Summer transfer madness thread

[paul_e]

Do you really want a 10 who's working his bollocks off tracking runners all game?  The only defensive contribution I want is for them to target the defensive midfielder and deny them space.  A big concern for me is that our wingers and our 10 end up 20-25 yards from our own goal far too regularly.

[ChicagoLion]

We can't keep making excuses that every time we lose a player with talent that it some how always down to said player.
Let's face it, there seems to be a pattern.

[RussellC]

I wish I hadn't watched that video. To me, it just reinforces how effective he'd have been for us this season. When you compare the impact that Gil had when he fiorst arrived to the impact that Bjarnason's had so far, in a similar role, and then realise that Bjarnason is probably more expensive (and older) it's a difficult to swallow.

Also, when you think about how (in my opinion) a fairly average payer like Tom Ince is going for £11m and we've let Gil go for a fraction of that.

[tomd2103]

Do you really want a 10 who's working his bollocks off tracking runners all game?  The only defensive contribution I want is for them to target the defensive midfielder and deny them space.  A big concern for me is that our wingers and our 10 end up 20-25 yards from our own goal far too regularly.

That's the thing Paul.  I don't think either McCormack or Gil would work as the attacking midfielder in a three man midfield or in a diamond formation, because you do need to be mobile and do defensive work in that role.  Playing as a second striker or a 'number 10' in a 4-4-2 is a bit different though as you are essentially a striker, but you just drop off between the opposition midfield and defence when your team has the ball.  It is the formation that would have most suited both Gil and McCormack, but it wasn't to be. 

I think Bruce does have to decide what type of striking set up he wants though (number 10 or target man to go with Kodjia and Hogan) and buy accordingly.     

[tomd2103]

It's a shame about Gil, as a little bit of guile goes along way in this league. Look how effective the likes of Forestieri and Knockheart have been in the previous few seasons. This is exactly the type of player we should be focusing on now.

Can't say I ever saw anything in Gil to suggest he was anything like as good as Forestieri or Knockhart, both of those you carry when they are doing nothing because they have the ability to turn a game with a power dribble or an incisive pass - in the games I saw him play for us & the couple on tv last year Gil moves nicely sideways but that was it.

I said it the day we signed him and stand by it, Valencia don't sell you a lot for 3m.

Um, this entire video is basically him beating a man and then moving it quickly on, and this all happened, remember, at the very peak of the Lambert anti-football era:

If he could do it against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, there's no reason why he couldn't have managed it against some of the chancers at this level. I can understand us getting rid on the grounds of mentality/tactical fit (especially the latter - he's not a right winger to play in a 4-4-2, and I doubt Bruce would be up for giving him a free role with no defensive responsibilities), but talent is absolutely not the issue.

Where is the other montage of him losing the ball, being caught in no mans land and shrugging his shoulders and not running back

Video as we know can be deceiving

We're not talking about a top international standard player here, but many of those things happened because he was often played out of position.  He wasn't quick and strong, but he had a very good touch and was able to make space for himself in tight areas.  He was also decent at threading balls through defences, but I think he was unfortunate to play under managers who didn't really know how to utilise him properly.   

[paul_e]

Do you really want a 10 who's working his bollocks off tracking runners all game?  The only defensive contribution I want is for them to target the defensive midfielder and deny them space.  A big concern for me is that our wingers and our 10 end up 20-25 yards from our own goal far too regularly.

That's the thing Paul.  I don't think either McCormack or Gil would work as the attacking midfielder in a three man midfield or in a diamond formation, because you do need to be mobile and do defensive work in that role.  Playing as a second striker or a 'number 10' in a 4-4-2 is a bit different though as you are essentially a striker, but you just drop off between the opposition midfield and defence when your team has the ball.  It is the formation that would have most suited both Gil and McCormack, but it wasn't to be. 

I think Bruce does have to decide what type of striking set up he wants though (number 10 or target man to go with Kodjia and Hogan) and buy accordingly.     

