Thaksin's transfer policy

Thaksin’s interview on mcfctv.com seems to give weight to the rumours that we will be not be as extravagant with transfers this summer as we were in 2007. When asked about transfer policy, he replied that we ‘probably need one in each position’. He soon clarified it as meaning ‘two or three more players’. His justification for spending was not to increase the quality of the squad, but its depth – saying that injuries are unavoidable and the squad needs more padding out.

This all points to a summer of modest spending: two or three squad players rather than heavy investment across the team. It is a total repudiation of rumours suggesting bids for Diego, Thierry Henry, Giovanni dos Santos etc.

We may be paying the price for exceeding expectations this year. Thaksin has a clear plan for our future: Top ten this year, top six and UEFA Cup in 2008/09 and Champions’ League in 2009/10. Given how close we are to achieving next year’s goal this year, he may think that serious improvements are unnecessary. He promises extravagant spending in summer 2009, attempting to breach the walls of the top four. At such a point, he would be willing to trust Sven to bring in world class players to help us make that jump. The problem is that with only two or three squad players this summer, we will not be on the cusp of Champions’ League football next summer. In the post-Abramovich EPL, the bar is being raised higher and higher every season. Only a slight improvement on this season will not be sufficient next year.

UEFA Cup qualification by the end of next season is a very admirable goal, and we should be able to achieve it. But next year will be even more difficult. We have been lucky this year with Tottenham’s failure to challenge in the league – next season they will be much stronger and real competition for European places. We don’t need to replicate last summer’s transfers. But I’m not sure whether two or three more squad players will be sufficient to meet Thaksin’s own targets.