[Albion] Darwin Núñez

[Papa Lazarou]

A "shambles" is the very last word I'd use to describe Albion recruitment. It feels the exact opposite in that it is very consistent. We simply don't get sucked into over-paying for players even it feels like we desperately need that position covered.

Frustrating maybe, but definitely not shambolic.

Plus we don't do our business 'in the open' - the club have taken many precautions to ensure no info leaks out. Other than leaks from the other side of the deals, it can make it seem very desolate between signings, but it works for the benefit of the club.

 

[Justice]

This is all guesswork, but there seem to be some clear elements:

- Create a fantastic academy, and develop our own talent [nb: this takes a long time to bear fruit]
- where appropriate, give that talent regular first team opportunities in lower leagues [we've been doing lots of this recently - some will work (eg: Ben White, Robert Sanchez), others won't
- Identify players with potential who we can buy at a reasonable price with an eye to them being a regular in the first team squad within a year or two (eg: Bissouma, Moder, Karbownik, Caicedo, Zeqiri)
- Use USG to facilitate transition to European football and overcoming work permit issues (eg: Tau, Mitoma)
- In cases where there are significant ownership/registration challenges, don't give up! (eg: Mac Allister, Tau, Caicedo)
- Only pay sizeable transfer fees for very specific players who we've been monitoring for ages (eg: Webster, Trossard, Mwepu)

And sometimes there will be opportunities which present themselves because of circumstances and a match with the club's requirements. (eg: Lallanna, Welbeck, Veltman)

You've done a good job listing a few players that have worked out or possibly will whilst maybe conveniently forgetting the £60m spunked up the wall on crap.

Previous to us apart from the odd one or two clubs have been burned from buying players from the Dutch league. I don’t see it as a mistake more stupidity to go back in again for some more pain.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I like Connelly and Maupay as a pair.. what can I say...confidence is all they need

They are good players, not anywhere near as bad as some make out on here.

Sure I would like another, but I would not be in a hurry to get rid of either of these 2.

Same here.

There was a different thread that highlighted the issue wasn't so much with the ability to finish chances, but the amount of defenders in the box when the chances happened.
The argument made was that the issue was more to do with the slowness of our build up play, than the ability of the strikers.

I think there is more than an element of truth to this.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Mauay is fine and he guarantees you 10 +

What we need is another player on 10+ too

The argument should be in addition to Maupay , not instead of

That'll be the same Maupay that scored 8 goals last season?

Indeed, there is a question mark over whether he can handle the pressure of being the main man. At Brentford he had Watkins and Benrahma taking some of that weight.

I hope you are right and he has his best ever season for us.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Oh sh*t! Looks like desperation all over again. Bennfica think they have got us over a barrel, and sadly it looks as if they might have a point.

They might want to sell - so just walk away now, come back with an offer slightly less than Benfica paid a year ago, because he hasn't shone for them, far from it. Meanwhile, the chase for £20-£30M strikers who are no better than what we've got goes on relentless.

Is that Tony Bennfica?

And if they think they have Mr Bloom over a barrel, they don’t know much. Arsenal commented on how tough he was after the White deal.

 

[peterward]

Putting 2+2 together and trying to read between the lines, it may be after Aug 24th when this is formally put to bed one way or the other.

I just read that Rangers will now be forced to sell players having missed out on champions League qualification, which was mooted as worth £30 million to those that qualify.

Benfica said at the beginning they wanted to wait until CL qualification is done, they've just beat Spartak Moscow in 3rd qualifying round and now have a 2 legged play off against PSV to qualify. Second game is Aug 24.

So winning or losing is going to be a difference of 30 million notes.

Whatever they say, that's a huge amount of wedge to lose for a club like Benfica.

If we want Nunez, my guess is it may happen if PSV win and it won't if Benfica win.

Come on Davey!

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

The agent has messed us around for 2 transfer windows now. I hope we walked away days ago and are in advanced negotiations elsewhere.

 

[Springal]

The agent has messed us around for 2 transfer windows now. I hope we walked away days ago and are in advanced negotiations elsewhere.

Is it the agent? Or Benefica? Nunez hardly seems to be falling over himself to get a move either. But I also don't believe we are mugs, so must be something in this deal to keep us coming back

 

[Hugo Rune]

Is it the agent? Or Benefica? Nunez hardly seems to be falling over himself to get a move either. But I also don't believe we are mugs, so must be something in this deal to keep us coming back

Benfica have to sell (someone) due to the fact that they try and pull a big transfer fee in every summer and they have about 7 strikers on their books. It could just be this fact?

Best thing we can do it support PSV then see where Benfica are without the Champions League millions.

 

[B-right-on]

You've done a good job listing a few players that have worked out or possibly will whilst maybe conveniently forgetting the £60m spunked up the wall on crap.

Previous to us apart from the odd one or two clubs have been burned from buying players from the Dutch league. I don’t see it as a mistake more stupidity to go back in again for some more pain.

