Apropos of nothing, they expect forwards to defend nowadays as well which imo leads to a dearth of talented attacking players who aren't also physical monsters, makes the game less entertaining.
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Transfers Summer Transfer thread - 2024
- Thread starter Fattynomates
- Start date
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You think they will just sign Solanke and leave it?
Ange certainly didn’t think so. They must have had second and third options in the plan but Ange did say he didn’t want to give up on Plan A too quickly.
That wasn't an accusations mate, sorry if it came across that way. It was just an observation on my own reaction.
Having said that, where does this "stink of panic" come from? The links?
The only concrete evidence I've seen about first choices, was after it was confirmed by AP that Solanke was a first choice target. Other than that, we've had absolutely nothing showing that any other player is a first choice for any particular position.
Again, all we as fans have, is speculation by the press, and social media, that certain players are who we're after. If every link was concrete, we'd be trying to buy more players than Chelsea!
I won't argue as I think you have a good point. There is certainly a lot of emphasis on athletics prowess in our game now which, whilst a necessary trait, it shouldn't be the main one looked for. Technical ability should always be the primary focus IMO.
I think we'll get another two in.
But for example if Eze was our first choice. I can't see us signing say, Symanzki, if Eze doesn't come just to get a body in the squad and panic.
And I think Ange thinks the same. He'd rather wait to get the right choice. He said the squad needs building and it isn't going to get done in this window.
But you can’t sit back there in front of two centre backs when they have no strikers up the pitch. In our system especially at home you’ll find Biss playing more as an 8 or 10 because teams are camped in on the edge of their box. The other two midfielders then have pretty much free roles.
Biggest issue in that is when we lose the ball the opposition always spring and attack our wide areas because both full backs are inverted. It’s a hard one because you don’t want Biss or whoever the 6 is to be just sitting in front of 2 centre backs not doing anything other than moving the ball from side to side.
It’s then 10v7 from 30 yards from the opponents goal. What we do is Biss joins in and then the centre back gets involved too and we are so easy to counter. Its a brave way to play but it leaves us far too exposed.
especially set pieces like corners, fouling the keeper like every other team does to us n gets away with
Agreed, you have to match whatever the game needs nowadays in order to compete but was just lamenting the loss of players who could get you off your seat but didn't bother defensively, think there's a lot of potential geniuses we won't get to see cos they need to be able to press now. One of my favourite players ever in Ronaldinho used to literally just wait on the halfway line on the left until they won the ball back, blasphemy nowadays.
We already have one of the best #6's in the league.....
Both he and the CBs are all we leave back, if an oppo has transitioned against these 3 we are limited to its effectiveness, this is how we have chosen to play. BUT we can affect the oppo by not allowing that transition to build, this is where a better, more aggressive and cunter #8 comes in (BTW I think Bentancur is actually got a lot of the attributes I'm looking for here, he's better than Sarr on the ball and he's more aggressive than him too, I'm not sure he has Sarr's legs to get up and down the pitch and provide 3rd man runs behind oppo but I'd start him ahead of Sarr in a heartbeat).
By the end of last season, Kulu was playing as a Centre Forward or false 9 and we were better for it.
Again, this isn't saying we shouldn't get better wingers, we absolutely should, I also think the Club acknowledges this as to why Werner is on loan and not permanent. All I'm trying to articulate is where can we make our biggest improvement, and having got Solanke we've fixed a huge number of areas upfront with just one hire (this isn't the end but it should have a huge uptick for us both with and without the ball) the other big area dealing with our biggest weakness, putting Rodri in as #6 wouldn't change things, he will still be dealing with multiple transitions with just him and 2 CB's, but having a player in front to snuff or disrupt oppo transitions before they begin is transformative, and will prevent 10-15 gaols against us (being able to defend and score from set-pieces is also right up there too).
Solanke improves our press, which also improves our defence but because of how we commit numbers forward I'm convinced we go a very long way to addressing our biggest weakness which in turn means has the biggest impact on us winning more games.
It doesn't mean in any way I don't want a dribbly winger, I absolutely do but I don't think it has as big an impact/transformative on our performances as getting a better #8 than Sarr (and I stress I love Sarr).
If you believe that across the season, Bissouma was "one of the best #6 in the league", then I see no further point of discussing our situation. We live in polar opposite worlds.
He was absolutely brilliant for first 7 rounds of the league. At least in top3, if not the best.
But from then on... it was very different story. He missed 10,5 games fully, and in 2 more games he did not start. So from his full season minutes significant part is that 7-games run which distorts full season trend. It is like trying to make statistical average of me and Margot Robbie - on avg we have 1 boob and half a penis.
Talking about more specific and straightforward numbers - Bissouma played 2083 minutes in EPL last season. This is 61% OF OVERALL MINUTES. So getting in another #6 would be of massive importance, given we just shipped out his main deputy in Hjojberg. AND having European competitions too.
As you say - you love and thus I assume value Sarr as player. I very strongly disagree that we should deal with luxury of improving already very good (and still young player that can be expected to get better every year) player while there are minutes just laying on the ground for another top level #6.
We have NUMBER of players that can play as #8. We have one player that has played #6 in EPL. Bringing in another player for this position also would allow to field Bissouma TOGETHER with such player, either to take different tactical approach OR put on Bissouma to #8 role, which he has played in EPL before.
I stand my ground - your goals what we want to achieve are correct, but we would achieve them better if we would recruit another (top level) #6. It would benefit the team and defending transitions much more than adding another (top level) player to list of #8's.
I think increased physicality is definitely on the agenda. Solanke, Bergvall, Gray all big guys. Spence is tall for a fullback, Moore is tall for a winger. Lankshear is a unit (and still growing), Dragusin is huge, Donley 6ft at least.
Throw in "did we finish higher than expected at the start of last season?" to the mix and you have all the ingredients for a fairly lean transfer window.
Because they wanted it done early and spoke about waiting for first options being worth waiting for.
There’s nothing left that we can see obviously to cause a delay.
Players that we’ve seen regular links and reportedly bid on have gone elsewhere for more money than we reportedly wanted to pay.
Do you feel like everything is still going to plan?
[LINEUP][/LINEUP]
It’s not getting done this window but if it doesn’t get done this summer then it’s just another job to do next summer and by then we will have other work to get done on top.
How many other players are useless then?
Maddison has been a much bigger disappointment than Johnson for us.
Absolutely Ronaldinho. For pure talent, I put him above both Messi and Ronaldo, such an innovative player. Some players get you on the edge of your seat. He put you there with an accompanying grin. He was an absolute delight to watch.
Cruyff set the World alight when he first broke out the "Cruyff turn." The amount of "what the fuck did he just do" moments Ronaldinho came up with eclipsed that of any other player IMO.
Today's game does seem to be missing those type of players, but I wonder if that is just the cyclical nature of the game and the next "WTF did he just do?" player is just around the corner?
I hope so, because the game needs those characters.
We had tall players last season too. Our issue is one of coaching.
Perhaps.
But if we can get rid of every squad member that hasn't got a future here (3 more to go). And hopefully bring in a quality left back competition for Udogie and perhaps that extra midfielder Ange wants. Then I'd be pretty content.
Would he annoying not to get the right winger, but it's really not a great market, same with the 6s. But hopefully Solanke's presence can help with the retention up top. And Moore can really push further on.
I guess we're just going to have to wait and see.
