You need the perfect midfielder who can hold the midfield alone when Bruno does his things.
Bruno needs to be more disciplined or we play three in midfield or he needs to play further forward as no. 10.
You need the perfect midfielder who can hold the midfield alone when Bruno does his things.
Bruno needs to be more disciplined or we play three in midfield or he needs to play further forward as no. 10.
Really? That's not very good.I don't think Bruno should be in midfield, considering now we have Mbeumo and Cunha who give the ball away just as much as he does.
I believe this will happend too.Al Nassr sniffing around gives us the opportunity to do the right thing again. But my view is that he will leave next summer, along with Casemiro. They will both ride off into the Arabian sun after the World Cup and we will address the midfield then.
I’d really love for us to rebuild with a midfield trio at that point, but that would likely mean another disastrous season that sees Amorim sacked, and I’m not sure we can afford two of those in a row. I can’t see that the market will engage with us as they have this summer, and players will really start to refuse to come here in a way they haven’t done yet.
This!Agree.
If there was an elite striker available at the right price, an argument could be made either way.
But we didnt get Delap, Gyokeres, Ekitie and found out that Watkins was too expensive, so we are reaching for Sesko, and potentially bidding against Newcastle now.
Get a top class DM that can be a cornerstone of our midfield for years to come.
BALEBA!
Yesterday showed we need a Def minded Mid. Maybe Casmiero can save us, but he struggles to cover distances. Baleba really is a priority before Sesko. But if we can get both great!Why not put Baleba on the credit card, like we would do for Sesko?
The issue is clear- he’s best when the game dictates him to play on his front foot (when we’re pressing high and winning the ball back), and abysmal the other way around (when pressed high by a more physical opponent, where he needs to have surgical control and progress the ball out of dangerous areas).Ugarte had a bad game but let's not forget how good he was in the previous 2 games for us. Also it's pre-season so let's give him some time and a at the end of this season we can decide if he's good enough or not.
I think Bruno leaves next summer and Mainoo/Ugarte are the midfield pairing going forward.
Yes, Mbeumo was the only player who lost possession more times than Bruno last season. Cunha is not on the same level, but we'll need a solid midfield to make it work, and Bruno shouldn't be in that midfield.Really? That's not very good.
Yes, Mbeumo was the only player who lost possession more times than Bruno last season. Cunha is not on the same level, but we'll need a solid midfield to make it work, and Bruno shouldn't be in that midfield.
I agree, creative players tend to have that 'problem'. My only concern is how to accommodate 3 players like that without conceding a lot of goals.You say that but neither are particularly disproportionate to other attacking midfielders. Salah for instance is roughly the same and if you went back the likes of Rooney would have similar. There's an element of main man syndrome.
It would be interesting to see the split for Bruno as a midfielder, the only unpicking I could do was a quick manual look. He had less than 80% possession whilst playing CM only 4 times last season, most are average mid 80%. Possession loss does seem to be an overblown narrative with Bruno, people are unable to separate how he plays as an AM and CM.
It's bizarre to have so much depth in one position then big gaps elsewhere, not exactly sensible planning and will get worse if we end up replacing amorimI still can't get my head around how it works with Bruno, Cuhna, and Mbeumo.
Short on a formation change, then it just seems we have wilfully created a massive problem in our starting 11 for the upcoming season.
It's bizarre to have so much depth in one position then big gaps elsewhere, not exactly sensible planning and will get worse if we end up replacing amorim
It's bizarre to have so much depth in one position then big gaps elsewhere, not exactly sensible planning and will get worse if we end up replacing amorim
Spot on both of you. The Sesko deal is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Just shocks me, out the issues that stare us in the face, we’re throwing our remaining eggs at a 22 year old striker.Yeah, I was wondering about that. Should we have bought one of the two (Cunha, Mbeumo) and use the money to buy 2 MF or one MF and one GK.
Think long medium to long term we need someone who can keep things ticking over, and will develop there game over time.
Long term perhaps they partner Mainoo, but whoever it is needs to be able to do a bit of everything.
Profile wise someone like Mousa Dembélé ex Tottenham comes to mind or a player with that profile:
High intensity
Press resistant
Can play facing his own goal
wins high % 50/50s
Doesnt hold onto the ball
Can play a high tempo passes
Is there someone on the market like this?
Not seen anything of Beleba but you are talking Caicedo money. Wharton perhaps has the technical profile, but does he have that high intensity physicality, is he winning those 50/50s? Does Kone have the physicality for the Premier League looking even further ahead?
Its not an easy one
Is Baleba and Wharton our dream midfield?
Selling Bruno and Casemiro to the Saudis is the solution to achieve it.
Thank you for your attention to this matter Sir Jim. Please keep cooking.Spot on both of you. The Sesko deal is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Just shocks me, out the issues that stare us in the face, we’re throwing our remaining eggs at a 22 year old striker.
I really can’t imagine what this (potentially) new 215m pound frontline is going to do when our midfield gets sliced like butter through hot knife, meanwhile not being able to get out from the back and not getting service. I can already see the desperation set in, the long balls shooting across the sky like it’s fecking rockets.
I do want Sesko. But it doesn’t change the fact we’re building a team akin to a racehorse on a rocky trail. It’s going to end up poorly.
RWB???Looks more and more likely that we will sign Baleba which is a great move in the right direction.
Looks likely also that Bruno will stay so I wonder if developing Mainoo as Baleba partner long term would result in Bruno being used as a RWB at times this season?
We’ve a load of AM (also think that is Diallos best role) and if Bruno was our RWB with Dalot as understudy I think we’ve better balance and more sustained control from CM with Mainoo and Baleba partnership.
Thoughts?
Probably the most bonkers thing I’ve ever readLooks more and more likely that we will sign Baleba which is a great move in the right direction.
Looks likely also that Bruno will stay so I wonder if developing Mainoo as Baleba partner long term would result in Bruno being used as a RWB at times this season?
We’ve a load of AM (also think that is Diallos best role) and if Bruno was our RWB with Dalot as understudy I think we’ve better balance and more sustained control from CM with Mainoo and Baleba partnership.
Thoughts?
No extra charge KKK (think David Beckham type role)Probably the most bonkers thing I’ve ever read
Not bonkers at all, but sticking Bruno there is counter productive.Looks more and more likely that we will sign Baleba which is a great move in the right direction.
Looks likely also that Bruno will stay so I wonder if developing Mainoo as Baleba partner long term would result in Bruno being used as a RWB at times this season?
We’ve a load of AM (also think that is Diallos best role) and if Bruno was our RWB with Dalot as understudy I think we’ve better balance and more sustained control from CM with Mainoo and Baleba partnership.
Thoughts?
That’s not a bad shoutGod knows we want Baleba, and it’s pointless to discuss anybody else we haven’t been linked to. But I hope we have a Plan B- we must.
Amadou Onana fits the mold- joke of an athlete, a total unit, does everything you could ask out of destroyer that can run for days too, and with enough carrying in his game to complement the now and tomorrow’s midfield pairing.
His price should be half of Baleba’s, Villa is desperate for cash, and they have enough midfielders to do without him.
I’d be as happy with Onana if the chase for Baleba falls through.
