Summer 2020 Transfer Window (Extended Version)

[YoungWolf]

I've been watching match highlights from the start of the season recently and he seemed to get more game time than I remember. Was good with his feet and seemed to have a good footballing brain but his finishing was largely pup. Can't knock his desire and pashun tho. If he could finish he could have had half a dozen goals in the first couple of months of the season and things may have been different.

He got into very good positions fairly consistently, the finishing touch would have come IMO.

 

[Deano]

I feel sorry for Patrick. It didn't work for him here (largely because of how good Raul is) but he isn't a bad striker at all. For the minutes he was actually on the pitch (not enough to judge him positively or negatively really) his record is actually quite good. He clearly didn't have the patience to wait for his opportunity here, which is a shame but his choice.

I hope he can make it work with Fiorentina anyway

I don't think he will do particularly well. Doesn't really have any outstanding attributes. Time will tell I suppose.

 

[Tredman]

I don't think he will do particularly well. Doesn't really have any outstanding attributes. Time will tell I suppose.

You could probably say the same about Raúl when it comes to outstanding attributes.

 

[Deano]

You could probably say the same about Raúl when it comes to outstanding attributes.

Definitely not.

 

[Tredman]

Definitely not.

Ok, then what are Raul’s outstanding attributes? It’s not pace, it’s not dribbling (though he has improved this season), it’s not really finishing (penalties aside) - sometimes it all just comes together and that often dependent on the right time and place too.

 

[YoungWolf]

I would say Raul is outstanding in many areas which is why he is so good :icon_lol:

His dribbling is definitely outstanding, his work rate is on a different planet, , his heading ability is very good, he builds fantastic relationships with those on the pitch (Jota last season, Traore this) due to his intelligence.

The concept of finishing is one that is up for debate in general IMO. Conversation rates don't tend to change that much from player to player I believe, which is why xG is quite a useful (though not perfect) concept. Rather than his finishing improving, he gets in better positions to score on a far more consistent basis than when he first joined. That's why I think had we been able to persevere with Cutrone he would have been a reasonable goalscorer for us, but it wasn't to be.

 

[Tredman]

Perhaps a different concept of outstanding - to me Traore is outstanding at dribbling (pace too), Shearer was outstanding at finishing. As good as Raúl is he’s not on par with the best in any of the categories, but it does all come together and work.

I would say he is outstanding at penalties, possibly the best I’ve ever seen.

 

[Deano]

Ok, then what are Raul’s outstanding attributes? It’s not pace, it’s not dribbling (though he has improved this season), it’s not really finishing (penalties aside) - sometimes it all just comes together and that often dependent on the right time and place too.

Definitely his heading ability and his hold up/link play for a start. I can't think of many strikers better at either, at the moment Jimenez is one of the best strikers in the league and probably Europe at the moment and I think it's a stretch to do that if you've got no exceptional attributes.

 

[Tony Towner]

This may be complete cobblers and I don't know if there is a stat for it, but I feel our one on one finishing is an area for improvement. Under Nuno there's only Cav I would put money on clear through with the keeper it beat. Excluding penalties obviously

 

[Tredman]

Definitely his heading ability and his hold up/link play for a start. I can't think of many strikers better at either, at the moment Jimenez is one of the best strikers in the league and probably Europe at the moment and I think it's a stretch to do that if you've got no exceptional attributes.

He’s very good at both, but I wouldnt say exceptional. My point is more you don’t need to have exceptional abilities to be a very good player - sometimes the combination of being good at lots of things works well.

 

[sycophantia]

He’s very good at both, but I wouldnt say exceptional. My point is more you don’t need to have exceptional abilities to be a very good player - sometimes the combination of being good at lots of things works well.

Think this is a fair point, at times he looks clumsy as fuck on the ball and t oo greedy at times but the amount of goals he gets doesn't lie. His workrate, awareness and general all round play are his main attributes. Don't think there is another player like him in the league and certainly not one any where near his standard

 

[PuntsWolf]

Raul’s touch, hold up play and aerial ability are elite. He’s also very good dribbling, creates a opportunities for others and links with other players well. He’s less creative than Firmino but better carrying the ball and more of a threat in the box given his size and aerial ability.

Now if I look at young Patrick, the ball bounced off him, couldn’t hold it up, shit in the air, slow, no dribbling ability to speak of but created a few opportunities and linked occasionally.

 

[Tredman]

Should I go and dig out the WC2018 posts where people said the same (and worse) about Raúl?

 

[Derby Wolf]

I'm not a fan of Cutrone and lost any goodwill when he started running his mouth after leaving but he may or may not have come good here. We'll never know but let's not forget that although Cutrone fluffed that big chance at Man City, Raul missed a shocker away at West Ham early on too, it wasn't necessarily an indication of ability. Not our problem anymore.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I would say Raul is outstanding in many areas which is why he is so good :icon_lol:

His dribbling is definitely outstanding, his work rate is on a different planet, , his heading ability is very good, he builds fantastic relationships with those on the pitch (Jota last season, Traore this) due to his intelligence.

The concept of finishing is one that is up for debate in general IMO. Conversation rates don't tend to change that much from player to player I believe, which is why xG is quite a useful (though not perfect) concept. Rather than his finishing improving, he gets in better positions to score on a far more consistent basis than when he first joined. That's why I think had we been able to persevere with Cutrone he would have been a reasonable goalscorer for us, but it wasn't to be.

Andy Keogh must be the exception that proves your rule then. Great link play, woeful finishing.

 

[YoungWolf]

Andy Keogh must be the exception that proves your rule then. Great link play, woeful finishing.

Would be interesting to know what his stats were like for sure! Definitely lacked confidence in goal but I wonder how many opportunities he actually got himself in overall. As you say, link man.

 

[Norman Deeley]

Sunday Mirror is linking us with Otavio from Porto. Can't see it myself...

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Andy Keogh must be the exception that proves your rule then. Great link play, woeful finishing.

He was never a goal scorer. I looked up his stats when we bought him and his goal scoring was never good.

However I absolutely adored him, he was superb link up play and worked so fucking hard.

10 times the player Eastwood was. He was good enough to play for a title winning team in the Champ, never would have made it in the Prem but a truly cracking player, his confidence was woeful.

 

[Premier Quality]

Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai

https://sempremilan.com/report-mila...enal-spurs-and-wolves-all-want-e25m-playmaker

I didn’t know anything about him so found this interesting

https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/why-europes-elite-are-tracking-dominik-szoboszlai/

 

[Wilf Wolf]

He was never a goal scorer. I looked up his stats when we bought him and his goal scoring was never good.

However I absolutely adored him, he was superb link up play and worked so fucking hard.

10 times the player Eastwood was. He was good enough to play for a title winning team in the Champ, never would have made it in the Prem but a truly cracking player, his confidence was woeful.

I liked Andy Keogh but his finishing was terrible.