Summer 2018 Transfer Window

[Kinky Koeman]

Think our central midfield is every bit the problem the back line is. Any credible links in that space?

I agree, both positions as bad as one another. Got to be some value out there.

 

[Kinky Koeman]

Definitely not getting Tierney in, pal.

I don’t think so either. He looks a player, but can’t see it happening with Digne apparently almost done.

 

[dholliday]

I do think the club are trying to get players over the line who aren't the mediocre types that keep us safely in 7th but at the same time we just aren't an attractive club at present. We just had 3 different managers last season and big Sam was one of them, the team is a mess and will take 2 more windows to clear out and fix, seemingly there was all sorts of crap going on behind the scenes, if the rumours are true, and we don't even have European footie to offer for all our spending. I'm sure all of the above will be sorted with the new setup but as it stands, having money isn't really that beneficial to us with where we are as a club and also due to the financial rules and restrictions in place. Would you rather go into the season with what we have or sign Smalling if we can't get our other CB targets? I know what I'd rather as our current CBs Williams and Jags aren't up to it physically, Keane seems to be rock bottom with confidence and Holgate is largely untested. I'd rather we had kept Funes Mori until we had at least once CB better than him over the line.

your argument is sound but it's the symbolism of the thing i can't bare.

plus when you look at all those Utd cast-offs we've signed these last 15 years, which one was better for us, or even as good, as he was for when he played at Utd?

bad symbolism, and ultimately no real reward. other clubs' players are available, it's a big market out there and we pay well. our best signings have usually been the unexpected ones from leftfield.

 

[BlueToff]

I realise I sound like a patronising twunt when I say this but.....you cannot judge how good defenders are without looking at the system they play in.

Lascelles plays in a low block defense (essentially they play very deep and crowd out space, looking to allow the opposition lots of shots but from bad positions in crowded areas). Keane also played VERY WELL in a system like this.

If we go for a high defensive line, like all the teams who go out playing to win play, then the type of centre back you need is very different. Suddenly pace and the ability to pass are far more important.

If Lascelles and Keane played together for a low block team they'd be great. For us, playing a high line, it could be a disaster.

Lascelles does have a bit of pace about him, though.

 

[BrendanGOT]

Not a hope is Digne better at any aspect of the game than Tierney, he's tidy enough but Tierney is vastly superior

Tierney excites me more but Digne played a massive part in a Roma squad that finished 2nd, he made a good number of appearances for PSG before that and at Barce he couldn't push Alba out at LB which isn't exactly anything to be ashamed of. Tierney has been a stand out performer in a league akin to lower championship or league 1 which is why Celtic boss that league season after season. Celtic probably have a squad of upper championship quality but the rest of the league is muck. So I don't think it'd be fair to say Tierney is better than Digne. All I'm saying is if we had both, Tierney would be wasted at CB and maybe Digne could do a job there in a back 3.

 

[BrendanGOT]

your argument is sound but it's the symbolism of the thing i can't bare.

plus when you look at all those Utd cast-offs we've signed these last 15 years, which one was better for us, or even as good, as he was for when he played at Utd?

bad symbolism, and ultimately no real reward. other clubs' players are available, it's a big market out there and we pay well. our best signings have usually been the unexpected ones from leftfield.

I just want to say I don't want Smalling, speaking in hypotheticals of course. If the offer was Jags and Keane or Smalling and Keane next season, I know which one I'd pick but when the window shuts here I hope its neither of those. I hope it's Mina and some other quality CB we haven't even been linked with yet!

 

[Hogwild]

Think our central midfield is every bit the problem the back line is. Any credible links in that space?

Only very tenuous ones that I can recall....Doucoure, Delgado, Zakaria and Barrios.

Nothing to make one think any of them are remotely likely.

 

[griffla]

Not a hope is Digne better at any aspect of the game than Tierney, he's tidy enough but Tierney is vastly superior

ANY aspect? A rather sweeping statement. Have you compared stats on football manager to come to this conclusion or have you spent your life studying these exact 2 players and getting to know them personally? Ridiculous.

 

[VentureBrosEFC]

I really wish we'd stop going after players who have one good season in the league as starters for us (we'll see on Richarlison however he looks promising and is a Silva disciple). We pay the premier league tax and they will ask for very high wages.

I hope in the coming windows we start to shop in the Bundesliga more. Same tempo to most of the games and almost as physical. There we would have lower fees and the wage demands would be lower too.

The wages and how everyone has said we need to trim the bill make me so confused by the Mina and Digne links. That is unless Brands knows for a fact he can bin 8-10 of the players on the books now.

 

[Barnfred 55]

..apologies if mentioned, but we are one of a number of clubs linked with Gillingham’s 6ft 9in goalkeeper, Tomas Holy.

Can we bring him on just for corners

 

[LocalNative]

They look skint.

Leicester linked with a 35m move for him - reckon they'll need 50m plus.

That would be outrageous - but a £50m big Lascelles would be such an Everton thing.

There has got to be competent defenders out there for the money we're looking to spend in Mina - it wouldn't be difficult to find an upgrade on what we currently have.

 

[mkrudden]

I realise I sound like a patronising twunt when I say this but.....you cannot judge how good defenders are without looking at the system they play in.

Lascelles plays in a low block defense (essentially they play very deep and crowd out space, looking to allow the opposition lots of shots but from bad positions in crowded areas). Keane also played VERY WELL in a system like this.

If we go for a high defensive line, like all the teams who go out playing to win play, then the type of centre back you need is very different. Suddenly pace and the ability to pass are far more important.

If Lascelles and Keane played together for a low block team they'd be great. For us, playing a high line, it could be a disaster.

absolutely SPOT ON.
Hence making the decision to bring Keane in so much more baffling.

 

[Barnfred 55]

Is that Dowell in that shot with him? How strange that he could be taking his place

 

[MACCA75]

Really think we need 2 central defenders and 2 central midfielders (punt Keane, Williams, Besic and Schneids).

A loan deal for Loftus Cheek doesn’t seem impossible. Wishful thinking for 4 though.

 

[dholliday]

I hope in the coming windows we start to shop in the Bundesliga more. Same tempo to most of the games and almost as physical. There we would have lower fees and the wage demands would be lower too.

This!

The reason why Prem clubs often don't shop in the Bundesliga is the agent factor. It's the agents mostly pulling the strings and they pull where most money is to be made, that's usually not the Bundesliga thanks to the caps on ticket-pricing most clubs have (lowers the average wages of players, hence lowers potential agent cut). An agent who's in it for the money will do better witth clients from the other big leagues.

Also how you counter that tired old but it's not our money! argument trotted out after we criticise spending 50m on someone only half-decent: