OneMoSalah

Nowhere near it. Even more so when you consider Liverpool will 90% sign Werner meaning they have him and Firmino then City have Aguero and Jesus. We need at least one CF of that ilk or standard if we are to try close the gap. Id only have Mertens if Giroud left as an option.

Think for the last year its been obvious he would only go to one of two places: Liverpool or Bayern. Sky Sports late as usual. Mertens primary position isnt right wing. Since Sarri was at Napoli he played as a forward and even Carlo played him upfront. Not sure about Gattuso but looking on whoscored most of his apperances this season have been as a forward as well. If Mertens is coming here it is as a forward because in terms of being creative, he is hardly an improvement on Willian or Pedro. He is a goalscorer.

I think City and Liverpool will continue to build even if they change managers. They have probably had the best recruitment in the last 3 or 4 years in the PL imo and thats not all just down to their managers. City's recruitment has been pretty good since under Mancini bar the few players like Javi Garcia etc that they got who were obviously second or third choice. Everytime they sign players they suit the managers idea of football to a tee. If they keep the two Spanish boys in suits at the club, theyll continue to build, they've overseen it from Pellegrini to Pep and I would imagine when Pep goes theyll get someone in a similar mould and carry on that way. Spurs might get set back but their squad needs a refresh anyway. You look at the age of key parts of their side, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Sissoko, Lloris, all aging and although it doesnt mean anything about their ability at present you could see from when the season started the whole team looked flat and thats dragged on. Arsenal have a soft center, as theyve always has but have got a chance if they give Arteta time. To say their young system isnt very good is a bit harsh when you consider Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson, Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah are all recent graduates and will become good players. Okay they arent maybe as highly regarded or their youth system might not have won the trophies ours has but I must admit I really like the look of Saka if I am honest he looks like he could be a top full back in a few seasons and also think Eddie Nketiah has the potential to be a very dangerous striker. There will be others in and around there and it would seem Arteta is commited to younger players if they impress him like Frank is. They do need to improve in other areas but I think Arteta, ironically, as inexperienced as he may be, can get them better. Theyve shown in spells in matches they can be very good. You are right though, its not always the big name players. Players who suit a system or the a style regardless of if their a player with a well renowned name or not are vital to a club progressing in a certain manner. I really do think Ziyech is a top signing in that regard. For that money as well, even more impressive. I would also suggest that we cannot just hang out coat on the academy crop for definite as a reason for competing for titles. You need to have the right mix and good pros and a top top players in and around them to bail them out at times or help their game come on and all the other things. I think it we can get another 3 or 4 players in who suit the team, are at a good level and those boys can take the neccessery steps as well as the guys who are already here like Ngolo, Jorginho, Mateo, Rudi, Andreas, Pulisic we can compete if we get more consistent. I know the gap looks very big and its always mentioned on sky etc but I would say, realistically, we are a top CF who can get 20-25 goals a season, another midfielder/wide player who can get 10+ goals and assists a season, a good left full back and good central defender off competing. We have the bones of a good team, consistency has been an issue, a lack of goals has also been an issue. If Willian and Pedro go, Ziyech wont be enough although he will probably better their numbers, we will need another wide player/attacking midfielder.

Some of his comments were interesting. 'I am not someone who gives pats on the back. I talk a lot about their mistakes and little about what is done well.' Personally think that this went against him with our players at times, although, for me, I think its kinda the right approach to have too especially the mistakes part. Mistakes happen and I still remember seeing Brendan Rodgers call Martin Skrtl "brave" or "courageous" for wanting to play out in a postmatch interview, after he played a short backpass to his GK which Carlos Tevez or whoever it was intercepted and then scored for City. I mean it was a blatent mistake. I get the principle of these managers like Sarri, Pep, Rodgers etc who have this style where they will make mistakes in playing out but just say it was a mistake, address it, rectify it and move on. Realistically how are teams going to improve if coaches dont talk more about mistakes or where they could improve rather than just focus on everything thats going well? Surely thats how teams and players become complacent? I dont think at a top club players should really be expecting to be praised the whole time when things are going well. Really it should be what is expected, what is demanded not only by the manager but the players themselves or so youd think in a dressing room with top professionals in it. Okay there is a time where the praise should perhaps be given etc but I wouldnt think many of these top top footballers play football for praise, they play to win and for the sheer enjoyment. I mean back in the day do you think Jose or Carlo would be blowing smoke up peoples arses for beating the likes of teams who finish between 8th and 20th? Or the likes of Sir Alex or a Capello or a Lippi or whoever?

