21 May 2026 06:59:04
Eds, who decided to buy Frimpong. He thrived at leverkusen as an attacking wing back for a team that moved the ball quickly in transition. Clearly not suited to our system or style of play. So that's a fundamental error from whoever brought him in in my opinion. Not having a pop at the player but whoever decided he'd be a good fit for us.
{Ed001's Note - Richard Hughes had the final say on recruitment.}
21 May 2026 07:47:58
Ed if that is the case then, why did Slot keep mentioning that he was also involved in transfers? Or was he just covering for Hughes there? Or just saying he was involved but that he (Slot) did not have the final say?
{Ed001's Note - he was involved but Hughes had final say. It was a requirement of Edwards' return that the club would have head coaches not managers and the final say on transfers would be for the recruitment dept.}
21 May 2026 08:04:01
Thanks, Ed. Much appreciated. So essentially, FSG agreed to these terms just so their boy could come back. Also, to create a structure where the DOF is never questioned, right?
So if that is the case then, they should have hired a manager to play a style (Klopp ball, here) that the players they provide are comfortable with, no?
Or is that what they thought they were doing until Slot went rogue and started this well, disaster of a system?
Too many questions, I know. Sorry, man.
21 May 2026 09:45:08
The whole window bar Isak was surprising tbh.
Isak was probably the only signing that was a rumoured possibility for quite some time.
For the windows prior, we had been chasing LBs that can invert like Inacio, Hincapie, Lukeba, Colwill or play LCB. We ended up signing Kerkez who is nothing like those. And worst still, Slot then asks Kerkez to invert for the first half of the season.
To replace Trent, we were linked with Martim Fernandes, Givairo Read, Vanderson and Wesley Franca. We ended up getting Frimpong who is nothing like those. Judging by the fact that Frimpong is being chosen to play RW with Curtis or Szobo being asked to play RB is pretty damning.
The Wirtz signing came out of nowhere. There were no signs that we were after at no10 nor a clear idea of how we would build around him.
Ekitike signing was clearly a reaction to Jota's passing, so we have to give them credit for that even if he needs work on his pressing game.
Leoni seems like a good young signing. No complaints. Though, we all know he was supposed to be one of two CB signings. Guehi being the other.
We chose to not replace Diaz to give Rio a pathway. I am not sure that has worked out too well given the challenges we have had with our wingers.
21 May 2026 09:29:35
Ed001 am no Hughes or Edwards fan but when people are now having a go at them for players signed last season I don't get.
Last summer everyone was getting the Kleenex out nobody was sure on Frimpong but all the other signings where massive upgrades. It's not just the new players nearly the entire squad has been miles of it and that is all Slot I don't care how good players are if they are 70/80% match fit players are not going to perform.
The worst things Hughes and Edwards have done is let Slot get away with what he is doing and reward Gravenberch with a £280k a week contract both of them things are sacking offences. But recruitment last season on a whole was good I know people wanted a new cb but that was improved swapping Leoni for Quansah for around the same price was fantastic business.
{Ed001's Note - they are having a go at them because they messed up. They paid over the odds and didn't get the priority signings - a midfielder and a ready to go centre-back.}
21 May 2026 10:01:39
Would the coach have anything to do with Grav's contract? Surely that's above his pay grade.
21 May 2026 10:05:57
While I am sure he is probably being paid too much, I am not sure the figures reported will be accurate either. Same goes for Gakpo.
21 May 2026 10:06:59
The reason they didn't get a CB was down to Steve Parish and Oliver Glasner.
We had pretty much the perfect window other than Palace pulling the Guehi deal at the 11th hour.
Everyone thought so. Pundits and fans alike.
No one saw this coming, but hindsight is 20/20.
{Ed001's Note - they had all window to sign a centre-back but they couldn't get that done sooner? It is a mistake whatever way you want to look at it. They should have had an alternative lined up and done that long before deadline day.}
21 May 2026 10:20:11
The reason they didn't get a CB was because they left it until the very last moment in an attempt to get the price down. Then, when it backfired, there was time to sign an alternative. Amateur hour!
21 May 2026 10:20:30
True, they get Guehi across the line and would have been a superb window. Should have replaced Diaz though.
21 May 2026 10:28:49
Agree with what most are saying, Hughes and Edwards are just as much at fault than Slot and in my opinion all 3 should be sacked come the end of the season.
FSG are ultimately responsible for this carnage as they allowed it to go on and turn toxic.
21 May 2026 10:45:23
ItsSlotallthatbad - quite a few posters on here point out the balance of the recruitment in the summer. So, I think it is disingenuous to say all fans were happy. Being impressed in securing huge signings like Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike is not the same as being happy with the window.
21 May 2026 11:04:12
Diaz thing I don't quite understand. Last season, fully fit squad, Gakpo starts ahead of Diaz. This season Rio as a back up was the plan, am guessing, with stronger options all over the front 3, with Ekitike and Wirtz all capable of stepping in there.
But nobody had a clue to how much Slot was going to destroy the squad's fitness.
Biggest problem for me was Trent's replacement, but everyone thought Bradley was going to step up.
When moved to first choice he has proven to be no better defensively than Trent, without the attacking attributes.
But this season, performances are all down to one man, Slot. Hughes and Edwards' biggest mistake was not ending this in November and letting our season limp on for 6 months.
21 May 2026 11:13:14
The recruitment and the coaching is all over the show. No cohesion, shows what a proper football man (Klopp) can do. It's like a panini sticker book, our signings. Just get the best shiny new ones, ludicrous if FSG allow these lot to spend like last summer. I wouldn't even let them buy snacks.
21 May 2026 14:40:47
Thanks for the reply Ed.
I wasn't sure about Isak after we'd bought Ekitike and leaving Guehi until the end of the window was sheer stupidity.
Leoni hopefully recovers and severity of injury clearly unlucky.
I thought kerkez would be better but still think he'll be good under the right manager.
Wirtz I still think will come good but we also needed an all rounder with an engine as we were light with midfield quality.
Letting Diaz go was also clearly the biggest mistake. I for one however hadn't appreciated just how good he was.
So at the time I felt it was a decent window and for the money spent it should have been a lot better than decent.
21 May 2026 15:20:37
Grav and Gakpo on 280k and 250k ppw, massive mistake.
21 May 2026 15:50:50
So what do we want? Pay over the odds or negotiate the price down?
It's a bit hypocritical to criticise them for paying over the odds for Isak and Wirtz and then criticise them for trying to get the best price for Guehi.
Damned if you do and damned if you don't. They knew that Palace needed to let Guehi go so took an educated risk that if they'd held their ground they'd get the deal done, and they did, only for Palace to change their mind whilst he was having a medical.
Personally I don't think they can possibly be criticised for that.
Long Term View, Diaz wanted to go. He wanted to go the year before. Trent wanted to go, as did Kelleher. I've always been of the belief that if a player wants to go you should get rid no matter how good they are.
Who wants a player who doesn't want to be here?
We lost a lot of talent, some was by their own choice, some needed to be moved on (Darwin) and one we lost in tragic circumstances.
We replaced them with the best players available, but so far it hasn't worked out. It's very easy and a bit lazy to say we signed all the wrong players with the benefit of hindsight. We had a great window but the injuries, poor coaching and tactics have meant they haven't got going.
That does not mean they are all poor players or that the people involved in making the signings are rubbish at what they do. It means the Head Coach and his staff don't know how to get the best from them.