January 2021 Transfer Window

[Tredman]

Why put that post after mine rather than after Johnny or Deutsch's? You can make a football comment yourself any time you like

I wasn't replying to you, but just in general.

 

[Jinky]

Maybe if people didn't post stuff in the guise of an utter arsehole then others wouldn't have a go at them. Just a thought.

Really?

Once again, don't agree with the infamous Deutsch Wolf's opinion and you're an "arsehole". Cool.

Thought I might get picked up on. Seems others can say what they want eh?

Are you referring to Dan's post above? Interesting that you gave it a 'like'.

 

[Tredman]

Neither Boly nor Saiss have the concentration or focus to be successful in a 4, part of the reason a 5 (or 3 imo) worked so well for us is that it used the strengths of Coady, Boly & Saiss/Bennet and negated their weaknesses. Just because we have decided 4 at the back is better doesn't mean that these weaknesses have gone away..

And I did try..

 

[YoungWolf]

And I did try..

I think I agree with PrawnKing that (if we don't sign anyone, which it appears not) I would go with Coady and Boly in a back four. I would actually swap them around though, Coady's passing is better from the right imo and Boly drives in with the ball more often when he is the one on the left.

 

[Tredman]

I think I agree with PrawnKing that (if we don't sign anyone, which it appears not) I would go with Coady and Boly in a back four. I would actually swap them around though, Coady's passing is better from the right imo and Boly drives in with the ball more often when he is the one on the left.

I'd love to see Boly on the left - used to be ace watching him do his little switchback from the BW lower. I'd much rather see it in a 3 though with a decent RCB signed...

 

[YoungWolf]

I'd love to see Boly on the left - used to be ace watching him do his little switchback from the BW lower. I'd much rather see it in a 3 though with a decent RCB signed...

Yeah, even if we play a back three we've never managed to sort that position other than just moving Boly over. It worked well (and Donck performed admirably when he filled in too) but it should only have been a short term solution really.

 

[Tredman]

Yeah, even if we play a back three we've never managed to sort that position other than just moving Boly over. It worked well (and Donck performed admirably when he filled in too) but it should only have been a short term solution really

Boly at LCB was a much better attacking force too - combined really well with Jonny & Jota at times. I guess a lot of it was the surprise factor perhaps, but its something we have never really replaced. 3 at the back with 2 CBs either side of Coady who can bring the ball out at start attacks would help counter some of the reluctance of our CMs to bring the ball forward.

 

[Jinky]

Yes.

I haven’t suggested that I agree or disagree with you. I was intrigued by your comments and wanted to understand them better.

4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 3-4-3, 3-5-2 (we’ve played all of these at some point recently) are all different. Some of the players fit 1, multiple, or all of them. Some players can work in them without it being a great fit.

Just wanted to discuss football on a football forum.

Sorry, mate. I don't mind having the discussion but this place is tiresome because of the type of posts you can see on the last page or two. Too many pre-conceived agendas as soon as they see a posters name, rather than actually reading what those posts say. I thought you were fishing - my bad.

Anyway, to answer your question, I feel like the recruitment that was done in the summer was for a formation that we aren't playing any more. Semedo & RAN look more like wing backs who would thrive in our old system, rather than full backs who would be comfortable in a back 4. Perhaps Marcal would be more suited to a 4, but he is injury prone. I'm not sure he would offer us much (if anything) in an attacking sense, either. Jonny could definitely play that role and I hope he returns ASAP.

We don't seem to have a midfield two that can play together efficiently. The Donk debate has been done to death, but I don't think he is the box to box attacking midfielder we want.

We need a signing in defence. An actual centre back who can play in a central back 2 pairing. I love Coady & Saiss to bits but I'm not totally convinced either are long term options in the centre of defence as a 2 - both have demonstrated on more than one occasion each that they have clangers in them. I know all footballers can have a 'moment', but we'd be a lot stronger actually signing someone who can play in that system comfortably. Jury is still out on Boly in a 2 as well.

We also don't have a centre forward who can play on his own like Raul. Someone who can link play & offer attacking threat etc. I don't think Fabio or Cutrone are the answer. And whilst I appreciate it's a difficult window, we have a recruitment team, scouts and such who are surely capable of finding someone who can come in and offer us better over the last 20 odd games. I refuse to believe there isn't a footballer out there that we can sign to do a better job than Fabio or Cutrone. That's more of a transfer window debate than a system debate though, so I'll leave it there. Clearly there are people on this very board who disagree and are happy to look for the "solutions internally".

