HBenn

Watch us play. I was never worried about us playing a severely weakened Leicester team at home 2-3 years ago. I read a stat the other day saying we are giving away the most high quality chances in the league and the only first choice currently missing is Diaz. Our control of games has severely regressed. Hopefully that will be addressed this month with a midfielder or two arriving.

Yes but 2.5 years ago we won the league by 18 points, now we are up against it to get top 4. That is regression in anyone's book. Up until 2019 they did very well, since then the club hasn't been mitigating risks and now they are coming home to roost if they are not careful. If we drop out of the top 4 then they will argue the revenues aren't there to allow us to get back in. Seems logical to spend now to mitigate that risk. You cannot bang on about how good your recruitment team is, how you plan 2-3 windows ahead and have a shortlist for every position and then say there is no one out there that we can bring in now that improves us. It just doesn't pass the straight face or competency test. Frankly though, I am choosing to believe they won't do that, that they will be active and this is all a sensible strategy to avoid us looking too desperate and getting rinsed on the fees.

1) I think it would be a very brave person that says with our intensity of games and current midfield that there is a good chance we finish top 4 2) Not only do we not pay the transfer fee in one go, it is also about how hard it is to get back in once you drop out. Man City and Newcastle would solidify their spots and then you are up against probably Chelsea and Utd who can outspend you and also offer CL to potential players. 1 season we can handle, 2 or 3? I very much doubt a potential buyer will see it as a foregone conclusion that we get back in after 1 year 3) Yes, maybe your right. But they have also had since September to think it through. They could say to our scouting department that you have £20-30m to spend to mitigate it. Caciedo, Fernandez all moved for relative peanuts. They may not be our a- list but at times you need to be pragmatic. We don't get out a list without CL anyway so trust in the scouts. The other teams seem to find players and all these players we buy we seem to have scouted since they were at much lesser teams. I just don't see the logic of doing nothing. It makes no sense at all on any level.

What if privately he is saying to question 1 it is unlikely. To question 2 how big a hole is it to our finances not being in it, to our sale value? To our ability to maintain sales? Question 3 I can see but that is an extreme example. Pulling forward spending of £60m now on a player that may cost you £40m in the summer is probably the bigger question. That is the point. Even thinking like a businessman there logic doesn't really add up

If it had no influence on CL qualification I would agree with that but at the moment I don't get how not investing benefits anyone. If we don't get CL isn't anyone looking to buy the club going to look at getting at a reduced rate? Our costs would be the same but our revenues significantly reduced for at least a season. Why would you pay the same amount? Everyone else that gets into the top 4 aren't going to do what we have done and rest on their laurels. It would be harder to get back in. It's not like the club won't need to spend that money anyway at some point. Bellingham alone isn't solving our issues. I just don't see the sound financial logic to doing nothing now. Sensible businesses invest to mitigate potentially bigger financial losses.

I think we have to wait and see what happens. Having seen the press conference, I think what Jürgen said has been twisted a fair bit. He never says, unless all his players are injured, that we need a player. He seemed to be trying to avoid answering the question but still ended up saying if the right player is available they will sign him. Not sure why people are jumping on the sell to buy bit based on the press conference either as he said that players leaving was a completely different matter. I am no way defending the owners, just saying that based on this interview it seemed more a case of Jürgen not undermining what he has at his disposal than openly saying we really need players and will throw money around to get it.

Yes, I am sure he does. Maybe there was more to it than the 7 mins I saw released but it just seems his comments are being spun to be something they are not. He just seemed to me to be doing his best to avoid undermining a potentially fragile confidence by agreeing we need to buy a load of players after just buying one. He stopped well short of saying he doesn't feel we need players though or ruling out buys. I am not getting this "sell to buy" bit either. Maybe I missed it but he seemed to start his bit on that by saying they were unrelated. Maybe he knows we aren't going to do anything but based on those comments it didn't tell us anything too concerning at this point I didn't think.

Hopefully Konate and Jones will be back. The stuff on transfers sounded like 2-3 mins of saying not a lot really. It sounded like he was doing his best to avoid answering it directly really. Talking about the importance of talking up what he has at his disposal instead of doing a Conte or a Mourinho and criticising it. He wasn't saying we need signings and he wasn't saying we don't. A politicians answer really.

Remember reading - whether it is accurate or not - that Mane was crucial to our press and our press has significantly dropped since he left. Jurgen mentioned a number of times earlier in the season that a number of the goals conceded came about because there was no pressure on the ball. With the team being away and supposedly working on the press, maybe they feel that someone with Mane like qualities in that area will have a huge effect on us not just offensively but defensively as well.

