Leif

So. Tonight he starts for Spain in an almost Barcelona-exclusive team. Valdes; Arbeloa, Ramos, Pique, Alba; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Soldado, Fabregas. Hopefully my earlier post which included something along the lines of; "If he was in Barcelona he'd be considered one of the best strikers in the world" won't be laughed off after an abysmal performance tonight - which knowing my luck is exactly what will happen

Where would he fit? Let's say for example we switch to a 4-3-3; Ramires will be a starter, Mikel a starter (probably) and then Oscar or Mata would take up the other place in the middle '3'. So that leaves him on the bench. If we stick to a 4-2-3-1, again, Mikel would likely start ahead of him as he has better passing, and Ramires has been told he's very much in Jose's plans - which again puts him on the bench. I think he'd be best in a 4-3-3 Essien role but I don't see that happening unless he and Ramires rotate a lot (i guess it's a possibility eh.) I wouldn't say no to him. Very talented. I'd rather try and entice Juventus for Pogba or Vidal though. They desperately want a striker so Torres + Cash would perhaps work.

(League only) Last season he failed to score in 17 matches. This is compared to: Van Persie: 19 Aguero: 21 Torres: 32 Giroud: 26 Suarez: 18 Cavani: 14 Benzema: 20 Lewandowski: 12 Negredo: 18 Falcao: 15 Ronaldo: 13 Messi: 5 (freak) So clearly when you buy Soldado you buy a goalscorer. He's being quite underrated here being mixed around with names like Torres, Ba etc. He's in the same league IMO as Benzema, Balotelli, Villa, Falcao etc. He simply doesn't get the media hype.

Did...did Soldado just get compared to... Torres?

Why don't people like him? He contributed directly to 28 goals scored by Valencia in the league this season in 33 starts. To compare, Falcao contributed directly to 29 goals scored by Atletico Madrid in the league this season in 34 starts. Falcao was dispossessed 2.8 times on average per game. Soldado was dispossessed 0.7 times on average per game. They were both caught offside 0.9 times per game. They were both fouled just under 2 times per game. Both made 0.9 key passes per game. Soldado averaged 2.9 shots per game while Falcao averaged 3.6 (Soldado has a superior conversion rate. Crazy considering how great Falcao is at finishing.) I compare Falcao and Soldado because they're both pure goalscorers and scoring is what you buy them for. It also highlights that Falcao's price was an astronomical over-evaluation when you take into consideration players like Soldado will leave their clubs (likely) for under £20m (helped by Valencia's poor financial state.) When it comes to goalscoring Falcao is slightly ahead with 4 more goals but Soldado had 3 more assists. We were strongly linked with Falcao but from watching them both this season and then digging up these stats I feel we should have been and should currently be linked with Soldado as he's only a few months older than Falcao and offers everything he does - plus he has the valuable chemistry with Mata, low wages (£45k per week) and presumably would be a cheap signing for a player of his quality. He was a real hard worker too this season. With Valencia being all over the place in terms of results and (lack of) consistency, he was constantly running back to help his midfielders and even full-backs at times. Underrated player.

He's rather decent stat-wise. For club and country he's averaging just under 3 tackles per game and is making 1 key pass per game. 80% pass accuracy. I don't think we're missing out though. Better than Scott Parker, sure, but not as good as Dembele I don't think and i'm not sure they'll compliment eachother.

At Valencia Villa had Mata and Silva supplying him. Soldado has Feghouli and Guardado. (League only): Villa averaged 0.65 goals per game. Soldado averages 0.60 goals per game.

With AVB at Tottenham now and Jose back here surely our rivalry with Spuds can only grow to a more colossal level now? I wonder if one day the game to watch will be Chelsea-Tottenham and not Tottenham-Arsenal. Despite how far-fetched that may sound at this point I think it might. Eventually. Although with that said, Tottenham & Arsenal are both beneath us as clubs and around eachother's level with 0 title hopes so maybe not unless Tottenham improve.

Mata - Soldado was more deadly than Silva - Villa and even Mata - Villa. Obviously Mata was older while working with Soldado and thus more matured in terms of playing style but I think that says a lot. Put Soldado in Barcelona or Real Madrid (I genuinely think he is THE striker they need) and you have 'one of the best strikers in the world'.

