Liam Delap | Official: signed for Chelsea

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croadyman said:
What about we added another ten who provides goals and assists, would you still want another 9?
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It’s more about who is that number 9.
Delap will come in and take the weight of being Man Utd’s no9 at a young age whilst being fairly inexperienced.
Just like Hojlund has, I would expect him to struggle.
Our three strikers should not all be under 23, that’s ludicrous.
 
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OT_United said:
£30m is a great price for someone his age and ability. But no way should he be our starting #9, and neither should Hojlund.
Hopefully we sell Hojlund and buy a more experienced striker to compliment Delap. Toney, Watkins?
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Watkins isn't going anywhere, Villa turned down a £60m from Arsenal in January. Toney is apparently on £400k in Saudi so, good luck with that one too! :lol:

I've accepted that Delap (if he comes) will very likely be out first choice striker, at least for next season. Even if we sell a few players this window, I don't see us buying two players for one position, given we're on a tighter budget than usual and need first team players in several positions.
 
OT_United said:
It’s more about who is that number 9.
Delap will come in and take the weight of being Man Utd’s no9 at a young age whilst being fairly inexperienced.
Just like Hojlund has, I would expect him to struggle.
Our three strikers should not all be under 23, that’s ludicrous.
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Yeah that forward line would lack experience, trouble is the older targets are awkward for a number of reasons
 
Von Mistelroum said:
I'm told Gyokeres is going to Arsenal. I think this is such a bad mistake from us. I guess we wouldn't have been able to tempt him here, but he's going to take them to another level.

Delap isn't guaranteed to get anywhere near this level. Basically we're looking at Charmander (with no guarantee of even the next evolution) while Arsenal get Charizard.
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Wing Attack Plan R said:
Let’s say we’re after a Psyduck and a Ninetails profile of player: who do we go for?
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:lol:
 
Von Mistelroum said:
I'm told Gyokeres is going to Arsenal. I think this is such a bad mistake from us. I guess we wouldn't have been able to tempt him here, but he's going to take them to another level.

Delap isn't guaranteed to get anywhere near this level. Basically we're looking at Charmander (with no guarantee of even the next evolution) while Arsenal get Charizard.
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Even a weakling like Shedinja is lethal if your roster supports him, instead of throwing him out there like a legendary.

If Gyokeres does not come here, we will tweak our game plan to optimize Delap instead.
 
Fortitude said:
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Interesting partway through the video, the overlap from the spiderweb (whatever it's called) of their abilities is pretty similar.

Adjust delaps numbers for the 48% more possession sporting have over Ipswich on average per game and his stats and gyokeres overlap almost perfectly in the video

You want a 5 year younger gyokeres on paper? You buy delap.
 
Amorim: goes on about how we need to be ready to suffer a little bit.
Delap: "Let me talk!!!"
 
If we serious about a top 6 finish next season then Delap alone is not the answer. Delap and another experienced ST (PSR permitting). While we sell/loan Hoijlund.

ST: Delap/New ST/obi

CAM: Garnacho/Cunha/Zirkzee/Amad/Mount

CM: Bruno/Ugarte/Casemiro/Collyer/New CM

Sell: Rashford, Sancho, Mainoo, Hoijlund, Antony
 
Wish we played with two strikers up front instead, old school.
It becomes so difficult for only one striker to do anything meaningful, especially if they are a level below WC.
We have seen far better strikers than Höjlund and Delap disappear into defenders pockets because they are alone up there.
Delap and Gyökeres, or similar, as a strikers duo would make some defenders sweat.
 
I’m trying not to get lost in all the stats (actual and expected)

The biggest difference he can make to our team is his hold up play and ability to make impactful runs that stretch the pitch for the players around him (not necessarily with pace but with smart movement). That would transform our play.

Can anyone that’s watched him regularly comment on this?
 
McLvnsMuse said:
I’m trying not to get lost in all the stats (actual and expected)

The biggest difference he can make to our team is his hold up play and ability to make impactful runs that stretch the pitch for the players around him (not necessarily with pace but with smart movement). That would transform our play.