One of the things I like about Gakpo is that inspite of only being 23, he has captained PSV quite a bit. I don't think you can have too many leaders. Generally they are happy to take responsibility and if you are losing or struggling in a game, having players that will take the initiative/have personality is great

Yeah, in practice your best 11 is rarely ever fit at the same time and even when it is, it doesn't hurt to have players breathing down their necks. It sounds like they think he can play anywhere across the front 3. Would be great for them to be able to rest Mo from time to time.

Does it have to come from the club? Klopp was pessimistic over it wasn't he?

Konate has to come in for me. We need his pace and physical presence. Frankly, as left field as it is, I wouldnt be averse to sticking him in the 6 position either. Matip has been playing well, you are not dropping Virgil so why drop the couple in form players for those bang out of it/struggling to have an impact. Drastic/could be absolutely stupid but could it be any worse? Our problems seem to be really really basic. Inability to keep up/track runners, stop people running through the midfield. Long term we want someone who has the tackling ability of Essien and the guile of Modric but in the short term I would settle for someone that could do those basics, add some presence, pace, stop average players taking the piss and give it to the players like Thiago that are pretty good at the other side.

Is there a pre match press conference for this one or was it part of the Leicester one?

I am really looking forward to see this lad develop. Last season I felt that teams had started to push up on us a bit with Sadio and Mo's pace not being quite what it was. Now, with this lad and Darwin, especially away from home, I could see teams sitting deeper as a result. This lad looks likes he has pace and intelligence and alongside Darwin and Mo that could terrify teams while meaning teams cannot mark the other two as heavily. A win-win. It may also help our midfield a bit too with teams sitting deeper and ceding possession more instead of going toe to toe with us.

Couldn't agree more. The most frustrating part is both City and Arsenal look eminently bearable this season. With the quality in the other areas of the team, a half decent midfield would mean we could give them both a real run for their money. Not buying in Jan would just be pathetic. It's so frustrating with FSG because you always feel like you are operating with one arm tied behind your back, while they educate us on why it's not possible/feasible/reasonable. During the pandemic the impression given was that all the clubs spending would be screwed and we would hoover up afterwards. They are still finding ways to spend and we are still finding ways to not.

No Caciedo for Brighton. Is he injured?

Imagine Jurgen trying to convince Bellingham we have the ambition he says is soo key to his choice of club. Most ambitious clubs would be looking to bring in 2 midfielders this month. We look like we won't get one.

If we have such a small budget we shouldn't have let them all age together such that it becomes an either/or choice and we have glaring weaknesses. It's the point most fans have made for 2-3 years If we have such a small budget to cover so many positions the validity of a strategy where we wait for them to prove themselves in the top leagues before buying them also has to be questioned All of the front 3 and midfield have needed proper back up for the last 2 seasons. It shouldn't be an either/or situation. Surely we should be taking a punt on players 2 years ago while we could gradually integrate them and if they didn't work out it wasn't the end of the World. We shouldn't be in the position where we buy 2 strikers and then in having to buy 1 to replace the injured one we cannot afford a midfielder anyway. It's what happens when you keep putting off major investment and need to do it all at once.

Probably the same time we realise that they needed to do that and the midfield and spreading it over the last 3 years from a position of strength may have been a cheaper and more effective approach.

With the number of games, the intensity, the injury/lack of pace propensity of our midfield you could make an argument that by the end of the month it may well be a mistake to not buy 2. Not buying one though would just be another level even for FSG. FSG are masters though at making you delighted when they just deliver the minimum requirement. Wouldn't put it past them to make it known we won't sign any to them sign 1 last minute which everyone celebrates.

You know it's bad when Pearce is openly criticising them. That or he knows it's a bluff

It would set them up to say we can no longer afford a rebuild in the summer - not under the model. Hopefully we get CL.

That will be massively skewed by £200m in the last year on 3 forwards. That is great but it's the 3 summers and buying 1-2 long term first team players where the problem is. The investment has been pushed down the road over and over again and based on Jürgen's comments we now cannot afford to invest in the 2-3 players we need all at once. 2 summers ago we could have attracted any player we wanted. They may well not be able to say that in the summer. Hopefully it will.

We only know what Utd want to sell it for, not what bidders are saying. Personally I don't see how a buyer wouldn't look at it and expect to pay less. If we are out and say Newcastle, Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea are in then it's already harder to get players here instead of there so the risk goes up. We also don't know how the sponsorship agreements are impacted. It could be majorly impacted. Let's say your right though. What incentive would they have to invest in the summer if CL qualification has very little impact and a sale is on the horizon?