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Author Topic: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread  (Read 865086 times)

Online ChicagoLion

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8325 on: September 29, 2020, 01:25:12 PM »
I prefer Conor (who has limitations) to Barkley, no idea why people think he is still a good player. Spent force.

Offline johnc

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8326 on: September 29, 2020, 02:24:29 PM »
I prefer Conor (who has limitations) to Barkley, no idea why people think he is still a good player. Spent force.
I think Conor has got a bit of bad press but there is no comparison between him and Barkley. Barkley is a top quality player. Hourihane has a good left peg

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8327 on: September 29, 2020, 02:41:35 PM »
Having Hourihane in the squad or team is not the problem, the problem is that we have very poor options on the bench. We need competition, and if we bring someone in then they should be better or different to what we have already. We have three good midfielders in McGinn, Hourihane and Luiz but play them all together and we look lightweight.

And if one or two of them get a knock, we're down to a talented but raw kid in Ramsey plus Nakamba and Lansbury as options. We absolutely need to bring another first team standard midfielder in as competition.

I actually think we're fine in numbers in central midfield considering January is only three months away. If we beat Stoke then the next league cup game isn't until middle of December so we're pretty much playing once a week for next two months so our fixture list will go back to a normal season.

That said now is the time to strengthen given how well we've started the season. We have the feel now of the club on the up so you'd think sensible players would see that rather than having issues with living in Birmingham as Rashica was rumoured a few weeks back.

Leicester and Wolves have been on the up last few years and continued signing players even when their first 11s have been decent so we should to.

I'm pretty curious about our lack of links to a CB. We were linked to a Danish one the other day and seems that link was quickly dismissed by DS.

Seems odd to say that about a defence that's barely conceded a goal so far but we saw last year injury to Mings mid season and we went into complete panic stations for a few weeks. Konsa has improved massively over last 3 months so credit to him but not sure he's ready to be the lead CB just yet if he had Hause or the lesser spotted Engels alongside him.

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8328 on: September 29, 2020, 02:45:03 PM »
Just to balance the "Hourihane only delivers against rubbish teams" argument out, his assists were against Newcastle, Palace, Everton and Norwich last season. Palace and Newcastle have pretty well drilled sides and are generally good against set plays, so I think the argument is pretty flawed for picking holes in his delivery, His free kicks and set piece delivery are excellent, and our goal vs Sheffield was all to do with substitutions just before it and Utd not picking up properly, not the brilliance of the ball in.

I agree we need better in open play to move forward, but Hourihane for a team 10-17th in the Prem is good enough, and brings plenty to the table and invariably is involved in good things that we do.





It's more the press really e.g. the top 6/7 who all have fluid and mobile CMs and he just gets bypassed constantly and we're on the backfoot e.g. Leicester before lockdown.

That said he is excellent in games v teams who'll finish below us and you'd like to think they'll be a decent number of those this season.

Offline paul_e

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8329 on: September 29, 2020, 02:54:17 PM »
I prefer Conor (who has limitations) to Barkley, no idea why people think he is still a good player. Spent force.
I think Conor has got a bit of bad press but there is no comparison between him and Barkley. Barkley is a top quality player. Hourihane has a good left peg

I disagree, what does Barkley offer that Hourihane doesn't? Neither of them are much use in defence, neither will play defence splitting passes in open play all that often, both of them have a good shot from the edge of the box. Barkley is a bit bigger and stronger but Hourihane has better delivery from set pieces. I don't understand what people think Barkley would bring to improve us, for me he's one of the most overrated players in the league.

Online LeeB

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8330 on: September 29, 2020, 03:47:23 PM »
I prefer Conor (who has limitations) to Barkley, no idea why people think he is still a good player. Spent force.
I think Conor has got a bit of bad press but there is no comparison between him and Barkley. Barkley is a top quality player. Hourihane has a good left peg

I disagree, what does Barkley offer that Hourihane doesn't? Neither of them are much use in defence, neither will play defence splitting passes in open play all that often, both of them have a good shot from the edge of the box. Barkley is a bit bigger and stronger but Hourihane has better delivery from set pieces. I don't understand what people think Barkley would bring to improve us, for me he's one of the most overrated players in the league.

Amen.

Barkley ‘looks’ like a good player, there’s a grace in how he moves and takes the ball, which is why he gets rated higher than players who are simply more effective.

Offline Villafirst

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8331 on: September 29, 2020, 04:01:43 PM »
Brewster close to joining Sheffield United for around £17m according to the Daily Mail? I'd like Villa to sign him.

