The big 4 transfers????

[basskadet]

Did anybody else notice how quiet the so called 'big 4' have been in this window?

Chelsea bought Zhirkov right at the start for £18m but that was there only purchase of note.

Man Utd got Valencia for £18m also, as well as Obertan & Michael Owen went for free

Arsenal bought Vermaelen & that's it (I think)

& Liverpool bought Johnson for a stupid price & Aquilani.


Collectively, that feels very underwhelming for the 4 biggest teams in what is supposed to be the best league in the world. Is this a sign of current financial constraints & their rather obscene debts catching up with them?

Its not so much the amount they've spent but the lack of them strengthening their squads in the areas needed. We've spent more than most of the big 4 & we have clearly strengthened our squad where we needed strengthening.

United lost Ronaldo & Tevez & have they managed to not only cover those losses but improve their squad with their signings? I don't think so.

Arsenal might be doing well but once again have failed to really sort out those areas they are lacking in, namely backup CB, DM & a decent keeper.

Liverpool have lost Arbeloa & arguably replaced him with Johnson but Aquilani is not a replacement for Alonso & even if he was, they have hardly moved forwards from last season.

Chelsea are the only ones to actually move on from the last season, but only because they were fairly sorted already, have managed to keep everyone & add a couple new faces. They haven't advanced as far as they might have been expected to, but they have inched forwards a little nonetheless.

It really seems to me as if the 'chasing pack' have pushed forwards a bit as we tend to but the top 4 have taken a step back in our direction.

[kevfball63]

I think the fact that we were holding a good squad going into this window would have seen us not looking to strengthen = imagine Modric's injury after the deadline or Defoe's injury after that deadline and we could have been lookink at a completely different two half seasons . We are lucky that the injuries have come while the window were still open . This might not happen for us in the future .

[1990Hotspur]

yea all the top 4 (i guess except chelsea as they haven't really sold anyone) seem not to have replaced the really influential characters which they lost this window........

with us we now have a really strong squad, but do we really need it.....
im so pleased with the squad that we have, but it seems that Harry isn't willing to let squad members have their crack.....its probably to early to tell........and this has only really been evident for me since the kranjcar deal......hes a great player, but in the absence of modric, shouldn't bentley, gio or rose have been given their chance to shine??

[David]

Mayb, but getting Kranjcar in for the fee thats being said we couldnt say no. Im a huge fan of his football ability & beleave he's gonna b a superb signing for us. I only wish Bently had gone cause I think now with Niko in he's knows he's further down the pecking order in terms of our creative midfielders & I think there's a large chance of him throwing his toys out the pram.

Sorry Bass off the subject there slightly tho as usual totally agree with ya quote.

[kevfball63]

Mayb, but getting Kranjcar in for the fee thats being said we couldnt say no. Im a huge fan of his football ability & beleave he's gonna b a superb signing for us. I only wish Bently had gone cause I think now with Niko in he's knows he's further down the pecking order in terms of our creative midfielders & I think there's a large chance of him throwing his toys out the pram.

Whats he he gonna do this time after crashing his car, be a wife beater = we seem to have a total idiot that we cant get anyone else interested in . HTF did this clown go downhill so fast = is there no bottom to this helter skelter lifestyle he has created for himself.

[belondon]

the big 4 are cash tight right now and this represents the best year (maybe next also) to catch them up. We have started well and might have a year closer than we ever expected.

[P UNIT 1980]

I think they obviously know a bit more about the threat from Platini to exclude all clubs in debt from the Champions League in future.

I hope he does this next season and they all cop the consiquences of their ill gotten gains.

On and great point Kev, we never want to see our players cop injuries but for us to be lucky that they got crocked before the transfer window closed is a huge slice of luck.

If they didnt get injured before the window we wouldnt have gone out and brought Kranj (and maybe Upson, dunno how far thatgot) as we had no need for him.

However when they are fit again we will have a vastly superior squad to what we did have and even stronger strength in depth.

[HeroesComesandGoes]

To be honest...Chelsea, Man Utd had the money to buy the likes of Ribery (both), Pirlo (Chelsea) but somehow the attractiveness of the Premier League has gone. Why? 50% income tax. How can you afford to pay for fast cars and bling if you're £120K/wk wage is taxed at 50%?

The biggest moves have been internal (Man City and Adebayor, Tevez, Barry, Toure)...why? maybe they're use to paying the 50% tax and since they settled in the UK, didn't feel the need to move abroad.

[HeroesComesandGoes]

Whats he he gonna do this time after crashing his car, be a wife beater = we seem to have a total idiot that we cant get anyone else interested in . HTF did this clown go downhill so fast = is there no bottom to this helter skelter lifestyle he has created for himself.

Free transfer to an anonymous Turkish club?