..Sandro has got what I call a 'heavy shot'. He'll catch a few keepers out this season.
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..Sandro has got what I call a 'heavy shot'. He'll catch a few keepers out this season.
MikeH72
Player Valuation: £100m
Agree with that when it comes to the attacking side of the game and putting together moves, but actually "pace" is more important in the defensive areas for me. We are alarmingly short there, none of our current back 4 have any pace whatsoever and are just going to get taken apart when they come up against a quick forward line. We've left it far too long to address the centre back issue which has been there since the very end of last season. Cuco Martina is not the answer to our temporary right back situation either.
Papa Shango
Player Valuation: £70m
I think its a combination really. The whole the first 5 yards are in your head thing. Obviously its a nice trait to have regardless of position. We could certainly do with a Yobo type defender now.
MikeH72
Player Valuation: £100m
Even a Distin in his first few years, someone who can make up ground quickly and cover when an opposing forward breaks in behind the lines. At the moment our defence is an absolute dream for a team like Liverpool to play against.
toffeeblue9
Player Valuation: £35m
One issue we have that I will keep banging on about until we address it is left back.
I don't subscribe to the theory that Baines is done, in fact I think if we see Sigurdsson or Rooney playing in a kind of free role on the left of a front three, it will give Baines a new lease of life. Also Giroud would finally give him a proper target for his crosses that he hasn't had since Cahill and Fellaini. Further to that, as Eggs said earlier, he's at his best when linking with like-minded players because his passing and movement has always been good - Klaassen, Sigurdsson and Rooney should all help Baines this year.
But...
Baines is 33 in December and in a system where the only real width is coming from the full backs, I think it's absolutely crazy to be relying on him to be playing 50+ games. It's all well and good saying that the centre back that Koeman wants to sign will be comfortable at left back too, but I defy you to name me a single player at the top level who is a centre back but is also effective as an attacking full back in the final 3rd. I think it's mental. We've signed Martina to cover for Coleman as a natural right back, whilst having Kenny and (admittedly square peg in round hole) Holgate already, but we aren't planning to have similar cover for Baines.
Don't get it.
At worst we should be signing a stop-gap left back to give us the required cover, but ideally a left back in the Chilwell/Tierney/Shaw class and age bracket to push Baines and eventually take over from him in the next 12-18 months
I don't subscribe to the theory that Baines is done, in fact I think if we see Sigurdsson or Rooney playing in a kind of free role on the left of a front three, it will give Baines a new lease of life. Also Giroud would finally give him a proper target for his crosses that he hasn't had since Cahill and Fellaini. Further to that, as Eggs said earlier, he's at his best when linking with like-minded players because his passing and movement has always been good - Klaassen, Sigurdsson and Rooney should all help Baines this year.
But...
Baines is 33 in December and in a system where the only real width is coming from the full backs, I think it's absolutely crazy to be relying on him to be playing 50+ games. It's all well and good saying that the centre back that Koeman wants to sign will be comfortable at left back too, but I defy you to name me a single player at the top level who is a centre back but is also effective as an attacking full back in the final 3rd. I think it's mental. We've signed Martina to cover for Coleman as a natural right back, whilst having Kenny and (admittedly square peg in round hole) Holgate already, but we aren't planning to have similar cover for Baines.
Don't get it.
At worst we should be signing a stop-gap left back to give us the required cover, but ideally a left back in the Chilwell/Tierney/Shaw class and age bracket to push Baines and eventually take over from him in the next 12-18 months
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gerryandtheRedhaters
Player Valuation: £1.5m
why arent we in for Ineacho?
granter79
Player Valuation: £35m
grab your coat on the way out mate
I don't think you need blistering pace, but it's no coincidence that pretty much all of the most coveted attacking players in world football (Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Neymar, Suarez, Hazard, Mbappe, Dybala etc etc) are at least relatively quick. It's also why Rooney - who still has the same speed of thought - isn't the player he once was. The issue for me is that we look to be a bit 'one paced' in that there's only really Sandro in any of the attacking positions who is going to make defences worry about pushing up too far or get people backing off when he starts running.
Have a look at the difference between City's play last year when they had Sane running at people and when they had Nolito scurrying round trying to use speed of thought. I know which one of them looked more dangerous to me.
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
What actually compounds it further, is the fact that Koeman likes to do a high press - which will mean a high back line, no pace there means we are gonna be more and more vulnerable to the types of goals the rs routinely concede on the counter, looking at the overall profile of player we have been bringing in for the attacking spots as well, then with a general lack of pace and more 'smarts' being preferred, that will also suit us pushing up higher - Giroud for example will suit it if we push higher up the pitch
brieverton
Player Valuation: £50m
We really need to get those additional three players in, its not adding for the sake of it, they are badly needed, at leat CB/LB and forward.
Getting a bit tired of the Sigurdsson saga, despite all the talk it doesn't particularly seem close and you would think it needs to get done by Friday it it is happening at all.
The other signings might take until the last week.
Just critical we get them in, I have seen many a Best XI team with Sigurdsson and Giroud in it over the last few weeks but they are only ifs at present.
Getting a bit tired of the Sigurdsson saga, despite all the talk it doesn't particularly seem close and you would think it needs to get done by Friday it it is happening at all.
The other signings might take until the last week.
Just critical we get them in, I have seen many a Best XI team with Sigurdsson and Giroud in it over the last few weeks but they are only ifs at present.
Neymar will be a PSG player sooner rather than later.
That's going to blow this window wide open.
For one, Coutinho will almost certainly be a Barca player by September and Liverpool will likely spend that money on VVD, but it leaves a big gulf for them to fill.
Secondly, it probably stems any stories of Sanchez going to PSG, which indicates that really, there's only teams in the Premier League that he would move to... And if Arsenal refuse to sell...
#WelcomeOlivier
That's going to blow this window wide open.
For one, Coutinho will almost certainly be a Barca player by September and Liverpool will likely spend that money on VVD, but it leaves a big gulf for them to fill.
Secondly, it probably stems any stories of Sanchez going to PSG, which indicates that really, there's only teams in the Premier League that he would move to... And if Arsenal refuse to sell...
#WelcomeOlivier
People were saying this last week mate.
Honestly, that's nonsense. The ball is in Swansea's court. Their owners, against the wishes of Clement (apparently), have set their stall and are now backing themselves into a corner to an extent.
toffeeblue9
Player Valuation: £35m
It's a fair point. Teams can push up and squeeze play much more effectively when they aren't worried about a ball played in behind them - believe it or not, it's not the goals from Lukaku that I worry about losing (I think we'll spread those round with much less of an issue than many think), it's the pace and threat of being able to score on the break with a relatively innocuous ball played over the top or in behind. Bolasie's injury exacerbates the problem as he also gave us that option. Sandro is fairly quick, but not blisteringly quick, I do think a Demarai Gray or (whisper it quietly) Theo Walcott would be a big plus for us. Not being addressed this window though, it seems. We'll have to rely on Sandro and wait for Bolasie's return
In fairness City were ace at the start of last season, though I agree with the principle.
We do have Lookman though and I'd rather see him persisted with than us going out and lumping loads on somebody like Gray.
Gray is a very good player, but I'd say we've got an extremely similar player in Lookman.
madden95
Player Valuation: £2.5m
probably was, but Leicester may have promised constant game time. we have promised ramirez that in that position. also want giroud. unlikely he wants to sit on the bench anymore. really like him me though.
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