I can understand the occasional deal (e.g. Isak) that drags on beyond the season starting, and it's clear that the CWC stalled the market generally at the start of the window (lots of other clubs of a similar size having similar complaints), but given our starting point (losing three first choice players and our first choice sub all at once), not having the bulk of the signings we needed in place by the time the season started was negligent. To me, it shows that nothing has been learned from us throwing the first half dozen games at the start of last season.
We've either been aiming for targets we could not persuade to join (through either naivety or the inability to demonstrate to our targets that we have a coherent and exciting plan for the future), or we've not been able to compete financially (which makes splashing the amount we did on Krejci even more strange). It's depressing how the PL has become the Super League by the back door. Liverpool now have Ekitike and Isak - can they even play in the same team together? It's like Man Utd in the 90s buying up all the best players just to stop their rivals from signing them, only instead of it being one club doing this to the rest of the PL, it's an 'elite' few doing it to the rest of Europe.
As someone (
@Langers , I think) mentioned earlier, we were beating typical 'big six' teams in our first season back, with a team that had a structure, a shape, some leadership, and no shortage of creative players. Look how we've been overtaken now by Arsenal such that we're just a speck in their rear view mirror, and how we're now seen as a place where clubs like Newcastle can buy their replacements.
It's the sense of a real missed opportunity over recent years that grates the most. It didn't have to be this way.
You've got to hope the rumours of a takeover have some truth to them, and that it's not too late by January to sign some reinforcements. I'm also concerned about Vitor's use of the squad he has got, and his bizarre blind spot for Marshall Munetsi.
