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Overhauling is always a dangerous thing for a football club to do. And sometimes it can indeed go the very worst way. Summer is a time for spending and in some cases overhauling but sometimes doing a little can be a lot.
Here are five teams who got a bit carried away when it came to summer spending and perhaps did not plan their squads quite as well as they could have.
#1 Everton (Premier League)
Summer spend: €158.2m
Everton have hardly been known to be big spenders in the modern Premier League era, but coming into money has perhaps unsettled them slightly and moved them away from their comfort zone when they bought astutely with minimal resources.
They picked up 15 new players in the summer and had Ronald Koeman at the helm to guide them into a place among the Premier League’s elite. It hasn’t quite worked out, however, as yet another thrashing - this time at the hands of Arsenal - saw Koeman given his marching orders.
The Dutchman failed to construct a team and define an identity and, while it could be argued he we handed little time to do it in, there were few signs of anything positive. Koeman seemed to have just one way of playing and when he did bring about the changes it seemed ill thought out.
Questions must be asked over the direction the money was spent in too. The Toffees seemed to panic when they received a hefty fee for Romelu Lukaku and ended up overpaying for average players instead of addressing their direct needs.
There is still no direct replacement for the Belgian striker and there doesn’t seem to be enough creative input either. Ross Barkley’s injury hasn’t helped but when he’s fit an exit is likely, with the player seemingly desperate to leave the club.
What’s the solution? Unfortunately it might be spending more money - if there is any left at Everton. Getting a competent, proven striker in over the course of the January window will be vital and also getting a set XI together. Michael Keane is a superb defender but needs a genuine partner too.
Once those key issues are addressed only then might the Toffees find something sweeter in their season.
#2 AC Milan
Summer spend: €194.5m
Perhaps the grandest restoration project over the summer, Milan started the season in a decent fashion but have since petered out and it seems Vincenzo Montella might not be the right man to guide this new look sleeping giant after all. Milan now find themselves in 8th place 10 games. At this stage last year, they were in the top four.
In the home draw with Genoa, just four of the 10 summer signings were on the field as it became apparent that Montella doesn’t quite sit well with this new look. Moreover, the biggest signing of them all, Leonardo Bonucci, forced a reshuffle to a back-three and away from Montella’s comfort zone.
The pressure is well and truly on as Milan’s owners have opted for a win-or-bust scenario this season, as they strive to make the Champions League so they can foot the bill for the loans they took out to purchase the club.
While that should not be Montella’s problem, it is clear he is feeling the weight of the task beyond just coaching the team. It has been the players who were already at the club that have propped the season up so far, with the likes of Suso shining far brighter than any of the glamorous new signings.
The two strikers Nikola Kalinic and Andre Silva have scored just twice between them while Hakan Calhanoglu has done little to disapprove the notion he’s simply a set-piece taker.
Milan expect more, far more, and there is a long way to go for them to show this is not another false dawn in their quest to return to greatness.
#3 Sevilla
Summer spend: €57.8m
It’s not just about the surprise of Sevilla’s struggle, it’s the disappointment. It appeared the club, who started off the summer on the wrong foot as they lost both famed Sporting Director Monchi and coach Jorge Sampaoli, had responded well to both departures.
There were no high profile sales for once. They also invested astutely and looked to pad their squad out while also bringing in top talent. Luis Muriel, for example, was an exciting signing from Sampdoria for around £25m.
However, the most impressive was the appointment of Eduardo Berizzo who performed superbly as Celta Vigo’s coach and seemed destined for bigger and better things. Sevilla was meant to be his chance to work with better players and more resources.
But things have backfired immeasurably and have recently been underlined by severe losses to Spartak Moscow (5-1) and Valencia (4-0).
With nine players brought in over the summer, Sevilla looked to move away from a loan-reliant squad last season to a more settled one this time around. Berizzo’s wild rotation policy has upset the rhythm of the team and, as we enter November, he still does not know his best XI.
It’s troublesome for a club like Sevilla who challenge on all fronts and have plenty of competition for a coveted fourth spot in La Liga.
Muriel has been guilty of immense waste, while Nolito has the appearance of a man who has forgotten how to play football. Sebastien Corchia has barely been handed a chance while Simon Kjaer is a smart defender that lacks pace.
More heavy defeats could see this eagerly anticipated project end abruptly, and leave Sevilla in flux for the first time in a while.
#4 Lille
Summer spend: €65m
Whenever the name of Marcelo Bielsa is used, expectations are immediately high. One of the game’s great thinkers, the Argentinean took over at Lille amid incredible excitement. After his previous spell in France with Marseille, where he became something of a cult icon, there was plenty of intrigue at Lille’s coup.
However, things have gone from bad to worse, perhaps to point of no return in no time under Bielsa. It was always going to be difficult given the incredible overhaul at the club in the summer. But no one could have expected Lille to be sitting second bottom of the table with just a single win to their name.
Seven players alone were brought to the club on the final day of the January transfer window, while nine more were added over the summer. In this year alone, 17 first-team players have left the club.
It meant on the opening day of this season, only Ibrahim Amadou was a member of the team that started the same fixture the previous campaign.
Bielsa has managed to rub everyone up the wrong way in the short period of time, and his exit is already being discussed. There have been clashes with high profile figures at the club, as well as players - some of whom he didn’t even want brought to the club and had no say over.
Nicolas Pépé, for example, a 22-year-old winger who arrived from Angers, was handed the role of lead striker and he’s looked incredibly uncomfortable. He’s not the only one and things must change for Lille and the man they call Loco (crazy).
#5 FC Köln
Summer spend: €34m
It was supposed to be another momentous year for FC Köln, but after an incredible qualification for European football for the first time in 25 years the party has very much died out at the Rhein-Energie Stadion. The drama on the last day, when Köln secured their place, has continued but in a manner more playing up to a crisis.
70 days into the new season Köln find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga table, and have made the worst start to a Bundesliga season in the history of German top flight football. They haven’t won a single game in their first nine and have scored just three goals whole conceding 17.
A Europa League campaign that was supposed to be a celebration has turned into a burden too, and despite a memorable night at the Emirates they have lost three straight games.
So where did it all go wrong?
Injuries have indeed taken their toll on a small squad, but after receiving a club record €35m for Antony Modeste in the summer the cash hasn’t been reinvested wisely. In fact, such has been the disaster that Sporting Director, Jörg Schmadtke, decided to step down.
Jhon Cordoba was brought in to replace Modeste’s 25 goals, but the former Mainz striker only managed five last season. The Colombian striker hasn’t been the only issue, however, as Jannes Horn has failed to make an impact along with Jorge Mere and Joao Queiros - although the latter was not expected to be thrust into the first team immediately.
When January comes around it’s time for Köln to go back into the market and a striker will be top priority.
