Angel Gomes Watch

[JohnnyLaw]

I'd much rather have Gomes than Barkley.

So much that you’d pay a fee for him?
Barkley is doing well and is available at a free, that matters when we’ve got a lot of positions that need filling.

 

[Remember the geese]

So much that you’d pay a fee for him?
Barkley is doing well and is available at a free, that matters when we’ve got a lot of positions that need filling.

Yes I'd be more than happy to pay for him. He's heading into the last year of his contract anyway, so won't be too expensive. 7 years younger.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Think he is better suited for a club like Brighton to find his feet in the PL first. We can't offer him anything more than a backup role to Mount and Mainoo.

 

[JohnnyLaw]

Yes I'd be more than happy to pay for him. He's heading into the last year of his contract anyway, so won't be too expensive. 7 years younger.

I don’t know, I can’t us having the luxury in the summer of spending money on a rotational option, which is what I’d put him down as. We’ll likely have to streatch the budget just to get our priority signings aquired.

 

[Remember the geese]

I don’t know, I can’t us having the luxury in the summer of spending money on a rotational option, which is what I’d put him down as. We’ll likely have to streatch the budget just to get our priority signings aquired.

Oh yeah he'd be rotating with Mainoo. I do think we definitely need a player who is stylistically similar to Mainoo, so that there can be a seamless transition when Kobbie isn't available. It's a priority in my view, but one of many.

 

[Stobzilla]

I don’t know, I can’t us having the luxury in the summer of spending money on a rotational option, which is what I’d put him down as. We’ll likely have to streatch the budget just to get our priority signings aquired.

I'd the club has any sense then it has to spend on said rotational options, Fernandes, Casemiro, Eriksen, van der Beek, all rumoured to be leaving Amrabat definitely leaving, even if Fernandes does stay its going to mean bodies are needed in midfield.

 

[JohnnyLaw]

I'd the club has any sense then it has to spend on said rotational options, Fernandes, Casemiro, Eriksen, van der Beek, all rumoured to be leaving Amrabat definitely leaving, even if Fernandes does stay its going to mean bodies are needed in midfield.

I can’t believe we’d sell Fernandes.
But as I said earlier I’d look rather have Barkley on a free than spend on Gomes.

 

[Lu Tze]

We need a policy of no more tiny players. Honestly. Nobody is winning the league/CL without a load of physically dominant players. We have almost none. So let's not worsen that problem.

 

[Dec9003]

He makes sense if we can get him for cheap, we need more midfielders as we are likely to let go of a couple this summer. If he can play deeper and help us retain the ball/play out of the back, he will contribute well.

 

[saivet]

For the right fee it would make sense, though I would worry about the physicality of our midfield, if paired with Mainoo.

I think we need more than one midfield signing but the priority should be signing a Casemiro replacement (even if Casemiro doesn't leave this summer).

I think Gomes is a similar type of player to Mainoo and for that to work as a trio, you'd need either someone like Rice to sit deep and provide physical cover or someone like Kante to be capable of winning the ball back in more advanced positions. If we become a really good possession based team the physical and defensive attributes might matter less.

 

[Fortitude]

I've not seen many deep lying playmakers work in the prem for some time, Carrick was the last we had and he had a fair bit of physicality. Maybe I'm being harsh as I can see from a videos he has great vision, retention and first touch but I just think he's too slight - He makes Amad look huge.

Santi Carzola was 5' 6" and made mugs of much bigger, heavier midfielders in the PL. Dennis Wise played in midfield at 5' 5" and was a menace.

Height isn't an issue in midfield if you have the vision, reflexes and mobility required to run rings around opponents who find it nightmarishly difficult to keep up due to the variance in centres of gravity. Short CM's can also shift balance so quickly, they make space in a flash.

It's how you compose your midfield and team that is more important as balance within your midfield components is going to determine what kind of football they can play.

 

[Butty19]

3 goals & 15 assists in 90 league games - Haven't seen much of him but hardly gripping numbers

Sometimes it’s the pass before the assist that is key.

 

[elmo]

I’ve always felt is was a shame we gave that many chances to Scott when we had a far more talented option in Gomes.

