Piero Hincapie

[Thenewcat]

It's not about numbers, it's about getting what you aim for. And forget January pick any window where we've addressed all of our main problems over value buys.

I'm just sick to death of fans arguing on their behalf doing mental gymnastics to explain why we are constantly left short. If you can't see it you've got your head in the sand, I mean we wanted Porro for over 2 months and announced it at 11pm on deadline day.

When the same things keep happening, It's not a coincidence.

I’m not arguing about the issues with Levy’s running of the club and haven’t defended it. Also completely agree about the nickel and diming that leads to a last second panic every time. All I was saying was it was never going to be fixed this January whoever was in charge. The ins in the last 2 Januaries have been pretty good, the summer was at least one player short. The outs have been a shambles as they always are

 

[mr ashley]

So this maybe incorrect but I read yesterday that we’d offered £23m for hincapie (oddly enough it was rejected)

And we did this on deadline day, with no room to manoeuvre
We could easily afford to offer more than £30m for him if we wanted him. We’ve been told we rate him highest of all the scouted LCBs (even bastoni) so why try to bid under market rate (compared to badiashile for example)?


We clearly have the finances (otherwise we wouldn’t be involved in ESL talks or report top 10 worldwide /revenue)

People will no doubt argue stadium repayments (seperate pot but ok) and the latest one- why back conte when he refuses to sign a contract.
And I’d argue - based on the approach this window and last summer that this is exactly why conte is refusing to sign a contract. Because why continue to work under a regime that continually refuses to spend the money to support the team, haggling over deals and signing random players that don’t fit the plans?

Daniel levy has made mistake after mistake and still wants to win every negotiation, regardless of the impact. it’s not about protecting the business anymore or working through financial constraints. It’s ego pure and simple

I still think he’s the guy that outbids me at the last minute on eBay, just for fun.

 

[Trix]

I’m not arguing about the issues with Levy’s running of the club and haven’t defended it. Also completely agree about the nickel and diming that leads to a last second panic every time. All I was saying was it was never going to be fixed this January whoever was in charge. The ins in the last 2 Januaries have been pretty good, the summer was at least one player short. The outs have been a shambles as they always are

Of course it wasn't going to be all fixed this January, but we could and should have been further down the road to doing so.

 

[jadert]

Just realised that for the last 30 mins I’ve been singing - from the unconscious or elsewhere!? - the Eagle’s ‘desperado’… “hard to tell the nighttime from the day… “

 

[Thenewcat]

Of course it wasn't going to be all fixed this January, but we could and should have been further down the road to doing so.

. I can't recall us ever sorting out 3 positions in one window ever.

don't think it will start now, and that's why we will always be also ran's under Levy. Clubs that have ambition do exactly this. Not

To be fair you’ve moved the goalposts. I was responding to you saying teams sort out 3 positions in one window. I can’t recall a top side ever doing so in January (Chelsea’s insane spending this window aside, which may or may not sort out 3 positions). Should we have sorted out Porro weeks ago? Yes. Should we have bought a CB? Ideally Yes. Do teams get 3 first teamers in January? No

 

[Japhet]

It is, and we are lacking a plan on how we should be working.

It is difficult though to formulate a plan when you have a manager who has very specific requirements who continually moves his new contract offer to the bottom of the 'In' tray.

 

[dave5150]

Of course it wasn't going to be all fixed this January, but we could and should have been further down the road to doing so.

I think that's the issue (aside from how a quality CB would help us in the rest of the season). Anything we couldn't do in January (a quality CB) is one more thing to try and do in the summer and it's looking like we will have quite a lot to do in the summer!

 

[Trix]

I think that's the issue (aside from how a quality CB would help us in the rest of the season). Anything we couldn't do in January (a quality CB) is one more thing to try and do in the summer and it's looking like we will have quite a lot to do in the summer!

It's more than that though isn't it. Not getting what we needed now may well be the difference to Conte and Kane staying, meaning we then need to replace a world class CF(which we won't) and also getting a manager in who will want to reassess everything and then change the components to what he wants. Throw in what's happening with Parratici and it could be a mess for another couple of years.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

It's more than that though isn't it. Not getting what we needed now may well be the difference to Conte and Kane staying, meaning we then need to replace a world class CF(which we won't) and also getting a manager in who will want to reassess everything and then change the components to what he wants. Throw in what's happening with Parratici and it could be a mess for another couple of years.

Personally I will be very very surprised if Conte stays at this point. I feel like this window very much suggests that we don’t anticipate him being here. Porro is an excellent buy regardless who’s in charge and Danjuma was cheap and risk free. Imo Levy could have done more if he really wanted Conte to stay.

