James Garner

[Cantoffee]

How much was this lad, £12m?

Another ridiculous piece of business. Could find a dozen of him in the Championship.

[Bob Sacamano]

This boy is terrible.

[Cozzie]

Runs though doesn't he.

Puts one foot in front of the other in a faster than walking style motion. Dyche absolutely loves that.

[brap2]

He's absolutely shite and probably been our best not-free signing of thelwells time here

[Goaljira]

He's absolutely shite and probably been our best not-free signing of thelwells time here

I could try and argue a case for McNeill, but trying to debate the pros and cons to determine the 'least worst' signing of the last 3 years just isn't worth it.

Not sure where exactly Thelwell started, but this is who we've signed since the summer of Allan, James and Doucoure.

Joshua King
Robin Olsen
Vitaliy Mykolenko
Nathan Patterson
Demarai Gray
Dele Alli
Andros Townsend
Salomón Rondón
Asmir Begovic
Andy Lonergan
Billy Crellin
Donny van de Beek
Anwar El Ghazi
Amadou Onana
Dwight McNeil
Neal Maupay
James Garner
Idrissa Gueye
James Tarkowski
Conor Coady
Rúben Vinagre
Beto
Chermiti
Arnaut Danjuma
Ashley Young
Jack Harrison

It really isn't any wonder that we're facing our third straight relegation battle, is it?

[UnsyisaRhino]

I could try and argue a case for McNeill, but trying to debate the pros and cons to determine the 'least worst' signing of the last 3 years just isn't worth it.

Not sure where exactly Thelwell started, but this is who we've signed since the summer of Allan, James and Doucoure.

Joshua King
Robin Olsen
Vitaliy Mykolenko
Nathan Patterson
Demarai Gray
Dele Alli
Andros Townsend
Salomón Rondón
Asmir Begovic
Andy Lonergan
Billy Crellin
Donny van de Beek
Anwar El Ghazi
Amadou Onana
Dwight McNeil
Neal Maupay
James Garner
Idrissa Gueye
James Tarkowski
Conor Coady
Rúben Vinagre
Beto
Chermiti
Arnaut Danjuma
Ashley Young
Jack Harrison

It really isn't any wonder that we're facing our third straight relegation battle, is it?

That list is a painful read.

[Cozzie]

Yeah some absolutely painful signings there.

Last 3 years admittedly though we have been extremely hamstrung but still no excuse for some of them buys.

[Gary1878]

26 signings in there.

I would argue that for various reasons, the following have been some sort of success:

- Myko - Now a very solid LB and young, albeit with injury issues
- Gray - signed for almost a free, utilized a lot, and sold for a good profit
- Onana - Wasn't sure whether to put this one in given yesterday's performance, but he has at least held his value and has good sell on potential
- McNeil - first team regular, and a solid team member for £15m. The only one who tries to create anything.
- Gana - Just a solid first team regular to come in for free
- Tark - Great signing for free

A few of those are backup GKs, but 6 out of 26. That's not a great hit rate.

[777Kidnappings]

Didn't realise thelwells list was this bad. When you see it written down you see its another absolute list of shite. Another who's come in and just added to our problems rather than helped. Rumours that he wants out are a bit laughable...... and go where

[Granite]

Just a general lack of investment though innit? Loans, frees and back-ended payment plans, galore.

[Shogun]

All been downhill since Steve Walsh's jolly around Italy

[Cozzie]

All been downhill since Steve Walsh's jolly around Italy

To be fair to him he returned with a cracking pair of gucci shades.

[Blueski]

not that he’s been great lately but I don’t hate his signing half as much as the majority on that list, at least it was the right sort of idea

[Cods]

I could try and argue a case for McNeill, but trying to debate the pros and cons to determine the 'least worst' signing of the last 3 years just isn't worth it.

Not sure where exactly Thelwell started, but this is who we've signed since the summer of Allan, James and Doucoure.

Joshua King
Robin Olsen
Vitaliy Mykolenko
Nathan Patterson
Demarai Gray
Dele Alli
Andros Townsend
Salomón Rondón
Asmir Begovic
Andy Lonergan
Billy Crellin
Donny van de Beek
Anwar El Ghazi
Amadou Onana
Dwight McNeil
Neal Maupay
James Garner
Idrissa Gueye
James Tarkowski
Conor Coady
Rúben Vinagre
Beto
Chermiti
Arnaut Danjuma
Ashley Young
Jack Harrison

It really isn't any wonder that we're facing our third straight relegation battle, is it?

As @Granite stated, there's only a few on this list where we've actually paid any significant transfer cash up front.

There's a big reason for the lack of quality, a negative transfer budget. I'm not sure there were plenty of other loans/frees willing to play for us or were even available at the time that might have been a better punt, (not including Dele as he's nothing to do with Thelwell), whether they ultimately worked out wonderfully (zero) or not. It's a crash avoidance plan, where hopefully we pull up in time. There's even an argument for the inclusion of Young, in a poor and mentally fragile squad, as much as there is for Coleman.


The players we have paid cash for however, and one in particular, where we paid (our fault) the bulk of our budget, we made a bad decision here, especially when we have seen others with similar price tags come to the EPL and do significantly better in the pitch, as much as their transfer value. The reason most of our other signings had to be free were due to the one or two signing that weren't.

I'd be suprised if we keep Beto and will probably avoid paying transfer fees. If McNeil is our success story then that says something.

[Goaljira]

As @Granite stated, there's only a few on this list where we've actually paid any significant transfer cash up front.

There's a big reason for the lack of quality, a negative transfer budget. I'm not sure there were plenty of other loans/frees willing to play for us or were even available at the time that might have been a better punt, (not including Dele as he's nothing to do with Thelwell), whether they ultimately worked out wonderfully (zero) or not. It's a crash avoidance plan, where hopefully we pull up in time. There's even an argument for the inclusion of Young, in a poor and mentally fragile squad, as much as there is for Coleman.


The players we have paid cash for however, and one in particular, where we paid (our fault) the bulk of our budget, we made a bad decision here, especially when we have seen others with similar price tags come to the EPL and do significantly better in the pitch, as much as their transfer value. The reason most of our other signings had to be free were due to the one or two signing that weren't.

I'd be suprised if we keep Beto and will probably avoid paying transfer fees. If McNeil is our success story then that says something.

Surely knowing the financial constraints you have to understand that every signing matters, and put ever deal under massive scrutiny?

Is this player for the starting XI?
Does the team function with them, or does it need a wholesale way to the play style?
When are we going to sell them?
How much can we get for them?

How.many of the players we've signed for money have at least 2 Xs against those questions?

You have to look and think that for every two players we sign we need to sell one after 2-3 years for some kind of profit, even if small. One of Patterson or Mykolenko should have been in a.position to have been sold either last summer or this before their contracts get close to expiry but neither will even get us back what we paid at this stage.

Someone has to say 'No, we cannot commit £40m to one player'. Even if he looks like down the line he's going to be great and sold for a profit(Though at £40m with a sell on clause that was a ridiculous gamble to take for minimal return) there is just such a lack of quality across the board that it can't be done.

Over the last 2 summers we've committed to spending over £50m on 3 strikers, none of which are a like for like replacement for our main striker. That's just madness.