Evan Ndicka | signs for Roma

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Conor

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Will have a big target on his back for the drug testers.
 

rbnZz

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I would like us to sign both, €50m would get you both players. Ndicka would be ideal as the left footed CH with pace that we need, he would be able to play the high line that ETH plays.
We will getting rid of Bailly, Jones, Tuanzebe and hopefully Wan Bisska which should create room to sign both players.

Timber is such as talented player could play multiple positions, similar to Kimmich for Bayern. I would like to see us give Laird a chance as the RB, he and Timber could share the duties.

Ndicka and Timber are both young talent players on the up, exactly what we need.
I agree but I'm afraid € 50m won't be enough. If you get both players, who will be the leader in the defense? Varane? He was decent with Ramos next to him but can he lead a defense himself?
 

golden_blunder

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I’ve only seen videos of him but he looks a bit raw. Plenty of speed and strength but a lot of his passing didn’t go properly, in fact a lot of his touches ended in the ball flying up in the air. Another thing I noticed is that he doesn’t seem to have the knack yet of directing his headers, many times he headed straight to the other team. A lot of development still to do but no better man than ETH to do that.
 

RoLo

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I watch a lot of Frankfurt and whilst Ndicka has bags of talent he's far from the finished article. Similar in style to Bailly and at this stage no better than him. Wouldn't be my first choice centre half for the club to buy to be honest.

Can be a little rash in rushing in which looks great when it comes off but can leave him exposed when it doesn't.

Hinteregger does an excellent job sweeping for him but we don't really have that profile of defender in the squad.
 

Bojan Djordjic

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I never comment on transfer rumours and muppet threads but if there ever was a young defender whose playing style reminded of Van Dijk, it is this dude. Very impressive.

If he ends up in the PL, he will very quickly learn not to go on these dribbles, surely.
He reminds me of Kolo Toure. He's such rangy runner and looks like he's quite comfortable in possession.
 

Trex

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We should be going for players that suit ETH football. How good is he on the ball as we have seen with his Ajax center backs that is fundamental to his philosophy of play.
 

rbnZz

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But what we are looking for is should be someone who fits the manager's system not the PL.
When we have the ball, Timber is perfect but I'm worried when we don't have the ball. He will be a weak link in the air.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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When we have the ball, Timber is perfect but I'm worried when we don't have the ball. He will be a weak link in the air.
ETH's centre backs: Blind, Timber, and Martinez. 180cm, 180cm, 175cm. Well, this is the risk of hiring ETH. He will prioritise defenders with ball playing ability or progressive ball first. After all, our manager wants to play a possession based football. I'm not sure whether you were originally wanted ETH as the manager but I wanted him as the manager so I'm going towards to his ideology on defenders.
 

MUFC OK

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Should bring him and Sabitzer in for McTom and Maguire. Make a £25m profit and improve the squad. I should really be our DoF.
 

MadMike

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Just the fact he's a very decent left footed CB who is available on a free, makes him very highly appealing. An alternative to Martinez. We should be all over this.

Lindelof can be cover for Varane and then we can try and get as much money for Maguire as we can. We:

  • Get rid of a player that wants to be starting, but doesn't deserve to in this team
  • Reduce the average age of our CBs
  • Reduce the wage bill so we're more FFP compliant and generate some money for other transfers
  • Create better balance between left and right footed CBs
 

sullydnl

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A left-footed CB isn't what we need. We're looking for someone to replace Maguire and compete with and cover for Varane, not to play where Martinez/Shaw have been used this season.
 

JJ12

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Another big club can probably offer him more playing time sadly
 

ti vu

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Perhaps I don't watch enough Eintracht Frankfurt, so he's very unimpressive in my eyes. Because he's free he's getting the attention, not because he stands out in anything for all the young talented CBs France possess in his group age IMO. The Kamara of last summer window.
 

Cassidy

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A left-footed CB isn't what we need. We're looking for someone to replace Maguire and compete with and cover for Varane, not to play where Martinez/Shaw have been used this season.
Having Shaw covering both CB and LB isn't exactly ideal.
 

MadMike

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Having Shaw covering both CB and LB isn't exactly ideal.
It is very far from ideal. One injury and then not only does Malacia have to start every game at LB but also you don’t have a CB that is comfortable in stepping in for Martinez in case of suspensions or niggles in the same period.


