29 May 2026 14:28:16
With the younger players we signed this season I believe Moyes is protecting them. They've all moved a significant distance and probably need protecting from us who demand perfection and if they mess up we will crucify them. I think next season we will see a lot more of them or they will go out on loan. Have faith in them.
29 May 2026 14:53:04
DM stated from when they signed that they would not get much game time, mate.
{Ed025's Note - i get that GB but do you really splash out £40m on someone who is not going to get much game time?, he may come good but thats a massive gamble in my book mate..
29 May 2026 15:10:44
He's protecting them by halting their development for a year and likely selling or loaning them for less than we paid this summer?
Okay, whatever helps people sleep at night, I guess.
29 May 2026 16:46:01
If you don't play the younger players you have signed, how will you ever know if they are going to make the grade at Premier League level?
Our "recruitment team" must have seen potential to sign them in the first place, but they have to be tried at some point, as those signed will not all make it, unfortunately.
If you are not going to bother trying them, youngsters will not have the incentive to come to the club, and Moyes will continue with a team of mainly 30+ year olds.
{Ed025's Note - i agree FG..
29 May 2026 16:51:28
Plenty of other Prem teams buy young talent and don't throw them in the team. Arsenal have disrupted the progress of plenty of young talent, and won the league. Perhaps Dibling will have a great season next year?
29 May 2026 16:53:12
40 million on a future player. I've never heard so much crap. A player who shone in the Premier League the season before needs protection. Ha ha ha. He needs protected from our useless, inept, dithering manager.
29 May 2026 16:06:06
I don't know Ed mate not sure if DM ever really wanted him, I remember him saying he wouldn't play him, just wished we had spend that £40 million on a top striker myself
{Ed025's Note - me too mate..
29 May 2026 17:20:59
Arsenal can afford to do that, JB. Everton cannot. Simple.
29 May 2026 17:21:03
What club has spent £40m on a player to purposely not play them to protect them, that's then shone next season under the same manager?
29 May 2026 17:59:01
Since when have we demanded perfection? All we want is for them to play football.
29 May 2026 18:41:35
Should have put that 40m with the 20m we got for Barry and got a proper striker.
29 May 2026 19:22:25
It's a curse that so many of our fans have 20/20 hindsight.
29 May 2026 19:46:51
Like Wissa or Strand Larsen Dev? Not having a pop there, btw, mate, but just stating, you can chuck double what we paid for Barry at a player and it still doesn't guarantee success.
That being said, there are plenty of strikers out there, a lot cheaper than the above, that would be less of a gamble, as they are simply better all round players.
Out and out goal scorers are in shorter supply than they used to be.
They come at a premium, and all the big clubs are probably in the mix. It is near impossible to find another Haaland these days. I would rather take less of a gamble and focus on getting a decent football player to lead the line for us, who can make goals by bringing others into play or draw fouls by clever IQ.
29 May 2026 19:47:43
Well, everyone makes mistakes. We seem to make a lot more than most teams. Right now we need to recruit players who can fit into the team right away, which means, in Moyes language, only those over 30 who have worked under him before.
29 May 2026 20:53:05
I don't think anyone is disagreeing with the concept of buying young players for the future. I don't think anyone is saying they don't want these youngsters doing well.
What I think is different between us and other teams is this: we are not there yet. We are not in the position to buy lots of expensive kids and never play them when we need at least three major positions upgraded with quality starting players. £40m+ for a prospect when we haven't got a starting XI worthy of the prem is daft. It's running before walking. Sort out the team, get us winning games and consistently in the top half, then buy these potential kids with the idea of developing them.
Given this season was for the taking, we should have planned better, recruited better and had cash spare for back ups. Instead, we put ourselves in the position of playing people out of position. We made poor substitutions as the manager didn't think the players are ready. That £40m could have paid for a half decent RB and LB. Both were needed this season.
As for the £30m spent on Barry, could have stuck with Beto and signed someone like Wilson as backup for a lot less.
29 May 2026 22:44:00
What you say, BR, makes complete sense.
We need to get the full back position sorted once and for all, move OBrien to central defence and see how he performs, as he has not really had a chance yet in that position. Further, a decent central defender needs to be signed also, due to doubts over Branthwaite's fitness.