Recent content by Berenger

Personally think that’s a good deal financially. It was always a huge signing and it looks like we’ve got the terms right too. Performance-related option is clever.

The charitable response to this is to say that I too have my fingers and toes crossed.

Potentially, but how many exceptions until it becomes the rule?

That's a false choice because I'm not advocating that we buy another Sigurdsson. Whereas I am advocating that we buy another Richarlison instead of spending that money on James. I'm not absolutely against the James deal at the right price and with the right mix of other transfers; but it's...

The question you are asking me in general terms is this: how has any team (excluding Man City, PSG and Chelsea), that isn't consistently in Europe, managed to dramatically improve their on-pitch fortunes in the last decade? Or conversely, how have teams managed to completely blow the standing...

Other teams are managing to find them... On the James point I should clarify I don't think he is substandard. I was referring more to Tosun, Walcott, Gylfi etc. in that. The problem with James is age, cost and injury record. He might even produce a stellar season but it's a short-sighted...

Some/many fans being idiotic is also irrelevant.

It's pretty well understood now -- across a multitude of sports -- that players peak both in terms of performance and value. I'm not against the odd signing like Allan, but we really need to be focusing more on younger players who will improve over the next 5 years, not decline. Relative to...

Precisely -- it's not just about the money; it's about the money, the age, the potential, and the current quality. Richy had enough of those elements on his side to make it a sensible risk. Sigurdsson, Tosun, Walcott, Niasse etc. etc. didn't and don't. James at £25m+ is another one in the latter...

Irrelevant. There are more than enough quality young players to go around once the top CL teams have had their fill; and EFC have more than enough financial resource also not to be scraping begging bowls. It's a mad world if RB Leipzig, Lille, Lyon and Leicester can do it (all in different...

We don't have to be Bayern Munich to sign young players of high quality that suit the team's style. There are many teams with less financial resource than EFC doing a far better job at recruitment for the long-term. Richarlison won't be with us much longer if we keep finishing 12th, regardless...

There are more than enough quality young players to go around if you don't blow it all season after season on ageing and/or substandard players with no resale value.

Bayern choose not to sign him -- despite liking him -- for the benefit of long-term development of their younger players. Those younger players then go on to help them with the CL a year later. For us it's even riskier: we can't afford failed large signings like the top clubs in Europe (whether...

Best fit, look and feel for a while.

£8m plus wages to spend a year liking City photos on instagram and being a bad Phil Neville. Get the impression he was signed largely for this perception of 'grit', which is a real failure for Brands. You can't sign a player purely for that reason.