2018/19 Idrissa Gueye

[CRIMHEAD]

He's critical in the games we don't have much of the ball but we're not good enough overall to get a result in them games anyway ( the big 6 )

Against most other teams he is on the ball a lot and isn't good enough with it

Would 1 million percent sell if we got a good offer to get a more all rounded player to help in the games were we should be winning and aren't ( see the weekend for example )

I understand this sentiment, but I think it's less Gana and more the rest of the team. Gana should allow us to be more aggressive in attack as he can clean it up on the backside against poor sides. We can't even do that. I don't think Gana's passing limitations are the reason we can't break down lesser sides. I think it has much more to do with the poor quality or play of the players up front.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I think the main crux is mate, while this is true if we switch systems (which we probably do need to do eventually), are those players available now? The answer's unlikely to be yes.

We need another midfielder as it is. Like, desperately. Sell Gana, we need two.

I don’t think we are going to finish top 6 or be relegated. Given that if the board have an opportunity now to make a serious amount of money on Gueye that would allow them to get in their number 1 target in the summer in this position, shouldn’t they take it? If we don’t we potentially have a 30 year old player going past his prime decreasing in value that no one may want in the summer taking up a first team spot which means we can’t afford to get the player who could be an upgrade.

 

[mightymoyes]

I don’t think we are going to finish top 6 or be relegated. Given that if the board have an opportunity now to make a serious amount of money on Gueye that would allow them to get in their number 1 target in the summer in this position, shouldn’t they take it? If we don’t we potentially have a 30 year old player going past his prime decreasing in value that no one may want in the summer taking up a first team spot which means we can’t afford to get the player who could be an upgrade.

People need to get used to this, its basically what is goin to happen with a lot of players in the coming years. Buy them cheap, sell for big profit, rinse, repeat.
The club have said that's the model going forward and 1 reason why brands is here.

 

[Papa Shango]

At the expense of Silva going?

I'm not sure I get the link?

 

[BlueToff]

I don’t think we are going to finish top 6 or be relegated. Given that if the board have an opportunity now to make a serious amount of money on Gueye that would allow them to get in their number 1 target in the summer in this position, shouldn’t they take it? If we don’t we potentially have a 30 year old player going past his prime decreasing in value that no one may want in the summer taking up a first team spot which means we can’t afford to get the player who could be an upgrade.

Honestly, I want us to go and sign another midfielder. A high quality one. I want that to be to complement the best tackler in the league this season, and I'd rather our midfield choices be Gomes-Gana-(another) than Gomes-Gana-Davies/McCarthy/Scheiderlin.

We don't improve by selling our best players. We've done it now for the past few years.

I take into account his age though and the opportunity to make a huge profit. I just don't think Jan's the time to sell.

You're right in saying we aren't getting top 6 or relegated, but the place is pretty toxic as it is and we're 3 points off 7th. Imagine if we finish 14th? Doesn't that just make it even worse. Surely keeping your better players should help us be better?

We'll see what happens, like.I'm just playing devil's advocate.

 

[Kever10]

I don’t think we are going to finish top 6 or be relegated. Given that if the board have an opportunity now to make a serious amount of money on Gueye that would allow them to get in their number 1 target in the summer in this position, shouldn’t they take it? If we don’t we potentially have a 30 year old player going past his prime decreasing in value that no one may want in the summer taking up a first team spot which means we can’t afford to get the player who could be an upgrade.

Also, he just doesn't do what people think he does. For me, both him and Sigurdsson keep their own personal stats ticking over at the expense of the teams overall shape and performance. I know Schneiderlin and Davies aren't exactly flavour of the month, but i would be interested to see a midfield with Gomes, Schneiderlin and Davies, with Schneiderlin sitting in, and Davies being the box to box, Bernard being the link player, and maybe Richarlison and either Calvert Lewin or Lookman depending on the needs, ie, Calvert Lewin for hold up, Lookman for more width.

All the people claiming we will be doomed without Gueye have leveled criticism at every single midfield partner he has had. Barkley, Schneiderlin, Davies, Barry, Mccarthy, Rooney, Sigurdsson and now even Gomes. It reminds me of that old joke about the guy who goes to the Doctor believing he's broken every bone in his body. At some point, you have to maybe realise its the finger that's broken.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Also, he just doesn't do what people think he does. For me, both him and Sigurdsson keep their own personal stats ticking over at the expense of the teams overall shape and performance. I know Schneiderlin and Davies aren't exactly flavour of the month, but i would be interested to see a midfield with Gomes, Schneiderlin and Davies, with Schneiderlin sitting in, and Davies being the box to box, Bernard being the link player, and maybe Richarlison and either Calvert Lewin or Lookman depending on the needs, ie, Calvert Lewin for hold up, Lookman for more width.

