2026 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[Fantazma]

its just frustrating this team is always incomplete at the start of season, and then mid season new players only come in to play like less than half a season.

 

[Gene]

A striker??? We're gonna get a striker??? I'll keep my eyes open for him!!! OH BOY, I can't wait!!!

 

[moogoo]

A striker??? We're gonna get a striker??? I'll keep my eyes open for him!!! OH BOY, I can't wait!!!

nope. just marcy

 

[ZYanksRule]

Brad speaks in constant corporate spin.

Translation of Soups quote from Brad Sims executive spin speak to plain english: We likely aren't going to get a striker this window like we said we intended to. I need to start floating the idea of it not happening until next window to try to shift fan expectations.

You're right about Brad, but in this case we have Todd, Pascal, and Brad saying they want to bring someone in this window. They have been pretty consistent in that. I'm still hopeful.

I wonder if Brad couldn't be more excited about the possibility of bringing in a new striker.

 

[ZYanksRule]

its just frustrating this team is always incomplete at the start of season, and then mid season new players only come in to play like less than half a season.

If we sign a guy this month that argument doesn't hold water for me. I completely agree with you if we're waiting until summer, but if we have a new striker within the first 7-8 games of the season, that's a perfectly acceptable outcome.

 

[Fantazma]

If we sign a guy this month that argument doesn't hold water for me. I completely agree with you if we're waiting until summer, but if we have a new striker within the first 7-8 games of the season, that's a perfectly acceptable outcome.

sure but man i just dont like the lack of plan A/B/C/D like i get things get complex but it always feels like its plan A and then start search again if it doesnt work. instead of having other options from start.

The FO feels reactive and not proactive.

 

[gbservis]

You're right about Brad, but in this case we have Todd, Pascal, and Brad saying they want to bring someone in this window. They have been pretty consistent in that. I'm still hopeful.

I wonder if Brad couldn't be more excited about the possibility of bringing in a new striker.

That's precisely why I'm worried if they were optimistic about it happening this window I think the quote would have come from Todd and/or Pascal. It makes sense if the new is good to let Todd take point on it and take the win to earn credibility as the new guy. The fact that they sent Brad out to spin the bad news reads to me like they are trying to deflect the ultimate disappointment when it doesn't happen away from Todd.

This is textbook spin:

1. Todd and Pascal up until now: We intend to sign a striker in the first window
2. Brad today: We intend to sign a striker either this window or for sure the next
3. Brad when the window closes with no striker: As we said we are working to sign a striker, we have to wait for the right player and it just didn't happen this window so we will for sure sign a striker in the summer when there are more options.

 

[moogoo]

That's precisely why I'm worried if they were optimistic about it happening this window I think the quote would have come from Todd and/or Pascal. It makes sense if the new is good to let Todd take point on it and take the win to earn credibility as the new guy. The fact that they sent Brad out to spin the bad news reads to me like they are trying to deflect the ultimate disappointment when it doesn't happen away from Todd.

This is textbook spin:

1. Todd and Pascal up until now: We intend to sign a striker in the first window
2. Brad today: We intend to sign a striker either this window or for sure the next
3. Brad when the window closes with no striker: As we said we are working to sign a striker, we have to wait for the right player and it just didn't happen this window so we will for sure sign a striker in the summer when there are more options.

we have a few weeks. that's plenty of time for things to happen. i'll give it another 2 weeks of radio silence before I let the doom and gloom start.

The hope is we sign a DP striker this window and a DP winger next window AND they both are instantly as influential and effective as nico, if not more so.

 

[ZYanksRule]

That's precisely why I'm worried if they were optimistic about it happening this window I think the quote would have come from Todd and/or Pascal. It makes sense if the new is good to let Todd take point on it and take the win to earn credibility as the new guy. The fact that they sent Brad out to spin the bad news reads to me like they are trying to deflect the ultimate disappointment when it doesn't happen away from Todd.

This is textbook spin:

1. Todd and Pascal up until now: We intend to sign a striker in the first window
2. Brad today: We intend to sign a striker either this window or for sure the next
3. Brad when the window closes with no striker: As we said we are working to sign a striker, we have to wait for the right player and it just didn't happen this window so we will for sure sign a striker in the summer when there are more options.

Todd and Brad both had routine press conferences today in the build-up to the home opener, which is something they do every year. I'm assuming both Brad and Todd were asked about this, not sure why we haven't seen Todd's quote about it but I wouldn't read much into it being Brad who said something today.

 

[ZYanksRule]

sure but man i just dont like the lack of plan A/B/C/D like i get things get complex but it always feels like its plan A and then start search again if it doesnt work. instead of having other options from start.

The FO feels reactive and not proactive.

They thought they had a deal before the European window closed, and it collapsed as the European window closed. In this instance, I think it's perfectly reasonable why they had to go back to square one.

 

[ezbeezy214]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2028943837595357404

Griezmann. Hes right there.

 

[gbservis]

They thought they had a deal before the European window closed, and it collapsed as the European window closed. In this instance, I think it's perfectly reasonable why they had to go back to square one.

Good organizations have backup plans and recover from set backs quickly. Other teams in the league don't start every season with roster holes that persist until the summer window. It's completely absurd that missing on one player sets everything back months. This is not a normal thing it's a CFG thing.