Transfer Failures (or mis-management?), over the last 3 years

[MaVilla]

Hey;

I was looking at our transfer activity over the last 2-3 years, and tbh im kinda shocked just how many of them seem to be:

1) a failure, or

2) If not a failure, is it the manager mismanaging them or some other issue?, or

3) an issue to to injuries or other related absences.

 

I will list the transfers i refer to:

2020/21:

91m spent total (roughly 37m of the 93m spent possibly raises questions?).

Sanson : 15m - does this fall under 2 & 3?, or 1?

Traore : 17m - does this fall under 2 & 3?, or 1?

2021/22:

116m spent total (roughly 91m of the 116m spent possibly raises questions?)

Buendia : 35m - does this fall under 2?

Bailey : 29m - does this fall under 3?, and maybe 2?, or both?, or 1 also!?

Ings : 27m - does this fall under 1?

2022/23:

Dendoncker : 13.5m - i know its early days, but we have just spent 13m on him, and he doesnt seem to be getting a look in either, another multi million pound bench warmer deal?

 

If you add all that up, we have spent in the region of 140m on players over the last 3 years, who for whatever reason, arent even playing in the first 11, i know poor transfer choices can and do happen regularly at all clubs, but 140m on players who havent, for whatever reason, even improved our first 11 (on paper - as they dont play), what on earth are we doing?

 

note: i do think players like Buendia can improve our first 11, and should probably start, or at least get a run of games (possibly even Sanson - heck knows whats going on there), but the fact is he, and others like him arent playing much, or at all, and these large transfers fees paid for players that arent even starting for us, is pretty mind boggling, especially when you include wages etc.

What the heck is going on with our recruitment?

 

Thoughts?

Edited October 8, 2022 by MaVilla

[skarroki]

It's too early to say anything about signings made this summer, some could prove to be very useful. 

2019/20

Most the players we signed when we first got promoted were very good in one way or another. Even the ones that didn't light up the pitch helped play their part in keeping us up in a season where we had to buy a whole new squad. 

The players signed in January were all terrible though I think it's safe to say. 

 

2020/21

Maybe the best single transfer window we've had in my time supporting Villa. Watkins has been a very good striker for us despite his inability to finish becoming more and more of a problem this season. Emi Martinez, what is there new to say about him. Cash, another great signing, really good solid right back, transformed that position, somewhere I thought we didn't really need to upgrade at the time with Guilbert there. Barkley was great for a while, tailed off horribly but was on loan and we didn't sign him so no damage done. Traore has been brilliant for us up to his injury and should have played more often under Gerrard. He'd be starting for us if I was given the choice on the opposite side to Bailey, he'd cause all kind of problems. If he could do the things people moan about him not doing (more consistently pull off skill / scoring / going past his man) he'd be a £100mil player. That's my one hot take of this wall of text I'm writing. 

Sanson in Jan has never been given a proper chance under either manager and it baffles me but there must be a reason for the snub, otherwise it's very poor management. 

 

2021/22

We lost Grealish and so whoever came in would not fill his boots, there was no way. This is the one place I think we messed up. Signing Ings at the time felt like really impressive business, but there was a nagging feeling of how is this going to work? He needs to be on the pitch every game and Watkins will be too. Then Buendia and Bailey, in my opinion both excellent players who should be playing European football easily, are both best off the right and in a formation with width and pace. Gerrard plays pedestrian football in a slither of the central area. 

I think Young and Chambers were very good pickups for the squad. I think Digne is a very good left back with a brilliant cross but is he £12mil better and much higher wages, when compared with Targett who was our player of the season and by all accounts a good lad to have around the dressing room?

Coutinho was a brilliant player to bring in on loan but we realised Barkley was a flash in the pan and he couldn't maintain it, why wasn't that acknowledged with Coutinho? Or were we signing him for exposure and increased merch sales. 

[nepal_villan]

In hindsight the failure was hiring a coach that played a system that our existing players did not fit in and then letting him dictate  our transfer policy.

[Keyblade]

Under different circumstances I could see Buendia and Ings being 2 of our best and most important players. Same with Bailey. That whole window was too chaotic and we didn't give the manager who signed them a proper chance to work with them. Then a new manager comes in who doesn't really fancy any of them bar Leon.

[TomC]

I just did a long post about this on the tactics thread (page 261) a few days ago...

TL;DR: I think that all the transfers made sense for the purposes they were bought. Deano never got to use Ings, Buendia, and Bailey together much (maybe 40 minutes?)...you can argue that they might not have worked together anyway, but he never got to give it a try.

SG continues to pick the wrong midfield and is trying to shoehorn players into a front 3 who weren't bought to act as a front 3. He's too inflexible in his tactics to adapt the tactics to the players he has.

The only player that maybe is an outright failure is Sanson. Injuries didn't help, but he never seemed to earn Deano's or SG's trust when healthy. I'd still like to see more of him, but it's not going to happen without a new manager.

