robsblubot

yeah not enough time. I'm sure some will be going by jan esp the ones not included in the PL squad registration (25).

"the world needs more football!" said no one ever. 😃

Nah sorry, I wrote this before, but this is a fast rolling thread. I meant that Sterling's dedication to football isn't the same and that makes him short of the elite footballer he once (IMO) was. Still, he may get enough motivation to given them a few good performances, which would still help them. @Pizyand I were agreeing that Martinelli is very inconsistent. Yeah Newcastle is bizarre with such a mundane squad for a nouveau riche.

hmm reckon Ugarte will improve united.

I think the player who'd be a big upgrade over Martinelli is long gone, but he might improve them just enough. I'm honestly very surprised by the lack of movement by Newcastle. I think they need another 3 attacking players to even start thinking competing at the top.

Hey watch it there--he's still our player. 😅

Apparently right after Strasbourg heads took one look at the picture above. 😅

Like @Pizy wrote above, because Martinelli is extremely inconsistent; so, they may get a full season-long winger between the two of them. I have my doubts whether Sterling works hard enough for that type of system, but that's me. My theory is that he's given up on the "elite" part of being a footballer.

Sure, but @whats happening point alluded to an inability to attract players given the wage structure. The wage structure seems to fit aspiring players, but not established elite footballers. You can say Brighton has a good track record of signing the players they want, but that only makes them less competitive against others who can sign better players. City has a very different approach here: they sign the best player for their system and offer high wages for these specific players. I remain cautiously optimistic for this season; it's still a much improved squad with much better options in most positions. Our bench last season was a fucking joke to be honest here. Though his point remains valid: it's been a while since we last signed a top player, and their track record around that seems poor. Perhaps that led to a lack of conviction on that type of signing... hard to say.

Has it though? what's the measure? Silverware? Top4 qualification? I heard the same about last season's squad, and yet the same owners have been pretty much changing everything once again. So, which one is it? Was last season the right approach or this is?

While I agree with you that if the club has conviction about a top player, they should offer wages compatible with his ambition, or we just accept we are no longer an elite club. However, I see the first part as almost completely separated from the top player talk. You have to do both. Yes, the potential signing feels overdone by the new owners, and it seems to be already backfiring a bit with Washington and others.

Sure, his signing may turn out great in the future. Suppose the question isn't why some young fans here would be excited about Guiu, but really why an elite Premiere League club would think he'd be able to deliver adequate performances at this level. Of course, the last bit is just a feeling given his involvement so far, and the lack of loan talk.

Think it's still early on Mount, but it is looking that way; looks like another James/Kante with hammy issues, which will take a toll. I'd feel more conformable with your statement if Lavia played football tho. Kai and Palmer don't play in the same position. Kai is a second FW or Striker, never a mid (much less a winger) as he is not mobile enough for that. I like Jackson and I like Kai, even though they are completely different players in terms of characteristics. They'd complement each other very well too given that Kai is much stronger in the air and in tight contested spaces, while Jackson can dribble and beat players with pace. Some of our swaps aren't really "net positives" at least just not yet; folks have personal preferences about a player vs another, but it's all about competitive advantage as in actually beating the other teams and acquiring silverware. We often focus too much on individual performances in a team sport.

Initially read this as "Emerson son of Salah" 😅

Agreed, which will also change things for our attacking players. Counter attacks will become harder to come by as we go.

So basically United is the new Saudis? 😅

It’s definitely a worry and not even mentioning injuries. Those can be very physical matches and not enough rest between them.

I think he's shy of a few cheeseburgers a day from reaching Adriano's power tho. 😆

He's on a 4 year deal until he's 24, then if he does not sign a new deal walks on a free. Yes, it's a long time still, but technically they have less than 3 years to increase his valuation and sell him. They may have already tried to extend/renew and player and agent refused. Just speculating -- don't have the info. I could be wrong too... just thought he looked really good on the ball aside from being a good finisher; there are a number of different aspects that can limit a player from reaching that elite level.

Eyeballs only here, but for me Duran is a lot better than Toney. He's just a better overall footballer with more potential to become an elite striker. Toney looks more like a competent dedicated goal scorer and that's about it.

That makes sense, but the striker market is so competitive and overpriced that it's hard to believe all clubs are missing out on this elite Lille player. No, it's not unheard of, but unlikely in my view. Remember folks talking about Vardy at some point in the past, and while I always respected the player, never thought he was a player for Chelsea, for ex.

If he'd be available for 20m, or any value under 50m, either all top clubs in the world are wrong, or you are. I presume most clubs have access to the same data, likely a lot more--not to mention multiple professional analysts looking at that data in a daily basis. The window isn't shut yet, so he might still move, but it looks like clubs are waiting to get him on a free. He's 24yo Lille player, which suggests that he's a good striker, but not Elite, which matches the "backup" statement earlier. BTW, eyeballs also think he's backup or rotation at best.

Oh interesting... that corroborates the point about mentality. Practice sessions remove the competition aspect from the game.

While I agree that he lacks football IQ, and mental aspects in general (determination, work rate), I don't think that is all. It's subtle, but his first touch isn't great. No, I'm not talking Lukaku, much less Bakayoko bad, but it's just not at the level one would expect from an Elite PL winger.

Yes and I’d also add that it’s quite obvious that when you play with a CM pair, they are extremely! Dependent on their immediate teammates. Take a snapshot of any football match and you will see how many players roam in midfield at a time… a lot more than 2. So, it’s not surprising they played better once Neto replaced Mudryk on the left, for example. so, it’s just adjustments in a new system with much higher lines. Do not get too surprised if it does not work so well in a different match; it will take time.