Yagami
Good post resistant
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
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- 14,093
Injured.How about a last minute loan for Arthur Melo, he was a very good mid at Barca and Juve doesn't use him at all.
Injured.How about a last minute loan for Arthur Melo, he was a very good mid at Barca and Juve doesn't use him at all.
Yeah but we really need a DM.
We needed a CB, got one. Needed a RW, got one. Not a big improvement but an improvement. If not improvement just a good way to deal in the transfer market. As for being lucky, sometimes you need to be lucky in the transfer market. Lots of times. Being lucky doesn't mean those were bad deals..VdB says hello. And to be fair two of our three best signings in recent times are Ronaldo and Cavani who were both totally unplanned, reactionary last second deals.
I don't think we've improved much at all in terms of squad management and transfer strategy. We've been very lucky no one went for Bruno the summer prior to us signing him, and very lucky that Cavani and Ronaldo became available.
Lindelof is horrible when pressed and the one position you want to be not horrible is DM, otherwise calamities ensue.Lindeloff reads the game well.
The pass he made to Bruno for his goal against Leeds was Pogba like.
He can defend. His one weakness is heading. Varane is far superior.
We have Bailly as cover for CB and Lindeloff can be too.
Yet if we do not make a specialist CDM signing today, the Ronaldo signing looks exactly what I thought at first.
A Glazers revenue generating exercise.
Fred is average.
McT is a box to box player
Matic is done.
The Southampton and Wolves match showed our lack of depth in the department.
Not that he'll score 20+ league goals at least?
I think it was more the way we were set up. Pogba and Fred were playing way too high in the first half. When Pogba sat deeper in the second half we looked more comfortable. A tweak of the system is needed more than a shiny new signing in my view. Christ McT, Fred, Matic, Pogba, VDB are all experienced internationals- we just need to find a system and combination that will suit us.Did you watch the Wolves game? We clearly need a DM.
DDG still has plenty left, and that isnt even counting henderson so not sure why you said anything about GK. Greenwood looks like he could be a special CF talent, sancho literally has just come in and should settle into our RW spot. Perhaps yes we could get a backup RB, but feel like people are over-valuating that based on watching what liverpool get from their RB. So yeah literally the only position we need help on is CM- and more specifically DM. We just sold james, and could easily have sold lingard as well to fund that purchase and had what could be about as close to perfect a transfer window as we couldve imagined.We need a GK, two CMs, a backup RB, a CF who isn't in his mid-30s....not going to happen all at once though is it?
Going into this window, we also needed a CB and a RW, sorted both of those positions, now it requires patience.
think a big issue as well is Bruno. He still seems to be playing like he did last year where he would just push as high up as possible to force creating things. Now with the talent we have attacking wise he will need to be instructed to play further deeper. id like to see him much closer to pogba on the pitch than isolated as a second strikerI think it was more the way we were set up. Pogba and Fred were playing way too high in the first half. When Pogba sat deeper in the second half we looked more comfortable. A tweak of the system is needed more than a shiny new signing in my view. Christ McT, Fred, Matic, Pogba, VDB are all experienced internationals- we just need to find a system and combination that will suit us.
Who is this Christ you speak of? New midfielder?I think it was more the way we were set up. Pogba and Fred were playing way too high in the first half. When Pogba sat deeper in the second half we looked more comfortable. A tweak of the system is needed more than a shiny new signing in my view. Christ McT, Fred, Matic, Pogba, VDB are all experienced internationals- we just need to find a system and combination that will suit us.
State of this forum when we sign Sancho (£73m), Raphael Varane (£41m) and CRISTIANO RONADLO (£12m + £485K p/w) and STILL people are crying because we haven't bought even more players!
It's no wonder we're seen as entitled by other clubs/fans!
It takes time to build a proper squad. We wasted a decade between roughly 2008 and 2018, either doing not much at all or throwing money at the wrong players.
You can't undo all of those bad decisions and fix all of those problems in just a couple of Summer windows.
We aren't playing FIFA. These transfers involve real humans, with real emotions, and real money!