Ugh. I have little doubt he would succeed to an extent there but I watched them last season and their play is a mess despite getting results. They play a weird lopsided 4-2-3-1 which would probably benefit a player like Piazon who's good on the counter but for Kakuta, well, he probably won't properly perform until he's in a team which typically controls possession so he can use his 'flashy' skills etc. with little worry about whether his team will retain the ball if he loses it. For his own career he should only consider teams like Real Sociedad (playing opposite of Griezmann would be tasty), Lyon & Marseille. A team consistently in Europe (whether it be CL or EL) that plays attractive football and gets the most out of flair players. He won't make it at a top Premier League club unless it's with us; there's no teams consistently in a European spot in the Bundesliga who need a player like him at all and while I think he'd succeed in Serie A I think that Italy would limit his explosiveness and exciting style of play which'd be a shame for everyone. Unlikely, but I really hope PSG, Monaco, just any top French club really comes calling for him. I want to watch him play at a top level. Maybe he could try filling Hazard's void at Lille.

Arsenal fans actually think they're going to splash around £40m on Rooney and Higuain

I'm not sure if these are all his goals from this past season or just his best ones but his finishing is incredible. Better than most the strikers we get linked with. He's also a surprisingly hard worker for a player most would put in the 'poacher' category: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb3YfYVJoJY

I think his legs are going. They're about to explode like Torres's legs I think. He's a very good finisher but I wouldn't take too kindly to having a 31 year old (probably on incredible wages) on a rather fast decline who'll then need replacing just another season or 2 later. I'd much rather someone like Soldado or Negredo if we're going shopping in Spain since they're old enough to give Lukaku breathing room but not too old that they'll need shipped out after just a season or 2 or alternatively have them sitting on the bench soaking up our available wage fund. If the board could get him on a 2-year contract and get his wages to be around £75k at most then sure, but I don't think anything else would make sense.

Would he be a decent primary penalty taker? I think if both were on the field I'd rather Hazard. Rooney, despite having a very powerful shot, seems to change his mind on the run up sometimes and completely mess it up. Hazard though is as cool as a cucumber.

We've seen at Real Madrid now that 'bad apples' or 'cunts' now simply get dropped by Mourinho, so if Rooney were to do something bizarre and cuntish he would absolutely get dropped. If this case were to never arise however then we've simply got a very good player and we shouldn't complain about the past and how he may or may not have acted at a direct rival club.

I come on here to read the latest Cavani news and the first things I see are people complaining about the fact I "change my mind" on players. Once again if you actually read my posts I never once said "only consider Cavani" and I've never once said "Drop interest in Cavani". Try and understand that this is a forum and the whole point of a forum is to discuss *opinions* which are ever-changing as new news, details and situations regarding those players are brought to light. Now to prevent me detailing this thread anymore I absolutely beg the 10's of people who continue to just complain about my posts despite almost all of them offering a proper view and opinion which is becoming rare on here due to some of the best members being driven away to put me on their ignore list.

Still managed to yet again make the most tackles in the Brazil team. 4 fouls though and really low pass accuracy for him (81%). Lowest in the team.

I'd like this move particularly because Mata and Soldado already have great chemistry in a 4-2-3-1. They were lethal (more-so Soldado) together.

As your tag says, "Legend" for knowing who i have as my avatar Coolest. Guy. Ever. Aside from Frank Sinatra. Maybe. Now to stay on topic - Rooney has really fair/light eyelashes.

'Ready' to tell them he wants to say? Wow. Saying you want to remain at the club you're currently at where you have a contract totally merits such preparation.

Fox in the box. Or, Fred in the box.

DESPITE the goal Fred just scored, Brazil should really use Neymar as the pure striker and simply do some formation changes or searching for a new player to call up to support him. It's stupid in so many ways to not have Neymar as the main guy in this team. Fred just takes up space most of the time. There'd probably be many more golazo's if someone like Lucas Moura could get more games, even Wellington Nem could do a job or dare I say Piazon? Also I have to add, it's tragic Alex Sandro and Danilo barely get a game for Brazil, more-so Alex S.

David 'best defender at the club, leader and role model' Luiz damaging his name there already.

You slut.

Can you actually quote a single person saying we don't need him? If you're going to insult anyone on the forum, especially myself, don't throw around your insults without backing them up.