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Ligue 1 - 2017-18

Bus-Conductor

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Oct 19, 2004
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While we're in here, if I haven't mentioned him before, worth mentioning Kelvin Amian, 20yo Toulouse RB, had a very good season, tenacious, technically good, gets up and down well. Will almost certainly end up somewhere bigger and better soon. And I think will almost certainly end up better than Aurier, though to be fair, Aurier was equally promising at 20. Just think Amian is a little bit more intelligent and composed.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
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How do you rate Tuchel?
I'm not the best person to answer that because I didn't watch enough Bundesliga or Dortmund games in Europe while he was in charge to form a clear opinion of my own.

But by all reports he should have clear ideas and be a bit more tactically savvy than Emery.
 

jonathanhotspur

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Jun 28, 2009
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I'm not the best person to answer that because I didn't watch enough Bundesliga or Dortmund games in Europe while he was in charge to form a clear opinion of my own.

But by all reports he should have clear ideas and be a bit more tactically savvy than Emery.
Did he fall out with Dortmund over their transfer strategy?
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
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Did he fall out with Dortmund over their transfer strategy?
He had a big falling out with Sven Mislintat, which given that Mislintat's now at Arsenal made the Tuchel to Arsenal rumours even more ridiculous, there's no way in hell those two will ever team up again. Honigstein has also spoken on the podcasts he frequents about Tuchel not getting on with virtually anyone in staff and higher up positions at the club.
 

Bus-Conductor

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Oct 19, 2004
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How do you rate Tuchel?

By all accounts he's one of these intense methodology guys, very intelligent, who wants everything his way or no way. I think he's a great coach, but in that Bielsa, Guadiola type way, where you either buy in completely and go all in with him or there's going to be problems.

I've listened to the guy speak and he's very intelligent and articulate - even in other languages (he speaks English and French as well by all accounts) - he would do things like give his players literature to read to expand their minds, etc.

I think he sounds like a fascinating coach, I think Dortmund fucked up letting him go, because now they haven't got a clue who to appoint, same with Bayern, who also wanted him, but by then he'd given his word to PSG I think.

I don't think PSG is a great fit for him, unless Neymar fucks off sharpish, which might help.
 

Danners9

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Mar 30, 2004
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I don't think PSG is a great fit for him, unless Neymar fucks off sharpish, which might help.


Oooh, I was about to mention something about that and now can use this as a nice segue.

Rivaldo thinks he might be. Not sure why Rivaldo would know, but he says he does.

https://en.as.com/en/2018/04/22/football/1524423421_705271.html

Speaking with the Esporte Espetacular programme on Brazilian TV Globo, Rivaldo said, "I have already told Neymar he could be the best player in the world, but I think that if he stays at PSG, he will never achieve that. He has to leave PSG."

"If you look at England, Spain, Italy, Germany... it's different.

"I'm speaking about football, about competition. Neymar will not return to Barcelona. It was a very difficult situation for him there.

"And according to the information I have from people close, everything I have heard recently, I think it is very likely that Neymar will go to Real Madrid. And there I think he can be the best player in the world."

So there. And it would definitely help PSG's FFP problem. Probably all in one go.
 

jonathanhotspur

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Jun 28, 2009
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Oooh, I was about to mention something about that and now can use this as a nice segue.

Rivaldo thinks he might be. Not sure why Rivaldo would know, but he says he does.

https://en.as.com/en/2018/04/22/football/1524423421_705271.html

Speaking with the Esporte Espetacular programme on Brazilian TV Globo, Rivaldo said, "I have already told Neymar he could be the best player in the world, but I think that if he stays at PSG, he will never achieve that. He has to leave PSG."

"If you look at England, Spain, Italy, Germany... it's different.

"I'm speaking about football, about competition. Neymar will not return to Barcelona. It was a very difficult situation for him there.

"And according to the information I have from people close, everything I have heard recently, I think it is very likely that Neymar will go to Real Madrid. And there I think he can be the best player in the world."

So there. And it would definitely help PSG's FFP problem. Probably all in one go.
I believe he will go to Real, but I cannot see him being the best player in world. I hate the fucking circus around this guy.
 

'O Zio

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Dec 27, 2014
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Did he fall out with Dortmund over their transfer strategy?
The specific breaking point with Tuchel and Mislintat was about the guy Mislintat had identified to replace Gundogan. The story goes, according to Mislintat at least, that they knew Gundogan was off in the summer so he had identified a guy from Atletico (can't remember his name now) who would be the perfect replacement. Sorted out all the transfer and everything to bring him in in January so that he could have half a season to settle in and hit the ground running the following season. Supposedly right at the last minute as everyone was putting pen to paper Tuchel just decided out of nowhere that he didn't agree that this was the right player and went over Mislintat's head to tell the board to pull the plug. Mislintat was furious about this and they had a big row, which led to Tuchel literally banning Mislintat from the club's training ground (where his office was) so he had to work on his own somewhere else in isolation. This was obviously ridiculous and Mislintat expected that the board would intervene, but instead they sided with Tuchel (something which they've since come out and said was completely out of order and apologized for). In the end Mislintat decided he couldn't work their any more having been let down and jumped at the first opportunity i.e. Arsenal. As others have said, that's why this whole Tuchel to Arsenal rumour is almost certainly complete bollocks because the two absolutely hate each other.