Liverpool have fit centre backs this year and chelsea have tuchel all season as well as lukaku. Its a much stronger league this season. No CDM does definitely mean no titleEven with this midfield we were second last year. Maybe this new additions will lift us in the table and we'll be in the mix for the title. Especially if Ronaldo will score like 20 goals or more.
Of course getting a mid would be near perfect window but it's great even without that. In any case Ole should mix it up and use VDB ffs.
No CDM doesn't necessarily mean no title and neither a CDM means a title.
I get it we need that CDM but it seems like it's the new reason to cry about.
To repeat myself it's been a truly great window.
Let's be honest, after signing Ronaldo, this midfield addition would always be more hopeful than anything. We signed 3 world class players, and I can't say I'm not happy with this window.
Even if we had a backup option, signing Ronaldo killed it.Let's be honest, as much as it is a huge deal, Ronaldo's transfer came out of nowhere.I pretty much doubt we would've signed DM even if he hadn't come,and that is what worries me.
We DO need Ronaldo,HE WILL score plenty of goals, a proper goal scorer.But we didn't NEED Ronaldo.
With the transfer fee and wages for CR7 and the sale of James to Leeds then we could have got a functional defensive midfielder.
I am delighted we have Ronaldo again but anticipation is always better than the reality usually. We did the same thing with Sanchez. It came out of the blue and only when it looked like he was going to City.
We didnt actually need a right wing this summer though, greenwood was in great form there at the end of last seasonWe needed a CB, got one. Needed a RW, got one. Not a big improvement but an improvement. If not improvement just a good way to deal in the transfer market. As for being lucky, sometimes you need to be lucky in the transfer market. Lots of times. Being lucky doesn't mean those were bad deals..
Cavani was maybe reactionary but turned out to be good. Ronaldo isn't a reactionary deal. It's a deal you make when a player like him is available.
Let's be honest, as much as it is a huge deal, Ronaldo's transfer came out of nowhere.I pretty much doubt we would've signed DM even if he hadn't come,and that is what worries me.
Last season he showed how good he can be against Leeds and in the final against Villareal, in the rest of the games was subpar for our quality, so let's hope he build on that because having a couple of good games is not enough, but more than ever we have to hope he will step up, Fred will become crucial again like past two seasons too, when he shakes off his early form after very long season.Let's hope McTomminay will be available till the end of season after his comeback. The last game showed us just how crucial he is to our midfield. The only midfielder we have that's no so shit at controlling the ball and have legs to actually press and defend. VDB is still an unknown quality because Ole played Dalot instead of him .
This bolded bit is the problem now or should I say the risk.We need a GK, two CMs, a backup RB, a CF who isn't in his mid-30s....not going to happen all at once though is it?
Going into this window, we also needed a CB and a RW, sorted both of those positions, now it requires patience.
You are watching a different player than the McTominay I watch. This is the box to box McTominay:He's about to turn 25 ffs. People treat him like a youngster when he's not. He's the new Lingard. He has no defensive talent at all, he loses his man constantly, is awful in the challenge & will get sold on any slight dummy. He doesn't read danger and he's average at best going forward.
Lindelof is horrible when pressed and the one position you want to be not horrible is DM, otherwise calamities ensue.
plus it’s easier to hit a long ball from defence with more options ahead than it is to do it in midfield
A young Matic would have stupendous, but who out there would you even consider to be like Matic? We need a calming influence in the middle of the park with great mobility, who reads the game like a mind reader, has excellent passing range, and can boss people physically. Who?Disappointing, still think we need someone in there with legs who can properly beat the press. McFred are both made better by having the other there but don’t impress on their own, and that means taking something out elsewhere (and we will already be making system adaptations/accommodations for Ronaldo who won’t press much). A young Matic would have been great sadly.
I would mind a bit of Saul’s “loan with conditional requirement to buy” deal I read they were requesting from Chelsea.
signing Ronaldo is an interesting one because I think it somewhat changes the timeline. He along with Messi is the ultimate “win now” guy, at his age can’t be part of a long term project. I think especially had we won a trophy in the last two years (we essentially left two europa leagues on the table), or if we win one this year, people would be happy enough seeing Ole’s project as a work in progress with obvious improvement. Now there are more expectations. The right midfielder would add more than his individual value to the team, he would unlock a lot for us.