True but we're not playing a 433 or 451 or any other derivative of those, we're fairly clearly playing a 4411 right now and in that formation the guy in the hole (starts timer) has to be given the freedom to do very little defensive work or it quickly becomes a 451 and for that to work you have to have some real pace in the middle which we don't have.  That's why our striker gets isolated so regularly.

[Steve67]

Paul, I understand what you are saying about the defensive duties of the number 10, particularly in relation to asking them to do more offensively than defensively.  But, why can't we find a player who can do both and contribute so much more to the game?  I appreciate it is very difficult to purchase these players, so it is a bit of a mute point, but, if we could find that type of player, I want them to be better than Grealish and have far more impact than being a match of the day highlights player, which, sadly, Grealish is.

[tomd2103]

Do you really want a 10 who's working his bollocks off tracking runners all game?  The only defensive contribution I want is for them to target the defensive midfielder and deny them space.  A big concern for me is that our wingers and our 10 end up 20-25 yards from our own goal far too regularly.

That's the thing Paul.  I don't think either McCormack or Gil would work as the attacking midfielder in a three man midfield or in a diamond formation, because you do need to be mobile and do defensive work in that role.  Playing as a second striker or a 'number 10' in a 4-4-2 is a bit different though as you are essentially a striker, but you just drop off between the opposition midfield and defence when your team has the ball.  It is the formation that would have most suited both Gil and McCormack, but it wasn't to be. 

I think Bruce does have to decide what type of striking set up he wants though (number 10 or target man to go with Kodjia and Hogan) and buy accordingly.     

True but we're not playing a 433 or 451 or any other derivative of those, we're fairly clearly playing a 4411 right now and in that formation the guy in the hole (starts timer) has to be given the freedom to do very little defensive work or it quickly becomes a 451 and for that to work you have to have some real pace in the middle which we don't have.  That's why our striker gets isolated so regularly.

That's what I was saying Paul.  After having Gil and McCormack at the club for a period of time and not really playing to their strengths (I'll readily admit that neither have really helped themselves at times), we are now playing probably the only formation that would suit them and one is gone and the other is on the way out!!

[paul_e]

Paul, I understand what you are saying about the defensive duties of the number 10, particularly in relation to asking them to do more offensively than defensively.  But, why can't we find a player who can do both and contribute so much more to the game?  I appreciate it is very difficult to purchase these players, so it is a bit of a mute point, but, if we could find that type of player, I want them to be better than Grealish and have far more impact than being a match of the day highlights player, which, sadly, Grealish is.

Let's not forget that he's still 21 years old many players who are very highly rated don't make their break-through into the first team until they're his age (Harry Kane being a good recent example).  On top of that a 10 who scores, creates and puts in a shift defensively isn't going to playing in the championship.  Given that I want a 9 and 10 who score goals and create chances, we can have 8 other players who look after the defensive side on things first and foremost but we need at least another body in the final third.

[Steve67]

Good debate Paul. I agree in the main. I guess the missing ingredient is that we want Grealish on the ball much more, therefore affecting the game more, particularly offensively.  I wonder if Bruce is building a side for this exact type of player. Given we have purchased Whelan and the plaudits handed out by Bruce to Jedinak.

[Des Little]

Yes it's Twitter, but a fair bit of chat about Hernandez being linked...?

[cdbearsfan]

He's just signed for West Ham.

[Des Little]

Apologies - I'm on about Abel from Hull not the little pea

[cdbearsfan]

Sorry, it's me being thick. I'd forgotten all about him. We certainly need some firepower.

[SoccerHQ]

Clicked on the link and it seems to come from a Uruguayan radio sports twitter account.....

https://twitter.com/TIRANDO1010

Was going to say do we really need another striker but with Jack's injury I imagine that makes it an easy decision for SB to go 4-4-2. Maybe we're giving them McCormack or Hogan?!