Surprised perisic isn't strongly linked again now that inter interest in mkhitaryan is being reported. Perisic is having a fantastic season, despite the many redcafe users who knew best and thought he would be an "embarrassing" signing
Castles: Mourinho given green light to spend in January
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Technically he's fantastic
Mahrez or another top attacker and possibly a midfielder would do us the world of good. Rose would be nice but he's not essential with Young and Shaw doing ok, and Ozil is probably one of the last players I'd sign given we have Mata and Mikhi to take the role of ineffective no.10's that provide 0 pace.
He definitely does. Sterling last season vs Barca was pretty much the only player actually doing anything, technically he's brilliant with the ball and he's added goal scoring this season. I'd go as far as to say he's England's best player (though he's yet to show it for England), ahead of Kane. Martial's dribbling is good and more direct but his technical control and unpredictability isn't as good as sterling who benefits from a lower center of gravity. As much as I like Martial and hope he becomes great at this point in time I'd swap the two.
He's done well for us in that position no doubt, but considering we seem to be moving towards a 2 striker system with three at the back, all our width will be coming from our wingbacks. Whilst Valencia is great defensively, I'm not sure he's good enough offensively anymore to be able to consistently beat his marker out wide and run the flank on his own. His ability to beat a man from a standing position etc. started to severely deteriorate even in SAF's last season. I'd happily be proven wrong as even fullbacks seem to cost an arm and a leg these days, so it'd be less money we'd have to spend.
He's pretty good technically, especially for such a big guy, but I agree with you on the type of CM we need, SMS is a raw version of Pobga.
I agree on the type of midfielder we need. Makes us missing out on Kroos for whatever reason all the more annoying, he would have been ideal alongside Matic and Pogba.
Ill reply to both scenarios of your reply.
Sterling more potential? No I think he's hit his peak.
Martial doesn't have more about him and not good close control? Take your rose tinted specs off, currently Martial is very hot and cold, and goes down dark alleyways a lot, Sterling is on fire (for him).
If we do sign in January I think getting a player that isn't champions league tied would be a big bonus. What I definitely don't want is a player that will in 6 months look like a panic or impact signing that we don't where to shoehorn in. Our signings should always be well thought out and players we see with a clear role in coming years. I think we have enough in our squad and are doing very well as is. No signing is going to have us up beside city this season, if they suffer a monumental collapse we have enough to capitalise as it is,but it's essentially out of our hands.
I guess you guys did not watch his first stint in charge of Chelsea. That was a scary dominant team which was not "total football", but they dominated ball possession and ripped through teams from the front.
tune!
First of all, no, they did not. They were criticized even back then for being very mechanical and machine like. Sir Alex after our defeat to them in the FA Cup final in what must have been the most boring final in recent memory said something along the lines of "we can all play chess". Of course it was a bit of sour grapes but it tells you a lot about what kind of team they were. Let's also not forget those games against Liverpool and the famous $hite on a stick comments. The second point is you are forgetting the competition that Chelsea team came up against. I am not comparing quality but profile here; Currently the likes of Spurs, Liverpool, City and even Chelsea are much more possession oriented. They want to play on the front foot and are therefore much better at recycling the ball and defending against counters because that's what they have been working on for a long time. Back then, the competition was us and Liverpool and the Italian clubs in Europe. None of which built their teams around the same principles making playing on the front foot against them requiring less coaching and tactical quality.
LOL. That says it all. Have a great day.
Yep it all sounds great but somehow all these teams are behind us. I am probably in the minority but I found City's play against us very boring and LVG-esque, and I think with the right players counter-attacking football is more exciting.
I didn't write they were better teams overall. I wrote they were better at some specific things, namely, midfield and offence cohesive play that requires a higher level of ball circulation and a greater ability to sniff out counter attacks. There are other areas to football success though, especially in the PL. Set pieces are massive for example, the art of actually finishing chances, being able to score against a packed defence. My point was that the tactical focus has shifted, that doesn't necessarily make it better just different. Back in the '90s we could dominate games with 2 midfielders and 2 wide men. That was due to no small part because everybody else was committing that many players to those areas of the pitch. Once teams started overloading midfield and using their full backs differently, we had to change.
I think we'll sign 2 players. One solid squad player and one decently big player who'll improve us.
II.True. I started to pay more attention in his game after that transfer "saga", and hes really an excellent player.
If he could be equally efficient on the RW he would be ideal.
He is really ambidextrous, so it might work. I don't even know which foot he favours, he is almost like Cazorla.
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I'm inclined to agree with Mike Keegan here. We won't make more than one signing in January.
Yeah that seems more in line with what Mourinho said. We'll move for a transfer target in January if he's available, otherwise we'll have a relatively quiet window. It's still disappointing if true though.
Pretty much like every other January window then if that's true. It should be scrapped altogether.
Excellent player, but Inter wont sell with them competing for the league.
The problem is, we rarely buy anyone in January but others do. Pep's already admitted to wanting some new signings in January, so the gap between the clubs might just get bigger.
Sanchez?
Him and a CB apparently.
Sanchez, Van Dijk and a fullback I expect.
In January? No chance
Why not? They are short at the back and Sanchez looks to have chucked it at Arsenal, so they'd be forgiven for cashing in before the summer. Seems feasible to me.
I expect us to spend a bit, too.
id just wait and get him for free.
Why not? They'll pay what's necessary.
Another centre back?!
Haven't they already got 50m Stones, 40m Otamendi, 42m Mangala, as well as Kompany still hanging around?
Another 50m centre back, on top of the twin 50m full backs?
That Pep is a genius.
A genius I tells you.
Pep is like football`s Macgyver! can turn shit into gold with nothing but a pack of gum and a pair of scissors!
Yep.
Picked up a woeful squad and with just his pure magic turned them into the most incredible footballing machine ever seen
Pep wanted to get rid of Mangala last summer, but no team were willing to pay what City wanted. Kompany is also injured more often than not, so it's not surprising to see them wanting to strengthen there.
I could see them adding a 6 too, though maybe not until the summer. Fernandinho plays all the time and is 32 and I don't know that there's anyone else on the team Pep actually rates in that role. Someone like Weigl or Jorginho would give them a challenger and clear successor to Fernandinho in that role, though neither are as mobile so maybe instead of trying to find a Busquets type he'll look to grab another mobile 8 (which Fernandinho was very good at) and push him back since it's hard to find a quick and technically skilled 6.
Have anyone seen us linked to anyone at all?
Anything reliable?
I haven't seen anything
Anything reliable?
I haven't seen anything
You've literally just described Gundogan.
How is this about Pep and City again? Keep it on topic