07 Aug 2026 21:54:44
Oh no the sky is falling. Oh wait, it's just a lack of knowledge and patience.
So far we have signed Darlow, Tielemans, and Santos.
How does that compare to our top 6 rivals.
Arsenal: Bunro G, Meslier and Tzlois.
City: Anderson.
Liverpool: Jacquet, Munoz.
Villa: Manzambi, Gomes, Garnacho.
Newcastle: Toure, Bamba, Steur.
The only two sides that have heavily invested are Spurs and Chelsea after finishing 17th and 10th respectively.
Spurs: Fernandes, Tonali, Robertson, Sensei, van Hecke, Dubravka. (Although 3 of them are free transfers).
Chelsea: Quenda, Rogers, Lacroix, Palestra, Emegha, Welbeck and Henderson.
While that only portrays half the picture, City for example, have lost several key players (Bernardo, Stones, Akanji, Ake, and Trafford), and look like they are about to lose Rodri. As well as the best manager in the league in Pep of course.
Arsenal have signed a back up keeper and a young winger, along with Bruno. Are they any stronger? Not really, especially when you consider some of the squad depth they've lost in Trossard, Kiwior, and Norgaard.
Liverpool have brought in a young CB and a young winger, while losing Salah (their best ever EPL era player), Robertson, and Konate.
While Newcastle have lost half their squad.
Us on the other hand have strengthened the key area of weakness from last season, have a more settled squad (Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Spurs all have new managers), we also have a young squad who (if all things go as they should) should be developing and getting better.
On top of that we might (almost certainly will) sign another 2 or 3 players to strengthen the squad further.
I think the bigger complaint from fans seems to be that we either aren't signing enough players, or the players are the biggest/most expensive signings. Personally, I prefer quality signings who improve our team over shiny ones that we can brag about to rival fans. But that's just me.
07 Aug 2026 23:12:16
Another man to find some positives, good man Shappy.
I think we all need more too, Shappy, and I'll be disappointed if we don't get 2 or 3 before the window shuts. I remain hopeful on that front.
Well, jaysus, have to wait and see what happens.
08 Aug 2026 00:14:50
When others stand still, you have an opportunity to catch back up. We have been terrible for a decade and we have a glimmer of a chance to compete again. Pep is gone, and Liverpool, Newcastle, Chelsea, Tottenham are joining City with new managers. We have a chance. Now is not the time to be cautious. Not saying risk our future by betting all on black. But we were told this management team was different. Hopefully they can secure another few signings to strengthen our squad.
Yes, we need to judge the window at the end, but it is also okay to push the club to do more with a few weeks left and not enough business done so far. Don't be so quick to turn on your fellow fans who are just looking for a bit more from the management team. Not heard many complaining about the first 2 signings. Let's hope they have a few more lined up. We will need them to compete across all 4 competitions.
08 Aug 2026 00:20:53
Yes, we should totally wait for the last day of the window and give as little chance as possible to our new signings to settle in on time.
08 Aug 2026 06:45:46
For the reasons outlined, Utd will win the league this year. It is nailed on.
Carrick at the wheel.
Let's get behind the team.
Ignore the negativity, it is just noise.
The club are moving in the right direction.
You might not like that direction, but those who don't are probably the ones who didn't like the previous direction either, or the last window, or the last manager, or the last season etc etc.
Some people are just negative.
08 Aug 2026 00:58:48
What evidence does anyone have that players bought in July do better than those bought in August?
Surely if there was any evidence of this then all clubs would be signing players exclusively in July, imposing a self regulated early transfer window on themselves.
Do people genuinely believe that signing for a club two weeks sooner makes a massive difference in the success of a player?
Good signings will succeed regardless of the date they sign, while bad signings will fail regardless of when you buy them.
I've seen players move 40 miles down the road at the start of the transfer window and flop, and I've seen players move halfway around the world on deadline day and be an instant hit.
Surely the best way to settle into a new job is to actually do the job, which for football players can only happen once the season starts.
Why does everyone care more about when we sign a player over signing the right players.
I've got a theory, due to the quality and professionalism of our new management team we aren't getting any rumours about potential new signings to keep us distracted and to debate. So in its place is just mindless whining about dumb stuff like when is the right time to buy a player.
The reason people are unhappy is genuinely because the club is finally being run well.
08 Aug 2026 07:26:42
And some people have had too many edibles.
08 Aug 2026 07:41:03
Of course it does, Shappy. Not in the bigger picture for the player himself, but for the club and early results, of course it does.
You can't tell me we wouldn't be better off signing Lammens earlier and possibly not losing points early or dropping out of the cup.
Football is not like a regular job, and you rarely see players come today and play tomorrow.
I don't mind one late signing, but at the moment I do think we are late to sign at least one more player.
The only thing you are right about is the noise thing. Everyone wants less noise around the club and transfers, but when it happens, we kinda don't like it.
08 Aug 2026 10:22:50
I agree with Shappy. We signed the crucial spine of the midfield largely in the first week or two. This season is no different than any other. Strange. Trololo makes an issue over Lammens, as it kinda proves Shappy's point. He was the signing of the season last year, officially, across the league, and he arrived on deadline day.
Not saying later is better either, but reality is that it doesn't make any odds from the past few seasons and the hits and misses we have had.
08 Aug 2026 11:30:58
Happy with the actual deals done so far, although if people genuinely believe that Tielemans and Mainoo can play alongside one another, I've got some magic beans to sell you. Their profiles are completely incompatible. Likewise, Mainoo and Mount just wouldn't work.
It'll be Andrey Santos plus one of those two in the middle of the park, imo. Santos is actually our no.1 midfielder currently - his profile is an out and out no.6, whereas the others are all 8s.
I'm pretty desperate for Lewis Hall. I think he'd be absolutely transformative for us. Cunha would absolutely thrive with Hall behind him, for example. I'd almost be tempted to throw bonkers money at Newcastle at the expense of a third midfielder and hope that Santos can stay fit...
A Lewis Hall and Endrick end to the window would turn it from a 7/10 to a 9/10 one.
08 Aug 2026 11:50:19
With the odd exception, I don't see many thinking the sky is falling, just that we were expecting a tad more dynamism.
Given how many bodies we need, paying over £100M for a player doesn't seem like the best idea. The 2 we have signed are good sokid additions, and we continue to invest in takented youngsters. However, we all accept we need a few more, and the season starts in 2 weeks, with the window closing a week later.
We likely need 3 signings in the next 3 weeks (CM, ST, LB), so that will be some activity in a short period.
We look far more professional now. We don't appear to be having our pants pulled down, and I am sure there is work going on behind the scenes.
I think we have a good team and squad, if they could stay fit. Martinez, MDL, and Mount all have dodgy fitness records and, with all the extra games, we need to increase numbers.
08 Aug 2026 19:26:15
Cap, as I said, it doesn't mean much for the player himself, but to the club results overall. If Lammens was bought on time, we could have had a better start. Because he wasn't, he didn't play in several games, which made us drop points, and go out of the cup early.
So no, it doesn't prove Shappy's point at all.
As most of the posters said, I'm pretty happy with the transfers we made, but for sure there was an opening to make more signings on time, while others are "sleeping".