Better late than never I guess!

[Rileybobs]

You know my view on this, those extra 4-6 points we’ve been completely screwed on by VAR (still waiting for them to level out), plus a better replacement for Foster than we had (Fofana as a reference point), and we’d be very much in the mix, looking at the table just above us. I think being in the mix would have been accepted. I don’t believe the recruitment was as bad as made out (descriptions such as a travesty, disaster, ludicrous etc), aside from a clear unbalance with wingers / not signing a striker or left back.

We’ve been a little unlucky, but then again we’ve also had our share of luck - yesterday’s point being an example.

I just feel we took our eye off the PL windfall and prioritised future transfer value ahead of staying up. But like you say we’ve been through this before.

[NewClaret]

We’ve been a little unlucky, but then again we’ve also had our share of luck - yesterday’s point being an example.

I just feel we took our eye off the PL windfall and prioritised future transfer value ahead of staying up. But like you say we’ve been through this before.

I’m not trying to pick an argument, but can you just explain to me why you think any hard nosed businessman would risk £50m certain revenue streams over potential resale revenue?

In that basis, if you go down the minimum profit you have to make is £50m just to break even on your strategy.

It just blows my mind anyone could genuinely think that scenario to be true.

I’m not saying we did great transfer business or haven’t made mistakes, but can’t believe for a moment it was a deliberate strategy to do so.

[RVclaret]

That might have been the plan in his first transfer window but unless you missed something that’s not what happened last summer.
You buy a number of players for around the £15m (give or take £2m or £3m) then you can’t afford for many of them to not work out…..right now we have at least 4 or 5 of them where you would find it difficult to get your money back (and potentially worse than that).

Whilst we are bringing Brighton into the discussion they went through something similar with a number of transfers around this figure that did not work out.
And then things started to change for them (after a number of years of making big losses)
Ben White I think was at Brighton as a youngster and they made £50m on him. Caciedo cost virtually nothing and they made £100m plus. Curucella cost nearer to £15m but they got a ludicrous amount for him (£60m plus).

A number of the Brighton players in their current team cost little or came from their youth system. So it’s not just their recent transfer / scouting strategy they must also have a good academy.

If you are wanting a closer comparison to what we did this summer I’d say Notts Forest scatter gun policy in their first summer was a better comparison.

I feel with your final comment on Forest you are missing my point. Forest bought 25 new players, majority on big wages (Lingard 200k a week) and spent £175m (double us). Majority were experienced pros (Willy Boly, Keylor Navas, Chris Wood etc). When I reference Brighton, I mean their ‘model’ of buying relatively low (in general), young players (particularly foreign markets) and making big money after a few seasons. People forget they enjoyed watching Caicedo, Trossard, MacAllister etc so several seasons, so it’s not just a ‘cattle market’ as has been said. And those players got them to Europe. When I said we tried fast forwarding I meant we attacked it all at once, whereas they only got there after 2 seasons of dire Hughton ball. I’ll also say they wouldn’t have had this success if not for the likes of Lallana, Welbeck, Milner etc, which is perhaps something to learn from for us.

[brexit]

This is what makes the summer’s transfer policy seem even more ludicrous.

I agree. But my point is I believe there is a long-term business plan, not a long-term football plan. To be blunt, the plan is something like to have asset appreciation of 15% per year until 2030 as opposed to be qualifying for the Europa League by 2030. Again, this is speculation.

[Jakubclaret]

I’m not trying to pick an argument, but can you just explain to me why you think any hard nosed businessman would risk £50m certain revenue streams over potential resale revenue?

In that basis, if you go down the minimum profit you have to make is £50m just to break even on your strategy.

It just blows my mind anyone could genuinely think that scenario to be true.

I’m not saying we did great transfer business or haven’t made mistakes, but can’t believe for a moment it was a deliberate strategy to do so.

It reminds me of what simon Jordan said. The Americans don’t understand the ramifications of relegation in the PL as the MLS is totally different.

[Rileybobs]

I’m not trying to pick an argument, but can you just explain to me why you think any hard nosed businessman would risk £50m certain revenue streams over potential resale revenue?

In that basis, if you go down the minimum profit you have to make is £50m just to break even on your strategy.

It just blows my mind anyone could genuinely think that scenario to be true.

I’m not saying we did great transfer business or haven’t made mistakes, but can’t believe for a moment it was a deliberate strategy to do so.

I think everybody, from the board of directors to the management staff underestimated the challenge of staying in the Premier League.

[Jamesy]

Out of interest, have you watched any of the interviews with Matt Williams after the summer or January transfer windows?

No I haven’t. Am I missing something?

