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Author Topic: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread  (Read 908316 times)

Offline algy

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1845 on: June 17, 2019, 12:13:39 PM »
Charlie Austin's record in the PL is nowhere near good enough to take a punt on a player who'll definitely have no resale value worth speaking of. 

Offline Singapore Villa

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1846 on: June 17, 2019, 12:47:24 PM »
Charlie Austin is gash.  I really hope there is no truth in the rumours..

Online AV82EC

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1847 on: June 17, 2019, 12:48:34 PM »
Charlie Austin. Oh do fuck off.......

Offline AllanW

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1848 on: June 17, 2019, 12:59:08 PM »
Rodriguez not Austin, for me. Where's the poll to register my vote?

Offline Pete3206

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1849 on: June 17, 2019, 01:09:41 PM »
Charlie Austin?

It's another fuck off from me.

Offline Monty

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1850 on: June 17, 2019, 01:10:37 PM »
Rodriguez not Austin, for me. Where's the poll to register my vote?

Yeah James for me as well.

Online ChicagoLion

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1851 on: June 17, 2019, 01:17:27 PM »
Rodriguez not Austin, for me. Where's the poll to register my vote?
No thanks to both and we won’t sign either.

Online tomd2103

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1852 on: June 17, 2019, 02:17:03 PM »
I hope our days of picking up players on their final paycheque are gone - too risky for Austin for me.

Although I could see the logic in looking to bring in someone like him, I agree that it would be too risky.  He would want the security of a fairly long contract and we would end up stuck with him if he suffered further injury problems. 

We would be much better off looking at someone younger and who is likely to retain some resale value even if things were to go awry.   

Offline Des Little

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1853 on: June 17, 2019, 02:53:54 PM »
I've just seen Grant Holt at One Stop.  Well i think it was...

Offline AllanW

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1854 on: June 17, 2019, 03:05:30 PM »
Tough luck on you lot; I've got a day off today. Hey ho.

The real insight into ‘who comes in next?’ can only come from the management team but that doesn’t stop us from trying to work out what direction Smith will go in to start our PL campaign. I say ‘Start’ because course adjustments are made after a while and the January transfer window will undoubtedly be used to address the most pressing issues or best opportunities for additions at that time.

So ‘Who comes in between now and August?’ is a question we can answer if we have a good handle on the formation and tactics Smith will use between now and December and therefore what players we are short of at this moment. And I think we have been given a big steer on that.

Tactics

We’ve been told already, we’ve been told many times; we should know it by now. Smith wants to attack our way to survival and growth rather than edge towards it. Not ‘attack at all costs’ nevertheless ‘attack’ as the best form of defence; attack and pressing as the way to not just scrape the odd draw or snatch the odd points but as the way to win games and get 3 points. He’s not aiming for 17th position but 12th.

No-one should be in any doubt about what that means; we will be looking to buy speed and skills for the PL. Physical speed and speed of thought, physical skills of ball-control, passing and shooting alongside tactical awareness and thinking on-your-feet to make a difference in the game. We’ll be buying modern era players who respond to latest coaching advances. The eagerness and willingness to improve will be as important as the current skill set. The ability to be coached in the style of play he wants to see us play will be as valuable as what they’ve done to date.

Formation

For any particular game Smith has shown himself to be able to play a nuanced tune with the players at his disposal rather than rigidly demand those players do exactly and only what he envisages.  He sets them some stretch targets or particular things to work on, all of which will add to his footballing ‘vision’ of the future, but he’s not so dogmatic as to ditch the adequate in favour of the perfect. They are the vehicle of their own careers but he lets them know what he wants, in terms they can relate to.

His analysis of each team, each player we face and their likely formation and tactics form the working days leading up to each game and therefore the flavour of what instructions each player will receive. But all of that fits into an over-arching fluid picture of how he wants his own players, his own tactics and his own formation to improve over the medium and longer term.

That tells us clearly that he is an experienced manager, willing to adapt to the immediate goal but pursuing a longer-term notion of how to play successful football. It’s a process of improvement, a journey of incremental steps upwards, rather than a recipe of ingredients to be bought pre-packed and ready to mix in a bowl. A team is composed of far too many elements and facets to be simplified; it’s a human thing, a vibrant thing not a static flat pack of parts to be assembled. The blood and guts, farts and sinews, terrible jokes and banter are as important sometimes as the height and ball-control factors. They deliver outcomes above and beyond those originally intended; they deliver greatness and great teams not just results.

So we’ll start from a place not too far away from where we left off last season; 4-1-4-1 with increasing options to go towards his end-game of 4-3-3 used more often. Home or away will influence this as will top-6, middle-6 or bottom-7 opponent along with the specifics of who’s injured, who’s in form or out and what’s coming up next but by and large it will be 4-1-4-1 leading to 4-3-3 whenever possible.

Which tells us pretty clearly who we’ll be buying next, doesn’t it?

1.   Centre back;

Surely we’ll get Mings in before the middle of August? It’s very likely and he’ll be very welcome. Alongside Hause I would have few worries apart from backup for injuries, international selection and depth so Chester as an occasional slot-in on the right-hand side, Guilbert as an occasional option there as well would mean we only need one further ready-to-go centre back.

Options; Cahill, Williams, Dunk, Tomori, Barbet, Kane, Suliman.
The first 2 would not fit the mould we need now and would probably be too expensive. The next one is too expensive as well IMO but I’d take either of those next 2, with Barbet being considerably less expensive. And the final 2 only if no other options present themselves in the next month and we want some sort of security in that position.

