Slightly worse players.

[Casual]

As we replace our better players (appreciate that Olise, Eze , Guehi, were a bit of a golden generation) with slightly worse. I think that’s what eventually gets teams relegated.
We replaced Olise a 9/10 with Sarr a 7/10.
Eze was an 8 replaced by Pino a 6.
Guehi a 10 replaced by ? Don’t know, but no better than a 6.

One of the few recent replacements that haven’t weakened the team is Anderson/Lacroix + profit , max being a superior defender but nowhere near as good on the ball.

The same will be the case with Munoz , unless we are really lucky.
Also Henderson, if he was to go the chances are that Benitez, who might be alright, will be a bit weaker.

We seem to have replaced a few 8/9/10s with a load of 6/7s most of whom will have to sit on the bench, due to numbers.

Ready made top players won’t come to us, so we need to look at potential, but i think the only way for a team like us to get the numbers up is to look at the weaker players that start/come on regularly (I like him but the Hughes etc of the team), players that ‘do a job’, if we can improve these weaker players then we’d have a higher level team and if you have a better average player, rather than a couple of superstars, they won’t get bought from us.

Brentford have continually sold their goal scorers and have bought in unknown quality replacements, but in the end they will come up with a bad replacement and get relegated.

This is what has happened at West Ham/Wolves in the last few years.

 

[park the bus]

As we replace our better players (appreciate that Olise, Eze , Guehi, were a bit of a golden generation) with slightly worse. I think that’s what eventually gets teams relegated.
We replaced Olise a 9/10 with Sarr a 7/10.
Eze was an 8 replaced by Pino a 6.
Guehi a 10 replaced by ? Don’t know, but no better than a 6.

One of the few recent replacements that haven’t weakened the team is Anderson/Lacroix + profit , max being a superior defender but nowhere near as good on the ball.

The same will be the case with Munoz , unless we are really lucky.
Also Henderson, if he was to go the chances are that Benitez, who might be alright, will be a bit weaker.

We seem to have replaced a few 8/9/10s with a load of 6/7s most of whom will have to sit on the bench, due to numbers.

Ready made top players won’t come to us, so we need to look at potential, but i think the only way for a team like us to get the numbers up is to look at the weaker players that start/come on regularly (I like him but the Hughes etc of the team), players that ‘do a job’, if we can improve these weaker players then we’d have a higher level team and if you have a better average player, rather than a couple of superstars, they won’t get bought from us.

Brentford have continually sold their goal scorers and have bought in unknown quality replacements, but in the end they will come up with a bad replacement and get relegated.

This is what has happened at West Ham/Wolves in the last few years.

You have described the "natural" course of events in a league whereby clubs spend vast amounts of money just to tread water. Clubs with even more money to spend tend to dominate in general and the league is made up of 20 teams to make it look as if it is a genuine competition on an even playing field.

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

As we replace our better players (appreciate that Olise, Eze , Guehi, were a bit of a golden generation) with slightly worse. I think that’s what eventually gets teams relegated.
We replaced Olise a 9/10 with Sarr a 7/10.
Eze was an 8 replaced by Pino a 6.
Guehi a 10 replaced by ? Don’t know, but no better than a 6.

One of the few recent replacements that haven’t weakened the team is Anderson/Lacroix + profit , max being a superior defender but nowhere near as good on the ball.

The same will be the case with Munoz , unless we are really lucky.
Also Henderson, if he was to go the chances are that Benitez, who might be alright, will be a bit weaker.

We seem to have replaced a few 8/9/10s with a load of 6/7s most of whom will have to sit on the bench, due to numbers.

Ready made top players won’t come to us, so we need to look at potential, but i think the only way for a team like us to get the numbers up is to look at the weaker players that start/come on regularly (I like him but the Hughes etc of the team), players that ‘do a job’, if we can improve these weaker players then we’d have a higher level team and if you have a better average player, rather than a couple of superstars, they won’t get bought from us.