[brexit]

That might have been the plan in his first transfer window but unless you missed something that’s not what happened last summer.
You buy a number of players for around the £15m (give or take £2m or £3m) then you can’t afford for many of them to not work out…..right now we have at least 4 or 5 of them where you would find it difficult to get your money back (and potentially worse than that).

Whilst we are bringing Brighton into the discussion they went through something similar with a number of transfers around this figure that did not work out.
And then things started to change for them (after a number of years of making big losses)
Ben White I think was at Brighton as a youngster and they made £50m on him. Caciedo cost virtually nothing and they made £100m plus. Curucella cost nearer to £15m but they got a ludicrous amount for him (£60m plus).

A number of the Brighton players in their current team cost little or came from their youth system. So it’s not just their recent transfer / scouting strategy they must also have a good academy.

If you are wanting a closer comparison to what we did this summer I’d say Notts Forest scatter gun policy in their first summer was a better comparison.

Again I agree. I still believe that is the plan, but I suspect the algorithms used to spot potential bargains was flawed.

[JBR]

I think everybody, from the board of directors to the management staff underestimated the challenge of staying in the Premier League.

Do you think so what makes you think that?

[Rileybobs]

I agree. But my point is I believe there is a long-term business plan, not a long-term football plan. To be blunt, the plan is something like to have asset appreciation of 15% per year until 2030 as opposed to be qualifying for the Europa League by 2030. Again, this is speculation.

Yes I do feel that the ambitions of the board are more motivated by financial achievements than sporting ones. Of course being in the Premier League is the golden ticket, but the other way for a club like ours to make a tidy profit is by trading players (as was transparently discussed in the documentary), and to some degree this can be done in any division. Obviously the Premier League is the panacea, but the transfer policy is more aligned to realising future transfer value than Premier League survival.

[NewClaret]

I think everybody, from the board of directors to the management staff underestimated the challenge of staying in the Premier League.

I agree. And the fans, actually. So every one of us, I’d say.

Let’s be honest, folk were all over delighted with the window (giving it great scores all over social media and the like).

But that is fundamentally different to pursuing a strategy to deliberately prioritise resale value over staying in the league. It is an error of judgment, not strategy.

[Big Vinny K]

I feel with your final comment on Forest you are missing my point. Forest bought 25 new players, majority on big wages (Lingard 200k a week) and spent £175m (double us). Majority were experienced pros (Willy Boly, Keylor Navas, Chris Wood etc). When I reference Brighton, I mean their ‘model’ of buying relatively low (in general), young players (particularly foreign markets) and making big money after a few seasons. People forget they enjoyed watching Caicedo, Trossard, MacAllister etc so several seasons, so it’s not just a ‘cattle market’ as has been said. And those players got them to Europe. When I said we tried fast forwarding I meant we attacked it all at once, whereas they only got there after 2 seasons of dire Hughton ball. I’ll also say they wouldn’t have had this success if not for the likes of Lallana, Welbeck, Milner etc, which is perhaps something to learn from for us.

Not missing your point at all.
The comparison to Forest was not only the amounts we have spent (which btw are much higher than you are quoting) it’s also the sheer volume of player turnover.

Again for Brighton you are again missing the point that they struggled with their transfer strategy for years but were massively subsidised. I could list the number of failed transfers at Brighton with players that cost a lot of money but did very little but you can check these out yourself if you want proof.
The likes of Lallana were also brought in on huge wages. He was on £90k a week and given a 4 year contract and he’s been injured for a lot of his time there.

Not sure what changed with Brighton where things off and on the pitch started working a lot better. Maybe it was the recent managers or the scouting changed ? But the last 2 or 3 years is very different to the previous 6 or 7.

[NewClaret]

Out of interest, have you watched any of the interviews with Matt Williams after the summer or January transfer windows?

Worth seeking them both out, explains well the vagrancies and challenges of the transfer market that I don’t think many fans understand.

I’d be surprised if they don’t change your views somewhat.

[Jamesy]

Ok I will try and watch them with an open mind.

[NewClaret]

It reminds me of what simon Jordan said. The Americans don’t understand the ramifications of relegation in the PL as the MLS is totally different.

Is this a serious post?!

I’m pretty sure Pace and ALK are very well acquainted with the ramifications of relegation having been through it once already.

It actually makes the whole argument that they somehow prioritised resale values over remaining in the league even more bizarre.

[NewClaret]

Ok I will try and watch them with an open mind.

Worth it I would say. One was posted on here very recently.

The summer one, which I thought was better (certainly longer) you’ll need to dig out.

[NewClaret]

Ok I will try and watch them with an open mind.

