Marquee signings? How about we make the right signings for the job than there have to be a big song and dance about names. Our best signings have been the ones with little hype during transfer window and done the job well - who'd heard of Odemwingie, knew much about a teenager from Chelsea on loan called Romelu and a Congolese bloke who became better than Kaka?
Recruitment may not be what it was, but hyping up names before they sign hasn't done us any favours in recent memory.
In some ways, you could argue that chasing names is exactly why recruitment has become so poor, we've taken on players like Scott Sinclair, Marcus Rosenberg, Nicolas Anelka, Diego Lugano, Ben Foster, Joleon Lescott & Darren Fletcher. All are big names in their own rights but (bar the last three) all failed at this club.
Yes, other less well know names have also failed with us & some of the big signings have worked out very well, but I suppose the moral is a big name does NOT guarantee success any more than an unknown.