I have no doubt this area of our team will be fit for purpose by the start of the season. None at all. The timing may not be as soon as we all want but it will happen. Surely …

2.   Right-sided attacker

Here’s the point I want to make about the ‘wingers’ on either side in either formation; I think Smith may be taking a leaf out of Klopps book and trying to build a system in which they are not ONLY wingers supplying assists from wide areas but are goal-scoring attackers in their own right. El Ghazi is, Benrhama is, Kent is, Lolley is; all might be at PL level. He may be looking for these players to contribute 10 goals a season each plus assists alongside a big, strong, fast, hold-up playing centre forward who scores 12 to 15 and in front of the midfield 3 who chip in with 6 apiece. A genuine goal threat from the front 6 players throughout the game from open play and set pieces. Up to 50 goals across a season before the bunce of defensive set piece headers from corners or unlikely worldies from outside the box by the full backs add a further 10.
This moneyball approach prioritises goals and wins over other metrics.

That’s the most missing piece of this puzzle so far; a right-sided attacker who fits that mould. So that’s what I’d expect he’s working on as a priority right now.

However there are a couple of thoughts to be had here. Don’t forget El Ghazi is right-footed and could easily fulfill this role rather than coming infield off the left wing. Which means a left-sided attacker opportunity might not be out of the question. And to all those who immediately shout ‘We bought Jota for that right winger role!’ I’d caution you to think again; he was pretty ineffectual in that role for the Scum so why would we repeat that mistake? He’s a creative inside forward/attacking midfielder, let’s use him that way because I’m sure Smith won’t be under any such illusion. 

Seen in this light a cheeky offer to bring Bale back from his gilded Spanish torture by some financial shenanigans like Wolves played 2 years ago would make a whole lot of sense, wouldn’t it? And we’d score a bucket-full of goals to keep us up and push us to the middle of the table. Let’s be audacious!

3.   Squad improvement

All of the rest come under the general description above; goalkeeper, left back, defensive midfield. We COULD go into the season having added only Mings plus another centre back as cover and a right-sided attacker from where we are now. It would not be as successful and it would be riskier but it would be cheaper and it would have a decent chance of staying up and not rocking the boat of team cohesion too much. It could work.

But Smith is aiming for middle of the table not survival so he might want to upgrade at defensive midfield first. Hourihane and Tshibola are not good enough week-in and week out at any destination and opponent. So of course I can see why we’re linked to Phillips of Leeds. But he may be too expensive and a wrench to leave his home club; he’s their Jack so don’t expect an easy or inexpensive ride trying to winkle him out of there in shape to perform for us in the PL.

I’d take Delph if the price were right despite the boo-boys immediate reaction. Emotion has its place but he would be a great fit for our needs for the next 3 years and is an excellent player. Get over it, is my advice if he comes here and by the small pieces of press he has put out trying to set the record straight he might not be averse to coming back.

If we buy Butland and offload Kalinic to defray the cost I’d be happy with that but it’s not a necessity just a nice-to-have. I’ll go with whatever Smith decides and we can make happen at the right price. But the cost including wages must be palatable not cause indigestion. 

Left back? Not seen one yet in our bracket I’m afraid. James is reportedly going to Leicester. Sessignon would be great but is over-priced and heading to Pocchetino if we can believe anything. Targett is not a great step-up from Taylor just younger; so what? For £10m? Nah. Bring in a younger European star-in-waiting for a fraction of that, please or we’ll just use Hause or Barbet as cover.

Finally strikers. We all know we need at least 3 options here and most think that Wesley and Kodjia are the only real ones we have so far. Davis is a possibility and I’d like to keep him around to learn this season with some real games as well but nobody rates Hogan for the PL. This is the most expensive area of the park to buy in so what are the options?

Maupay. Would love him but we may need to trade Hogan for Benrhama and we’d therefore end up paying £20m+ for Maupay; a risk in football and monetary terms. One Smith might be willing to take but it’s going to be damn difficult to gut their team without it costing us an awful lot of money. Frankly I’d swap Hogan AND Kodjia plus a wad of cash for Maupay and Benrhama so let’s see what can be achieved.

Rodriquez from West Brom for £5m, Austin from Soton for £4m. No-brainer here; Rodriguez for me. If we go down this route of an experienced PL player as backup then Austin is far worse an option than Rodriguez. And it would annoy the stripy filth so what’s not to like?

But at least Wesley, Kodjia and Rodriquez with Davis in the wings is fine to start with if that’s where we end up.

So. Timing is never possible to predict with any accuracy, just ask economic forecasters, but the next buys will include Mings, Barbet or player-to-be-named-later centre back cover, right-sided attacker from the list above (or if you want an outside punt, Bale using financial chicanery, my personal preference). Then the ‘also-possibles’ will include Butland (with Kalinic going), European left back prodigy, defensive midfielder upgrade and Rodriquez on the cheap, at least. Possible to see a Maupay and Benrhama deal with Kodjia and Hogan going the other way. But what other strikers could come in?

Then we can concentrate on a couple of interesting loans who might come in … but we’ll be set for a great and successful season.

Offline cdbearsfan

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1855 on: June 17, 2019, 03:06:28 PM »
I've just had some cake.

Online pauliewalnuts

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1856 on: June 17, 2019, 03:12:06 PM »
I've just had some cake.

I might go for a dump in a minute.

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1857 on: June 17, 2019, 03:13:29 PM »
One Stop, you say Desmond?

Offline Villan For Life

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1858 on: June 17, 2019, 03:33:45 PM »
TMS is good today.

Offline AsTallAsLions

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread
« Reply #1859 on: June 17, 2019, 03:49:01 PM »
East of Eden - by quite some distance.

 


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