 

[nick76]

2 hours ago, Keyblade said:

Under different circumstances I could see Buendia and Ings being 2 of our best and most important players. Same with Bailey. That whole window was too chaotic and we didn't give the manager who signed them a proper chance to work with them. Then a new manager comes in who doesn't really fancy any of them bar Leon.

Completely agree, we have been buying players of some reasonable quality and not utilising them or using them differently to what made them the reason we brought them.  Not only that but you look at the others players around who have steadily declined over the last year or so.

While some of these purchases may have not been right we can also rightly argue that it’s not the player but the coaching, positioning and tactics of the whole team that not only impacts the performances of those players but all the other players. It goes back to the other discussion of who has improved under Gerrard, when in fact most have declined.  

So in answer to the opening post I believe it’s number 2, mismanagement of the players in most of the cases.

[DCJonah]

Doesn't seem to be a proper plan and then we make a major shift in our transfer policy with a new manager who isn't doing a good job.

I don't think many clubs can afford to do what we've done. It's potentially going to have big long term negative affects. 

[Pinebro]

 Completely flip flopping the transfer strategy was a major f*** up. 

You don't just throw away your plan after a little set back. Pains me to say it but we are a terribly run football club. 

I'd say Man Utd light. 

[Pinebro]

For instance, Brighton will tell their new manager how they operate as a club and that he needs to work within those set conditions. 

Same at Brentford. They won't allow a manager to completely change their strategy. 

That's how modern clubs are run. No longer is the manager the most important cog in the machinery. 

 

[sne]

3 minutes ago, Pinebro said:

For instance, Brighton will tell their new manager how they operate as a club and that he needs to work within those set conditions. 

Same at Brentford. They won't allow a manager to completely change their strategy. 

That's how modern clubs are run. No longer is the manager the most important cog in the machinery. 

 

Having a manager who relies on wingers and allowing him to bring in wide players for big money. Then getting rid of that manager and replacing him with a Gerrard who doesn't play with wingers at all.

 

[DCJonah]

10 minutes ago, sne said:

Having a manager who relies on wingers and allowing him to bring in wide players for big money. Then getting rid of that manager and replacing him with a Gerrard who doesn't play with wingers at all.

 

Yep. Utter madness. 

[OutByEaster?]

So, does Johan Lange need to be replaced?

 

[Zatman]

17 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

So, does Johan Lange need to be replaced?

 

I think Lange was more about building a squad but for me it looks like he has been sidelined by Purslow switching strategy to accomodate Gerrard

If Lange had a stronger personality we would be in a better spot I feel

[OutByEaster?]

3 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I think Lange was more about building a squad but for me it looks like he has been sidelined by Purslow switching strategy to accomodate Gerrard

If Lange had a stronger personality we would be in a better spot I feel

Lange is responsible for transfer strategy - he produces the data, the shortlists, identifies players that might work, evaluates those that the manager like. Purslow then makes the deals. 

It's weird that we have threads on Lange's job that are focused on sacking the manager or the Chief Exec.

By all means sack the manager for the performances on the pitch and if you feel it's necessary, sack the CEO if the bottom line isn't growing, but on this one, Lange leads the way.

 

[Zatman]

As 1st season since promotion was a mess as we needed to built a squad I  wont include that

Hits: Cash, Martinez, Traore, Kamara, Young, Chambers, Buendia

Maybe or never really had a chance: Sanson, Augustinsson, Carlos, Olsen, Coutinho, Watkins(he isnt a hit but is nowhere near a flop) Ings, Bailey, Dendoncker, Bednarek

Flops: Digne, Barkley, Tuanzebe

[ozvillafan]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

So, does Johan Lange need to be replaced?

 

Raise your aim.

Lange is only acting on directions from the head of football....

... and since we have none, I can only assume that is the CEO.

[sidcow]

I don't think anyone was questioning that Bailey was a great signing. In fact the general consensus was that it was a miracle we managed to get him. 

His injury is well behind him now but my god he's been disappointing this season after pre season glimmers. 

But I all honesty I think it's hard to judge any signings performance under this non manager. 

[OutByEaster?]

19 minutes ago, ozvillafan said:

Raise your aim.

Lange is only acting on directions from the head of football....

... and since we have none, I can only assume that is the CEO.

Lange is the head of football.

 

[Sulberto21]

53 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Lange is the head of football.

 

If he’s the head of football then either he’s been undermined by Purslow or he’s not the right guy for us.

Chelsea’s Former directors Michael Emanalo and now that she’s available Mariana Granovskaia would be perfect for us if they’d come. Failing that RB Salzburg’s staff seem to find themselves with cracking players. 

The players mentioned above have had injury niggles so I don’t think it’s an easy one to decipher. They definitely don’t fit with GerrardPragmaBall.

[messi11]

The failure over the last 2 seasons is the thought of that we have to be a big club now! Instead of investing our money in the brightest young talents in Football like Newcastle, Brighton have done so well. Instead of trying to sign the next Ings, Buendia, Diego Carlos, Digne, Phillips, Ward-Powse, Bisoumma we always was willing to splash cash on the finished article pretending we are a big club.
We are now stuck with overpaid asbeens.