And you've done a good job concentrating on the ones that don't work.

He clearly says "some will work and some won't".

But doesn't alter the fact that that is our recruitment strategy which you fail to see. Bizarrely.

There's a difference between having a strategy (which we have) and you not being able to see it.

 

[nwgull]

And you've done a good job concentrating on the ones that don't work.

He clearly says "some will work and some won't".

But doesn't alter the fact that that is our recruitment strategy which you fail to see. Bizarrely.

There's a difference between having a strategy (which we have) and you not being able to see it.

And the only 2 significant signings (that I can think of) that haven't really worked have been Locadia and Ali J. Not too bad a record for the recruitment team in 4 seasons of PL transfer windows, particularly when you consider some of the signings made in that time that have been a retrospective bargain.

 

[Jim in the West]

You've done a good job listing a few players that have worked out or possibly will whilst maybe conveniently forgetting the £60m spunked up the wall on crap.

Previous to us apart from the odd one or two clubs have been burned from buying players from the Dutch league. I don’t see it as a mistake more stupidity to go back in again for some more pain.

Not every player will work out. Locadia is the obvious example of a failure. AJ could probably be put in the same bracket, but his stats before coming to us were fantastic. If we'd decided to exclude the Dutch league on that basis, we wouldn't have signed Veltman. And anyway, I think the recruitment strategy has evolved since the Locadia days.....

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

You're absolutely right and I was just using a very top line comparison.

However, I just had a quick look at the Championship table from the years Maupay was at Brentford and they finished 9th in his first season (scoring 62 goals) and 11th in his second season (scoring 73 goals). While they weren't terrible, they weren't the team they've been for the last couple of seasons. He also was playing in England for the first time and improved significantly from season one to season two (scoring 12 in season one and 25 in season two).

Again, all this is out of context, but I have heard comments from Blackburn fans saying that Armstrong does need a few chances to score so not sure he is very different to Maupay. Will be interesting to see how he does, along with Che Adams, who has scored four and nine goals in the Premier League since moving to them, but obviously as back up/alongside Ings.

Thanks, I’d just assumed that Brentford would have been finishing in the Play Offs as they seem to have been in them every year for the last decade.

 

[Dougie]

John textor, who owns 25% of Benfica has announced he is the new joint shareholder of palace and is investing heavily. He won’t loan him to us for the season will he

 

[bhanutz]

John textor, who owns 25% of Benfica has announced he is the new joint shareholder of palace and is investing heavily. He won’t loan him to us for the season will he

Bless you... all your other investors run out of money?

How about upgrading the worst ground in the Premier League.. what an embarrassment that must be for them and for you.. Stop spunking money on ludicrous wages.. will you ever learn?

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Thanks, I’d just assumed that Brentford would have been finishing in the Play Offs as they seem to have been in them every year for the last decade.

I had too. Felt like they'd missed out in the play offs so many times since going up to the Championship.

 

[GT49er]

John textor, who owns 25% of Benfica has announced he is the new joint shareholder of palace and is investing heavily. He won’t loan him to us for the season will he

........ and you think Benfica are so rolling in money that one of their co-owners has got money to burn to fund another club to try and establish them as a feeder club?

 

[Perkino]

This is all guesswork, but there seem to be some clear elements:

- Create a fantastic academy, and develop our own talent [nb: this takes a long time to bear fruit]
- where appropriate, give that talent regular first team opportunities in lower leagues [we've been doing lots of this recently - some will work (eg: Ben White, Robert Sanchez), others won't
- Identify players with potential who we can buy at a reasonable price with an eye to them being a regular in the first team squad within a year or two (eg: Bissouma, Moder, Karbownik, Caicedo, Zeqiri)
- Use USG to facilitate transition to European football and overcoming work permit issues (eg: Tau, Mitoma)
- In cases where there are significant ownership/registration challenges, don't give up! (eg: Mac Allister, Tau, Caicedo)
- Only pay sizeable transfer fees for very specific players who we've been monitoring for ages (eg: Webster, Trossard, Mwepu)

And sometimes there will be opportunities which present themselves because of circumstances and a match with the club's requirements. (eg: Lallanna, Welbeck, Veltman)

This plan has been in place for a long time but we have had to invest in the squad more whilst waiting for the level of quality the academy can produce to be high enough to compete with the first team.

There could also be a lack of attacking expertise in the coaching set up to develop and nurture enough quality to improve us. If Nunez is seen as the missing piece then we are likely to go all in but I don't expect us to waste much on any significant gambles for a few seasons

 

[Sheebo]

John textor, who owns 25% of Benfica has announced he is the new joint shareholder of palace and is investing heavily. He won’t loan him to us for the season will he

Reported for trolling.

Not a CPFC2010 thread - those are the rules - time for a mod to sort this surely

 

[AZ Gull]

John textor, who owns 25% of Benfica has announced he is the new joint shareholder of palace and is investing heavily. He won’t loan him to us for the season will he

Are you sure about that?