Here you go. Most recent one:

http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... =2&t=74254

[Jamesy]

I will watch it later pal when she is watching sh!te on the telly.

[Cooclaret]

Agree. We have been very patient...if this was Everton for example they'd have been protesting by now. I didn't boo yesterday but I do feel it might have been a little reminder that us fans are still turning up waiting for things to happen, so maybe not a bad thing as a one off as long as it doesn't become toxic.

Everton, West Ham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace…

We’re the exception. We should’ve moaning, complaining, protesting

[Swizzlestick]

Is this a serious post?!

I’m pretty sure Pace and ALK are very well acquainted with the ramifications of relegation having been through it once already.

It actually makes the whole argument that they somehow prioritised resale values over remaining in the league even more bizarre.

You need to realise that if Simon Jordan told everybody to send him £1,000, Jakub would be getting the cheque book out.

[Big Vinny K]

Everton, West Ham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace…

We’re the exception. We should’ve moaning, complaining, protesting

What ?….you haven’t been moaning and complaining ?

[Cooclaret]

What ?….you haven’t been moaning and complaining ?

I’m at the front with my cards on the table, have been for a long long time.

[Big Vinny K]

I’m at the front with my cards on the table, have been for a long long time.

It’s felt to the rest of us a long long time that’s for sure.
Well done though

[Cooclaret]

It’s felt to the rest of us a long long time that’s for sure.
Well done though

Are we not allowed to voice opinions?

[NewClaret]

I will watch it later pal when she is watching sh!te on the telly.

Here’s the one from September:

viewtopic.php?t=71666

[PremierLeagueClass]

I am a huge Dyche fan but I feel much more positive about things since the change in ownership. Last season was the most enjoyable since the Coyle promotion season. I think the new ownership bringing the club into the 21st century has put a few noses out of joint to be quite honest.

It’s awful reading some of the comments on here moaning about the ownership/investors just because we’re not being run like a local Sunday league club anymore. You just have to hope potential investors aren’t put off by some of the nonsense spouted.

JJ Watt is a prime example. You couldn’t ask for a better ambassador. He hasn’t but a foot wrong since he got here, he’s worked wonders in increasing our media exposure and growing the brand, yet some folk are moaning about him. Why is that?

Yes this season hasn’t gone as we would have hoped but you can see what the plan is longer term. I think the club deserve a bit more leeway given what they did for us last year.

You really get the feeling certain individuals have a clear agenda against the owners and are just waiting for an excuse to moan.
I appreciate that it was the same with the previous ownership but this whole ‘it’s not my Burnley anymore’ thing that is coming from a select few (and I truly believe it is just a select few), is concerning.

Some of the comments I’ve just read on the match report thread are pathetic.

[forzagranata]

JJ Watt is a prime example. You couldn’t ask for a better ambassador. He hasn’t but a foot wrong since he got here, he’s worked wonders in increasing our media exposure and growing the brand, yet some folk are moaning about him. Why is that?

'Growing the brand'

There is no doubt that JJ Watt has increased awareness of the club in the USA - people who follow him on social media and watch him regularly on television will know that he has invested in a club called Burnley. He is a likeable and popular chap too and been smart enough to curry favour with fans by pulling pints in the Royal Dyche etc.

Those that are interested will also know that his team is one of the worst in the Premier League and will more than likely be out of the Premier League next season. Americans are only interested in the PL and mostly the big clubs within it.

So what exactly has this 'building the brand' brought the club?

Revenue, new fans of the club, shirt sales? Anything?

[Pearcey]

I have to admit I couldn’t care less about growing the brand. I just want to see a side giving their all to stay in the league. The club has changed so much it’s unrecognisable. Not saying a change wasn’t needed at the top but this is another level.

[NewClaret]

'Growing the brand'

There is no doubt that JJ Watt has increased awareness of the club in the USA - people who follow him on social media and watch him regularly on television will know that he has invested in a club called Burnley. He is a likeable and popular chap too and been smart enough to curry favour with fans by pulling pints in the Royal Dyche etc.

Those that are interested will also know that his team is one of the worst in the Premier League and will more than likely be out of the Premier League next season. Americans are only interested in the PL and mostly the big clubs within it.

So what exactly has this 'building the brand' brought the club?

Revenue, new fans of the club, shirt sales? Anything?

I’m not sure what your point is?

That we shouldn’t bother trying to grow our brand abroad?

Or that is pointless because it doesn’t yield any tangible benefits?

[Nori1958]

'Growing the brand'

There is no doubt that JJ Watt has increased awareness of the club in the USA - people who follow him on social media and watch him regularly on television will know that he has invested in a club called Burnley. He is a likeable and popular chap too and been smart enough to curry favour with fans by pulling pints in the Royal Dyche etc.

