OneMoSalah

Must win. I mean lets be honest, anything but a win here and it would be an absolute travesty. I mean these are everyone’s nailed on first choice team to get relegated. Bet they win 1-0 after claiming this but honestly if a £1 billion squad cannot get 3 points here we might as well give up - forget project 2030, we wont be any use by then either 😂 No wins in 3 when 2 of the games have been against West Ham and Luton would be an incredibly disappointing start. I mean granted there has been encouraging moments but encouraging moments need to turn into good performances and ultimately points.

So apparently the price will be higher for us as opposed to Monaco. But the whole selling to rival in same league etc. What I don’t get is why Arteta isn’t keeping him ahead of Nketiah who is a worse player….

Not 100% sure what you mean about a dedicated striker…I mean no top team plays to suit one specific player these days or has done for years. That doesn’t mean teams don’t play with more traditional number 9s as opposed to these false 9’s and what not. I mean even City don’t play directly to Haaland’s strengths in the same way Dortmund may have but they have their own identity and its been incredibly successful. There as so many moments where he isn’t involved as much as say a KdB, a Silva, a Foden, a Rodri etc who are perfect examples of Pep Guardiola players so don’t know what you mean by hinting at Haaland demanding their team plays to his strengths.

Disagree, most top teams play with a CF. Not many play without. Or not many will. City before Haaland had Aguero & Jesus as options barring that one good season they played without a recognised CF but they also wanted to sign Kane and Kane only that summer. Funnily enough the one season they win the Treble after all the years of talk of could they do the Trebles and Quadruples, it was when they had Haaland, one of the most natural number 9s they’ve had

Apparently “insiders” at the club are disappointed he was allowed to leave whilst other disappointing signings remain at the club….

Yes because we need another unproven, inexperienced, development style project player to go with the 13, 14, 15 others we have. Will we just enter the u23s league and win that every season?

Then the next arguments what about post lockdown for 10 games…. Pulisic might do ok for Milan but wouldn’t expect him to go and kick on to another level. Or take Milan to another level. He could have been better if he was aboe to manage his fitness and more consistent in his play but he blows hold and cold too much and is never ever fully fit.

Theres no doubt a new attacker is needed. But proven quality, be it someone to play as a 9 or more withdrawn as a left winger or an attacking midfielder as Nkunku’s out. No more one hit wonders or projects like Kudus, Chekri, Barcola, whoever. We need players who can score goals and assist them regularly this season, not in 2026 or 2030 or whatever. We have enough projects in attack - Jackson, Broja, Noni, Mudryk. Only Nkunku and Sterling are really proven at a competitive level in our attack, add another player with that experience and pedigree and we may have something to work with. Sterling has certainly looked a totally different player these first 2 games. Nkunku looked good pre-season. Carney has impressed with Poch and may have something to offer this season. If we got a good left sided attacker, Carney could be Nkunku’s direct competition perhaps? Lets see how he comes back from his injury. Would say he’s done much much more than Mudryk has in a Chelsea shirt. I mean there is nothing there with Mudryk that makes me think he will ever be worth half of what we’ve paid never mind all of it. A £80m + package for someone with 40 games in his whole career, in Ukraine, definitely looking to be a much more embarrassing deal than us paying £50m for a shot Torres in 2011. He would maybe make a good olympic sprinter.

Is this clown still here? Just shows good highly rated he is, Juventus only if they sell or Saudi.

But its the same thought from people thinking that guys with one good season in a mediocre league like Kudus from Ajax or Chekri or Barcola who both come of one half decent season in France, are going to come in and instantly elevate our attack scoring a lot of goals or providing a lot of assists…. benching players like Sterling or Mount/Havertz last season etc. It is a worrying trend. There seems to be a real hard on for u23 players and this insistence that they will fix what the issues are here. Which is a lack of proven top level quality and guaranteed output from players, in a squad where 65-70% of the players are probably 23 and under. I mean as soon as our fans see age 18-23 and what looks like a good season, these players are instantly the answer. I’d imagine this guy will be a number 2 thats for sure.

Ah we are 6th now. My bad. Still not a huge fall.

Greenwood? The guys going to always have that baggage with him regardless of who he plays for. I mean he has been acquitted by looks of it I think but doesn’t mean he’s innocent. Voice clips were pretty damning. Boehly made some stupid decisions but this would be one of the daftest things to do if he ok’d such a move.

Is this based off of one season? Need some proven quality not another one hit wonder to put it bluntly.

Maddison could of been a good shout. Although known our luck he’d probably struggle here like every attacker we’ve signed recently 😂 But for £40m (I think it was that), good age, good pedigree, experience, matured a bit last 2 seasons as a more established player - maybe should of been a consideration. Maybe with the Nkunku signing though, even if we were to ever have been in the running, he’d probably of went somewhere where he would be undisputed first choice. Little bastard had 2 really good games against Brentford and United. Scored a lot of goals last season, chips in with set play goals and assists also. I still remember watching him play for Aberdeen when he was on from Norwich at Pittodrie years ago at a work day out and the difference now is incredible. Very talented back then but didn’t have the drive or consistency that he developed at Leicester. No idea about Pedro Goncalves. Plays for Sporting all I know.

