Youri Tielemans

[Robbie Boy]

Tielemans has nowhere near the same engine as Fred. And Longstaff could still become a player I think.

He's far more accomplished on the ball and in the attacking third than Fred. Fred has his uses, but he's been generally underwhelming. Not sure why some have this blind optimism towards Longstaff. I've never seen it with him.

 

[Rozay]

He's far more accomplished on the ball and in the attacking third than Fred. Fred has his uses, but he's been generally underwhelming. Not sure why some have this blind optimism towards Longstaff. I've never seen it with him.

He is, I just mean that they aren’t similar players is all. Different strengths. Longstaff has certain things going for him, and has put in some very good performances in the PL. He has a good passing range with either foot, good size, and a good strike. He also has good energy. He’s not a nailed on star, but there are things there to work with I reckon.

 

[Robbie Boy]

He is, I just mean that they aren’t similar players is all. Different strengths. Longstaff has certain things going for him, and has put in some very good performances in the PL. He has a good passing range with either foot, good size, and a good strike. He also has good energy. He’s not a nailed on star, but there are things there to work with I reckon.

I just got a very different impression of Fred supposedly was compared to the player we got. I can't confess to being an avid Shakthar watcher, so I generally got my info on Fred from here when we were being linked with him. Some of the videos posted, especially his game against Madrid, showed a high energy player that was got at spotting passes between the lines and was also quite good in the final third (not necessarily at scoring / assisting, but more in the build-up). Some also said he was an excellent DLP and could spot passes and help with quick build-up play. I've just never really seen that player since his arrival. So I just kind of assumed that Tielemans was more of the kind of player I expected when Fred arrived.

Longstaff kind of reminds me of the Caf adoration for Barry Bannan back in the day. Longstaff will probably go on to have a better career, but he's not a top level player, for me.

 

[Jimmy Skitz]

Btw John Percy reported the fee we actually paid was closer to £30m than £40m in the end

 

[Champagne Football]

I'd rather just develop Garner to be honest, why pay for Longstaff when we a potentially very good deep lying midfielder already at the club?

I'd rather add a player coming into their prime years instead of a prospect who in all honestly wasn't even that great before his injury, would not get into our current 11, and we have a similar young talent of our own.

Garner is 18 and Longstaff is 22. It could be a few years before Garner is ready. He might need a loan first. I'm not sure Ole can wait that long before a new deep-lying playmaker is ready. Many on here seem to think Garner is a box to box midfielder, where he has been playing for the U23's this season, and that Dylan Levitt is the deep-Lying playmaker. Anyways they are both seriously young. Mason Mount is 20 and has already been out on loan at 2 different clubs, and some of our young talents might need something similar before being close to being fully ready to challenge for a spot in the first XI.

 

[bond19821982]

Again, like any other Leicester player, people overrate this guy as well. They have a functioning team that runs like a well oiled machine. If he had joined us, he would have struggled to make an impact.

 

[Lynty]

Again, like any other Leicester player, people overrate this guy as well. They have a functioning team that runs like a well oiled machine. If he had joined us, he would have struggled to make an impact.

Agreed. Like Premier League winner, Drinkwater.

I think Ndidi would be useful to a bigger club, but honestly don't see him holding a spot in the long term. He's not as good on the ball as Kante was - and some people seem to think Kante is average on the ball.

 

[tentan]

Great game today. Good enough for a big club

 

[Devil may care]

I remember seeing him at Anderlecht and looking like a real top prospect, then he had the Monaco chapter and now he's blossomed into one of the best #8's in the PL, he's been their best player the last twice we've played them and has been consistently good for Leicester this season. Still only 23 years old as well, shame Leicester will qualify for the CL as he's just what our double pivot needs.

 

[Willbros]

Still can’t understand why we didn’t purchase this lad while he was at Anderlecht or even after his first loan period with Leicester, surely we could have turned his head. As said above still only 23 but bags of first team football and experience, Leicester wouldn’t never sell unless you pay silly money.

 

[charlenefan]

I remember seeing him at Anderlecht and looking like a real top prospect, then he had the Monaco chapter and now he's blossomed into one of the best #8's in the PL, he's been their best player the last twice we've played them and has been consistently good for Leicester this season. Still only 23 years old as well, shame Leicester will qualify for the CL as he's just what our double pivot needs.

he's been helped massive by playing against Matic in two of their games against us this season. I don't remember him doing anything in the 2-2

 

[RUCK4444]

He’s decent. Not quite top level but decent.

Matic lost him completely for the first goal. Played a couple of decent passes but other than that didn’t do a great deal against our third string.

 

[Bebestation]

I dont look at him in a match and feel like we need him. Nothing exceptional for the price of a PL club player.

 

[Willbros]

He very composed on the ball, definitely not worth the money you’d have to pay for him now but he was one of many savy purchases from Leicester.

 

[Botim]

It's a Redcafe law that whenever a player is being judged "nothing special", he goes and does something like this

 

[charlenefan]

He wasn't great last season after an impressive half season loan the season before but this season he's been great

 

[Vidyoyo]

Only just turned 24 this month. He'll go on to bigger things for sure.

