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Transfers Summer Transfer thread - 2024

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How Dry should our Powder be?

  • Total voters
    57
Guido 🇺🇦 said:
We all want a 1v1 specialist, I think we've all convinced ourselves that this is a priority, me included. But if you look at our biggest weakness then it is by far and away dealing with oppo transitions, when they happen it's like a knife through butter.

Last season (so before our recent signings) we created the 4th most "big chances" in the league (more than Woolwich) and I can't recall with accuracy but I think 2nd or 3rd in total chances per 90 but played most of the season without a Centre Forward, seeing as we've just addressed this with Solonke there is hope now that a higher % of those chances can be turned into goals if Solanke gets up and running fast. This alone keeps the oppo pinned back and turns some of the games we drew or lost into wins.

As much as I like him for his energy and work rate I think Sarr is currently an issue in how we control games (control midfield), IMO he's not well-rounded enough especially when we are on the ball, without the ball he great at winning the ball high up the pitch but is often nowhere to be seen in oppo transitions (this could be as a result of Ange's system committing numbers up the pitch) and I think he makes some good 3rd man runs but his execution is woeful when those runs are picked out.

Having more rounded number #8 makes a lot of sense to me someone who has the same energy levels as Sarr but is better on the ball, links play from Biss to forwards, keeps possession better and is more effective in smashing the fuck out of the oppo if they transition on us, we need a technical fouler in the middle of the park who can break up oppo transitions before they start (there's a possibility that Bentancur could do this, in fact, he can and has done).

So, the question is will we win more games by scoring more goals from the chances we create? Yes, we will and I think we've addressed this with Solonke (big fingers crossed here). Also, will we win more games if we fix our oppo transition issue? Yes, absofuckinlutely (Will also be transformative if we scored more set pieces and conceded less at set pieces).

1v1 dribbly wingers yes please, I still want and we still need and they are fun to watch but we conceded 61 goals last year this has to be our priority. (Under Ange we will concede more goals than lots of teams so I'm not expecting shut outs) If we improve just by 20 goals less conceded then that moves the needle and puts us as a top 3 contender.
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I think Gray is that player tbh. Got the legs like Sarr, but much better first touch and broader passing range. I see him taking that shuttling 8 role right now far more than being a 6.
 
You can just tell it's going to be pretty much the same as last season for this club if not worse. Nothing that you look at and think we are going to the next level at all. Loads more games average squad. Go all out for the Europa league in my eyes.
 
Rebrov_Likes said:
I think Gray is that player tbh. Got the legs like Sarr, but much better first touch and broader passing range. I see him taking that shuttling 8 role right now far more than being a 6.
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Possibly, I've not seen him play as an #8 so loathed to commit yay or nay on that but I do really, really like him as a player. Watching him at #6 in pre-season was painful though and has already scared me.
 
williams316 said:
You can just tell it's going to be pretty much the same as last season for this club if not worse. Nothing that you look at and think we are going to the next level at all. Loads more games average squad. Go all out for the Europa league in my eyes.
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Schitts Creek Comedy GIF by CBC
 
Guido 🇺🇦 said:
Possibly, I've not seen him play as an #8 so loathed to commit yay or nay on that but I do really, really like him as a player. Watching him at #6 in pre-season was painful though and has already scared me.
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Think he just needs loads of PL experience and time to be a deeper midfielder. I don’t think Sarr’s role is that different to a RB in some ways. Get up and down, press and harry, get in the box.
 
williams316 said:
You can just tell it's going to be pretty much the same as last season for this club if not worse. Nothing that you look at and think we are going to the next level at all. Loads more games average squad. Go all out for the Europa league in my eyes.
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It'll be worse unless some of the teenagers REALLY step up.

Last season we had so many new faces in the starting 11 really, even ones who were already at the club.
Vicario, Udogie, VDV, Sarr, Maddison, with Richie, Bissouma and a few others making more appearances than the prior season.

As things stand, the only addition is Solanke for the starting 11. We will lack the element of the unknown that we started last season with.
 
Matt1882 said:
Can somebody please explain what is the actual difference between a 6 & an 8 and why a player can only play as one or the other?

Serious question.
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Because midfielders are limited nowadays but that’s down to how the game is played. The things that make a midfielder a good midfielder is coached out of them and are pigeonholed into one position. Midfielders should be able to do the lot like back in the 70s/80s and 90s. The game has changed now and for the worse. Nobody can tell me that Biss couldn’t play higher up or madders couldn’t play deeper. They are just not allowed to now as the game is more structured.

Going back to the question
A 6 is a defensive midfielder who is there to protect centre backs(another thing I disagree with as they only play against one striker) who also gets on the ball and controls the game.

An 8 is a midfielder that has more scope to get forward and join in the game but also has to get back and defend.

That’s as simplistic as you can make it.
What I’ve noticed in pre season there has been more scope for our midfield to rotate (especially when Biss is not playing) with all midfielders moving and playing the 6,8 and 10. Bergvall is taking a pass from Vic then in the same attack he’s up supporting and joining in the game behind the front players . That gives us more fluency but also harder for oppposition to mark rather than being rigid with a 6 and two 8s.

Playing with Bentancur,Madders and Bergvall especially at home is our best three midfielders in my opinion.
 
SeeSpotRun said:
Well those 2nd and 3rd ones are kind of meaningless. 2nd because it shows gross spend not net. And the 3rd looks at total points, not points improvement. Under Ange, with a net spend of ~172M, we improved by 6 points vs previous year. Arteta in his first full year improved by 5 points on his previous half year, which in turn was 14 points worse than the year before.

I'm not sure what the point is... it's almost as if someone's just selecting stats to be divisive.

Anyway what they do show is that the club is backing the manager.
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Yeah this is key - they never consider what had gone before.

The squad Ange inherited was more or less shite and had just finished 8th - of course we have spent loads, otherwise we were a mid table side.

City don’t have to spend as much - they already have top quality.

Woolwich have spent very well, annoyingly
 
Matt1882 said:
Can somebody please explain what is the actual difference between a 6 & an 8 and why a player can only play as one or the other?

Serious question.
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Number 6 (Defensive Midfielder)

  • Defensive anchor: Primarily responsible for protecting the defense.
  • Ball recovery: Wins back possession for the team.
  • Distribution: Starts attacks by passing the ball accurately to teammates.
  • Physicality: Often needs to be strong and good in the air.
Number 8 (Central Midfielder)

  • Box-to-box: Combines defensive and attacking responsibilities.
  • Creativity: Links defense to attack, often initiating scoring chances.
  • Goal contributions: Can score goals and provide assists.
  • Versatility: Adapts to different playing styles and formations.
Essentially, the Number 6 is the defensive shield, while the Number 8 is the more attacking-minded player who connects the defense and attack.
 
What a fucking cluster this is becoming.

Our RW won’t be addressed you can just tell.

We’ve paid £65m for a good striker and €40m for a good youth prospect. Not a lot left in the coffers though. And Gray needs to become a world beater to justify that fee, something which won’t happen until the late 2020s at best.

So basically we’ve spent money on positions in the spine and left the wing unaddressed, tried to cheap out on Neto, got burnt.

There will be another twist in the Gallagher/Eze saga to appease Ange but we all know those are dead ends. It’s all coming up quite familiar, this one.
 
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