Can anyone that’s watched him regularly comment on this?
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He looks an exciting player, a clear step up in quality from Rasmus. Age and £30m, this signing looks an absolute no brainer. If it doesn’t work out you’re getting every penny plus back. I’m sure we will improve in terms of creating chances but the other thing with Delap is that he makes something out of nothing, I’ve seen plenty of him bursting from the half way line, shrugging off challenges and getting in on goal. He’s worth way more than £30m on the bits I’ve seen. We need someone to share the burden though, maybe someone experienced like Toney who would likely welcome a big PL move before winding his career down.
 
dogwithabone said:
He looks an exciting player, a clear step up in quality from Rasmus. Age and £30m, this signing looks an absolute no brainer. If it doesn’t work out you’re getting every penny plus back. I’m sure we will improve in terms of creating chances but the other thing with Delap is that he makes something out of nothing, I’ve seen plenty of him bursting from the half way line, shrugging off challenges and getting in on goal. He’s worth way more than £30m on the bits I’ve seen. We need someone to share the burden though, maybe someone experienced like Toney who would likely welcome a big PL move before winding his career down.
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Good points but not sure it really answers my question.

Are we getting a player that can receive the ball, control it and pass it on under pressure or will the ball bounce off him 7/10 times?
 
I have not watched him at all, but based on reviews and analysis on his game, he looks like a good striker, young, home-grown, and affordable, it is a transfer that makes sense.

My only worry is that if he will be able to translate his current excellent season with us next year, or will he need time to adjust? We need someone that can perform instantly next season.
 
OmarUnited4ever said:
I have not watched him at all, but based on reviews and analysis on his game, he looks like a good striker, young, home-grown, and affordable, it is a transfer that makes sense.

My only worry is that if he will be able to translate his current excellent season with us next year, or will he need time to adjust? We need someone that can perform instantly next season.
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The thing is.. isn't that a worry for any player we sign?

I think only Bruno has ever managed to translate the excellent season with us, other than that I couldn't name one.
 
romufc said:
The thing is.. isn't that a worry for any player we sign?

I think only Bruno has ever managed to translate the excellent season with us, other than that I couldn't name one.
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For sure. But when someone joins after a great season and slightly regresses, they're still good. Someone with an average season regressing less so
 
hellhunter said:
For sure. But when someone joins after a great season and slightly regresses, they're still good. Someone with an average season regressing less so
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Scoring goals in the PL for a relegated team is not average. Its a very good season.
 
hellhunter said:
I disagree, 10 non penalty goals isn't a good season by any means. But that's okay, it's not outlandish to see potential in the guy
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Its the context right... also for me its not just about goals...

Someone can look at Hojlund's numbers last season and think he was good but in this system its about all round play.

I like that he can hold the ball up and be strong.

Mind you... Its because the fee is 30m... seems reasonable. I haven't watched enough of him for 90 full mins to tell you if he will be amazing or not, the potential is there.

Now... can Manutd get a player from potential to show it weekly? I dont know.
 
By the time we have signed him, we'll have spent 135 million on three strikers with a combined 69 goals in their entire careers before joining.

Absolute madness
 
dogwithabone said:
He looks an exciting player, a clear step up in quality from Rasmus. Age and £30m, this signing looks an absolute no brainer. If it doesn’t work out you’re getting every penny plus back. I’m sure we will improve in terms of creating chances but the other thing with Delap is that he makes something out of nothing, I’ve seen plenty of him bursting from the half way line, shrugging off challenges and getting in on goal. He’s worth way more than £30m on the bits I’ve seen. We need someone to share the burden though, maybe someone experienced like Toney who would likely welcome a big PL move before winding his career down.
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Delap isn't as good as Rasmus. He's really not good enough for a top club, which United are not at the moment unfortunately.
 
romufc said:
The thing is.. isn't that a worry for any player we sign?

I think only Bruno has ever managed to translate the excellent season with us, other than that I couldn't name one.
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Mazraoui has probably been better for us than he ever was for Bayern, but it's clutching at straws really
 
P-Nut said:
Mazraoui has probably been better for us than he ever was for Bayern, but it's clutching at straws really
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Yeah.. but dont forget we have a very bad habit of regressing players. So many players come in start well and then 6 months -1 year then look completely a shadow of themselves.

Mazroui in the last few games is not looking like he did at the start either.
 
If we purchase Delap , it means that we don't wont to be a top Premier League Team, but just average.

