He's more of a CAM isn't he?
Don't think much of the Chavs either tbh.
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He's more of a CAM isn't he?
Don't think much of the Chavs either tbh.
If they get their targets then Sterling/Havertz/Raphinha is a frightening front 3.
His defensive output will surely translate well to us with Conte, a team that generally doesn't hog the ball.He's direct, strong, two footed, can score with his head, play RW,.LW, CF and as you have said he's done it in a very poor Everton team.
Also love his work ethic:
In 173 games his defensive input is as follows:
Tackles273
Blocked shots123
Interceptions78
Clearances176
Headed Clearance126
He has also averaged a goal every 3 games in his career and of his Assists have come from.32 big chances created so you'd like to think with better quality teammates around him that figure will get better as well.
PL experience who can cover RW, LW, FWD who can score and assist with his left, right, get goals with his head and doesn't mind the dirty work defensively. I am absolutely all for it for the depth and variety he offers.
Comparing Sons defensive contributions
232 games
Defence
Tackles156
Blocked shots127
Interceptions83
Clearances54
Headed Clearance23
Richarlison could even help us concede less from set pieces as well given his high headed clearance numbers. I think he could offer us fantastic diversity all in all.
Yet you'd still take Son over Sterling, Kane over Havertz, and maybe even Kulu over Raphina.If they get their targets then Sterling/Havertz/Raphinha is a frightening front 3. Especially with Mount behind that with how productive he is.
And Conte is brilliant at getting the very best out of players as we've seen with the improvement of so many of ours from where they were before (Davies, Dier, Sess, Bent, Kulu as examples).He (Lenglet) was better than Bastoni was at the same age, he's got some flaws in his make up, but I don't think he's any more flawed than Bastoni, and Lenglet's even better on the ball, still one of the most comfortable CB's around on the ball. Bastoni, less mobile, would have looked even worse than Lenglet playing for this basket case Barca in a CB2 than Lenglet has IMO.
We're being linked with a bunch of LCB's, from what I've seen of them, they've all got upside, but I can't think of one out there that doesn't have some kind of flaw, so Lenglet on a try before you buy for a 5-10m hit seems like reasonably Ok business which allows us to still buy a couple more CB's anyway.
Edit
And like he wouldn't be an upgrade on Davies FFS.
"Frightening"???
Pale in comparison to the blend and raw firepower of ours.
........Which would require them to play 4231; which is pretty damn hypothetical given the manager has just fucked off Lukaku in to stick to his preferred system.
Yet you'd still take Son over Sterling, Kane over Havertz, and maybe even Kulu over Raphina.
That's the key part for me. The fact that we're now unlikely to secure that top LCB, or RWB, or even a AM like Eriksen (or our version of mount, whatever you wanna call it) is worrying.Chelsea have better players elsewhere, so to also have real firepower could very much be worrying.
That's the key part for me. The fact that we're now unlikely to secure that top LCB, or RWB, or even a AM like Eriksen (or our version of mount, whatever you wanna call it) is worrying.
Thankfully they are looking pretty thin in other areas of the pitch due to recent departures.
At Rochdale?
Sterling is one of the best left wingers in the league and almost guarantees double figures.
Raphinha has been the best RW after Salah in England for a couple of years now.
Havertz is very good at linking play and has lots of potential.
Is ours better? Yes, Son & Kane are elite. But Chelsea have better players elsewhere, so to also have real firepower could very much be worrying.
I'm somewhat confused why people are always saying things like we're getting/targeting a couple of the best players outside the top six when it is Bissouma and Raphinha but that doesn't equally apply to Richarlison. He's comfortably been Everton's best player for the last 4 seasons and still is only 25.
Everton have also been absolutely dross as everyone knows. I looked up who led them in assists during Richarlison's four seasons there and it was Richarlison himself this year (followed by Gray and Doucoure), Digne last year, and then Sigurdsson the previous two years. The lad has been feeding on absolute scraps in terms of service. In playing in a competent side with Brazil, he was their second leading scorer in WC qualifying behind only Neymar.