 

[glacierSpurs]

It's more than that though isn't it. Not getting what we needed now may well be the difference to Conte and Kane staying, meaning we then need to replace a world class CF(which we won't) and also getting a manager in who will want to reassess everything and then change the components to what he wants. Throw in what's happening with Parratici and it could be a mess for another couple of years.

I'm assuming also because of this reason we had lesser alternatives in this window. Like we are kinda shell-shocked with Sporting's last minute dick move and Doherty's situation.

Perhaps past two windows with Paratici actually underlines his importance. Suddenly this window became eerily familiar for the wrong reason with Levy back in the fold, although I got to give him some credit for salvaging Porro's move.

 

[Trix]

Personally I will be very very surprised if Conte stays at this point. I feel like this window very much suggests that we don’t anticipate him being here. Porro is an excellent buy regardless who’s in charge and Danjuma was cheap and risk free. Imo Levy could have done more if he really wanted Conte to stay.

Surely he's only an excellent buy if we are planning to play with wing backs going forward other wise it's a huge gamble to how well he will fit. Going by the last managerial search I doubt very much we know what happens post Conte considering how we always operate in such a reactionary fashion.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Surely he's only an excellent buy if we are planning to play with wing backs going forward other wise it's a huge gamble to how well he will fit. Going by the last managerial search I doubt very much we know what happens post Conte considering how we always operate in such a reactionary fashion.

Personally I think both Porro and Udogie would be excellent in a high press back four. For example they would fit Gallardo’s tactics to a T. We would need a better LCB and a quicker, more agile DM to drop into the back line but we need those things regardless. Anyway I still have a feeling that we will go for Amorim if QSI come in and then it wouldn’t be an issue. To me signing Porro was a low risk transfer considering his age, current skill set and potential.

​

 

[cliff jones]

It is difficult though to formulate a plan when you have a manager who has very specific requirements who continually moves his new contract offer to the bottom of the 'In' tray.

Lol- why does Conte put his contract on hold, do you think?

 

[mr ashley]

Personally I think both Porro and Udogie would be excellent in a high press back four. For example they would fit Gallardo’s tactics to a T. We would need a better LCB and a quicker, more agile DM to drop into the back line but we need those things regardless. Anyway I still have a feeling that we will go for Amorim if QSI come in and then it wouldn’t be an issue. To me signing Porro was a low risk transfer considering his age, current skill set and potential.

​

Either of those options would be good to replace conte (if he does decide to leave in the summer)

 

[cliff jones]

So this bloke, whose thread I’m typing in, was the subject of a bid from us but they rejected it and we left it there?

 

[bbunc]

Lol- why does Conte put his contract on hold, do you think?

we really don’t know. Maybe it’s because he feels he hasn’t been backed. Maybe it’s because he’s had the worst 6 months of his life from a real life standpoint and wants to go back to his family in Italy.

if it’s the former, you’d think they’d be talking about that behind the scenes and figuring out what he wants/needs to stay. Maybe they did and we said no. Maybe that’s not really the issue.

I do hate our lack of overall strategy and I think we are stuck 5 years stale in our understanding of the xfer market.

Hincapie is a perfect example. Common sense says there is no chance a top 4 Bundesliga club like BL is selling a young, promising starting CB under long term contract in January for less than 50-60M. Somehow we convince ourselves there’s a deal to be done at 25-30 late in the window. An absolute pipe dream of insanity.

There is no pressure on sellers for players like that. Late in the window does nothing, in fact it’s worse as they don’t have time for replacement. The price would be even more extortionate late, not discounted.

we have got to start determining what the real price is, whether we are willing to pay it, and if not, move on to targets the scouts have to work a bit harder for. Have to make real decisions and not hold onto some delusional pipe dream that eventually there will be a favorable deal for us.

 

[jpascavitz]

Leverkusen were linked with both Felipe (CB) and Sosa (LB), I was really hoping they'd end up with one of them to possibly help replace Hincapie if he were to go.

If he's the number one target for Summer then hope we can sign him up quickly in the Summer (lol)

 

[Gpnash84]

Surely he's only an excellent buy if we are planning to play with wing backs going forward other wise it's a huge gamble to how well he will fit. Going by the last managerial search I doubt very much we know what happens post Conte considering how we always operate in such a reactionary fashion.

Much like the pandemic I’ve erased that managerial search from my mind. The thought of a repeat this summer would be horrible

 

[mr ashley]

So this bloke, whose thread I’m typing in, was the subject of a bid from us but they rejected it and we left it there?

Appears that way.
They couldn’t get a replacement in time and we didn’t want to increase our offer

Find it hard to believe tbh

 

[djhotspur]

Surely this is a deal we could wrap up early so we know he is coming here in summer? But I guess we may wait to see the Bastoni situation and also what the investment is like spurs side.