Brentford have continually sold their goal scorers and have bought in unknown quality replacements, but in the end they will come up with a bad replacement and get relegated.

This is what has happened at West Ham/Wolves in the last few years.

Do you not think you are prejudging the newer players, Pino is a right winger, not a number 10, you don't get into the Spanish national team by being a number 6 player, we only have one point less at the same stage last year, and that was a underwhelming 12th place finish, when we get a manager who picks a team from the available players, and not shoehorns the players to fit they formation, then we may have a better clue, that day cant come quick enough for me.

 

[Casual]

Maybe mate, hope you are right when a new manager comes in.
It’s all just looking a bit like Leicester , a few years ago

Do you not think you are prejudging the newer players, Pino is a right winger, not a number 10, you don't get into the Spanish national team by being a number 6 player, we only have one point less at the same stage last year, and that was a underwhelming 12th place finish, when we get a manager who picks a team from the available players, and not shoehorns the players to fit they formation, then we may have a better clue, that day cant come quick enough for me.

 

[Badger11]

We are copying the Southampton model of a few years ago. However as I have pointed many times the problem with that model (buy low sell high, rinse and repeat) is that finding rough diamonds is not easy.

I can accept that when we sell Olise or Guehi we are not going to replace with a player juts as good. However what concerns me is that we are paying top dollar for not quite as good.

 

[MrRobbo]

We are copying the Southampton model of a few years ago. However as I have pointed many times the problem with that model (buy low sell high, rinse and repeat) is that finding rough diamonds is not easy.

I can accept that when we sell Olise or Guehi we are not going to replace with a player juts as good. However what concerns me is that we are paying top dollar for not quite as good.

Not really. Southampton struck it lucky with about 5 top class academy players.

We have started to buy and sell reasonably effectively.

Naturally we need to buy potential and hope that comes good. Some will, and some wont. Which is also why we need to sell at the right times and maximise the fees in.

We also need to be mindful of squad age, so need some experience in there too. Lerma and Kamada are good examples, both on free.

 

[Badger11]

Not really. Southampton struck it lucky with about 5 top class academy players.

We have started to buy and sell reasonably effectively.

Naturally we need to buy potential and hope that comes good. Some will, and some wont. Which is also why we need to sell at the right times and maximise the fees in.

We also need to be mindful of squad age, so need some experience in there too. Lerma and Kamada are good examples, both on free.

Agreed, but they also bought in up and coming players as well. I take your point though they got lucky and so have we. The question is will we continue to be "lucky" with players. I am not so sure.

 

[park the bus]

Agreed, but they also bought in up and coming players as well. I take your point though they got lucky and so have we. The question is will we continue to be "lucky" with players. I am not so sure.

It's cyclical and we are not the only ones in the rat race. Finding that unpolish gem and buffing them up to sell them on is just as much chance as it is having a dedicated and professional scouting team. It just happens that out of all the duffers we managed to find a few very decent players that briefly gave us a lift out of the mundane. The question is how often can it be repeated?

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

Maybe mate, hope you are right when a new manager comes in.
It’s all just looking a bit like Leicester , a few years ago

I think the Leicester downward spiral was caused by the sad death of their Chairman, and the apathy of his son, who wasn't really interested

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

It's cyclical and we are not the only ones in the rat race. Finding that unpolish gem and buffing them up to sell them on is just as much chance as it is having a dedicated and professional scouting team. It just happens that out of all the duffers we managed to find a few very decent players that briefly gave us a lift out of the mundane. The question is how often can it be repeated?

Very true.

 

[Nicholas91]

It's cyclical and we are not the only ones in the rat race. Finding that unpolish gem and buffing them up to sell them on is just as much chance as it is having a dedicated and professional scouting team. It just happens that out of all the duffers we managed to find a few very decent players that briefly gave us a lift out of the mundane. The question is how often can it be repeated?

Yeah, spot on.