To summarise, I feel like Nuno is trying to fit square shapes in to circular holes with his team selections a lot of the time. We have enough talent in the squad to stay up, whether we are dragged closer to the bottom three or not. I can't say I'm overly optimistic that we can just go out in the summer and magically sign these mystical players that are currently alluding us. But Nuno has to work with the players he has available to him right now, so I can understand the calls to revert back to the old "three at the back" formation.

 

[big mean bunny]

I appreciate our news is extremely quiet regardless, but do we have any links whatsoever with anyone?

It does feel like bar a last week or day call from the representative of a prospective target, that we currently don't feel is available, that we are in fact sticking.

 

[PuntsWolf]

It's difficult to debate hypotheticals, but they weren't playing like the examples you gave or like Antonio earlier this season where he was outmuscled him. Neither were they doing so with other forwards in support so I think it's perfectively feasible in a 3 that it's not Coady picking him up or if he is the space isn't there to pass the ball through. None of which defends the challenge itself

Well this is it. We can’t make an entire system to stop a player making an utterly moronic challenge.

But on the Albion point. from those screenshots there I wouldn’t say that crazily different to how me might be in a 3. Coady would certainly have the he taking Robinson. It certainly wouldn’t be Boly and the additional LCB couldn’t be that far over.

 

[Kenny]

Clearly there are people on this very board who disagree and are happy to look for the "solutions internally".

I doubt there are many who wouldn't love us to go and sign someone. A new signing is always great so we can all spend hours lifting the player up to god like levels until they play...

There is an obvious discussion to be had but I can;t get on board with the hysterical reactions (don't take that as a dig at yourself)that we get every window and certainly in one that sits in the middle of a period where clubs have no clue if they are getting a big chunk of income coming back anytime soon. There are reasons why clubs like Liverpool are not buying despite them being desperate for a CB (they are essentially doing what we are doing with the forward situation but its like us playing Neves and Otasowie up front to cover the loss of players) and Arsenal are taking £120m loan to get them through to the next TV money pay day. I wish I knew what was going on behind the scenes and hope Jeff has flipped from 12 months ago when he couldn't his trap shut on transfers and promises to saying nothing andspringing a surprise.
I sincerley hope we rip up what ever plan we had in place for this season and spend a little but if we don't what are going to do about it? Refuse to go again this season (well, turn the TV off) or just let our blood pressures rise and rise on forums? I know people want the football to be a release from the shitstorm we are living in, but that is never going to happen when the footballers are also living in the shitstorm at the same time.

The next 19 league games can't come and go quick enough for me, regardless of what happens to us.

 

[YoungWolf]

I appreciate our news is extremely quiet regardless, but do we have any links whatsoever with anyone?

It does feel like bar a last week or day call from the representative of a prospective target, that we currently don't feel is available, that we are in fact sticking.

Nope, pretty much nothing.

In a month where it's hard to find value, I did think we might look to the French league with the financial issues over there because of the TV deals. Probably explains why Sanson will go for around £15m to Villa, for example. We've previously held interest in Soumare I think, this is probably the time to go for him. We obviously look to that league as we took Marcal and Ait-Nouri from there last summer!

 

[prawnking]

Semedo & RAN look more like wing backs who would thrive in our old system, rather than full backs who would be comfortable in a back 4. Perhaps Marcal would be more suited to a 4, but he is injury prone. I'm not sure he would offer us much (if anything) in an attacking sense, either. Jonny could definitely play that role and I hope he returns ASAP.

Full-back/wing-back looks one of our most solid areas to me, look to have a variety of skillsets there too. I'd love to see Hoever given a run at RB, although appreciate it may not be this season, and the priority for me is giving Semedo games to get some partnerships going.

 

[YoungWolf]

Full-back/wing-back looks one of our most solid areas to me, look to have a variety of skillsets there too. I'd love to see Hoever given a run at RB, although appreciate it may not be this season, and the priority for me is giving Semedo games to get some partnerships going.

Agreed, we have really good depth in that position, probably the position I am least worried about in terms of how we build this squad!

 

[Throbber3]

If we are determined to play a back four it would be better with Jonny at Left back so I would be tempted to wait until he returns and play to our strengths in the interim.

 

[Tredman]

Or Marcal

 

[Throbber3]

Or Marcal

he is a bit prone to injury though.

 

[YoungWolf]

Seen a couple of quotes from Spiers (assume it's from the podcast that went out this morning) about us prioritising a centre back in the summer.

 

[Tredman]

De ja vu.

Where has his list of 50 strikers got us...?

 

[Kenny]

De ja vu.

Where has his list of 50 strikers got us...?

Number 50 - Patrick Cutrone