Those that are interested will also know that his team is one of the worst in the Premier League and will more than likely be out of the Premier League next season. Americans are only interested in the PL and mostly the big clubs within it.

So what exactly has this 'building the brand' brought the club?

Revenue, new fans of the club, shirt sales? Anything?

Who knows? Could be 1000s, could be none, maybe our American based posters could tell us, but I only see what he's doing as a good thing

[CoolClaret]

I agree. And the fans, actually. So every one of us, I’d say.

Let’s be honest, folk were all over delighted with the window (giving it great scores all over social media and the like).

But that is fundamentally different to pursuing a strategy to deliberately prioritise resale value over staying in the league. It is an error of judgment, not strategy.

I'd say that actually quite a significant % thought it was perplexing because we hadn't addressed our fundamental needs first

[forzagranata]

Who knows? Could be 1000s, could be none, maybe our American based posters could tell us, but I only see what he's doing as a good thing

I live in America and haven't noticed any wave of new Burnley fans or increased interest at all. Beyond people knowing JJ Watt is involved.

[Dark Cloud]

Ramsey and Amdouni are passengers in this team currently. I can’t really criticise Vitinho because he is neither a RB or LB. It’s not his fault he is having to play in these positions and even though he is struggling he gives 100%. I feel for the lad.

I agree with this and I felt yesterday he (Vitihno) was actually really good attacking down the wing and on the edge of Fulham's box. It showed he's actually got the potential to be a good "offensive" player. He's just not a defender and it's silly he's being asked to be one, especially when you consider the amount of cash we've spent.

[NewClaret]

I'd say that actually quite a significant % thought it was perplexing because we hadn't addressed our fundamental needs first

Is there a thread evaluating our summer window somewhere? I did try to find it but I couldn’t see it anywhere. If someone could dig it out I’d love to read back peoples views then vs now.

Again though, I’d direct you at Matt Williams’ September interview linked above if you haven’t already listened to it as I think that explains a number of things (i.e. we wanted other players - one of whom we know was Boey now - but could t get them done).

[CoolClaret]

Is there a thread evaluating our summer window somewhere? I did try to find it but I couldn’t see it anywhere. If someone could dig it out I’d love to read back peoples views then vs now.

Again though, I’d direct you at Matt Williams’ September interview linked above if you haven’t already listened to it as I think that explains a number of things (i.e. we wanted other players - one of whom we know was Boey now - but could t get them done).

I'm not particularly bothered about what Matt Williams or the club says here, I'm bothered about the evidence on field.
If you want other players and you can't get them, then you need to look at other players and get them. If you don't then you're short going into a season.

Not sure as a particular thread per say but there's enough threads posted around August and even early September time wondering wtf the strategy was/is.

[NewClaret]

I'm not particularly bothered about what Matt Williams or the club says here, I'm bothered about the evidence on field.
If you want other players and you can't get them, then you need to look at other players and get them. If you don't then you're short going into a season.

Not sure as a particular thread per say but there's enough threads posted around August and even early September time wondering wtf the strategy was/is.

Have you not watched them then? Just curious before I respond to your point about finding alternative players.

I can’t find one. I did flick around that time though and saw you called Magic Mike Tresor and said Beto was a fantastic signing at £30m. We can all get things wrong

[CoolClaret]

Have you not watched them then? Just curious before I respond to your point about finding alternative players.

I can’t find one. I did flick around that time though and saw you called Magic Mike Tresor and said Beto was a fantastic signing at £30m. We can all get things wrong

I understand that you try and be positive which is great - but I ind some of your posts a bit annoying at times when you try and speak for all Claret fans with stuff like 'well we all thought this' - we didn't. We aren't some simplistic monolith like.

On Matt Williams - I have and it still doesn't matter.

I refuse to believe that in world football there isn't a single left back or right back that we couldn't have signed to start the season that we could have included and had a style of play to maximise their abilities.

I said i liked the look of Tresor and earlier in the window would've been the time to make the signing (and he may have grown into it more with more minutes) but seeing as we're already stockpiled with predominantly left sided attacking midfielders/wingers then it was a strange signing.

Beto certainly didn't cost that (up to $25 mill) but that isn't the point either.

Dyche offloaded Iwobi for a similar fee to fund him in the first place and yes, Beto has underwhelmed but even having him (albeit not scoring) has allowed Everton to not rush DCL back and be so reliant on him, which has been the issue that other managers have done in the past and made him rush back fit and continually keep getting injured.