Gyokeres is the one we must get if we want to start rebuilding the team to be competitive for the Premier League title in a few years.
 
romufc said:
The thing is.. isn't that a worry for any player we sign?

I think only Bruno has ever managed to translate the excellent season with us, other than that I couldn't name one.
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I think there is a happy medium between a Bruno hitting the ground running and someone needing lots of time to adjust, someone like Yoro who I think had a shaky start and then now is a lot more better.

Edit: I get where you coming from though, it could be unfair to expect Delap to be great from day one.
 
I don't rate Delap that much but to say he isn't as good as Rasmus is completely insane. Rasmus is a 10mill player in reality he would not start for a single club in the PL. Everyone is a upgrade on him.
 
VP89 said:
What the feck
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I don't think it's as clear cut. There's no denying he had a much better season, but last season and the one before, it's not as black and white. Not saying he's better or worse, but I there there are arguments for both cases
 
hellhunter said:
I don't think it's as clear cut. There's no denying he had a much better season, but last season and the one before, it's not as black and white. Not saying he's better or worse, but I there there are arguments for both cases
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I think its very clear that Delap is mountains better.
Park the goal tallies, the way Delap has played this season for Ipswich is something Hojlund has never really done outside of a couple of decent goals for Atalanta.

Delap is a shit house and very comfortable with aerial duels. He has excellent ball carrying and can drive his team up the pitch. He's extremely direct and very powerful. Very two footed and strikes very quickly without needing much time to get himself set. From a skillset perspective he has everything Hojlund doesn't have.
 
VP89 said:
I think its very clear that Delap is mountains better.
Park the goal tallies, the way Delap has played this season for Ipswich is something Hojlund has never really done outside of a couple of decent goals for Atalanta.

Delap is a shit house and very comfortable with aerial duels. He has excellent ball carrying and can drive his team up the pitch. He's extremely direct and very powerful. Very two footed and strikes very quickly without needing much time to get himself set. From a skillset perspective he has everything Hojlund doesn't have.
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I'm certainly not an expert on Delap, but by the same token Hojlund last season was a much better finisher, or at least with a much better conversion rate, right?
 
hellhunter said:
I'm certainly not an expert on Delap, but by the same token Hojlund last season was a much better finisher, or at least with a much better conversion rate, right?
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Højlunds conversion rate in general is one of the better in the league, but that doesn't help if he can't get in the positions to get more shots away. His biggest problem is lack of shots.
 
hellhunter said:
I'm certainly not an expert on Delap, but by the same token Hojlund last season was a much better finisher, or at least with a much better conversion rate, right?
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Hojlund is a better finisher but he almost always takes far too long to get himself set and barely shoots. His movement, agility, strength, ball carrying and aerial prowess is far below Delap.
 
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Why do you guys (and apparently Wilcox) automatically think he'll be able to repeat his amount of goals last season, especially at a bigger club where the pressure and media attention is much stronger? He's nowhere near to lead our attack if our aim is to reach top six.
 
There are certainly positives when it comes to him. His price for a start. He isn't technically the best out there, but strikers market is really shit. He has obvious qualities as well. His willingness to run the channels and occupy/keep busy his defenders all the time. When I first saw him for Ipswich I thought he is a cnut in a same way I thought Vardy is for Leicester and I absolutely started to love Vardy after a while with his will to score and chase every ball in the attack/be constant worry for defenders. Vardy is much faster, but in terms of their mentality and how they approach the game, they have some similarities. Delap and Cunha seem like a good pairing as well with Cunha coming behind him as a 2nd goal threat. I wish he is technically better, but as I said there aren't many strikers in the game who would give us that and no one close to such fee.

The worry if we sign him is is that he will be our main striker with all the pressure on him. When you look Hojlund from his debut against Arsenal and now, it's not even the same player, that's how much he regressed. From what I saw, Delap doesn't seem like a type that would shrink under pressure and won't lose his confidence if things are not going well. It's still a big gamble and ideally you would want him as your 2nd striker from the bench at this phase. But maybe we have to take correct smaller steps as a club and in the market before bigger ones.

I do wish we also and finally sign a proper and technically good CM. But this has been a wish for a decade now. If that doesn't happen, it seems like we are again closer to the team who is at their best in transition and chaos and not at controlling the game. We don't have to be Barcelona 2008 - 2012, we just need more quality on the ball in our midfield.
 
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