Surely will be a 2 or 3 year contract? No way hes coming here ahead of all those clubs for 1 season, not a chance in hell... would say though good wee signing on a free.

Would it not just be easier to go for a striker? Especially when you consider Sanchos price tag seems a bit stupid paying over 100m to convert someone from a winger to a CF when it might not work...

Injruy prone? Cmon the guys had maybe 8 months where hes picked up wee niggling injuries, its hardly being injury prone. If he had been in and out the team for 18 months to 2 seasons I would see the point but its nowhere near that extreme as in half a season he still has over 20 appearances. As someone mentioned its more a positional/tactical issue than a personnel one. I dont think selling him for any price is a wise move, we have used 433, 4231 and 343 this season and he is capable of being very effective in at least 2 of those systems. Even with Sarri in a 3, in that right side he showed he is very capable so I dont think hes useless in that formation as you would think reading this thread and match day ones at times. Also players can have bad or poorer seasons to normal then bounce back as weve seen with Eden, Diego, Azpi, Matic, among others in recent times here. Perhaps but I dont think Lampard in 2010/11, even suffering from injuries would of been anywhere near the top of the list for going, although it was inevitable he would need replaced eventually as would others, as weve mentioned in the thread talking about the 1 year contract thing. Still remember the huge complaints when Villas-Boas had him out of the team as well the next season so I cant imagine that many were so willing for him to go. Maybe we arent in a position the win the league in the next season or two but again, the Kante level players are the type you need, guys who are world class. Even then with the correct recruitment theres no reason why we cant challenge, we have done it before. Yes City and Liverpool are ahead and their managers are much more experienced and better but again, a few top quality players in key positions to go with what we have, its not impossible. Plus Lampards objective over the duration of his contract has to be to compete/win the league, just like Sarri's would of been eventually and just like Conte's beforehand. I dont think selling Kante is going to help towards that. We may have coped in big games without him but for the Bayern game for instance do you not think we would of been a bit better and not got overrun as easily in MF with him, specially as we played 343? Or the 4-4 game with Ajax, I think we wouldnt have looked so open at times with him starting? Also his performance in the Super Cup which was arguably one of our best performances of the whole season and in Lampards reign, he was excellent I felt. Yes hes been up and down but so has the full team this year. I do not think there is one player except maybe Kovacic who you can say has played consistently well this season. I get the stats may look better with him out of the team than in it but I think its also very misleading to assume he isnt of any use here as we have seen we can go 433, 343 or 4231. Regarding Rooney, his situation was different to Kante because not only did his physical qualities deplete but the way he played changed heavily when they started playing him as a 10 and not a CF. Other than a shit run of wee niggling injuries, Kante is pretty much still playing the same way he did at Leicester and probably beforehand - but has improved with the ball. Also Rooney had basically been playing every week since he was 16, then from 18 to say when he was about 30 he was playing CL every season, went to more or less every World Cup, more or less every European Championships etc etc. For me theres no doubt that Rooneys case and Kantes are totally different. Rooney is probably more similar to Michael Owen in a way that he did so much so young that he was always going to burn out physically unless he went and did what Ronaldo did in terms of his training, preparation and managing himself to ensure he could play at that level for so long. Although Michael Owen was pretty fucked earlier in his career due to injuries. I think it is a tactical issue for sure that has affected Kantes performances this season although again there was the same complaints under Maurizio and he ended up upping his game and playing very good in that role he was in. I dont think we should just say lets sell him abroad because the fact Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are all credited heavily with an interest shows he has plenty to offer. I liked Conte's quote about being a tailor when he changed the teams shape in his first season here. I think we and Lampard has to 100% consider keeping Kante for that reason, he has shown he will mix it up tactically etc too. I dont think its exactly sentimental to want to keep arguably one of the best midfielders in the planet still.....

