Steve Walsh - no longer our Director of Football

[MACCA75]

According to the Echo. There was a genuine belief that we could get Giroud AND Costa. Who knows? But, in his defence, there was apparently "a list" that we went down and got to the point where those left were not better than what we had.

Not better than DCL, Niasse and Sandro? I just fail to believe that somehow.

 

[blueblue]

According to the Echo. There was a genuine belief that we could get Giroud AND Costa. Who knows? But, in his defence, there was apparently "a list" that we went down and got to the point where those left were not better than what we had.

At best the chances of ever getting Giroud or Costa were slim and they were being left until the last minutes of the window in any event.

Costa was always going to a solution that lasted until January and Giroud was dithering and just was never convinced enough to join us... thankfully.
I find it hard to believe that there were no strikers in world football that we could sign other than Costa or Giroud and we know we had a hat of money to spend because we splashed 45m on Sigurdsson and still were prepared to spend 26m on Giroud.

I would guess that the list of strikers to sign came from Koeman and realistically when you are getting to the last days of the window you are taking a huge chance.

 

[Toffeelover]

At best the chances of ever getting Giroud or Costa were slim and they were being left until the last minutes of the window in any event.

Costa was always going to a solution that lasted until January and Giroud was dithering and just was never convinced enough to join us... thankfully.
I find it hard to believe that there were no strikers in world football that we could sign other than Costa or Giroud and we know we had a hat of money to spend because we splashed 45m on Sigurdsson and still were prepared to spend 26m on Giroud.

I would guess that the list of strikers to sign came from Koeman and realistically when you are getting to the last days of the window you are taking a huge chance.

Should have knocked both into touch, stop wasting time and see who else is out there.

 

[davek]

Should have knocked both into touch, stop wasting time and see who else is out there.

Correct.

 

[Simon baker]

At best the chances of ever getting Giroud or Costa were slim and they were being left until the last minutes of the window in any event.

Costa was always going to a solution that lasted until January and Giroud was dithering and just was never convinced enough to join us... thankfully.
I find it hard to believe that there were no strikers in world football that we could sign other than Costa or Giroud and we know we had a hat of money to spend because we splashed 45m on Sigurdsson and still were prepared to spend 26m on Giroud.

I would guess that the list of strikers to sign came from Koeman and realistically when you are getting to the last days of the window you are taking a huge chance.

Once it was clear giroud wasnt coming i wonder if as a stop gap we should have went all out for llorente I know he played today but first choice every week plus a higher wage may have swayed him.

He would have been a decent stop gap I'm actually glad we never as ultimately it has found Ronald out & given us the opportunity to move forward without the long ball fraud.

 

[davek]

I doubt it would ever happen, but I'd love to hear Walsh explain the thinking behind having no backup options when it came to finding a striker.

It didn't even have to be a marquee signing. Plenty of them went for what constitutes a nominal fee these days, and could have done a job in the short-term.

IMO Walsh was putting realistic options forward and Koeman was knocking them back being bloody minded.

The options were there, as Koeman said himself. If he thought going with no striker was preferable than going with one that wasn't his ideal purchase what does that tell you about Koeman?

 

[davek]

Once it was clear giroud wasnt coming i wonder if as a stop gap we should have went all out for llorente I know he played today but first choice every week plus a higher wage may have swayed him.

He would have been a decent stop gap I'm actually glad we never as ultimately it has found Ronald out & given us the opportunity to move forward without the long ball fraud.

Guaranteed first team games...he'd have been here like a shot, and I bet he was on Walsh's alternative target list knocked back by the clueless one.

 

[KaiserEFC]

He didn’t do his job and messed up the one thing we really couldn’t afford to mess up, should’ve been sacked.

Or had the bees, either or.

 

[LiamG]

I'm glad we didn't get Giroud, good player but too old and Koeman may still have his job otherwise.

There are plenty of strikers. None close to Lukaku's standard but plenty that would improve us now and have potential to be even better.

 

[ExpatinBangkok]

I read one article that said that once Giroud failed to come the other strikers on the list were too expensive and someone (Moshri, board, ken wright, walsh??/) didn't want to spend that money...leaving us where we are today (with help from Ronald 'no wings' Koeman.)

 

[Osamabindiesel]

IMO Walsh was putting realistic options forward and Koeman was knocking them back being bloody minded.

The options were there, as Koeman said himself. If he thought going with no striker was preferable than going with one that wasn't his ideal purchase what does that tell you about Koeman?

Megalomaniac?

 

[kithnou]

I read one article that said that once Giroud failed to come the other strikers on the list were too expensive and someone (Moshri, board, ken wright, walsh??/) didn't want to spend that money...leaving us where we are today (with help from Ronald 'no wings' Koeman.)

Relegation fodder

 

[Stan Lee Park]

Ever since Walsh came here we have signed boringly average players (let's exempt Pickford and Keane from this for the moment).
Koeman was quite rightly booted out of the club because of his pathetic performance.
Surely we should apply the same rule to Walsh and get rid ASAP.

 

[stamullenblue]

Ever since Walsh came here we have signed boringly average players (let's exempt Pickford and Keane from this for the moment).
Koeman was quite rightly booted out of the club because of his pathetic performance.
Surely we should apply the same rule to Walsh and get rid ASAP.

Not quite sure what Walsh does if anything but I imagine dealing with MR arrogant was quite difficult. Give him another chance !

 

[evertony]

IMO Walsh was putting realistic options forward and Koeman was knocking them back being bloody minded.

The options were there, as Koeman said himself. If he thought going with no striker was preferable than going with one that wasn't his ideal purchase what does that tell you about Koeman?

To be fair Dave, I think if Walsh was putting realistic options forward and Koeman was dismissing them we'd hear Walsh shouting that from the roof tops now to clear his own name in this fiasco.
He needs all the ammunition available because eyes are undoubtedly focussed on him now regarding a) the effectiveness of his position, b) his personal ability and whether Leicester was a fluke, and c) to convince any new manager that the DoF isn't going to interfere with them once in. I honestly think point c is likely to dissuade some managers, and that may mean we get somebody who is well down our pecking order of choice.