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Thread: Summer transfer thread

  1. #4081
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    Links to Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini are interesting. He's a midfield all rounder who has 9 goals in all competitions this season. One year left on his contract and available for £25 million apparently

  2. #4082
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    Quote Originally Posted by Artisan View Post
    Looks like Konate is 99% a done deal, he's bloody impressive...him with Virg together could be a dream defence.
    It almost beggars belief that after losing 3 cbs for most of the sedon we go and upgrade to one that’s played 20 games in last 2 seasons. Very high risk transfer IMO

  3. #4083
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    Quote Originally Posted by eggy81 View Post
    It almost beggars belief that after losing 3 cbs for most of the sedon we go and upgrade to one that’s played 20 games in last 2 seasons. Very high risk transfer IMO
    On this subject, I know it will raise an eyebrow in terms of the quality of the players, but if Konate is arriving and we are looking at having 5 centre-backs on the books (let's say for talk's sake Van Dijk, Gomez, Konate, Kabak and one more) I'd rather have someone like Phillips over Matip.

    Yes, I know, Matip is an absolutely wonderful footballer when he is on it. But availability is the best ability for me next season. We can't afford a repeat.

  4. #4084
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    Quote Originally Posted by Insidious View Post
    On this subject, I know it will raise an eyebrow in terms of the quality of the players, but if Konate is arriving and we are looking at having 5 centre-backs on the books (let's say for talk's sake Van Dijk, Gomez, Konate, Kabak and one more) I'd rather have someone like Phillips over Matip.

    Yes, I know, Matip is an absolutely wonderful footballer when he is on it. But availability is the best ability for me next season. We can't afford a repeat.
    Spot on Sid.

  5. #4085
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    Quote Originally Posted by Taksin View Post
    Thanks for this really interesting post, Nineteenx. I would say my mind works very far from the autism spectrum

    Firstly I'll say that I don't think the mechanics have been affected that much. I see the same patterns forming themselves in our play
    That's why we see it very differently Taskin, my brain is very highly geared to recognise patterns of play and mechanics

    To explain why I kicked off about Fab last season, it was all about mechanics, how we evolved to play in his absence saw Henderson as our playmaker, an accidental playmaker perhaps, but our playmaker none the less, in that run of 15 games our play evolved and the the mechanics and movement became very geared around players making runs based on what he could and would do with the ball, his commanding and directing of all the other players and even his timing of when to go back to Virgil to hit one of his long diagonals to Mo, or balls over the top, it wasn't accident of coincidence, he chose his moments to do this based on our players positions to make runs in behind or to win second balls from those passes.

    The issue in that, and why I will never view the decision to change it and differently, is that Henderson can play passes and command and organise those around him from the centre that not a single one of our other midfielders is capable of, not one. To me it was entirely obvious in the first leg v Atletico, players were making the same 'chain reaction' movement to be found, but we didn't have a player with the necessary distribution, vision or awareness to find them at No6.

    Another feature of Hendo at No6 was his orchestrating the press, our press and counter press was at the highest levels it has ever been with him playing there and mechanics wise, that instantly broke down when Fab came back in at No6, in the very first game he came back in v Southampton and in that run of 15 games it supported the other mechanics and chain reaction movement functioning even better, because the consistency of the midfield 3 in keeping the press on and not allowing it to be broken was far greater than it had ever been and allowed us to really pin sides in, set up to win second balls and not offer them any out balls

    Fast forward to this season and the mechanics

    First a foremost, Jurgen started tinkering with the forward's movement and positioning, specifically Mane's, I commented on this in the very first game it happened, as Robbo was making his bursts forward, looking for Mane in his usual position (obviously a very strong part of our mechanics) to link with, but Mane wasn't there, time and time again, as he had been instructed to take different positions. Mane didn't play as well and Robbo didn't play as well and I warned at the time, immediately in fact, that if we persisted with that, we would play both Mane and Robbo out of form and. that's exactly what happened

    The other very noticeable difference was Jurgen tried to adopt a more patient passing style and ditched a lot, almost all of our more direct football, Henderson looked under instruction to stop playing his long diagonals, switches and attempted balls over the top, all the mechanics and movement was still there, but it looked like he had absolutely been instructed that we were to try and play through sides - That broke and awful lot of things down also

    Our forwards have always missed bucket loads of chances, but for me this season they've missed even more, again for me that is through altering the mechanics, players being instructed to try and play through sides, I've seen too many situations that my brain automatically recognises, in which prior to this season, any of our forwards getting the ball in certain situations would automatically drive at the opposition defence drawing one or 2 towards them creating space for the other 2 forwards or getting a shot off, in which instead of doing that, they have played an unnecessary extra pass out wide rather than be at their direct best, that's affected all their form and their automation and anticipation of and reading of what might happen and when to arrive and where to arrive, because suddenly, players they played with for 3 seasons who they had a high degree, understanding and certainty of what they would do in numerous situations, were no longer doing that.

