Florin - I'd like to keep all four. Noble, Obiang, Kouyate and a new CM. The one to go will be the one who doesn't want to not be a nailed on starter. So probably Kouyate. But don't think it would be a certainty if we signed a new one then one of the current clan would go. ;ok
The team is defensively woeful because the defence falters at the front line, hopefully Chicarito will do what Sakho did for us and actually pressure defenders across the back 4 and make the opposition think quickly than give them all the time in the world to make the pass they want. Carroll great at countering set plays and roughing up defenders but wasn't a ball chaser.
We also have Lanzini not a great tackler / Arnie who Stoke fans said was never one to track back much and Ayew again not a great tackler.
Antonio is probably the only midfielder we have that actually works the whole wing and at least will help out the RB.
We then have Kouyate and Noble, one who wants to push forward consistently leaving exposed gaps behind and one who likes to give a free kick exactly 25 yards just outside the Penalty box.
Obiang is the only actual decent tackler in our entire midfield.
Yeold - and even Obiang is often hopelessly caught out positionally so that the oppo get in behind him and he has to chase back or make a tackle, often resulting in a foul.
The way I see it is you either have a very disciplined cdm who just sits in front of the back four braking the play up and giving it to someone to create or you have two players in one who does the box to box bit as well. Which makes us not getting Kante a few years back hard to take. ;weep
I understand the points he makes about Fonte and Snodgrass but January signings are more volatile in regards to hitting the ground running and with all due respect Arnie, Hernandez, Hart and Zabaleta are just plain and simple higher calibre players to Fonte and Snodgrass
In regards to DM I think when you look at Obiang and Kouyate you think either could be a real DM but 2/3 years after they arrived they are still primarily box-to-box midfielders
Thy are big, imposing and athletic players but I think they lack positional discipline, particularly Kouyate who bombs forward leaving huge gaps
Think Obiang can be that guy as he makes good interceptions and is actually a pretty smart tackler (with the attacker in front of him less so when chasing back) and is the superior passers so hopefully won't be caught out when instigating attacks
But Kouyate needs to be more disciplined and help out as there is too much work (and actual pitch areas) for only Obiang to manage
Noble for me can't do it, he lacks the necessary physical attributes and think he's just too rash a tackler
If Slaven can hone Obiang and Kouyate to being strictly defensive midfielders who 'occasionally' run forward it will solve our problem
This is all theoretical obviously and I feel given the lack of defensive nous the coaching staff seem to have then Kouyate and Obiang will perform the same way and will leave us exposed
If they don't adapt or we don't bring in a DM I honestly think the only way forward is 3 at the back which will limit us offensively but will at least help us stop conceeding so many which was last year's main problem
grey - whilst I generally don't agree with most of what Mr Nicholas garbles out, it depends on what measure he decided to use. If going by points, we were 11 off 18th and 24 off 6th. Of course, just as notable is that we were 1 point off 8th too. He's still a plonker mind.
I thought I had read that Galatassary confirmed Feghouli a few days ago. Why have we not announced anything?
It appears (if what you read in the press is true) that there is wrangling over the money between the 2 clubs. We agreed a signing-on fee (to be paid over 3 years) when he joined and there's some debate over whether the 2 remaining years' worth is due. And, should it be the case that we have to pay it, whether or not we can negotiate the selling fee to be big enough to still give us the profit we want.
After a few brandies I have come to the conclusion that we should put in a bid for striker, I haven't a clue who but should be in the big strong and pacey mould(or mouldy) brandy is good for your well being and in the correct amount is very medicinal. I believe I'm very well medicated at the moment. Who would you go after? Hasn't been a post since yesterday, bored, Discuss!
ammer, one large concern for us at the moment when it comes to further signings is with the rules regarding 'home grown' in the squad at the minute. Teams are allowed a squad of 25, where up to 17 are allowed to be non HG. I currently judge us to have 16 non HG players (admittedly this includes Feghouli who I personally would like to keep). Thereby with only one more non HG player allowed I would save that spot for if an unexpected 'great' could be picked up as the transfer window shuts (of course that's if we buy anyone at all now). As any striker now is likely to be second fiddle to at least Chicharito and possibly Carroll / Sakho too I would save the potential non HG for a different position - we generally with Slav only play one CF unless chasing last 20 mins. Resultantly for a back up CF I would go home grown, which leads to someone like Andre Gray. Whether he'd be happy to be at best second choice for 1 role, and at worst 4th choice I do not know. Again I would have liked to keep Fletcher for this but that has gone now.
No offense to Lanzini but Liverpool are in the champs league, they'll have a ton of money and there are many better players in Coutinhos position that they can pay over the odds for. I dont think for a second Lanzini is going to Liverpool (my next offering will no doubt detail how we'll spend the Lanzini money from Liverpool ;lol )
Comments
We also have Lanzini not a great tackler / Arnie who Stoke fans said was never one to track back much and Ayew again not a great tackler.
Antonio is probably the only midfielder we have that actually works the whole wing and at least will help out the RB.
We then have Kouyate and Noble, one who wants to push forward consistently leaving exposed gaps behind and one who likes to give a free kick exactly 25 yards just outside the Penalty box.
Obiang is the only actual decent tackler in our entire midfield.
If you're in all the cups and Europe, players will stick around. Otherwise, they'll want out, and potentially cause a poisonous atmosphere.
We went scattergun last summer and it worked out pretty badly. I'm happy with signing a few first-teamers and not upheaving the whole squad again.
A bit like having Gloria Estefan's song "Oye Mi Canto", translating it into East End vernacular "Oi! My Kante!" Then having to give it back ;whistle
I understand the points he makes about Fonte and Snodgrass but January signings are more volatile in regards to hitting the ground running and with all due respect Arnie, Hernandez, Hart and Zabaleta are just plain and simple higher calibre players to Fonte and Snodgrass
In regards to DM I think when you look at Obiang and Kouyate you think either could be a real DM but 2/3 years after they arrived they are still primarily box-to-box midfielders
Thy are big, imposing and athletic players but I think they lack positional discipline, particularly Kouyate who bombs forward leaving huge gaps
Think Obiang can be that guy as he makes good interceptions and is actually a pretty smart tackler (with the attacker in front of him less so when chasing back) and is the superior passers so hopefully won't be caught out when instigating attacks
But Kouyate needs to be more disciplined and help out as there is too much work (and actual pitch areas) for only Obiang to manage
Noble for me can't do it, he lacks the necessary physical attributes and think he's just too rash a tackler
If Slaven can hone Obiang and Kouyate to being strictly defensive midfielders who 'occasionally' run forward it will solve our problem
This is all theoretical obviously and I feel given the lack of defensive nous the coaching staff seem to have then Kouyate and Obiang will perform the same way and will leave us exposed
If they don't adapt or we don't bring in a DM I honestly think the only way forward is 3 at the back which will limit us offensively but will at least help us stop conceeding so many which was last year's main problem
#justsayin
again on Sky.....Brentford to West Ham
Do you honestly believe Lanzini is even remotely close to Coutinho? Those stories are nonsense.