A left-footed CB isn't what we need. We're looking for someone to replace Maguire and compete with and cover for Varane, not to play where Martinez/Shaw have been used this season.
Maguire has already been replaced by Varane and Lindelof is covering for him. We need someone to cover for Licha, someone who isn’t already in the starting XI in another position. Shaw has been doing it out of necessity, because Maguire is poor, but that comes with another compromise at left back.

Your option to covering for Martial can’t just be to play Rashford centrally, you need another striker for cover which is why we got Wout.
 

sullydnl

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Having Shaw covering both CB and LB isn't exactly ideal.
Oh, it's definitely not ideal.

But of our two first choice CBs, bringing in cover for Varane is the bigger issue given his age and injury issues and the fact that that's where Maguire (who will look to leave in the summer) also plays. Relying on Lindelof to play any and every time Varane isn't available is even less ideal.

So unless you want to sign two CBs this summer, we'd be targeting a RCB rather than a LCB.
 

zaafi

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Perhaps I don't watch enough Eintracht Frankfurt, so he's very unimpressive in my eyes. Because he's free he's getting the attention, not because he stands out in anything for all the young talented CBs France possess in his group age IMO. The Kamara of last summer window.
Laporte didn't get into the French squad even at Man City so he decided to go for Spain instead.

Konaté didn't get into their squad before signing for Liverpool despite being very talented and a rock in Leipzig's defense.

Deschamps having the occasionally weird preference shouldn't have an impact of which players we go for.
 

MadMike

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Oh, it's definitely not ideal.

But of our two first choice CBs, bringing in cover for Varane is the bigger issue given his age and injury issues and the fact that that's where Maguire (who will look to leave in the summer) also plays. Relying on Lindelof to play any and every time Varane isn't available is even less ideal.

So unless you want to sign two CBs this summer, we'd be targeting a RCB rather than a LCB.
If relying on Lindelof to cover for Varane is that problematic, then he should also be moved on (seems like Maguire is leaving anyway, in search of first team football) and we should look to bring 2 CBs in the summer. What's the point on having him as Licha's cover then, if according to you he can't be even trusted to cover for RCB position which matches his dominant foot?

And it shouldn't be a problem bringing two players in, since neither would be a starting CB. It's not like you're changing too many pieces on your starting XI, or something. And one would be, theoretically, free.

But personally, I don't have problem with Lindelof as a squad player. He has no problem with being on the bench, he's not on a lot of money and he does pretty well at RCB when needed to. I feel you're making a mountain out of a molehill about the RCB situation, for me.
 
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Oh, it's definitely not ideal.

But of our two first choice CBs, bringing in cover for Varane is the bigger issue given his age and injury issues and the fact that that's where Maguire (who will look to leave in the summer) also plays. Relying on Lindelof to play any and every time Varane isn't available is even less ideal.

So unless you want to sign two CBs this summer, we'd be targeting a RCB rather than a LCB.
Casemiro and at a push mctominay can both cover right centre back if needed. Plus Mengi from the youth team.
 

Amsterdam Devil

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Oh, it's definitely not ideal.

But of our two first choice CBs, bringing in cover for Varane is the bigger issue given his age and injury issues and the fact that that's where Maguire (who will look to leave in the summer) also plays. Relying on Lindelof to play any and every time Varane isn't available is even less ideal.

So unless you want to sign two CBs this summer, we'd be targeting a RCB rather than a LCB.
Lindelof for RCB back-up is oke, so we need a LCB and maybe a versatile player for RB who can also cover CB or midfield if necessary. Timber as versatile player would be great and Ndicka as LCB is oke. Ndicka is transfer free at the end of the season. Lots of clubs looking at him, including Arsenal, Spurs and Barcelona.
 

sullydnl

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Casemiro and at a push mctominay can both cover right centre back if needed. Plus Mengi from the youth team.
If I actually thought we were likely to move Casemiro out of midfield to cover at RCB then that would double my desire for that RCB signing. We need Casemiro where he is. As for McTominay, I'd be very surprised if he wasn't following Maguire out the door this summer.