Everton shockingly bad but I think they’ve need a cultural reset for years and badly. Plus Villa were always going to blow them away because well, their miles ahead of them, have a top manager and some real top players. Out of all the managers they’ve had since Carlo, Dyche is definitely the man to do it IMO. He will say the right things to get their fans onside but some of the players aren’t anywhere near good enough. The money they’ve spent over the years and what they have now, its crazy. I know Dele Alli has been written off but after that powerful and revealing interview, if he is able to get on the mend, fit and back to even half of what he was, could he be a catalyst to turn things round? I think a lot of people (not even just Everton fans) will be rooting for him after understanding what he has gone through in his life and more recently with his addiction issues now that he has addressed it publicly. Ex Spurs yes but still think everyone likes a comeback story. Obviously Everton will need more than that to help them and would say the difference between their season being a slog and much more comfortable hinges on getting DCL fit and scoring goals as well as keeping clean sheets. Stuff they have struggled to do a lot of under Lampard and Dyche.

Would of liked to have seen him take the penalty. Might not of made any difference but I’d like to think as a CF, he would have the self belief to score one. Might of kicked him off on a wee run.

Yeah I know its not a huge deal but since Jorginho’s departure, I am all for strikers taking penalties IMO. Imagine if Jackson took it and scored it, that would get him up and running for the season. And for his position, he had a good game v Liverpool and got no reward whilst he didn’t do so well today but again the main stat people will be concerned with is 2 games, 0 goals scored. Longer that goes on, more pressure gets heaped on. Even for a kid. Not saying Enzo did anything wrong - although the run up was embarrassing but every penalty run up like that is - just I think we should be looking at giving players who’s main job it is to stick the ball in the net regularly the best chance to do so. Maybe Poch will stick with Enzo for the next time but I think if you miss you should be off the next one. No questions asked. I know we have a long running history with Frank, Eden and Jorginho being number 1 penalty takers 99% of the time over the last 15 years or so but is there anybody who is renowned as being a regular penalty scorer in the squad?

Think most would rather depend on him than Gallagher still. But hey ho. Regardless with Nkunku out we lack an attacking midfielder with quality, not saying Mount would of been that guy but the impression that Gallagher is a better option there then Mount is wrong. Even his start at United won’t dispel that just look at the match thread today re Gallagher and first half v Liverpool. VDB is a weird one because you’d think EtH would of maybe tried him but he isn’t interested in using him at all. Weird because he was very much an all rounder who played as a 6,8,10 and false striker with Ajax. They are lacking half decent options at 6 and 8.

Only 2 games and the never rated him amongst other slaggings are coming out. Typical. Seems like the whole backline was outstanding today bar him. Personally felt Levi was much worse today too but I see he won’t get any flack.

100%. Just made a similar point in another thread, there seems to be a hard on for these one season wonders like Kudus. Or guys with maybe 50 games in their whole career such as Barcola or whatever he is called. Get someone similar to Nkunku, in age and experience, someone who has proven they can play at a good level and has done so successfully for the past 3 seasons or so. I mean people say lack of experience and quality is an issue then list every under 21 footballer alive as if thats going to solve the issue. Or players who have only had 1 good season their whole careers in teams like Ajax where its hard to tell if their actually good or the standard makes them look good. After Ziyech and even having seen Antony at United - we shouldn’t go for any Ajax attackers. Too risky. There’s too much unpredictability with these guys as we’re already seeing with Mudryk, Noni and perhaps will see with Levi, Jackson, Moises, Romeo etc. Young players have ups and downs whilst some never turn out as good as people think amongst other things. That is where good experienced pros and quality players come in to help out and carry the load at moments where its needed.

People keep talking about us needing “elite level creative players” or “elite level goalscorers” but keep mentioning guys who have literally only got only one season good under their belt like Kudus & Barcola. FFS. When does one season make you an elite player? Yes there is the odd gem or two but Kudus and Barcola? Really? We need a few guys who have done it week in week out at a good level for say at least 2 or 3 seasons minimum but are still relatively young enough ie aged 25, 26, 27 to fit our recruiting profile and also bring a bit of experience and proven quality. Nkunku fitted that profile. In the past also, Cesc and Costa for example. Yea these certain levels are hard to find but when you find them, they are worth the wait. These chasing players who have realistically played one season at a good level to put it bluntly as if they will solve all of our problems needs to stop. I mean Ziyech had what 3 amazing years at Ajax? I’d go as far as saying he was probably twice the player Kudus was last season easily in those 3 years. He was apparently “world class” or “going to be world class” yet flopped. Go and read the thread after we announced his signing for all the proof. Yet Kudus has one good season and he is an elite level creative player who will propel us to the next level? Give me a break. Do people not see that we already have plenty of these players in and around our squad, Mudryk, Noni, Jackson, Levi, Moises, Romeo etc? Guys who have shown good performance at a level for one season? I hoped Disasi and even Sanchez were the first of a few more proven or experienced heads because we need some.

Key reasons for how last season turned out was more definitively on the ownership more than anything though - I don’t see how it can be argued their decisions and judgement calls led to how most things transpired. They changed the manager not once but three times (excluded Bruno’s 1 game) and signed £700m worth of players many areas which we had a lot players in, bloating the squad. Using the Coefficient stat is pointless really. We are still 4th currently a season after finishing 12th so just shows how ridiculously stupid it is.

Call bullshit on this. Would say hes not going to fit an Ange Postecoglu side if the first 2 weeks and his spell at Celtic is anything to go on.

Well isn’t position relevant when comparing 2 players? Or you could say look at Gvardiol why did we sign player X who is totally different position instead no? Instead of conspiracy theories about where their from and what not. Tin foil hat stuff. Its common sense to compare players who play in similar positions as opposed to opposite/totally different no? Said Mount was a good player yes. Still think he is but that’s irrelevant.

Yeah its the good old Barca started a 16 year old academy graduate, he must be the best player on the planet thing again. Was the same every time they started someone under 21 with Pep. Barring Busquets and Thiago, look how well they all turned out. Likes of Tello, Cuenca, Bojan….