(08-18-2021, 08:43 AM)SW4Baggie Wrote:

(08-18-2021, 08:27 AM)Shabby Russian Wrote: Brazilian wonderkid come with more than a hint of risk.

But for a club like us the transfer sweet spot is to sign players in the 21 to 24 age bracket, for a low ish fee, with the potential to improve and make a profit.

Nothing irritates me more than loans for players we will never be able to buy, who become integral to the team.

And close behind that category are the signings of seasoned professional, closer to 30, than 20, or maybe over 30. They come taking a 3 year wage commitment and realistically very little prospect of ever selling for a transfer fee. Sometimes these type of players can have a significant short term impact which absolutely justifies their purchase, but only ever bringing in these type of players causes long term stagnation.

Amen.

We ought to be scouring the lower leagues and hoovering up whatever talent we can. QPR have picked up some bargains in the last couple of seasons through very shrewd transfers and with our owners being as disinterested as they are, we have to aim for a return on every penny we spend going forward. Rob Dickie is arguably the best CB in the division, and moved to QPR for little over a million, McCallum and Dozell are similarly very good prospects who will contribute and improve there.  Swansea picking up Downes for £1.5m from Ipswich is another incredibly smart move and he's a player who'd have been perfect for our system yet we didn't even sniff.

So many strong players out there, and I bet we end up paying a fortune to Andre fucking Gray.

(08-18-2021, 12:24 PM)Hopalong Wrote:

(08-18-2021, 08:43 AM)SW4Baggie Wrote:

(08-18-2021, 08:27 AM)Shabby Russian Wrote: Brazilian wonderkid come with more than a hint of risk.

But for a club like us the transfer sweet spot is to sign players in the 21 to 24 age bracket, for a low ish fee, with the potential to improve and make a profit.

Nothing irritates me more than loans for players we will never be able to buy, who become integral to the team.

And close behind that category are the signings of seasoned professional, closer to 30, than 20, or maybe over 30. They come taking a 3 year wage commitment and realistically very little prospect of ever selling for a transfer fee. Sometimes these type of players can have a significant short term impact which absolutely justifies their purchase, but only ever bringing in these type of players causes long term stagnation.

Amen.

We ought to be scouring the lower leagues and hoovering up whatever talent we can. QPR have picked up some bargains in the last couple of seasons through very shrewd transfers and with our owners being as disinterested as they are, we have to aim for a return on every penny we spend going forward. Rob Dickie is arguably the best CB in the division, and moved to QPR for little over a million, McCallum and Dozell are similarly very good prospects who will contribute and improve there.  Swansea picking up Downes for £1.5m from Ipswich is another incredibly smart move and he's a player who'd have been perfect for our system yet we didn't even sniff.

So many strong players out there, and I bet we end up paying a fortune to Andre fucking Gray.

Ajayi, albeit he's a bit older, Mowatt, Townsend plus Kipre and Shotton may come good yet.  Castro's gonna be one of the best players in the world  ....Owen Windsor?

(08-18-2021, 01:49 PM)Bob Fossil Wrote: I'm confused. Should we be spending more or spending less????

(08-18-2021, 01:49 PM)Bob Fossil Wrote: I'm confused. Should we be spending more or spending less????

(08-18-2021, 02:32 PM)SW4Baggie Wrote:

(08-18-2021, 01:49 PM)Bob Fossil Wrote: I'm confused. Should we be spending more or spending less????

Neither.

We should be spending better.

(08-18-2021, 03:00 PM)Belfastbaggie Wrote: JohnnykayeenglandMy early supporting years were following top teams of the 60s and 70s.
Their success, as with the great team of the 50s, was built on 2 factors... A terrific youth system and a terrific scouting system (lower league and Scotland).
A club with our catchment and size can't compete with the Big clubs. But we consistently punched above our weight.
JP saw this, I think, and invested sensibly IMO in both those facets.
Isn't that what comes of having an owner who cares?!

Remember those books and comics from the sixties where there was always a guy in a long coat watching a lower league or school boy match..towards the end of the book or story he’d introduce himself to the lad’s father as a scout from Melchester United...