To be fair, Ole is excellent at cuddling.Who is Luckhurst saying the 6 options are?
Fred McTominay Matic Pogba VDB and Garner?
There's two valid options there and one of them has just had surgery, and the other is Fred.
The real reason we had no plans to sign a CDM is the squad is full, because we give new contracts out like candy and give Lingard and Jones all the cuddles they need to convince them to not push for moves.
Is this supposed to fill me with confidence? Ruben Neves isn't even an out and out DM and compares like this:You are watching a different player than the McTominay I watch. This is the box to box McTominay:
2019/20:
Defence
Tackles 43
Tackle success % 51%
Blocked shots 12
Interceptions 31
Clearances 33
Headed Clearance 20
Recoveries 147
Duels won 170
Duels lost 124
Successful 50/50s 31
Aerial battles won 44
Aerial battles lost 31
Errors leading to goal 1
2020/21
Defence
Tackles 51
Tackle success % 47%
Blocked shots 11
Interceptions 29
Clearances 43
Headed Clearance 29
Recoveries 154
Duels won 167
Duels lost 116
Successful 50/50s 26
Aerial battles won 49
Aerial battles lost 31
Errors leading to goal 0
Is this supposed to fill me with confidence? Ruben Neves isn't even an out and out DM and compares like this:
Tackles: Neves 86, McTominay 51
Tackle success: Neves 53%, McTominay 47%
Blocked shots: Neves 22, McTominay 11
Interceptions: Neves 65, McTominay 29
Clearances: Neves 40, McTominay 43
Recoveries: Neves 223, McTominay 154
That's not even comparing him to an out and out DM and he's already in the mud. I won't compare his stats to actual holding mids like Ndidi because I don't want to murder the boy.
You realize they play different positions, yes?Is this supposed to fill me with confidence? Ruben Neves isn't even an out and out DM and compares like this:
Tackles: Neves 86, McTominay 51
Tackle success: Neves 53%, McTominay 47%
Blocked shots: Neves 22, McTominay 11
Interceptions: Neves 65, McTominay 29
Clearances: Neves 40, McTominay 43
Recoveries: Neves 223, McTominay 154
That's not even comparing him to an out and out DM and he's already in the mud. I won't compare his stats to actual holding mids like Ndidi because I don't want to murder the boy.
Then why does Neves also blitz him in attacking stats too? Do they do more attacking and defending? Tbf they probably do as we spent most of our games watching McTominay and Fred pass the ball sideways to each other.I mean Wolves do a lot more defending, especially last season.
If you coach is good at his job then its not definite. City won title with no CF and you would be saying we cannot win the title with no CF either. Liverpool won the title with Milner in midfield so for for the first time in his spell, our gaffer really has to prove his worth.What I do understand is no CDM = no title.
I would like to be proven wrong on this but time will tell
They both play as 8s so no they don't. Anyway, the fact that McTominay even plays as an 8 is part of the problem. People have this fantasy that he'll return from injury and fix our CDM issue when he's not even a CDM.You realize they play different positions, yes?
Neves plays as a 6.They both play as 8s so no they don't. Anyway, the fact that McTominay even plays as an 8 is part of the problem. People have this fantasy that he'll return from injury and fix our CDM issue when he's not even a CDM.
No he doesn't. He used to but he started playing much further up the pitch 2 seasons ago*Neves plays as a 6.
It's possible to sign more than 3 players in a transfer window or did you not realise this?
The reason we can't is because we're still throwing money at the wrong players i.e. the 6 or 7 players in our 25 man squad who offer us nothing either because they physically can't or, in VdB's case, because Ole hates them.
3 world class signings. That's a damn good window. Probably the best I can remember in my lifetime.
Squad's not perfect, but no squad is. City failed to sign a 9. Liverpool failed to sign the quality of backups required if they get injuries again.
Compare the squad we have now to the one Fergie won his final PL with. The depth we have in most positions now is far deeper. Glass half full gents, glass half bloody full please!!!