Also can somebody please explain where is this sell him hes struggling with injury shit coming from so we should cut our losses shit is coming from? Hes had a bad spell between the end of last season to now with a few injuries. Some people have really short memories. Countless players over the years have had one bad season for injuries. Even here, Hazard that year Jose got sacked for instance he struggled with niggling injuries all season, didnt see people saying time to cash in on him then? Diego had them the same year as well if I remember correctly? Lampard in 2010-11 struggled with a few injuries over a period as well. Was there the same get rid of him shit going around then?

Lampard ready to sell Kante basically? While he hasnt been at his best this season that is a bold and huge risk if you ask me. Even more so for somebody who has 2 years experience as a manager. Even at 29, having someone like that in the squad is always a good option to have. Plus you would say he is probably our best player on paper, what sort of sign does that send out, selling 2 of our biggest and best players in the past 2 seasons?

Maybe save this comment to when hes signed for us holding the shirt though? Although I do think if it comes down to it, United wont fuck about with the fee for him where as we might.

I dont think the season will finish anytime soon so I think its only fair they keep the window shut until its done like usual. I generally do think they should just null and void the season at this rate though, more important things than trying to reschedule multiple football leagues eventually. It would probably throw up a lot of problems too that would have to be resolved though and undoubtedly some clubs who are in promotion places in other leagues, CL places, title winning positions will probably object to it but I think to keep delaying the season is just going to be a repeated process at this rate. The date was originally start of April, then 30th of April IIRC, fuck knows what it is now. In Scotland theyve delayed it again to June 10th. I mean if they reschedule it and we get started in say 2, 3 or even 4 months (or whatever period), the teams are undoubtedbly going to need 4-6 weeks to get their players fit again because theres no way through this they can build or maintain suitable/relevant match fitness. Before you know it its the summer or beyond and that pushes the transfer window out, the Euros out and whatever else. Just null and void the lot. Start again in August if its good to do so from the beginning. The transfer window when it happens, it is going to be pretty dull in comparison to what people think it will be. The big players wont move for huge fees but some clubs will definitely need to move some players on because of the hit theyll have taken through this. I wonder if this may lower some of the prices in the transfer market, although youd think some will still refuse to sell unless price X or Y is met but the likes of the Valencia's, Sevilla's, Monaco's, Dortmund's, Ajax's, clubs you'd maybe associate more as selling clubs may be even more desperate to make deals now. Valencia already had 30-40m debt they had to clear to be inline with FFP. There will be others too. Dont know what the state of play is going to be with FFP now though.

Perhaps but again on a case by case basis, its not the worst idea because not every player is finished at age 30, 31 or even 32. I mean there is a lot who do finish up and it is a fine line but for instance there are still players aged 30 or over who can do a job at a lot of clubs and even then its not as if they have to play every week either. I do see your point, the team did drop off and we did need to refresh the squad but again I dont think replacing Joe Cole with Youssi Benayoun was exactly a good move and while Ramires was signed again he lacked the versatility and top level experience that Ballack had although he had boundless energy and became a huge part of our team under Villas-Boas. Suppose some had to be the sacrifical lambs so to speak in terms of being moved on but wouldnt say they werent good enough to be offered 2 year deals for instance. We should have had an eye on changing personnel in some areas earlier too though or identifying eventual replacements, Drogba and Anelka were 30 plus, countless others too like Ferreira, Ash Cole, Lampard, Benayoun, Malouda... were all 30 or over. The planning or gradual way of overhauling the squad was poorly planned. I mean instead of Benayoun why didnt the club not sign somebody at a similar age to what Ramires was for instance who would of been able to have been able to contribute more long term? Why was Luiz not signed in the summer when Carvalho was sold etc? Regarding Willian and Malouda, yeah spot on. I hope Willian doesnt get the 3 year deal, even doing it on case by case basis he doesnt warrant 3 years. David Luiz didnt warrant 2 years either.

