Anston Owl

Not sure it's a gamble at all. Pin money for a Prem club. They get close to 300 mill for being in Prem 2 years. Sadly in the Prem these days players go for that. It's a normal fee. Sure Liverpool can buy him back but if they are he will have done well and they will have stayed up for another 1-2 years netting another 300 mill. He's one of the best young talents around. Surprised he's gone there. Might not work out but certainly they have bought a lot of younger players in him, Ramsdale, Berge (who they'll easily get their money back of they go down) , McBurnie. If they go down (Don't think they will) the team they have would mean they'd have a good chance of coming up. They don't score many goals but actually any striker who costs 10-20 million like Mousset and McBurnie and score say 12 goals to keep them up it pays the money back easily Not sure you're going to sign a striker for that who comes in and scores 15 goals+. As someone else said the prem does not have teams outside the top 6 with scorers getting 15+ outside of Vardy and Ings. Most of the rest don't have strikers scoring loads of goals. If this lad gets 5-10 goals and They stay up they get their money back and then some. Still worry they won't create enough as a few players gone off the boil/injured. They might get a draw or win v Fulham but arsenal, city, Liverpool and Chelsea they'll get nowt. They'll be bottom in a month and well adrift. See what they are made of then. Sadly think they then may get it together. Hope not.

Signing Bogle and Lowe for 8 million from Derby. Both will be back up wing backs. Cash went for 16 million which seemed a lot. Seems like Derby are desperate for funds. Also Burke coming in from WBA. Odd signing. He's crap and lazy. Wilder loves these salvation projects mind. Some one off...McGoldrick/Clarke....others dont Rodwell/Ravel.

Its a win and we saw some plusses...Penney and defence untroubled.

I think 11th - 15th will be about right. The defence is solid but will let more in with an inferior keeper but they will prob score more...the strikers are not great but McGoldrick missed lots of chances he may take next season. I think that there are 4 or 5 worse teams for definite. There are a lot worse managers too.

Way I see it I am not sure I am as excited as some about the signings. Think some if the excitement is just we are signing someone after years of little activity. However, closer examination concerns me a little. Dunkley (part of Wigan team when defence was porous- they got better when he was injured), Windass not a Wigan regular and was a bit meh to ne when I saw him and did not even nail down a regular spot. Brown who was part of a poor team in Luton and has had about 5 loans already...there is talent there but if Bielsa and others could not get him to play consistently not sure Monk will...I might be wrong. Maybe these 3 will squad players which is better but as starters I'd worry if these 3 are regulars based on current career trajectory of the lads...all 3 seem to have lost their way a bit. Suppose we needed fresh blood with so many leaving but the signings so far are mid to lower Champ for me. That's about where we were so not sure they suddenly hugely improve us especially as we will start on such a handicap but the issue is we needed players...Any players really and at least these lads are wanting to play for us. Not easy to attract lads for a probable relegation battle. Just my thoughts. We do seem to have a bit more pace/athletic ability. Key is to gey a good stsrt as if we are entrenched worry we have enough fighters currently but we will see who else comes in.

Egan signed a new contract. Balls. Seems the story about his new big house in Wickersley was right. Think all the squad except Lundstram tied down for 2-3 years now but not to say they won't move if bigger clubs (half the prem) come in for any of that back 5...which is the strenght of the team. Will they get complacent now they are all on better money? Hope so. The defence has no competition either.

How about: 'Lets predict their demise again only to look like complete idiots for the 4th season running' I'll get my coat.

Parsons Cross Owl, Trouble is there is 230 pages on here...a lot early on predicting they are useless, will go down and are kidding themselves if they think they can do well with the players they had. Many said the same when they went up to the Champ. Then said it was momentum and they would not go as well the year after- they then went up! 3 straight years every one has predicted their demise on here citing crap signings like you have or saying they can't keep it going. Suppose if every one keeps saying it they might get it right one day by law of averages! Reality is I hate it but they have an incredible manager, committed players, a great system and tough to beat for the most part. It hurts but that is reality. Yes, they have been lucky with injuries and maybe that might change things but they seem to have conditioning, fitness programme/staff we can only dream of. I'd love to say they will go down and thought they'd struggle last year like most on here but they were comfirtabke and beat likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. I see 6 or 7 far worse sides even with losing Henderson. Are we confident that the likes of Palace, West Brom, Brighton, Newcastle, Villa, Burnley, West Ham to name just 7...not sure on Fulham either will finish ahead of them. They finished 9th last year and were 5th-6th for a period. It's not like they just stayed up and most of the team will still be there. Maybe a few might but I have given up predicting their demise. No shame in just accepting they will probably be around the Prem for a few seasons. If they ******** up it will be a bonus. Might not fit the point of the thread but surprised some are convinced of their imminent demise. Thought some of us would learn from the posts to start this thread! I don't see it for a bit at least. Wilder is a knob but is too good.

Stoke signing him and now Mikel. Old, big wages and both not exactly in peak of fitness. Wonder how they are fitting such players into an already ballooned squad in terms of FFP?

Apparently Ramsdale is costing them nowhere near 18.5 according to local journos. Bournemouth still owe them half of the Brooks transfer (6 mill) and they had hefty sell ons for both Ramsdale and Brooks. So it is probably a lot less. Going rate for young English keepers. They sold him when he was like 18 but didn't they do same with Calvert Lewin? Watch them buy him back for 40 million! I suppose the argument is they used the small amount they got back then to build the team that won League 1 and at that time could not really count on promising young kids. Hard as Henderson is a really good keeper and they will miss him a lot but allegedly Man Utd paying him 120 grand a week so circa 500k a month and wanted them to cover full wages and a loan fee so could be 5-6 million just for the season. The Ramsdale initial downpayment for this season won't be much different and transfers are often structured over 2-3 seasons. I was surprised Ramsdale was younger than Henderson but to me it is a big downgrade for them. Henderson now will either have to compete with De Be a or go abroad. Can't see Chelsea being allowed to loan or buy him. Might be wrong. They will let in more goals next year putting pressure on a poor forward collection. The money spent up there is ridiculous in one sense but actually a player like Mousset who cost 12 million got was it 6 goals, 5 assits will be seen as going rate. Haller, Joelinton and that Villa striker cost a lot more and did not do any better at all. Did they do not go for like 30 mill etc? Madness. They have spent 20 mill on McBurnie and Berge but when you get like 150 mill just for a season of being in prem then you can afford to spunk the cash. Both those look like they might be expensive mistakes (although Blades mates reckon this Berge will double his fee in a year or two - not sure why they think that- we will see) but if they stay up for 2-3 seasons it does not matter. They just spend again. (For the record think Mousset buggered off back to France as his gf was pregnant but Wilder seemed salty when asked why he was not around!?) It may seem like loads of money but the fees they are paying are going rate for lower to mid Prem players. It's a different world up there in terms of fees/wages.