- Jan 27, 2011
- 1,916
- 10,118
Thanks for the ITK.
Which ever way we want to spin it, we're being out bid by Brentford and Brighton to a key target.
Our approach now is to gain interest from the targeted player, and use that buy in to try to dictate terms.
The problem is the market is too competitive and dynamic to ever have that control.
This approach very nearly cost us the Dragusin deal.
Plenty to be positive about our club at the moment, but without Paratici leading negotiations my fear is we're going back to the bad habits of Dear Leader.
- Summer deadline day pulling plugs on CBs.
- Sanchez sale after deadline without replacement.
- Dragging our feet to the squeeze the pips this window, and being gazumped by Brentford.
I'm not convinced any of that happens with Paratici steering the ship, and I think Nusa would probably be our player.
Lots of assumptions here, buddy. I know Dear Leader is to blame for all ills and sins, but not sure anyone is to blame here. This decision was down to the player by the sounds of it. Hard to go full ‘burn baldy to the ground’ over this. But, I respect how you feel.
In the past I've acknowledged Levy's credit for hiring Paratici and Ange in the first place. No pitch forks here.
But many of the takes on Nusa and also the clubs actions and journo briefings seem full of contradictions to me.
1. To paraphrase others. "We didn't match their bid and nor should we" - and yet "the player chose Brentford, not our fault."
The player can't have chosen Brentford if we didn't match the bid. There was no longer a choice?
2. We're trying to convince the player that he's an important signing with a big future here - and yet get outgunned by a club with 1/5 of our turnover.
Demonstrating to Nusa that he's more important to them, whislt we lacked the conviction of our own strategy.
3. Our strategy is to buy players before they become superstars. Having great success when Fab closed deals for Udogie, Sarr etc. And yet when one of if not THE biggest prospect in Europe is available, we baulk over 5m Euros.
So what is our strategy now exactly? How do we replace Kane and Son in 1-2 years?
There are other good players. I have no doubts we'll identify them. But what's the point if we lack the courage of our convictions?
Surely to dare is not to get gazumped by Brentford.