 

[GledTheRed]

After watching Casimero and Eriksen plodding about im all for it.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Santi Carzola was 5' 6" and made mugs of much bigger, heavier midfielders in the PL. Dennis Wise played in midfield at 5' 5" and was a menace.

Height isn't an issue in midfield if you have the vision, reflexes and mobility required to run rings around opponents who find it nightmarishly difficult to keep up due to the variance in centres of gravity. Short CM's can also shift balance so quickly, they make space in a flash.

It's how you compose your midfield and team that is more important as balance within your midfield components is going to determine what kind of football they can play.

Scholes is no skyscraper, either, and he did all right.

 

[AngeloHenriquez]

Santi Carzola was 5' 6" and made mugs of much bigger, heavier midfielders in the PL. Dennis Wise played in midfield at 5' 5" and was a menace.

Height isn't an issue in midfield if you have the vision, reflexes and mobility required to run rings around opponents who find it nightmarishly difficult to keep up due to the variance in centres of gravity. Short CM's can also shift balance so quickly, they make space in a flash.

It's how you compose your midfield and team that is more important as balance within your midfield components is going to determine what kind of football they can play.

Scholes is no skyscraper, either, and he did all right.

Fair points but my original comment was that I hadn't seen one in the PL for years and your suggestions all agree with that as they haven't been in the league for years. It has become more physical in the last few years and at the moment with the current template of top teams in the EPL height/ physicality does seem to have a say in the PL for midfield currently.

None of me is suggesting he wouldn't work though, simply pointing out a trend I have noticed for the deeper midfield players, if he was to come I'd imagine he would show his best form at the 10 position and he reminds me a lot of Amad who we already have on our books anyway.

 

[Fortitude]

Scholes is no skyscraper, either, and he did all right.

Makelele, Kante, Scholes and so and so forth, but Scholes is 5' 7", which somehow has always qualified as OK whilst under that has always been seen as too short to play in the rough and tumble PL, despite it being proven time and again that if you're good enough, you'll use whatever you have to your advantage. Makelele was 5' 6" yet barely anyone or anything could get past him; Kante was 5' 6", yet he ran much bigger players off the ball with ease, and then turned so quickly, they had no prayer of catching him.

It's that turning circle that is the crazy asset for very short players - all the size in the world means nothing if you can't hit your mark, which is what they made an artform out of usually.

 

[Fortitude]

Fair points but my original comment was that I hadn't seen one in the PL for years and your suggestions all agree with that as they haven't been in the league for years. It has become more physical in the last few years and at the moment with the current template of top teams in the EPL height/ physicality does seem to have a say in the PL for midfield currently.

None of me is suggesting he wouldn't work though, simply pointing out a trend I have noticed for the deeper midfield players, if he was to come I'd imagine he would show his best form at the 10 position and he reminds me a lot of Amad who we already have on our books anyway.

Isn't that more simply because players that short are just rare in football, not because they aren't able to play? Every team would've taken Verratti in an instance, for example, but he was never available.

 

[Lay]

Watched him a couple of times for Lille so not a big sample size and he's obviously technically brilliant. I just don't think he's physical enough

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Yes please

 

[Marwood]

Makelele, Kante, Scholes and so and so forth, but Scholes is 5' 7", which somehow has always qualified as OK whilst under that has always been seen as too short to play in the rough and tumble PL, despite it being proven time and again that if you're good enough, you'll use whatever you have to your advantage. Makelele was 5' 6" yet barely anyone or anything could get past him; Kante was 5' 6", yet he ran much bigger players off the ball with ease, and then turned so quickly, they had no prayer of catching him.

It's that turning circle that is the crazy asset for very short players - all the size in the world means nothing if you can't hit your mark, which is what they made an artform out of usually.

But Makele and Kante were strong and quick. Even Scholes was no pushover physically and its forgotten but actually pretty sharp over the first few yards when younger.

Is Gomes? I haven't watched him for a while but he always seemed pretty weak and fairly one paced.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Gomes link and now a Mckenna one.
Getting the band back together?

 

[dcrompton]

I would much rather sign good footballers who lack physicality than the opposite (McTominay)

 

[Eplel]

I haven't seen much so can't comment but do you think he would deal physically in our league playing in the middle?