All the people claiming we will be doomed without Gueye have leveled criticism at every single midfield partner he has had. Barkley, Schneiderlin, Davies, Barry, Mccarthy, Rooney, Sigurdsson and now even Gomes. It reminds me of that old joke about the guy who goes to the Doctor believing he's broken every bone in his body. At some point, you have to maybe realise its the finger that's broken.

Couldn’t agree more. The Gueye Schneiderlin Siggurdson trio was an absolutely awful midfield. It was too bad for it to be true that there were two high class players there being dragged down by one poor one. With the way we set up in almost a 4213, you have to have a world class holding mid, creative mid, and number 10 for it to work at the top level. It’s just far too basic a system for the prem now and is too easy to isolate the number 10 and leave the midfield two outnumbered by a midfield 3 and a forward dropping deep. Only Gomes is probably good enough just about to play the deep lying creative one of the three. Even the likes of Alonso and Mascherano could be got at when they played that way int by system by average midfields and Gueye and Gomes are nowhere near that class.

I’d like to see a proper holding mid who can distribute the ball come in to sit at the base of a three and then the two ahead of him to press forward and create. Currently only Siggurdson presses in isolation then is too slow to track back, and Gueye is often left on the wrong side of the ball making tackles he shouldn’t have to make because the whole midfield is unbalanced.

 

[Toast]

Can't pass.
Can't shoot.

Yet worth millions.

Modern footy is mental.

 

[MikeH72]

Still can’t wrap my head around PSG wanting him.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Can't pass.
Can't shoot.

Yet worth millions.

Modern footy is mental.

Pleasing tackle stats. Cheap wages. CL eligible. Experience of French league, they have no holding mids. He probably looks great on some data scientists spreadsheet despite the obvious drawbacks you mentioned.

 

[Toffeelover]

Getting on now is the time, if the price is right.

Davek will be with me on that!

 

[T LEAFE]

We need a whole new midfield

 

[ToffeeTim]

We need a whole new midfield

And have done since Arteta left.

 

[blue61]

We need a whole new midfield

We have done for donkeys years.
Edit, sorry should have said 'beards'.

 

[Blue Roo]

I think... and it's purely my opinion, that Gylfi is played in that 'second striker' role because he is so key to our press.

I also think that's a fair assessment. It does mean, though, that we rely on others to get the ball to him in the final third, and if that's not Gomes then it falls on Gana and we inevitably just go wide.

That's not an excuse for Gylfi to not play well or not be better when he does get the ball. But, he has his limitations in terms of he's not a player that can beat four men on the run from deep. He relies on quick passing and interchanges on the edge of the area.

But like you say, off the ball his movement is, from deep, very decent. He might not be the quickest but he's clever with his runs and finding those pockets of space.

If don't see why it couldn't be tried.

It would also probably mean Richarlison could play his natural 'wide forward' role in a proper front three - and it'd need to be a proper front three that stayed high up the pitch and all interchanged.

I've not seen much of Bernard so far that suggests he'd be better centrally. Honestly, I'd say of the two, Lookman would be more suited to it.

If we press their build up from the back and win the ball off their midfield
we don't make a quick, threatening 'direct' attack,
but we retain possession, then:
- we are not set up properly or have the players in the right position to play the ball around and be a credible attacking threat
- and often we are not set up to defend if they win the ball back.

Gana is not ideal for maintaining an incisive possession, so he shouldn't really be involved.
Think he should be positioned in between and not too far in front of the CBs.

Our possesion either breaks down with ridiculous ease or we send in a no other option cross
- in which case Gana is asked to press balls coming out of transition
which means its set up for oppositions to get in behind Gana and that's invariably where we get in trouble (said this from the start)
Thereby taking his main asset to the team out of play.
They can blame it on Kenny, Coleman, Keane, Pickford et al but this is where it happens.
Would like to see the stats on this happening - how many times the ball has got in behind him and Gomes (or Sneid or Davies) per goals scored
compared to the other goals (discounting zonal marking).
2 v the Saints.
This is where games are won and lost. This is where the psychology of battle is won.

'Attractive football', 'entertainment' - give me a break!

Bed