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Sofiane Boufal

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
This is the player I want us to sign the most

If we sign someone. Sadly it's not needed. Realistically with Pritchard and Chadli to return Townsend is already surplus do once we sell him we won't even need a replacement.

However if we sell another then we could buy him. Until then there's no point sadly.
 

Sweech

Ruh Roh Ressegnon
Jun 27, 2013
6,752
16,378
If we sign someone. Sadly it's not needed. Realistically with Pritchard and Chadli to return Townsend is already surplus do once we sell him we won't even need a replacement.

However if we sell another then we could buy him. Until then there's no point sadly.
Plus a lot of the youth can take up the AM role, especially as it seems that's how Poch likes to ease them in (Onomah) so I'm not all that sad about it.
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
Plus a lot of the youth can take up the AM role, especially as it seems that's how Poch likes to ease them in (Onomah) so I'm not all that sad about it.

As much as I like this guy, even next season if we do sell a winger we still have Oduwa to come through. It would just be a great luxury buy. Boy I do love a maverick.

Striker is our only real concern
 

Ossie85

Rio de la Plata
Aug 2, 2008
3,916
13,215
If we sign someone. Sadly it's not needed. Realistically with Pritchard and Chadli to return Townsend is already surplus do once we sell him we won't even need a replacement.

However if we sell another then we could buy him. Until then there's no point sadly.

I get what you say, but imo it depends on how you rate him. I think he has potential to be world class.
It's like if we were back when we could've signed Hazard and said no because we had Lennon. I'm all up for upgrading if we have the chance.

I don't think we have a defense breaker like him in our squad. IMO it's all about having different options, and we don't have a proper dribbler in our team. Probably our best dribbler right now is Son and he's nothing out of the ordinary
 

Dazza86

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2011
335
613
Haven't seen a great deal of Boufal, but if we were in the market for an AM of this sort, for me Mahrez would be the player to look at. Prem experience and absolutely fantastic feet with an end product.

However, if Boufal has that and a high willingness to focus on the defensive side of the game (required in the Poch system) then I wouldn't complain!
 

fatpiranha

dismember
Jun 9, 2003
8,337
21,678
Is this the player we were linked with in the summer who had an absolutely amazing YouTube vid or am I getting him mixed up with someone else?
 

Sweech

Ruh Roh Ressegnon
Jun 27, 2013
6,752
16,378
I get what you say, but imo it depends on how you rate him. I think he has potential to be world class.
It's like if we were back when we could've signed Hazard and said no because we had Lennon. I'm all up for upgrading if we have the chance.

I don't think we have a defense breaker like him in our squad. IMO it's all about having different options, and we don't have a proper dribbler in our team. Probably our best dribbler right now is Son and he's nothing out of the ordinary
Dembele is our best dribbler.

Problem with Boufal is he's incredibly selfish with the ball (think Townsend) and in a recent interview it looks like he has absolutely no intention of changing.
 

Ossie85

Rio de la Plata
Aug 2, 2008
3,916
13,215
Dembele is our best dribbler.

Problem with Boufal is he's incredibly selfish with the ball (think Townsend) and in a recent interview it looks like he has absolutely no intention of changing.

You are right, he is, but not so much in advanced positions, more like in midfield. My point was focused on dribbling to open defenses. Son is the best we have there imo
 

yaniv297

Active Member
Jan 5, 2015
53
157
Can he play effectively on the wing? if not, we don't really need another CAM. Chris, Alli, Dembele, Pritchard, Onomah coming through. Edwards in the long run too.
 

Ossie85

Rio de la Plata
Aug 2, 2008
3,916
13,215
Can he play effectively on the wing? if not, we don't really need another CAM. Chris, Alli, Dembele, Pritchard, Onomah coming through. Edwards in the long run too.

So you wouldn't want Mario Gotze because we have all those players then??
He's not a winger, but a wide attacking mid. He's a mix between Hazard and Alexis Sanchez

Hope this helps


He's aggressive in defense, pacy and skillful in attack. The only thing I find worth criticizing is that he holds on to the ball too much sometimes, but that's coachable

Lille's president (I think it was him) said we offered 15m on the last day of the last window, so I guess we don't care we have all those AMs
 
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Kilkenny Cat

Well-Known Member
Nov 28, 2006
201
480
I know absolutely nothing about Boufal other than that he's highly rated. I also accept that we shouldn't be placing roadblocks in front of Onomah, Winks et al.

That said, to kick on in 2016-17 - whether that means challenging for the title or challenging really seriously for a Top 4 spot - we're going to need a special player who'll make a difference, a la Sanchez for Arsenal and last season's Hazard for Chelsea.

Maybe it'll be a second striker, maybe it'll be a winger, maybe a hybrid. But we'll surely need someone.
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
I get what you say, but imo it depends on how you rate him. I think he has potential to be world class.
It's like if we were back when we could've signed Hazard and said no because we had Lennon. I'm all up for upgrading if we have the chance.

