Transfer Rumour Axel Witsel

[Darth Vader]

Can you name a top player hes bought at any of his clubs outside of southampton?


Dont think hes bought any stars at southampton either bar VVD who anyone could see was class.

Mane, Forster, Tadic, VVD at Southampton

Looking through his past clubs he's never had any money to spend, Southampton is the first time he's spent a lot of cash

He did spend 6.5m on Kone though

 

[banno]

He had a DoF. He didn't sign any of them.

I am sure the DOF didn't sign them without consultation with Koeman.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

Nothing has changed lads, we have zero interest in this.

 

[ilikecheese]

What time is the presser?

 

[Frank Gallagher]

I'd rather have fellaini back than sign witzsel. Fellaini at 20mil would be better value.he offers us a goal threat too

 

[bluestevon]

We never really played with what I would regard as a conventional midfield during Bobby's reign.

Barry and McCarthy were too defensive so we were regukarly getting overrun in the actual middle of the pitch where Ross would often find himself isolated.

Spot on mate, given he was a midfielder himself when he was a player, Martinez didn't seem to udnerstand how to set a balabnced team up at all

It's why i think if we are bringing in the likes of Witsel/Strootman/Kovacic (unlikely) or Schneiderlein then i can see with those players added to improved coaching Barkley could become a absolutely top centre midfielder over the next couple of seasons, i'm also not ruling out the fact Koeman may use him - but coach him before throwing him in their as one of the wide players in a 4-3-3, Barkley coming in off the left should in theory if he picks up that position be absolutely lethal

 

[Bluetintedspecs]

Southampton.

In two seasons he's signed:

Cédric Soares £4,700,000
Juanmi £5,000,000
Cuco Martina £1,000,000
Jordy Clasie £8,000,000
Oriol Romeu £5,000,000
Virgil van Dijk £11,500,000
Charlie Austin £4,000,000
Dušan Tadić £10,900,000
Graziano Pellè £9,000,000
Fraser Forster £10,000,000
Shane Long £12,000,000
Sadio Mané £10,000,000
Florin Gardos £6,000,000
Ryan Bertrand £10,000,000

Net spend: -£22m

His weaker signings were mostly very cheap, but he signed Clasie, VVD, Tadic, Pellé, Forster and Mané for under £50m. Mané alone has just gone for over £30m. In a short time he's brought in a top keeper, forward, fullback, centre back, playmaker, winger and centre mid. Even the likes of Long have proven worthy signings for them. His ratio of good:bad is clearly much better than 90% of managers in the league, and the fact that they've accomplished this with a negative net spend shows some astuteness (though how much of that is on Koeman's end I'm not sure).

What I find encouraging is that he's clearly got an eye for a player in every position. Bar maybe right back, seeing as 3 of his weakest signings have all been right backs!

He also signed Alderweireld on loan in his first season, before Spurs pinched him.

 

[bluestevon]

Hes one of the "captains" who wilmots trusts.

I think he may be ours or at least a vice captain which we lack.

He is just an all round very good player, noticable that last nioght he was tasked with picking up bale on all set pieces as well and kept him quiet, think people expected to see this maurading player smashing around the centre of the park or something, and they didn't actually watch that throughout the game Witsel was shadowing Bale every time Wales had the ball - bascially his role seems to have been to nullify the threat of him - which in that game he did well, it was in other areas that Wales did their damage and other players who IMO anyway let that Belgium side down.

 

[Mikeonlythebestwilldo]

Spot on mate, given he was a midfielder himself when he was a player, Martinez didn't seem to udnerstand how to set a balabnced team up at all

It's why i think if we are bringing in the likes of Witsel/Strootman/Kovacic (unlikely) or Schneiderlein then i can see with those players added to improved coaching Barkley could become a absolutely top centre midfielder over the next couple of seasons, i'm also not ruling out the fact Koeman may use him - but coach him before throwing him in their as one of the wide players in a 4-3-3, Barkley coming in off the left should in theory if he picks up that position be absolutely lethal

Good point bluesteven that's what I've been trying to say about Barkley and stones mate confidence is shot because of Martinez

 

[sageyefc]

I'd rather have fellaini back than sign witzsel. Fellaini at 20mil would be better value.he offers us a goal threat too

No

 

[bluestevon]

Good point bluesteven that's what I've been trying to say about Barkley and stones mate confidence is shot because of Martinez

Barkley for me anyway mate has developed and is where he is right now down to natural talent - same with Stones, think the amount of input on the coaching side has been minimal at best and detrimental to them at worst.

Stones i am almost certain is off to City, and he will go ont o be one of the best Centre backs around for the next generation, Barkley is young enough as well that if Koeman gets a hold of him then he could turn him into a great player, build the lads confidence and get him surrounded by players of a different level every day in trainign and in games and we will have a world class local lad for years to come leading this team

 

[Frank Gallagher]

No

Oh yes!

 

[sageyefc]

Oh yes!

Gash

 

[Aar_the_Toffees]

He is just an all round very good player, noticable that last nioght he was tasked with picking up bale on all set pieces as well and kept him quiet, think people expected to see this maurading player smashing around the centre of the park or something, and they didn't actually watch that throughout the game Witsel was shadowing Bale every time Wales had the ball - bascially his role seems to have been to nullify the threat of him - which in that game he did well, it was in other areas that Wales did their damage and other players who IMO anyway let that Belgium side down.

Someone capable of shadowing Bale? We have that already:



Just kidding though lad. Witsels a great player, a proper centre midfielder, not a holding like McCarthy and Barry. Hopefully Cleverley, McCarthy can leave and Barry can be taken out of the first team slowly with him here. Our midfield looking like this would be the stuff of dreams:

Witsel, Mata, Barkley, Besic, Gibson, Barry, one or two of the youth (Davies and Dowell)

EDIT: Hopefully Gibsons been signed just to sell for a greater price later on, so the youth are given more of a chance.

 

[Tree13]

Agree Joe Allen and Ledley have looked immense this tournament.
But still not seen enough of Witsel to be convinced.