Are we going to end up with a pop gun attack?

[kithnou]

Very worrying.

 

[bluekangaroo]

Rooney should never, ever be playing as our number nine. If Koeman has that in mind it's very worrying. I don't mind him being back with us, but please keep him to being a squad player. We didn't need him signing. Sandro is our only real striker, so a second striker, preferably a proven one (Benteke, Giroud) is an absolute must in the coming days.

 

[HongKongToffee]

I mentioned in the summer transfer thread my concern that with the very likely departure of Lukaku we are faced with an almighty struggle next season to get a striker in to fill the massive chasm he'll leave. So far we have not been linked with the type of marquee signing that we could reasonably believe could come in and take up at least most of the slack in terms of getting on the scoresheet as often as RL has in his time here. Sandro may or may not come in. However, I dont see him as a type that will lead the line in the fashion that we as a club have been used to with our tradition. The existing players we have upfront are unimpressive. For one they cant be adapted to the role of an out and out forward and for another they look pretty limited in what they do in their 'proper job', be that Bolasie and Lookman attacking from out wide or Calvert-Lewin loitering without intent in behind the striker/final third.

Here's my suspicion: I think Koeman will forsake going for a like for like replacement for Lukaku this summer. He looks to me to be thinking of going with a type of attacking unit adopted over the park and adopted elsewhere: a high pressing front three with an advanced MF (probably Klaassens) to augment the attack by making forward runs into the box.

I think this will be madness for us. First, we wont have the class to pull that one off: Lallana/Firmino/Mane + Coutinho are very good quality. That's how they blitzed the PL in the first half of last season and picked up the points that eventually seen them over the CL spot line. Our front 3+1 would be nowhere near that level of quality. Second, we have a lot more games this season and what happened to Liverpool (and what happens to other teams who adopt a manic high press) over the course of the season would come home to roost here too: we'd have a core first team on its knees and/or dropping down with injuries by late winter.

Anyway, that's my thoughts/fears on what I believe this summer's attacking incomings are being prioritised for. Hopefully Koeman goes out and blows that out of the water with a Giroud signing, but I really think we are headed into 2017/18 with a re-shaped and dangerous departure from what we traditionally have gone for before.

Thoughts?

The difference with that attack across the park to ours is blistering pace and quick transitions,Firmino/Coutinho/Lallana/Salah/Mane just oozes pace and quick interchanging with quick transitions when winning the ball high up the pitch with pressing.

On last nights showing i didn't see either of those things,could be pre season but i don't know where the pace and pressing is in the front 6.

And signing Giroud just adds to the lack of pace,it would be the slowest front 6 in the PL by far if it isn't right now but adding Giroud with no pace out wide or behind makes us look more snail paced.

 

[macdog]

Pop gun? More like a wet fart.

 

[Niapper]

The difference with that attack across the park to ours is blistering pace and quick transitions,Firmino/Coutinho/Lallana/Salah/Mane just oozes pace and quick interchanging with quick transitions when winning the ball high up the pitch with pressing.

On last nights showing i didn't see either of those things,could be pre season but i don't know where the pace and pressing is in the front 6.

And signing Giroud just adds to the lack of pace,it would be the slowest front 6 in the PL by far if it isn't right now but adding Giroud with no pace out wide or behind makes us look more snail paced.

Yes, i've always thought that koeman fancies pressing in the team

 

[Moomin]

The difference with that attack across the park to ours is blistering pace and quick transitions,Firmino/Coutinho/Lallana/Salah/Mane just oozes pace and quick interchanging with quick transitions when winning the ball high up the pitch with pressing.

On last nights showing i didn't see either of those things,could be pre season but i don't know where the pace and pressing is in the front 6.

And signing Giroud just adds to the lack of pace,it would be the slowest front 6 in the PL by far if it isn't right now but adding Giroud with no pace out wide or behind makes us look more snail paced.

I see you are still pretending.

Listed.

 

[davek]

The difference with that attack across the park to ours is blistering pace and quick transitions,Firmino/Coutinho/Lallana/Salah/Mane just oozes pace and quick interchanging with quick transitions when winning the ball high up the pitch with pressing.

On last nights showing i didn't see either of those things,could be pre season but i don't know where the pace and pressing is in the front 6.

And signing Giroud just adds to the lack of pace,it would be the slowest front 6 in the PL by far if it isn't right now but adding Giroud with no pace out wide or behind makes us look more snail paced.

Liverpool played their game by sitting back and creating space in behind opponents and stretching play. We were playing a team last night that wouldn't venture out much. However, even if they had I doubt we'd have punished them for it. Only Sandro looked like a player that could fit into a type of 'false nine' system.

I agree with what you say also about a forward needing pace. We could do with someone like...erm...Lukaku....

 

[Moomin]

Liverpool played their game by sitting back and creating space in behind opponents and stretching play. We were playing a team last night that wouldn't venture out much. However, even if they had I doubt we'd have punished them for it. Only Sandro looked like a player that could fit into a type of 'false nine' system.

I agree with what you say also about a forward needing pace. We could do with someone like...erm...Lukaku....

If we plan to use a 4-3-3 system like the first half. Giroud as the focal point with Sandro and someone like Walcott either side.

Then we would have no need to spend 50 million on Siggy.

 

[HongKongToffee]

Yes, i've always thought that koeman fancies pressing in the team

Same his Saints side pressed a lot,haven't seen much of it since he's been here.

I can see why he would want a target man in Giroud to mirror Lakaku and that Italian striker he had(forgot his name),he seems to like the big guy up top.

All the teams who finished above us have pacy front 5-6's with pace power and guile and the likes of the RS Spurs City press like maniacs.

Just wish he had signed a couple players with some pace this summer.

 

[davek]

If we plan to use a 4-3-3 system like the first half. Giroud as the focal point with Sandro and someone like Walcott either side.

Then we would have no need to spend 50 million on Siggy.

I think that's a good call. I like that front three.

Sigurdsson: been saying for weeks now that the priorities have changed. We need pace and power in attack now. Urgently. Oh, and replacing Williams is now also in the urgent things to do column.

£100M almost spent and I dont see a team worthy of last season's tbh.

 

[Joey66]

Bloody hell Joey lad, that takes me back ) i remember getting a hiding off me mam because she started doing the Sunday dinner and every spud she looked to peel to make the roasties was covered in little holes where me and my brother had been playing with the spud guns

Those were the days before computers for kidslol

 

[kithnou]

Are we going to score a single goal this season then? Deflections aside.

 

[kithnou]

Ok. Scratch that..

 

[john jako]

Two up top worked brilliantly.

Not.

 

[jonnyboy316]

I think that's a good call. I like that front three.

Sigurdsson: been saying for weeks now that the priorities have changed. We need pace and power in attack now. Urgently. Oh, and replacing Williams is now also in the urgent things to do column.

£100M almost spent and I dont see a team worthy of last season's tbh.

Completely agree. Siggurdson would be an upgrade on either Klassen or Rooney but we have a limited budget and more important areas of the team to address. I like a Giroud because the ball will stick but he needs to be surrounded by pace. So we would also need to bring in a productive wide forward.

I can now also see the sense in bringing in a deeper lying central midfielder and selling McCarthy. Schneids and Gana could work against top opposition when we are under the cosh and out of possession but against weaker sides we need a more incisive passer to get the ball into the forwards faster. Barry can do this but we can't be relying on him at this stage in his career