Also, we're not talking about once in a blue moon cover. Whoever is our alternative to Varane at RCB will likely have to play quite often. Certainly more often than whoever our alternative to Martinez is at LCB.
 

MadMike

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If I actually thought we were likely to move Casemiro out of midfield to cover at RCB then that would double my desire for that RCB signing. We need Casemiro where he is. As for McTominay, I'd be very surprised if he wasn't following Maguire out the door this summer.

Also, we're not talking about once in a blue moon cover. Whoever is our alternative to Varane at RCB will likely have to play quite often. Certainly more often than whoever our alternative to Martinez is at LCB.
Now that Varane has quit international football and is getting more rest, it's possible he'll get less muscular injuries too. He's missed what, 7 or 8 out of our 38 games so far this season? Last season was bad (15 missed games through injury) but that's not something very common for him. Prior to that he'd only missed more than 10 games back in 16/17 and then in 13/14 when he tore his meniscus. He's only 29.

I think Lindelof is more than fine for ~10 missed games a season. You'll struggle to find better defenders who are willing to be subs. Most will be at about his level.
 

Sanche7

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Don't get the links to all these CBs. This guy I get, because he's available on free, but I don't know why we are pursuing or allegedly pursuing Kim. 50 mill on a starting CB is not something that's required right now IMO. Our defense seems well settled and are developing a good understanding with each other. We do need some cover at CB but not an expensive one. And I'm not really sure if highly rated youngsters or starting CBs playing for the most inform club in Europe will be willing to come here to sit on the bench. Surely CM and ST should be where our focus focus should be, with a ball playing keeper as the next priority.
 

ti vu

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Laporte didn't get into the French squad even at Man City so he decided to go for Spain instead.

Konaté didn't get into their squad before signing for Liverpool despite being very talented and a rock in Leipzig's defense.

Deschamps having the occasionally weird preference shouldn't have an impact of which players we go for.
I was not talking about getting into France squad. I meant from what I see for myself, N Dicka doesn't stand out in any aspects.

Even Deschamps decision looks very reasonable.

Laporte is not all that. Spain selection for has been bad. Nowadays, Rodri played as CB and he looks more capable than he is. Looks like after that Lyon games, Pep destined to push Laporte down the pecking order too.

We know both Upamecano and Konate initially struggled at their new clubs. We remembered Ole's United counter attack took apart Leipzig defense in the first leg. And we also almost got a draw at the end which would see us through in expense of Leipzig. The raw talent of them both are undeniable. But before their development took place, they're disciplined, experienced enough when France was not short of options.
 

croadyman

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Don't get the links to all these CBs. This guy I get, because he's available on free, but I don't know why we are pursuing or allegedly pursuing Kim. 50 mill on a starting CB is not something that's required right now IMO. Our defense seems well settled and are developing a good understanding with each other. We do need some cover at CB but not an expensive one. And I'm not really sure if highly rated youngsters or starting CBs playing for the most inform club in Europe will be willing to come here to sit on the bench. Surely CM and ST should be where our focus focus should be, with a ball playing keeper as the next priority.
Yeah I would take this guy on a free
 

jesperjaap

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Don't get the links to all these CBs. This guy I get, because he's available on free, but I don't know why we are pursuing or allegedly pursuing Kim. 50 mill on a starting CB is not something that's required right now IMO. Our defense seems well settled and are developing a good understanding with each other. We do need some cover at CB but not an expensive one. And I'm not really sure if highly rated youngsters or starting CBs playing for the most inform club in Europe will be willing to come here to sit on the bench. Surely CM and ST should be where our focus focus should be, with a ball playing keeper as the next priority.
Jones, Bailly, Tuanzabe should all not be here next season. Also with Shaw being a good option for Martinez being absent, would expect Maguire to go too....that would leave us Martinez, Varane and Lindelof with Shaw as another option....but its only three centre backs, one of which isnt getting younger and has had a fair few niggles and his only back up has never been more than bang average sicne he has been here.

I think a young centre back to come in and learn and compete with Varane over the next year or two is probably our biggest need in terms of improving the squad as opposed to what we need to improve our first eleven. Dont think a huge signing is needed, agree with you there....but I think we need to sign a quality young one who has a good chance of being a started over the next couple of years, some like a Bella Kothcap or Lukeba are players I like, but they would hardly be cheap either
 
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