Offline luke:lamf

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8332 on: September 29, 2020, 04:14:53 PM »
Brewster close to joining Sheffield United for around £17m according to the Daily Mail? I'd like Villa to sign him.
The next Dominic Solanke / Jordan Ibe ? Stellar youth international career at at 'Top 6' club, but what did they really bring to the lower-half club that bought them ? Certainly didn't stop Bournemouth from going down. Of course he's young, so I could well be proven wrong, but this will be £17m poorly spent I'd wager. Would be better off shopping around Europe for a more experienced player, even just a few years older.

Offline ASHTONVILLA

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8333 on: September 29, 2020, 04:18:29 PM »
Having Hourihane in the squad or team is not the problem, the problem is that we have very poor options on the bench. We need competition, and if we bring someone in then they should be better or different to what we have already. We have three good midfielders in McGinn, Hourihane and Luiz but play them all together and we look lightweight.
And if one or two of them get a knock, we're down to a talented but raw kid in Ramsey plus Nakamba and Lansbury as options. We absolutely need to bring another first team standard midfielder in as competition.

I actually think we're fine in numbers in central midfield considering January is only three months away. If we beat Stoke then the next league cup game isn't until middle of December so we're pretty much playing once a week for next two months so our fixture list will go back to a normal season.

That said now is the time to strengthen given how well we've started the season. We have the feel now of the club on the up so you'd think sensible players would see that rather than having issues with living in Birmingham as Rashica was rumoured a few weeks back.

Leicester and Wolves have been on the up last few years and continued signing players even when their first 11s have been decent so we should to.

I'm pretty curious about our lack of links to a CB. We were linked to a Danish one the other day and seems that link was quickly dismissed by DS.

Seems odd to say that about a defence that's barely conceded a goal so far but we saw last year injury to Mings mid season and we went into complete panic stations for a few weeks. Konsa has improved massively over last 3 months so credit to him but not sure he's ready to be the lead CB just yet if he had Hause or the lesser spotted Engels alongside him.

It's a fair point about the January window being so close. Good to see McGinn put in a reminder of how good a player he can be yesterday too. Hourihane and Luiz are on good form. But any injury and we are looking at Lansbury starting, although in fairness he was excellent in the cup last week.

As for the defence, I rate Engels (even if Smith doesn't), and Hause played well post lockdown when called upon. It's left back we look desperately weak at.

Offline paul_e

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8334 on: September 29, 2020, 04:20:34 PM »
Brewster looks a decent prospect but £17m for a kid with 10 goals in championship is insane, especially if Liverpool do force a buy back clause in there. I think Sheff U are getting a bit desperate over the lack of any attacking threat in the squad.

Offline curiousorange

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8335 on: September 29, 2020, 04:34:20 PM »
Missing out on Brewster doesn't bother me. We've signed a forward who has the potential to make the step up in Watkins, now I'd be looking at a finisher.

Offline themossman

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8336 on: September 29, 2020, 04:56:34 PM »
Regarding Barkley, I’m struggling to think of an example of a player like that (promising, went for big bucks before they were fully developed, stagnated since) who then became good again later down the line.

I think the SWP effect is one football cliche that holds true most of the time.

Offline ASHTONVILLA

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8337 on: September 29, 2020, 05:04:34 PM »
Regarding Barkley, I’m struggling to think of an example of a player like that (promising, went for big bucks before they were fully developed, stagnated since) who then became good again later down the line.

I think the SWP effect is one football cliche that holds true most of the time.

Chris Sutton? Great at Norwich, great at Blackburn, stuttered at Chelsea, and then very good at Celtic albeit at a lower standard league.


Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8338 on: September 29, 2020, 05:17:04 PM »
Regarding Barkley, I’m struggling to think of an example of a player like that (promising, went for big bucks before they were fully developed, stagnated since) who then became good again later down the line.

I think the SWP effect is one football cliche that holds true most of the time.

Chris Sutton? Great at Norwich, great at Blackburn, stuttered at Chelsea, and then very good at Celtic albeit at a lower standard league.



Kevin DeBruyne, Mo Salah both went to Chelsea and are much better players now. Zaha is probably the same level as the player who went to Man U.

Offline Gareth

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Re: Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread
« Reply #8339 on: September 29, 2020, 05:30:35 PM »
Brewster close to joining Sheffield United for around £17m according to the Daily Mail? I'd like Villa to sign him.
The next Dominic Solanke / Jordan Ibe ? Stellar youth international career at at 'Top 6' club, but what did they really bring to the lower-half club that bought them ? Certainly didn't stop Bournemouth from going down. Of course he's young, so I could well be proven wrong, but this will be £17m poorly spent I'd wager. Would be better off shopping around Europe for a more experienced player, even just a few years older.

The alternative reality could be the next Robbie Fowler or Michael Owen....wouldn’t mind seeing him in our squad but for any Prem side to expect him to make an immediate starter is unfair on the lad.

 


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