2019/20 Marcel Brands

[Toffe3m4n]

Dont follow the reasoning there. Why was the next option to look at a stop gap senior pro like Rojo? Why wasn't there a move to bring forward Plan B - a starting replacement for Zouma?

The continual placing of a low bar for this feller Brands is doing us no good.

He bollocksed this windlow up for our defence and he did the same in his lame attempt to balance out our attack from being heavily reliant on the left side of the team.

That's Yerry Mina, Dave. The lid we paid Barca c.£28 million for but ended up spending most of the season unfit and not through his (or anyone at the club's) fault. That's the reason why Zouma was loaned so late and ended up playing most of the season over him. Luckily for us, Zouma himself turned out alright in the end.

I've also explained why it's likely the 'senior' loan we attempted didn't happen and why both Silva & Brands will think it's not the end of the world. We've had four CBs regularly getting minutes over pre-season and a fifth player, signed on Saturday, can also play there.

 

[Death]

He did well and to of no crap from teams asking more. Palace wanted Zaha gone after that request I assure you but brands didn't pay the insane cash.

We now have lost the silly money for bad players reputation.

A defender would have been nice. but I've a feeling we can do damage this season. I've faith in Mina.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Maybe because he thinks the answer is already at the club? It’s already been stated that Gbamin can play CB and we also have Holgate who I presume will feature at some point in the season. This of course presumes that Keane and Mina are going to be first choice CB.

Going after Smalling and Rojo could also mean that they didn't think the answer was already at the club mate.

 

[street end]

Going after Smalling and Rojo could also mean that they didn't think the answer was already at the club mate.

They could also have been brought in as back up as per Holgate being that

 

[davek]

That's Yerry Mina, Dave. The lid we paid Barca c.£28 million for but ended up spending most of the season unfit and not through his (or anyone at the club's) fault. That's the reason why Zouma was loaned so late and ended up playing most of the season over him. Luckily for us, Zouma himself turned out alright in the end.

I've also explained why it's likely the 'senior' loan we attempted didn't happen and why both Silva & Brands will think it's not the end of the world. We've had four CBs regularly getting minutes over pre-season and a fifth player, signed on Saturday, can also play there.

Mina + Keane with Holgate as back up.

Is there anyone actually expecting us to break into the top 6 with this? Mina looks all over a WC knee jerk buy, Keane is the very definition of inconsistency, Holgate is a utility player who you call on in a pinch to slot in for a game or two.

WTF was he thinking about leaving that centre defence like that?

 

[Berenger]

You can see across other teams it wasn't an easy window for CBs. United spent about twice what they'd have liked to on the top available premier league CB. Leicester decided against replacing him despite having time to do so. Burnley quoted £40m-50m for Tarkowski. Bournemouth quoted similar for Ake by some accounts. It's too easy to say the Maguire deal spoiled the market, but clubs were clearly put off by valuations and that can happen sometimes. I'm glad we didn't sign anyone like Rojo (permanently) in such a bad market, but it reveals the one flaw in our summer dealings: letting Jags go.

 

[Coggy]

Target? Ok. Target it. I expect to fall short.

Not like you mate. The window has been good despite the whingeing. Would have been 9 or 10 out of 10 with a CB. Thankfully Ghamibin is an experienced one so he can cover.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

They could also have been brought in as back up as per Holgate being that

I for one am glad Rojo didn't come off, 14 prem games in his last 2 seasons with the Manc's, only 5 prem games last season with 3 of those 5 as a sub, and he's on £80k a week just to rub it in.

 

[davek]

Not like you mate. The window has been good despite the whingeing. Would have been 9 or 10 out of 10 with a CB. Thankfully Ghamibin is an experienced one so he can cover.

Delph? Iwobi? An unknown CM replacement for Gueye. Where are you getting 9/10 from that, even with a CB?

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Mina + Keane with Holgate as back up.

Is there anyone actually expecting us to break into the top 6 with this? Mina looks all over a WC knee jerk buy, Keane is the very definition of inconsistency, Holgate is a utility player who you call on in a pinch to slot in for a game or two.

WTF was he thinking about leaving that centre defence like that?

So basically Dave you're saying none of our centre-halves are actually fit for purpose?

 

[Toffe3m4n]

They could also have been brought in as back up as per Holgate being that

This point seems to be lost on most.

 

[Agent Blue]

Do we have any viable centre-halves in the U23s?

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Do we have any viable centre-halves in the U23s?

Gibson & Feeney. Both featured in pre-season though Gibson moreso.

 

[brieverton]

The pedestal Brands is put on is unfair. I'm sure he is not bothered in the slightest by it but he is human and fallible.

I think failure to get another CB is a glaring black mark on his record, which with that exception, is pretty impressive to date. Impressive but not astounding.

But I like the guy and what he is trying to do. He is here is fix a mass of problems, some inherent from the Koeman/Walsh/Allardyce era and others which have been endemic at the club for 30 years. He has one of the most difficult jobs in football.

So there will be mistakes. He has overseen huge and on the whole positive, change in the squad in a 12 month period. Could have done better with outgoings and the fees gained, most certainly should have strengthened at CB.

Overall I think he is still doing a very decent job here entangling us from such a horrific mess. We need a CB in January most likely so we have to get through till then and deal definitively with that issue.

 

[JimmyK]

Because if they could have got Zouma then I think Holgate may have gone out on loan again. However the deal couldn’t be done so we stick with what we have. Holgate should have learnt a lot from his loan spell last season.

Yes, how to play right back in the championship.