He's been at an elite level in terms of percentage of his team's goal involvements (G/A), he's by far Everton's best and most important player during the period he's been there. A couple of examples:
Richarlison (Age 21-25):
Total: 30%
- 18/19: Involved in 26% of Everton's goals
- 19/20: 37%
- 20/21: 22%
- 21/22: 35%
Son (Age 23-30)
Total: 28.5%
- 15/16: 7%
- 16/17: 23%
- 17/18: 24%
- 18/19: 27%
- 19/20: 34%
- 20/21: 40%
- 21/22: 44%
Gabriel Jesus (Age 20-25):
Total: 15.6%
- 17/18: 15%
- 18/19: 10.5%
- 19/20: 20.5%
- 20/21: 16%
- 21/22: 16%
Sadio Mane at Southampton (Age 22-24)
Total: 26.5%
- 14/15: 24%
- 15/16: 29%
Diogo Jota at Wolves (Age 21-23)
Total: 22.5%
- 18/19: 29%
- 19/20: 16%
Raphinha at Leeds (Age 23-25)
Total: 28.5%
- 20/21: 24%
- 21/22: 33%
People seem to hold Everton's record against him, but I actually think it is a positive in my eyes. He's been a consistent goalscorer playing with absolute dross and under 5 (!!!) different managers. Imagine what he could do playing with class like Kane, Son, Kulusevski, etc. and in a settled system coached by a world class manager in Conte. He could absolutely blow up here.
Son is arguably the best (esp. now Mane has gone)...... "Double figures?" Sonny says "meh"....
He's only been there 2 years all told, ffs... Think you're getting carried away here.
He got 6G / 9A in 30 apps in 20/21 in a team everyone was drooling over for their kamikaze football.
Kulu just got 5G/8A in half a season.
Kane stomps him.
Tuchel is in no hurry to start playing 4231 so your trying to shoehorn in the notion of a front 4 is moot.
The convo wasn't "who has the best team".
FWIW tho'....... Currently, they barely have a defense and we just bagged a game-changing MFer.
Such a shame about Bastoni, Gvardiol. Making our transfer warchest look a bit redundant. All these years we've been cash strapped, but now we're ready spend but there are no obvious way spend it.Lack of RWB improvement is a tad disappointing, tbh. I don’t see Spence as a solution (more potential) and Emerson/Doherty just aren’t good enough for a CL team. You look at the top 3s options and it’s a huge gap. We’d essentially be relying on a 33 year old Perisic for all our tangible wing back threat. Risky.
I think Lenglet could be a shrewd LCB signing and would actually be quite happy with him. But you’re right about lacking that one midfielder .. we are so reliant on the front 3, we’ve got a bunch of hard working, ball winning midfielders but little craft at all in there. Bissouma can carry the ball but he won’t pick out players.
If Chelsea got all their current targets and we got ours, I’d say they’d remain favourites for finishing third. Up to Conte to work some magic on that front.
Just when they thought it was safe to come out from under their rocks you do this .Kane / Son / Kulu / Rich / Lucas (5) (+ Gil / Clarke / Parrot / Scarlett / Berg)
vs
Martineli / Jesus / Saka / Nketiah / Pepe (5)
Be envious if you like, but meh....
Chelsea's front 3 can be worse than ours and still frightening .. we have the best in the league with Son & Kane there. I'm not interested in doing like for like comparisons, their 3 on paper is PL proven & has bags of pace and technical ability. It's dangerous. Let's not be silly and pretend we wouldn't all be jumping up and down if Sterling and Raphinha were joining us.
And the point was that it is frightening when you consider it's their weakest area.
Their midfield, wing backs & goalkeeper are all top class.
If they step up going forward it hurts us badly. As for defence, we know they’ll sign players, probably two. We’re busy crossing off every left sided defender in Europe on our list.