I don't think we have a defense breaker like him in our squad. IMO it's all about having different options, and we don't have a proper dribbler in our team. Probably our best dribbler right now is Son and he's nothing out of the ordinary

See the thing is ironically the only academy player I can remember in the last few years that we have produced that pulls of tricks and runs through people and takes them on is Oduwa. So it would be unneccesary to block the one player that could potentially be top class for another. We don't know how Boufal will adapt whether he will be World Class or not, so why not take the chance on our own young player who was being watched by Valencia and Athletico Madrid. If we sold another winger I'd agree to buy him definitely. Just looking at wiki it looks like at Oduwa's age Boufal was playing in Ligue 2 or below, so would he really be any better than Oduwa is now.

I can kind of see what you mean about Lennon/Hazard but the difference is with that is we knew what Lennon could do and would offer plus he was past his best, with us anyway. We don't know how good Oduwa could be and he is definitely could enough for the Championship now. We also don't know whether Boufal would adapt to here, so I just don't think it's worth bringing him in to block our own. Just my opinion, and this is from someone who really wants Boufal.
 

Ossie85

Rio de la Plata
Aug 2, 2008
3,916
13,215
See the thing is ironically the only academy player I can remember in the last few years that we have produced that pulls of tricks and runs through people and takes them on is Oduwa. So it would be unneccesary to block the one player that could potentially be top class for another. We don't know how Boufal will adapt whether he will be World Class or not, so why not take the chance on our own young player who was being watched by Valencia and Athletico Madrid. If we sold another winger I'd agree to buy him definitely. Just looking at wiki it looks like at Oduwa's age Boufal was playing in Ligue 2 or below, so would he really be any better than Oduwa is now.

I can kind of see what you mean about Lennon/Hazard but the difference is with that is we knew what Lennon could do and would offer plus he was past his best, with us anyway. We don't know how good Oduwa could be and he is definitely could enough for the Championship now. We also don't know whether Boufal would adapt to here, so I just don't think it's worth bringing him in to block our own. Just my opinion, and this is from someone who really wants Boufal.

If Oduwa is good enough he will get the spot irrespective of who he has in front. I think we have a manager that already showed he's not afraid of putting young players if they are up to it.

I disagree on the whole idea of blocking an academy player. If the young player is good enough he will get game time. I think having better players raises the bar for the academy players and only the really good ones get to progress, which is not a bad thing imo. Did Barcelona reject the opportunity to buy Neymar because they had Deulofeu and Munir at the academy?? Neymar was present and the other were potential. The same here, Boufal is the present and Oduwa/Onomah the potential. What if we reject him now because we bet all on the kids and they don't fulfil their promise? We end up with nothing. On the other hand, if we buy Boufal (or whoever else that applies to this) and the kids fulfil their potential we will have a win-win situation
 

Colston

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2013
670
847
I know absolutely nothing about Boufal other than that he's highly rated. I also accept that we shouldn't be placing roadblocks in front of Onomah, Winks et al.
Couldn't disagree more... This is exactly what we need to do if we want top quality players at our club. No handouts at Tottenham Hotspur.
 
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fatpiranha

dismember
Jun 9, 2003
8,337
21,678
The not blocking a young prospects progress argument is a valid one if you are talking about bringing in a seasoned pro who expects 1st team football. We have done this too often in the past signing journeymen with low ceilings to do a job. Bringing in another young prospect however isn't blocking anyone's progress it's introducing an element of competition and that is a good thing. It forces young players to work harder on their game or risk being discarded.

Some step up to the challenge (Rose for example even though he didn't like it when Davies joined the club). Others, like Townsend, have fallen by the wayside but the likelihood is they wouldn't have made the grade anyway. Under the current regime it is hard to think of many young players who have suffered from this policy. Veljkovic perhaps, possibly Yedlin, but overall we are seeing more of our development squad coming through into the first team than I can ever remember in the past.

I think it's obvious that if you are willing to work hard in training and develop your game then Poch will give you a chance. Not all the young prospects will become 1st team regulars but that is not due to competition from other prospects. We shouldn't be worrying about signing players like Boufal, we should be concentrating on moving on the Fazios and the Townsends and that seems to be exactly what we are looking to do.
 

Ghost Hardware

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
17,999
61,600
Liverpool starting to be heavily linked to him. It's really funny how the media always link us and Liverpool to any player ether one might be interested in. The last player I can see Pool buying is another attacking mid.
 

longtimespur

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2014
5,830
9,949
Liverpool starting to be heavily linked to him. It's really funny how the media always link us and Liverpool to any player ether one might be interested in. The last player I can see Pool buying is another attacking mid.


I wonder if "Klippity Klopp" would want him although apart from Coutinho who is really any good in AM at 'Pool?
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,179
48,764
He's definitely the x-factor player I think we're missing. Someone who can beat or trick defenders in or around the box.
 
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