January 2023 Transfer Rumours, Discussions and Done Deals Thread

[Bad English]

Jackson from Villarreal off to Bournemouth?

I'm sorry to miss Jackson, from Villa real.

Had to Google.

[Nunkin1965]

Jackson from Villarreal off to Bournemouth?

I'm sorry to miss Jackson, from Villa real.

applause 

Haha. Very good!

Impressive!

[paul_e]

Might be wrong (usually am, in fact), but going off how quickly we've made it clear that some players are surplus to requirements - I don't see how either Emi B or Ollie can be in that category.  I mean, we might be open to accepting a big offer on him, but at the end of the day there's a number of players closer to the exit than he is (Sanson, maybe Cash, Chambers, Augustinsson, Nakamba, Coutinho, maybe Olsen, maybe Digne, ...) - that's 8 new faces potentially, 9 if you include Ings' vacated spot.  Then there's Ashley Young, who whilst he's (hopefully) going to be around for another season - and might conceivably manage another couple - is unlikely to be playing Premier League football for a sizeable chunk of his 40s.

To my mind we've got 2, maybe 3, transfer windows' worth of signings right there ... so unless there's a silly offer for McGinn, Watkins, Buendia, etc - I can't see them being shifted either now or in the summer, and probably not next January either.

Yes you can't obviously replace everybody at once (although Chelsea are having a stab at it). You've got people who are definitely surplus to requirements (Sanson, Gilbert, Nakamba etc) then definite nailed on players to build your team around (Martinez, Kamara and Ramsey). Most of the others will have a sliding scale of need to be replaced at some point, which might take 2-3 years.

That's about where I am but I think at least some of those outgoings will be filled from the U21s and I wouldn't be surprised if 1 or 2 that don't seem to be on their way out right now are sold in the summer so they go whilst we can get a decent fee back on them.

Specifically on Buendia I had concerns about him being too easily bullied when he signed and nothing that's happened since has changed my mind. However I think the problem isn't about strength (as I said at the time) it's his lack of acceleration. When he tries to knock the ball past a defender they have time to turn and push him off the ball because he's just too slow getting beyond them.

[pauliewalnuts]

Specifically on Buendia I had concerns about him being too easily bullied when he signed and nothing that's happened since has changed my mind. However I think the problem isn't about strength (as I said at the time) it's his lack of acceleration. When he tries to knock the ball past a defender they have time to turn and push him off the ball because he's just too slow getting beyond them.

I agree on that, at least most of it.

I think he is clearly a very talented footballer, but he has limitations around being easily forced off the ball - which I suspect he knows, and probably contributes to his propensity to give the ball away whilst trying to pass his way out of trouble.

The problem is, there are some things you can remedy with training and there are others you can't. He is never going to become physically bigger, for example. He can be coached on retaining the ball better, yes, but I think ultimately the fact he can be pushed off the ball so easily is going to do for him at this level.

TL;DR - he's too lightweight.

[pauliewalnuts]

Jackson from Villarreal off to Bournemouth?

I'm sorry to miss Jackson, from Villa real.

applause 

Haha. Very good!

Impressive!

It was marvellous.

Although that song has now been on my internal jukebox since seeing that post. It shifted that Bob Mortimer song about slim people which had been there since seeing that clip yesterday.

[LeeB]

It's not being knocked off the ball though, it's the unforced misplaced passes under no pressure too.

[pauliewalnuts]

It's not being knocked off the ball though, it's the unforced misplaced passes under no pressure too.

That too.

[Jimsta]

I'm sorry I don't get Buendia being not physical enough and knocked off the ball to easy. That's not the problem it's like his the only player with a small physique Hendrie,Wright was smaller but went on had good careers.
It's about his lack of concentration or what ever he keeps giving the ball away even when his not under pressure. This has to prove first before anything else.

[Villatillidie25]

Specifically on Buendia I had concerns about him being too easily bullied when he signed and nothing that's happened since has changed my mind. However I think the problem isn't about strength (as I said at the time) it's his lack of acceleration. When he tries to knock the ball past a defender they have time to turn and push him off the ball because he's just too slow getting beyond them.

I agree on that, at least most of it.

I think he is clearly a very talented footballer, but he has limitations around being easily forced off the ball - which I suspect he knows, and probably contributes to his propensity to give the ball away whilst trying to pass his way out of trouble.

The problem is, there are some things you can remedy with training and there are others you can't. He is never going to become physically bigger, for example. He can be coached on retaining the ball better, yes, but I think ultimately the fact he can be pushed off the ball so easily is going to do for him at this level.

TL;DR - he's too lightweight.

I'm also not sure the adage of too lightweight works as well as it used to either. Players can bulk up these days and a low centre of gravity can often be seen as a good thing (think Aguero/Messi, even Mcginn). There are plenty of examples of smaller players playing to a very high level, the important thing is to know where to put your body and how to keep it between the ball and the defender. This is what Emi is very poor at but that can be coached

[Risso]

That the 4-4-2 formation is working so well at the moment is a bit amazing really. Buendia isn't a winger, nor is Ramsey/McGinn and Bailey isn't a striker. Does anybody know what Emery likes to play when he's got a settled team of his own to work with?

[andyh]

It's not being knocked off the ball though, it's the unforced misplaced passes under no pressure too.

For me this is his biggest problem.
The amount of times he gives the ball away, in every single game, is ridiculous for a supposedly a quality number 10.

[pablo_picasso]

That the 4-4-2 formation is working so well at the moment is a bit amazing really. Buendia isn't a winger, nor is Ramsey/McGinn and Bailey isn't a striker. Does anybody know what Emery likes to play when he's got a settled team of his own to work with?

A mixture if 4-2-3-1 & 4-4-2. Although the 4-4-2 is with deeper central mids & narrower "wide" midfielders... Personally, I don't understand why we don't use Buendia as the right side "wide" mid. He was most comfortable & most productive there for Norwich.

Personally, with our squad, I prefer the 4-2-3-1. Luiz & Kamara deep mids, Bailey, Ramsey & Buendia the 3 attacking mids & Watkins (or Duran when ready) up top...

[paul_e]

It's not being knocked off the ball though, it's the unforced misplaced passes under no pressure too.

The sloppy passing is more noticeable and probably a bigger limitation right now but I think that can be worked on. His ability to get away from defenders is harder to do anything about and is what will stop him from ever being a top player.

I love his work rate and desire and when he gets it right he can make and score goals so I'm all for having him around the squad but I just don't think he'll ever become the player we hoped he'd be by now and as a result I think we paid £10-15m too much for him.

[bob]

Yeah we definitely paid too much for him.

[Drummond]

We paid what it took to get him. Ahead of Arsenal remember.

He's a great little player, who tries things that don't come off at times. Whilst I like Watkins, he isn't a clever player and doesn't read what Buendia is doing, and it seems like Buendia doesn't want to change what he does either.

Having said all of that, there were some passages of play on Saturday where there was a lot of intricate close passing and it feels like we're going for that style a lot more.