The fact that he's short doesn't mean he's physically weak FYI.

 

[Based Adnan]

Ligue 1 is a fairly physical league. If he can handle it there and do well then it shouldn't be too much of a problem taking the step up to the PL.

 

[Ali Dia]

So much that you’d pay a fee for him?
Barkley is doing well and is available at a free, that matters when we’ve got a lot of positions that need filling.

I think Barkley is probably more of another Eriksen than a Milner or whoever. That is only based on a hunch though. He has a much stronger physique than Eriksen for sure. I don’t think Gomes is strong enough.

 

[DevTheRed]

Technically great but unfortunately doesn’t have the size, strength or pace to play in the premier league.. he’ll have a cracking career in Europe though.

Certainly another academy success.

 

[Remember the geese]

Technically great but unfortunately doesn’t have the size, strength or pace to play in the premier league.. he’ll have a cracking career in Europe though.

Certainly another academy success.

Of course he could play in the Prem.

 

[Bwuk]

Midfield 3 of Gomes/Mainoo/Bruno would get totally over run.

If we want to persist with Mainoo and Bruno as starters, we need someone with physicality and legs to cover in behind.

 

[jeepers]

Midfield 3 of Gomes/Mainoo/Bruno would get totally over run.

If we want to persist with Mainoo and Bruno as starters, we need someone with physicality and legs to cover in behind.

I was about to come here to post exactly this. There is no way we can line up with those three in midfield in the PL. Cup and smaller European games, perhaps. If Mainoo and Bruno are going to be two starting midfielders next season, which I think we can all assume they are, then we need an anchorman/tackling beast as the third midfielder. Someone like Palhinha.

Furthermore, I would bet that Gomes will only return if we guarantee he is first 11 starter.

I like Gomes and have always liked him since his academy days, but I don't think he's the priority for our midfielder transfers post season.

 

[Remember the geese]

Midfield 3 of Gomes/Mainoo/Bruno would get totally over run.

If we want to persist with Mainoo and Bruno as starters, we need someone with physicality and legs to cover in behind.

The suggestion is for Gomes to compete with Mainoo, not for them to play together necessarily.

 

[Ace of Spades]

This would be a smart move, along with a physical DM.

 

[Crimson King]

Of course he could play in the Prem.

I'm sure he could, but our team is starting to look a bit on the short side. Would need a big man in there with him probably, otherwise we'll still be trying to shoehorn McTominay into the team to help defend set pieces.

 

[Remember the geese]

I'm sure he could, but our team is starting to look a bit on the short side. Would need a big man in there with him probably, otherwise we'll still be trying to shoehorn McTominay into the team to help defend set pieces.

Oh yeah we absolutely need a big, strong DM in there with Mainoo/Gomes.

 

[Beachryan]

Do we need a Mainoo backup? Because that's what he'd be. Already left to be a starter, should leave it at that imo.

Our team is already tiny, the premier league is about physicalty now. Look at the best teams in the league and their midfields. Even Pep has gone big.

Loved him in the youth setup, always thought he'd be great as a Fernandes backup but we don't need a Fernandes backup.

 

[Ace of Spades]

The stupid excuse of being short is not needed when he is already showing that he can handle the adult game pretty well, and plenty of diminutive players have shown to make big lumbering oafs look like fools many times.

He is not going to be our DM here, we will need numbers as we are likely to lose 2 or 3 CMs in the window.

 

[Remember the geese]

Do we need a Mainoo backup?

Without a shadow of a doubt.

 

[Borninthe80ts]

I’m fully behind this. Great mind for the game and positioning and energy counter the need for physicality for me.

I believe both him and Mainoo can play together and have advocated for this in the past. In game we hope to dominate control of the ball would be paramount and these two together could provide that.

As stated by others a physical player as their partner who has legs for days would be ideal, is there an Essien clone out there?

 

[DevTheRed]

Of course he could play in the Prem.

He can play in the Prem but I think he would excel more elsewhere.. his ceiling is much higher away from it.

 

[Remember the geese]

He can play in the Prem but I think he would excel more elsewhere.. his ceiling is much higher away from it.

I don't agree.