If Gana is sold in the summer will we replace like for like or go for a more box to box midfielder like Docoure?
Yes, due to us not having a single proper number 8 in the whole squad.
If Gana is sold in the summer will we replace like for like or go for a more box to box midfielder like Docoure?
Dude, he lost that ability with us first. It has nothing to do with how Sarri plays. Koeman would get ALL OVER HIM about it, tried to push him hired up the field, but Ross would have none of it. He wants to sit back and spray it around. That's what he wants to do. The Goodison game was an anomaly. Have the time he'll have 20 yards in front of him and he won't dribble forwards. Gomes is a better player, no question.The way he's playing at Chelsea is due to Sarri's very rigid system though, it's not as if he's went to Chelsea and lost his ability to dribble and beat players. I think if he was back in a set up where more of the attacking impetus was reliant on him then he'd be a bit more adventurous. He definitely isn't a world beater as many of us hoped he would be when he burst onto the scene but he is a good player who would improve the majority of midfields in this league (including ours imo). That being said he's a rat who done us out of 20 million.
Gomes is good going forward into one of the two boxes!Yes, due to us not having a single proper number 8 in the whole squad.
Gomes is good going forward into one of the two boxes!
We'd need two, even beyond Gomes if he stays. I'd prefer a 6 and another CM/DM. That assumes we are shipping off Morgan, McCarthy, Besic, etc. We have to be able to play both of Silva's preferred tactics IMO. Twin CM/DMs and the Anchor Man/Box to Box.
Possibly, I still think he would be better in the Quarterback role.
He doesnt really drive the ball up the field, hes more twinkle toes, tricks and 90 yard balls.
Bolasie will be like a new signing.....
70m for 2 players who we know can play in the league, its a little on the high side I admit, but I like both players and they both improve us.
My concern is that I honestly cant see much dough being in the kitty, so IMO 70m is basically our whole budget, we are then relying on getting dough for a lot of utter crap players.
The days of getting bargains from abroad are pretty much over, I mean we paid 25m for some crap Striker from Turkey, Leicester turned down offers in excess of 50m for Harry Maguire last Summer. Can also see us offering Jags and Baines another year on reduced wages. With Holgate coming back in this allows us to spend money on attacking areas and hopefully a midfielder.
I know we all had visions of us fixing the squad in this upcoming window, but really cant see us adding many players myself. Gomes and Zooms, with Henry and Vlasic coming in isnt a bad start tho, leaves us a proper midfielder and a proper striker away from having a decent squad.
Everything of course depends on how many pants we can pull down on shifting out.
I'd imagine the 70 million figure is based roughly on 35 each. It's ballpark what Barca are demanding. We have said our hope is around 25 million. That's how I can see the negotiation going for both, wanting to get them in at around 60 million.
It's a big fee, but some points to note. Firstly both of them are approaching their best years (at ames 24 & 25). They should both only get better. I also think you can't put an easy price on continuity. I fully understand people saying "what is Brands for" and there is some justification for that. We could gamble 10 million on a young Dutch or German lad who is 3-4 years off their prime and an enormous risk. We did this to an extent with Sandro and Klaassen. It worked out terribly.
Picking players up, who know your system, manager, club, area, team etc is very important. You are taking a lot of risk out of the transfer. There is a premium on that. Whether that premium equates to 30+ million for Zouma is an open question.
I hope he stays. He's a monster and if we got him in, with Keane and Mina I'd know we had boxed centre back off for some time, especially when you factor in Gibson, Holgate and Feeney behind them. For Brands he may well be thinking, look at getting positions that are "boxed off" as it were. Solve problems then take more risks. I would be nervous of a fee much above 30 million but I can see the logic of it. We go and whack 10 million on 3 players who flop and it works out more expensively doesn't it?
Yeah its about ticking boxes for now.
As I said prematch, 70m is a bit steep, but then Gomes plays like that and its cheap.
Gomes did go a bit AWOL at 1 point, maybe fatigue? Hes a real confidence player also, but hes shown his class on more than 1 occasion and im sure as he settles more and gets to grip with everything he will no doubt start to give us 9/10 every week, hes a real class act, he really is.
Zooms, I love him, but he does go a bit walkabout at times, still hes a big strong unit, not slow and as you say at a good age.
I like them both, if they cost 70m, well at least we know what we are paying for, I mean im sure we would hate to spend 50m on somebody like Kieta and watch them stink the league out.
Agree. In Silva's 4-3-3, he'd be the front mid, but you've still got Sigurdsson, Vlasic coming back, Davies, etc. You'd still need a couple more CMs/DMs to back them up besides Gana as its obvious Silva doesn't rate McCarthy or Schneiderlin.He can drive with the ball, but to me looks best playing a bit deeper with ground in front of him. Essentially the role we should have played Arteta in.
FFS, fine. Deep lying playmaker. I recognize he's not Jorginho and said as much. He's a CM, but a box to box implies he carries the ball, which he doesn't. Again, he REFUSES to dribble by anyone. Its blatantly obvious, but you can look us the stats, too. And I don't care what role you play, if you are playing as a central mid, you HAVE to contribute defensively. He doesn't.He doesn't contribute in defence because hes not a holding midfielder
FFS, fine. Deep lying playmaker. I recognize he's not Jorginho and said as much. He's a CM, but a box to box implies he carries the ball, which he doesn't. Again, he REFUSES to dribble by anyone. Its blatantly obvious, but you can look us the stats, too. And I don't care what role you play, if you are playing as a central mid, you HAVE to contribute defensively. He doesn't.
He's just not very good anymore. He's done. At 25. Sad.