January 2018 transfer window thread.

DanB90 · January 23, 2018

Does anyone know if Kenedy is a left back?
Cheers.

Marius57 · January 23, 2018

Pickford is left footed isn’t he? Could he play there in a kind of neuer-esque role but not as a sweeper keeper, as a leftback keeper

PeregrineT · January 23, 2018

CRIMHEAD said:
That's the point here. And it's not like the kid can't tackle.

My bigger issue is Chelsea not going to move Baba Rahman now. Because HE is a true back that can tackle and cross a ball. Only concern there is health.

They are signing Palmieri, he will be their starting LB so now Rahman is surplus.

BlueToff · January 23, 2018

CRIMHEAD said:
Dembele can dribble, no question about it, and you are correct, he does seem to bypass players, but seems to me that's still happening in the middle of the field. I don't see him driving and pushing the Spurs attack. I feel like years ago he used to run with it more and get himself farther forward, but he doesn't seem to get into the final third often. Frankly, he might just be a bit too bulky to do it anymore. The dude is build like a tank.

Ross runs with it, but last year he rarely did it. He was more content to hold the ball. In fact, he was constantly on it. He was somewhat of a different player. But there is zero tackle in Ross. Zero. He can't play like Dembele - to me, Chelsea is a much better fit. There's no room for Ross at Spurs. If Ross could ever tackle or just pick off passes, he'd be one of the best players in the league.

Did you mean spot on? I said N'Zonzi is NOT a box-to-box player, which is why I think Doucoure is a better fit for the team, but he might be freed up a bit with Gana behind him.

Do you think N'Zonzi is a better fit than like a Doucoure? N'Zonzi would be massive for us in many ways, set pieces in particular on defense (wouldn't have to have JonJoe marking Rondon, which was insane btw). He would of course render Morgan and McCarthy worthless to us.

I just love Matuidi, btw. The energy he brings to a side, such a difference maker. I think the closest we have to that is Davies.

Against Saints on Sunday he pretty much took over in that sense as Eriksen wasn't playing. It's not his dribbling that makes him so good at it - it's his turn of pace and strength when in possession. But he's not a defensive mid in the typical sense. His most common position is usually 30-35 yards from the opposition's goal.

Look how much we've missed Ross this year - because he was the ball carrier in our side. Schneiderlin is half the player and a big chunk of that is not having Ross in front of him.

Just like Dembele, Ross now does it in short bursts (whereas when he first came through he'd just sprint at players). Yes, it's decremented him in a way, but equally so we are really missing that type of player.

I agree in the tackle, he isn't there. Wilshere is a much better tackler than Ross. But I was talking about how they all have that ability to glide past players within one turn. We have nobody in our squad capable of that.

And it depends what we want.

N'Zonzi adds height and I think we need that. He adds bite in the tackle and the ability to dictate from deep. Doucoure would be a box-to-box player - not as much control to his game as N'Zonzi - more about pressing about the pitch and getting forward with late runs.

N'Zonzi would take over from Morgan. We can count McCarthy out now for the time being, but they aren't particularly similar players.

davek · January 23, 2018

BlueToff said:
Well done Sam what?

We were never in for him.

And no, before Dave starts, he's not a very good left-back (or a left-back at all, really).

Head a and shoulders above what we have here in terms of a presence on that left side.

Allardyce knows best, let's stick with the abysmal Martina.

Nymzee · January 23, 2018

Big Fat Sam said:
If he's good enough for a mid-table side, then he'll easily be good enough for a relegation-threatened side like us, surely.

We're 9th. Definition of mid-table.

Nymzee · January 23, 2018

PeregrineT said:
They are signing Palmieri, he will be their starting LB so now Rahman is surplus.

Erm Marcus Alonso

FTY · January 23, 2018

davek said:
Head a and shoulders above what we have here in terms of a presence on that left side.

Allardyce knows best, let's stick with the abysmal Martina.

Would you not rather we signed an actual left back? You're saying that as if Martina and Kenedy are the only 2 options

Or is it because he's the only left sided player you've heard that doesn't already play for Everton?

Big Fat Sam · January 23, 2018

Nymzee said:
We're 9th. Definition of mid-table.

9th by sheer luck, based on loads of penalties a month ago. Now we're on relegation form and getting worse.

Barnfred 55 · January 23, 2018

BlueToff said:
He isn't a left-back. He's a winger who at a push can play left wing-back in the right system.

It's like saying we should have signed a left-footed striker to play there, purely because he's left-footed.

I get where you're coming from Toff. But at the moment, a left footed player, and I mean ANY left footed player of reasonable quality, would give us more balance in the team than we have now. And if need be play him as a LWB with 3 at the back.

We are so disjointed now it's untrue and the opposition play on it.

FTY · January 23, 2018

Nymzee said:
We're 9th. Definition of mid-table.

10th?

CRIMHEAD · January 23, 2018

BlueToff said:
Against Saints on Sunday he pretty much took over in that sense as Eriksen wasn't playing. It's not his dribbling that makes him so good at it - it's his turn of pace and strength when in possession. But he's not a defensive mid in the typical sense. His most common position is usually 30-35 yards from the opposition's goal.

Look how much we've missed Ross this year - because he was the ball carrier in our side. Schneiderlin is half the player and a big chunk of that is not having Ross in front of him.

Just like Dembele, Ross now does it in short bursts (whereas when he first came through he'd just sprint at players). Yes, it's decremented him in a way, but equally so we are really missing that type of player.

I agree in the tackle, he isn't there. Wilshere is a much better tackler than Ross. But I was talking about how they all have that ability to glide past players within one turn. We have nobody in our squad capable of that.

And it depends what we want.

N'Zonzi adds height and I think we need that. He adds bite in the tackle and the ability to dictate from deep. Doucoure would be a box-to-box player - not as much control to his game as N'Zonzi - more about pressing about the pitch and getting forward with late runs.

N'Zonzi would take over from Morgan. We can count McCarthy out now for the time being, but they aren't particularly similar players.

I would think N'Zonzi and Gana would both play as defensive mids. Gana would probably run around like a maniac winning balls and N'Zonzi probably would sit a bit deeper like Morgan. Not sure that works as well as having someone sit in front of Gana, taking the balls he's won, and running with it up the pitch.

Either way, N'Zonzi is a massive upgrade.

Heck, Morgan can be replaced with Beni and we'd not miss a beat. But really, he should just sit and Gana should be on the field, assuming he's healthy.