    I have always maintained that a football team is like the human body, everything is connected and if something one part of the body is dependent on changes for whatever reason, it affects how everything else works and even one major change can see several other things break down

    Much as we've missed several key players, we've created a lot of our own problems through changing things that should have been left well alone and the mechanics and automation that made us so brilliant and continually evolved over the prior 3 seasons and hugely in that 15 game run last season are actually nowhere to be seen, aside from flashes of them in odd games, I've barely recognised our team in any game this season, we've played well and dominated most of our games, but the mechanics of our doing that have been entirely different for the most part
    Last edited by Nineteenx; 6th May 2021 at 10:59 PM.
    "If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”

  6. #4086
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    Already the GOAT.

    Another superb example of just how far ahead of anyone Maradona was - here at just 18 v a world 11! Check out how they treat the 18 year old kid. Pretty shameful really.

    Only one way to stop him - nobody would get close to him in the modern game.




    Forget 19 how about owning the middle of the pitch @18...


    Paolo Rossi, Platini, Zico, Cabrini, Boniek, Tardelli etc played for World Xi that day.. Diego was 18 years old and motm..


    Why do I post this... Ahem - its for those who don't get it - Just as a football club CANNOT be simply a business - Football isn't a science - at it's zenith it is an art.
    Last edited by Steveo; 7th May 2021 at 10:41 AM.

  7. #4087
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    And how about we show this fella to Salah & Mane.. Inspire them again


  8. #4088
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    And this guy is IMO the only one that could have challenged Diego.

    What a player - an absolutely phenomenal talent - and again like Diego ruined by addiction likely the crutch needed back then for being too good too young.

    Could watch him forever.



    Sorry if I have miffed anyone by posting these but just felt it might make things a little more interesting. I personally never tire of watching fantastic players making fools of their so called peers.
    Last edited by Steveo; 7th May 2021 at 11:27 AM.

  9. #4089
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    That Rodrigo De Paul we're linked with, yes fucking please, captain at his current club also, not only an exceptional footballer, but a leader too

    Edit: Also looks like he'd be a massive upgrade on Keita, Ox and Shaqiri, he looks able to do all the good things those 3 individually have in their locker and are capable of at their very best in a rare good game combined and more

    I'd be very excited if we signed him for RCM and there looks incredible potential that he could be employed at RFWD in some games with a No9 in the line up rather than a false 9, his delivery is Trent like, plays some awesome balls through the lines also, scores goals and assists and is a very good set piece taker

    Yes fucking please Mr Edwards
    Last edited by Nineteenx; 7th May 2021 at 09:34 PM.
    "If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”

  10. #4090
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    Interesting to see how it pans out.

    We have a couple of players whose contracts we will want to sort (Salah, Fabinho, Van Dijk) and in terms of prioritising the funds, that's probably the first port of call. Tying down too many at once can spectacularly backfire if they don't play to the standard they should (Arsenal have been stung here) but we don't want to see someone like Salah end 21/22 with a year left and potentially leave for nothing at the end of 22/23 when keeping him for longer / selling for a big fee are infinitely more desirable options.

    It will be an interesting market for buyers. If we end up finishing in the Top Four and Anfield is projected to have fan attendance at full capacity you'd expect business to look quite different to a Europa League spot and no/limited fans at Anfield should the Indian or any other Covid strains pose potential problems.

    Also worth bearing in mind which sides may or may not have money to spend. If Spurs sell Kane for example and get a windfall you'd expect movement from them and doors will open for other clubs, but with Real Madrid and Barcelona being publicly spoken about as being quite broke, it could be an unusual window.

    Sorting out Salah's contract would be really re-assuring - for all the talk of overthinking in the box and failing to take some of his chances, where on Earth would we be this season without his goals?

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