23 Aug 2023 12:56:16
Ed1, do you think Endo is bought with a view to be our 1st choice DM? Because we have went from Lavia and Caicedo who is both young players with huge potential to Endo who is 30 years old. I've always thought that he is viewed as utility player that can cover multiple positions instead of 1st teamer aka Milner before. Now it seems like he is going to be the 1st choice DM.

{Ed001's Note - why can't he be both? First choice DM but providing cover elsewhere so Bajcetic can still get games in there.}

1.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 13:19:15
Imagine telling people at the start of the window we'd sell Fab and only buy Endo as a replacement, oh and also haven't signed a CB either.

If it wasn't acceptable when the window started, it's not acceptable now.

Seems to be a reoccurring trend that expectations and standards get progressively watered down until people are actively praising less than the bare minimum by the end.

We're now at a point because names like Phillips and Gravenberch are listed as options it's almost baiting people to accept waiting for another window instead of getting the reject pile.

It's a shame those have to be our options eh.

2.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 13:30:10
To be clear, I don't mind getting in an experienced head/ hard worker. But to go from absolutely needing another holding player even with Fab.

To selling Fab and buying a depth option to replace him is absolutely shocking.

It's a depth quality signing we're trying to play off as more.

3.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 13:39:50
Doesn't look like we will be making any further signings either, back to back seasons of Thursday night football.

Who knows next season we might be in the Europa conference and have a chance of some silverware?

Linders will probably be in charge by then playing a 1 1 5 2 1 formation in which we concede and score qround 4 goals a game.

4.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 13:58:15
He seems solid enough in the Bournemouth game. For the time being, what is wrong with having Endo and not Caicedo or Lavia?

Give him time, please. This site is getting quite frustrating to visit to have a read, especially during transfer windows.

5.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 13:35:55
You think that is good enough for us to challenge at the highest level Ed? You think Endo can be what Fabinho has done for us when we were winning everything? I'm just afraid that if this doesn't work out, we are back to shoehorning players out of their best position again. Really doesn't want to see Macca play as DM and Gakpo as midfielder. Waste of their best abilities.

{Ed001's Note - yes, it is good enough. No team has eleven great players. Everyone raves about Rodri, but he is only so good because he is part of the Citeh team and allowed to get away with constant repetitious fouls. If he wasn't allowed to cheat, he would be exposed and wouldn't look half the player he does now. You need some workhorses in a team willing to just work for the rest, Endo is that.}

6.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 14:15:47
First of all, age doesn’t really bother me but ability does and I’m hoping Endo can do a steady job if not spectacular.
Of course another DM and CB would come in handy but I don’t buy this “we are going to struggle, Conference League here we come” nonsense. Arsenal aren't the complete package even after the money they’ve spent, United are far from being the complete package, Chelsea have spent nearly £1 billion pounds in about a year and still got rolled over by West Ham, maybe another £500 million might work ? and City are just City, the team to beat, lost a few good players and hoping that the ones they purchase are equally as good.
Let’s not just chuck in the towel tho, we are a great team, in there fighting with the rest of them. A couple of players would be lovely but our team staying fit is a hundred times better in my opinion.

7.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 14:19:09
I agree with you Red bird. I'm generally an optimistic person and even if we bought no one else, I think there's a chance we could do something this year provide key players who have had injuries in recent seasons don't experience injuries again this season. It's a big ask for me.

We are short in CB for sure. Also I really think we need an upgrade at DM. Im a little unsure Bajcetic is not injury prone. For that reason I would buy another DM for options. Fofana still a painfully obvious choice for me.

I think we have to say Mac Allaister and Szobozlai are sensational additions so the window is not a complete disaster by any stretch.

But the squad looks short of a title challenge for me and not completing the job (for what could be our last year of Salah) is an absolute waste.

People have a right to be cheery no matter what, people have a right to be pessimistic no matter what. I like others like to be as balanced as I can be but I really want to hop back on the cheery train. I'm close. Just need that strong finish to the window.

Otherwise I ll be on the bitterly disappointed but still hopeful we avoid injuries train.

8.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 14:34:19
@HaizanMSS, I guess you're over-reacting, mate. No one seems to be hating Endo in this thread. He's a red. It's the lack of depth which is being highlighted and rightly so.

9.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 14:35:37
Rodri is a class midfielder and shows how important that specialist position is, I think if there is one thing Endo lacks is pace, i think will be a very good player for us though, regarding Bajcetic I really think he is going to be a quality player for us but we can't put too many demands too early on him, and he got found out a couple of times last season, especially against Real Madrid, the most worrying thing for me is we haven't learnt from the end of last season where just clip the ball down our right side and your in, that comes from the coaching and Klopp should of addressed this by now.