The policy has been bullshit for years. Ever since Belletti, Ballack and Joe Cole didn't get offered more than 1 year contracts. It should be done on a case by case basis. I dont see the gripe with Lampard not getting a 2 year deal tbf he was past it and what he did for City and New York would of hardly justified a 2 seasons deal here. The sentimental side yes it is maybe why people wanted him to get it but at what age 35 or 36? 2 year deal to most likely warm the bench?

Lol someone desperate for media attention. Superb. Good to see that despite the corona virus there are still these attention seeking morons who will say anything for there 10 minutes in the spot light and even worse, get it from these newspapers. Honestly 35 years old, running off to the sun newspaper for a payout to say Unai Emery called her a white witch and blamed his sacking/poor run of results on her, holy fuck 😂 Is it really that easy to be a journalist/reporter/newspaper writer but? Just wait for a footballer or managers ex gf to come to you with a bullshit story, write it up and add in a few photos of them in a bikini, post it online, sorted. Or is there more to it? Swear thats about 75% of the news these days in the UK.

Barca want him as Suarez's long term replacement. So I would be surprised if we get him.

Maybe to be given a chance? Its not as if Sarri gave him one from day 1. Plus he was the clubs captain so I wouldnt be surprised if not only Gaz had issues with how he was marginalised in his last season. Even more when you consider how there was the talk of changing captains too at the beginning of the season.... Although I do agree to a degree, even under Conte, you could see he was declining but he was pretty much cast aside at the beginning without giving him any real chance. Sarri could have played him more in the Europa League and cup games at least, I dont think he would of looked completely out of his depth or as bad as the others did at times with Sarri too. People will mention his use of the ball obviously but there was a similar argument from when Jose was here using him ahead of Luiz when he returned and that Luiz's ability on the ball was so much more superior but again Gary wasnt exactly poor in that aspect. Again though, regardless lf his last season, I think Gaz will go down as one of the best value for money signings the club has made in recent times, £7-8m, won everything, became the club captain. Azpilicueta obviously another one.

You think so? Even more so now? I severely doubt that. Why would any club spend 35m for a player who hasnt scored more than 5 goals at club level in one season since 2016-17 prior to this COVID situation, never mind now? I mean I still find it daft we tried to buy him for 35m in the summer window the year before we got him in January. I get hes English but players such as him and even Danny Drinkwater arent going to go for anywhere from here for near those sort of fees because quite frankly they are shite or dont do it often enough. Simple as that. I mean I bet Villa are thinking why the fuck did we actually loan Drinkwater instead of recruiting someone else (which was suprising as theyve bought some good players in recent times). Your crazy if you think we will get anywhere near that fee for Ross imo. Even more so with all the uncertainty around the PL and clubs budgets for when the football season kicks off again. This is why shifting a collection of these duds in the loan army and squad is going to be even more difficult now because what clubs gonna be going okay lets spend 35m on Ross Barkley/20-25m on Danny Drinkwater/however much for Batshuayi etc. Ok they might have suitors but again whos gonna pay the full price for them when a lot of clubs are in delicate positions due to this COVID-19, trying to keep their clubs running, paying all their staff particularly ones who arent multimillionaire PL footballers and whatever else.

Yeah but the funny thing is United were fucking about with the fee for Pedro with Barcelona. Personal terms reportedly weren't an issue. I doubt United are gonna fuck about with a fee for Sancho.