To be fair Tuchel fell out with lots of people there for all sorts of reasons. He's by all accounts very difficult to work with and not particularly likable. I get the sense that he's completely and utterly obsessed with tactics and his system to the point where that's all he ever wants to talk about and doesn't understand why everyone else isn't the same. He's very intense and doesn't know how to man manager players, or even just get on with people generally. The board at Bayern said similar things about Pep when he was there but everyone put up with it because they genuinely thought he was the best manager they'd ever worked with, so were prepared to let everything else go, but even still by the end of his three years there there everyone was getting a little tired of him and were in some way relieved he was going. Personally I'm not sure that Tuchel is as good as Pep and subsequently may not get quite as much leeway when it comes to not getting on with people. I especially can't see him being a success at PSG because he just doesn't have the personality whatsoever to deal with all those egos. He needs everybody to be completely committed to his intense system and methodology etc. I somehow can't see Neymar etc. being too up for that.
 

Bus-Conductor

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Oct 19, 2004
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i recorded and just finished watching the Lyon game from yesterday.

I’ve banged on about Mendy quite a lot, but if any of you get a chance check out his two assists in this game. One’s a peac of a cross, the other is a clever through ball.

I really, really like this kid. He’s big, quick and gets his head up in attacking areas.
 

Bus-Conductor

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On one hand it’s great that Lyon’s young team qualified for the CL, the down side is that it almost certainly means if we were interested in players like NDombele, Aouar, Mendy etc, they will almost certainly be more likely to be persuaded they will be better off staying put, playing every week and playing CL football.

And Aulas won’t feel obliged to sell anyone else if he gets good money from a Liverpool for Fekir.
 

jonathanhotspur

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Jun 28, 2009
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On one hand it’s great that Lyon’s young team qualified for the CL, the down side is that it almost certainly means if we were interested in players like NDombele, Aouar, Mendy etc, they will almost certainly be more likely to be persuaded they will be better off staying put, playing every week and playing CL football.

And Aulas won’t feel obliged to sell anyone else if he gets good money from a Liverpool for Fekir.
Do you not find it troubling that we are not even being linked with any of those guys?
 

Bus-Conductor

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Do you not find it troubling that we are not even being linked with any of those guys?

I think Trix said we looked or are looking at NDombele but were worried that his passing can be a bit erratic at times. Which I think is a bit harsh for a kid his age, and I think he's improved as the season has gone on. I think he'd be a really good prospect for the way we play and the type of player Poch likes. He's strong, robust unit, but has good technique, can dribble a bit and see a pass, very much a viable alternative to that Dembele role Poch likes, where you can trust him to play in a CM2 to do the defensive stuff, but will also give you something offensive too.

I don't think we've been linked to the other two at all?
 

mill

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May 21, 2007
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I think Trix said we looked or are looking at NDombele but were worried that his passing can be a bit erratic at times. Which I think is a bit harsh for a kid his age, and I think he's improved as the season has gone on. I think he'd be a really good prospect for the way we play and the type of player Poch likes. He's strong, robust unit, but has good technique, can dribble a bit and see a pass, very much a viable alternative to that Dembele role Poch likes, where you can trust him to play in a CM2 to do the defensive stuff, but will also give you something offensive too.

I don't think we've been linked to the other two at all?

Iirc the concern was about his dribbling in front of his own defence rather than his passing
 

Bus-Conductor

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Iirc the concern was about his dribbling in front of his own defence rather than his passing

I could have swore Trix said there concerns about his passing getting a bit ragged at times.

I remember earlier in the season, saying something similar when he was getting tired in the latter stages of games, but I think he's improved this as the season's worn on.
 
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mill

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May 21, 2007
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I could have swore @Trix said there concerns about his passing getting a bit ragged at times.

I remember earlier in the season, saying something similar when he was getting tired in the latter stages of games, but I think he's improved this as the season's worn on.[/QUOTE


I may be wrong but I remember it as dribbling at the wrong time, it was @Trix’s info so I guess he knows the answer
 

Bus-Conductor

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Ive just found it, it's actually a bit ambiguous (from the STWL thread):

"and we have an interest in Ndombele but there is concern about his in game choices. I'm told the concern is that he takes an awful lot of risks in bad areas, Something that won't show up on a highlights reel."
 

Bus-Conductor

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For what it's worth, Ive watched him lots, and I don't think it's ever been "an awful lot" of risks. One or two but I don't remember seeing him cost Lyon much.

And I think we need to take more risks, one of our problems is the risk aversion of people like Dier and Dembele. You look at all our rivals, City are playing DeBruyne and Silva as 8's, Liverpool playing Coutinho (earlier), OC, ManU have Pogba. We've got the tractor twins.
 
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