10.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 14:37:25
Question is should we need a top class DM. The answer is YES. you could write an essay on how we could work without one. Have we bought one - NO: we have signed a 30 year old guy who is on his last pay cheque, .
Is he better than Fabinho on his worst form? Not by much. So that is where we are.
If we have the money I don't know for the love of the Gid why aren't we signing one.

11.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 14:46:26
I’m happy with the movement in the window.

This is the perfect season to rebuild. To trim the squad, to test our fringe players.

Top 5 will probably get CL next season
We’re not in the CL this season.

The window reopens on Jan.

I’m happy with the perceived strategy.

12.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 14:54:30
I liked endo’s debut. Why go out and spend on another when we got baj to come back and didn’t Curtis just win the under21s as a dm? Why would you prefer lavia over him? I wouldn’t mind another cb but if it doesn’t happen we have backups, I like the look of quansah he deserves the cup games at least the early rounds. I’m happy give them time to gel couple of months I reckon we will be fine in fact better than fine.

13.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 15:10:27
Respect your opinions but have to disagree. Depending on Bajcetic for no6 is an unnecessary risk, the likes of which we have been caught out on for the last few years. And accepting that this is a transition season is a slap in the face when we were supposedly aiming to win it all last year and actually ended up a disaster.

Let Bajcetic recover and grow into his body. He'll get plenty of opportunities for experience throughout the season given we can make 5 subs these days.

14.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 15:36:44
I love how Endo has gone from an average player to prime Makalele. He’s a squad player and shouldn’t be considered as some elite player who’ll transform the squad. We should have kept Fabinho.

15.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 16:18:36
I look at Endo as Hendo's replacement in the squad age and price-wise. I think we'll see 1 more midfielder coming in to replace Fabinho.

16.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 16:14:31
"Are we there yet, are we there yet? ". jesus, get a grip there's nine days left. There'll be a loada signings made by Premier League teams in the final week, including us.

17.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 16:23:11
I don’t think any team has challenged for the title whilst being in the Europa league.

18.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 16:45:38
Should have kept Fabinho Frode? You're unbelievable. If we turned down down 40m for Fabinho who we can all agree is on a rapid decline then you would be on here giving out yards about that.

19.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 17:50:30
With you there, Ron. We are in a rebuild and it would be foolish t to think we will challenge for the title in such a situation. We are a good team BUT not that good right now to envisage such a thing, IMO.

Endo is a very good player. Very experience and knows the DM role inside out. He's not some young rookie who will have to come in and learn the system for the first month or so. He is ready to play and contribute right now which is why his signing sounds smart and astute, IMO.

And we still have Baj who needs to get minutes and many on here agreed that Lavia was not worth the hassle cos of Baj's emergence. There is still time left in the window so let's see wahat happen and remember, Andre is still out there to come in Jan, hopefully.

What I do find strange is that people seem to have abandoned the idea that we need a CB, arguable more urgently than we need a CB. Strange one.

20.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 18:33:14
When I look at our squad oiled, I think we are agonisingly short from a title challenging squad. That's what I'm finding so frustrating.

It's not that I don't believe in our players. I do. Possibly more so than you if you don't think We can challenge. The squad needs a little further help and we are flying.

Now is not the time to settle. Now is the time to push. And that's what is so so frustrating.

21.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 17:16:26
Weren’t Arsenal in Europa last season?

22.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 18:55:57
Yes, but Ron, what about a team that was challenging for the quad the year before?

Leicester won the league after having a relegation battle?

We have had a decent couple of games. let's give the team a chance before writing them off.

23.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 19:37:45
If we are in a rebuild then so are most other top teams. How did Arsenal do in their rebuild last season? Time to quit the excuses.

24.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 21:03:23
I'm going to accept Endo as one of our new signings, Red Bird. I'll watch him play for Liverpool and want us to win every game.
If you think it is unacceptable, what are you going to do about it?
Accept it and move on, lad; it won't do any good otherwise.

25.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 21:36:45
I’m not writing us off Telemicus, I just think it’s a monumental and possibly unrealistic challenge.

Happy to be proved wrong.

26.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 21:46:15
The truth is nobody (very much including me) knows that much, if anything at all, about Endo. 99% of us would have been watching him for the first time last Saturday.

People are anxious about what they don’t know or what is new.

Perhaps it would be best not to judge until we have something we can all be judgemental about.

27.) 23 Aug 2023
23 Aug 2023 22:08:12
JK23 - should have said “successfully challenged for the league”.