Lots of rumors he will snub us for Man United and we will go for Coutinho. So much for Sancho was always gonna come here to play with his mates Hudson Odoi and whoever else eh 🤣

Precisely. Wait and see though, the refreshing thing about this virus has been the lack of hugely optimistic we can spend 300-400m in 1 window on 7 new players posts with 2 or 3 totally unrealistic sales at unrealistic prices. Even though for the last 3 or 4 years we havent got close to it IIRC. Think th closest we have had in years was Conte's 2nd season? Which was 170-180m in one window? Or theres about. I think we will have 100-125m max with this coronavirus shit if the season doesn't finish, if we are lucky. Okay we might sell a few but again many other clubs arent going to be buying for lots of cash either. Okay the Hazard money and the Morata money bla bla bla whatever else might be there but again its a might and even if it is it is not as if we will get all of that... more to running a football club than transfer budgets. Plus with this virus I am sure the club and Roman have taken a huge hit financially like everything else.

I think this article doing the rounds is a fake. Surely. Dont see how anyone could rate Alexander Arnold, Mount, Foden, Sancho or Pulisic above Havertz, de Jong or ultimately Mbappe, yet alone the greatest footballer of all time. That isnt a criticism of them but Mbappe, Havertz and de Jong are incredible. For me, Kylian Mbappe is already world class and there isnt anybody better in his age bracket or even at many of the top top clubs around Europe, regardless of age. You dont see many young players, yet alone young central midfielders, who have the attributes or traits that Frenkie de Jong has either: tactical understanding, technique, versatility, dribbling, vision, recovering the ball, passing range. Kai Havertz as well in that number 10 position, will undoubtedly be a top top player. Not to say these other boys wont have top careers, they will, but those 3 and also throw in de Ligt, Vinicuis, Rodrygo as well as a few others who are missing in that list. Good few other young players on it though, Dembele and Eder Militao who havent quite kicked on but still, very good young players. Kimmich may be older but again an excellent player. The boy from Lyon as well.

Bruno Fernandes and Grealish.... KDB and B. Silva level of creativity? What. The. Fuck. Dont be silly. Grealish is a good wee player but hes hardly outstanding. I mean he really isnt. Bruno Fernandes is much better but hes still nowhere near those 2 although he has more potential and credibility when your talking about players who can do what KDB and Bernardo do for City. I doubt Grealish would be Uniteds number 1 choice, they will want Sancho, if they get him okay we should maybe be worried but again they are still very average in terms of how they play with the ball and if they lose/cant get Pogba in that team where he can contribute to the best of his ability, then they will suffer as well. Pogba is Uniteds best player but if they sign Sancho or even Grealish and continue playing 4231, where will he fit in? Okay people will say in a 2 playing deeper but anyone will tell you that his best football has undoubtedly been played in a 3 man MF at Juventus, at United when Jose spraingly used 433 and even when Jose played him as a 10 almost off Ibrahimovic in a 4231. He hasnt got the discipline to play in a 2. If they play him in a 2 he will leave spaces that can be exposed/fail to track runners etc etc as he has been doing since going to United. I would also argue that in terms of being creative Ziyech is better than Grealish and probably close to being on par with Fernandes.

Has won a world cup and is France's 3rd top goal scorer of all time... not bad for a kart.... Benzema on the other hand yes better club career but even then winning 10 CLs doesnt equal to winning a world cup.

Season to adapt? He cost 100m euros and is meant to be one of the best players on the planet. In his best years may I add. What a crock of shite. That excuse might of worked here or somewhere else but at Real Madrid, it is very dangerous saying something like that. Even worse considering how Madrid likely can just go and sign new top top players in the summer if they want to. I mean look how quickly they've thrown Ozil, Di Maria and James Rodriguez aside to get new shiny toys.

Lets hope he goes. Hopeless footballer.