 

[GledTheRed]

Chubby

 

[arthurka]

I think he is a great midfielder that midfield with him and Ndidi is very very good.

 

[JustinC00]

A wonder goal in the FA Cup final and now he's supposedly the best all-around CM in the league.... come on. Literally 2 games ago he was part of a side that got done 2-4 by Newcastle and he got bossed around by fecking Jonjo Shelvey.

He was also pretty anonymous against a midfield of Mata, Matic & VDB

 

[Nick7]

A wonder goal in the FA Cup final and now he's supposedly the best all-around CM in the league.... come on. Literally 2 games ago he was part of a side that got done 2-4 by Newcastle and he got bossed around by fecking Jonjo Shelvey.

He was also pretty anonymous against a midfield of Mata, Matic & VDB

Yeah, he’s a good player and still has a ton of potential. Even today he hasn’t been great all round, not the best midfielder in the league.

 

[charlenefan]

A wonder goal in the FA Cup final and now he's supposedly the best all-around CM in the league.... come on. Literally 2 games ago he was part of a side that got done 2-4 by Newcastle and he got bossed around by fecking Jonjo Shelvey.

He was also pretty anonymous against a midfield of Mata, Matic & VDB

nah he was class against us the other night and in the cup. He was given a massive leg up with us playing Matic though

 

[Brwned]

He gets a lot of help from Ndidi so it’s hard to tell how good he is, and I generally think he’s a bit too passive, but he’s clearly a huge part of Leicester’s over performance since he joined and a great all rounder.

 

[golden_blunder]

Funny i was thinking how good he’d be beside Rice earlier, alongside Bruno

 

[mu4c_20le]

He's decent. McTominay could become better though

 

[duffer]

He looks like the real deal. Strong, fast, composed on the ball and has a great shot on him. Not to mention his goal was a brilliant midfield, forward-bursting run into the box a la Lampard. If he's available for £40m or so as reported then I think he'd be an excellent purchase - 21, cheap compared to the likes of Neves, Ndombele et al and room to grow.

40 mil barely gets you a Van Der Beek or Chillwell these days.

 

[bond19821982]

Have no idea why did we let him go to Leicester. Such a shame that we didn't even try for him. A perfect midfielder for our double pivot. 30m was a steal for Leicester.

 

[gajender]

40 mil barely gets you a Van Der Beek or Chillwell these days.

It's a two year old post and he actually moved for similar amount to Leicester I believe.

 

[duffer]

It's a two year old post and he actually moved for similar amount to Leicester I believe.

You're right, not sure how I didn't notice that!

Too much beer and crying at the result.

 

[gajender]

You're right, not sure how I didn't notice that!

Too much beer and crying at the result.

No issues don't worry you will win big Ears again this year .

 

[Devil may care]

Cracking cup final winner to add to the MOTD build-up footage for years to come.

 

[Il Prete Rosso]

I think he is a great midfielder that midfield with him and Ndidi is very very good.

Include an in-form Madisson and you have a really good midfield.

 

[NYAS]

This place really struggles to admit when they’ve been wrong in the past. He’d walk into our starting 11. Brilliant player and should only get better.

 

[Cheech Wizard]

He's on my list of replacements for Wijnaldum if he goes. Don't think we'll be in for him though and I think he'd cost more anyway than Bissouma who we're more interested in, or another relegated pick-up like Berge.

 

[DWelbz19]

Easy to forget just how highly rated he was back at Anderlecht. He was seen as the hottest talent around, and was akin to Hazard/De Bruyne level — captaining a decent Anderlecht side at an extremely young age (for a while) — with some decent G/A’s at the age of 18-19ish.

It never quite materialised to that level, and I don’t think he’ll ever be that good, but he’s still going on to be a very good player.
__
One aside just to note is he is one of those who’s had an awful lot of football in his legs at a young age though. Senior football at Anderlecht since 16 years old. 400~ games for club and country by the age of 24. For comparison with two random other players his age, Rashford’s (a player you’d say has also played an awful amount) on about 320~; Frenkie De Jong about 240~ish.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

People wanted him to replace Herrera when we still played 4-3-3 in Ole's interim days. We could have actually built our midfield with Pogba as the advanced midfielder if we got a box to box that could pass like Tielemans instead of getting an AM - Bruno. Still found it odd we switched to a 4-2-3-1 and took Pogba to the double pivot after Ole's interim season

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

I think he’s absolutely class. He’s been the best player on the pitch the last three games we have played against them. I actually think he would be perfect for the player we are looking for in our team. People will say Ndidi makes him look good but I think he’s by far the better player. Ndidi would look poor alongside a lessor ball player just like Fred/McTominay do.

 

[horsechoker]

He would be a perfect cover option for Bruno. He's better than VDB

 

[kirk buttercup]

Great player. Definitely one that got away.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

Great player and would be an instant upgrade on either McFred.