Everton needed a second striker so they got one. Did they perhaps overpay? Yes. Could they have maybe got better? Yes.
Can he still improve? I believe so.
Has it helped them as a unit? Without question, they have a striker who can lead the line and relieve pressure when DCL is feeling a hamstring a bit or whatever - he might not be scoring but he's still leading the line.

The difference is that we overpaid in positions that we had already filled!

Said it before on here, 'needs' vs 'wants'. Prioritise your 'needs' first and the rest will fall into place.

[JBR]

I understand that you try and be positive which is great - but I ind some of your posts a bit annoying at times when you try and speak for all Claret fans with stuff like 'well we all thought this' - we didn't. We aren't some simplistic monolith like.

On Matt Williams - I have and it still doesn't matter.

I refuse to believe that in world football there isn't a single left back or right back that we couldn't have signed to start the season that we could have included and had a style of play to maximise their abilities.

I said i liked the look of Tresor and earlier in the window would've been the time to make the signing (and he may have grown into it more with more minutes) but seeing as we're already stockpiled with predominantly left sided attacking midfielders/wingers then it was a strange signing.

Beto certainly didn't cost that (up to $25 mill) but that isn't the point either.

Dyche offloaded Iwobi for a similar fee to fund him in the first place and yes, Beto has underwhelmed but even having him (albeit not scoring) has allowed Everton to not rush DCL back and be so reliant on him, which has been the issue that other managers have done in the past and made him rush back fit and continually keep getting injured.

Everton needed a second striker so they got one. Did they perhaps overpay? Yes. Could they have maybe got better? Yes.
Can he still improve? I believe so.
Has it helped them as a unit? Without question, they have a striker who can lead the line and relieve pressure when DCL is feeling a hamstring a bit or whatever - he might not be scoring but he's still leading the line.

The difference is that we overpaid in positions that we had already filled!

Said it before on here, 'needs' vs 'wants'. Prioritise your 'needs' first and the rest will fall into place.

Was it Williams at City when they were doing all these dodgy deals with sponsors? Do we have anything to be worried about there?

[NewClaret]

I understand that you try and be positive which is great - but I ind some of your posts a bit annoying at times when you try and speak for all Claret fans with stuff like 'well we all thought this' - we didn't. We aren't some simplistic monolith like.

On Matt Williams - I have and it still doesn't matter.

I refuse to believe that in world football there isn't a single left back or right back that we couldn't have signed to start the season that we could have included and had a style of play to maximise their abilities.

I said i liked the look of Tresor and earlier in the window would've been the time to make the signing (and he may have grown into it more with more minutes) but seeing as we're already stockpiled with predominantly left sided attacking midfielders/wingers then it was a strange signing.

Beto certainly didn't cost that (up to $25 mill) but that isn't the point either.

Dyche offloaded Iwobi for a similar fee to fund him in the first place and yes, Beto has underwhelmed but even having him (albeit not scoring) has allowed Everton to not rush DCL back and be so reliant on him, which has been the issue that other managers have done in the past and made him rush back fit and continually keep getting injured.

Everton needed a second striker so they got one. Did they perhaps overpay? Yes. Could they have maybe got better? Yes.
Can he still improve? I believe so.
Has it helped them as a unit? Without question, they have a striker who can lead the line and relieve pressure when DCL is feeling a hamstring a bit or whatever - he might not be scoring but he's still leading the line.

The difference is that we overpaid in positions that we had already filled!

Said it before on here, 'needs' vs 'wants'. Prioritise your 'needs' first and the rest will fall into place.

I was joking about Beto and Magic Mike.

As for my statement, I wasn’t speaking for all clarets but the general sentiment. To illustrate (and this is the only one I can find):

https://x.com/turfcastpodcast/status/15 ... 11522?s=46

This “rate the window” thread has 21 comments - most were 10/11 out of ten. Highest was 16, lowest was 8.5. I didn’t see any comments bemoaning lack of experience, full backs, etc.

That’s how I recall the mood at the time. If there are other threads or things different, happy to be proven wrong.

Tbf, I had a look through the transfer window thread and you have been very consistent in your views and your predicted some of the problems we have since encountered. But I don’t think your views were representative at the time.

In regards to FB’s (I actually think a midfield partner/enforcer for Berge is the bigger issue), I tend to agree that it’s hard to believe there were none we could attract who would’ve improved us. I think we were just in the market for big steps up and not incremental improvements. I agree with that else you spend a lot for not much better. I think you’re overlooking that a) we’re not a particularly attractive club, b) don’t pay the best. It can’t be easy trying to attract players like Boey (or Maatsen for that matter).