Winter transfer mission

[HighVoltage]

Daily Star (bad source, I know) claims that PSV are willing to listen to offers around £15m for Memphis Depay.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/407344/Man-Utd-Tottenham-Memphis-Depay-15m

 

[DaSpurs]

Daily Star (bad source, I know) claims that PSV are willing to listen to offers around £15m for Memphis Depay.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/407344/Man-Utd-Tottenham-Memphis-Depay-15m

Not beyond reason they signed him to a new contract to jack the price up for an impending sale. Hell we do it ourselves.

That having been said, I don't think we would pursue such an option at such a price at all.

 

[Shadydan]

I've had this convo before with @DaSpurs , I'm not convinced that Konoplyanka is the solution for us. We didn't agree then and I don't think we will now

He does have some exciting attributes, i'm just really not convinced he has the all round game to come and play in Pochs sytem in the Premiership.

This guy is pure hype, another player that's gonna shirk away and hide when the going gets tough...What's the point?

 

[DaSpurs]

This guy is pure hype, another player that's gonna shirk away and hide when the going gets tough...What's the point?

What gives you this impression?

 

[Shadydan]

What gives you this impression?

nothing but at the same time nothing has given me the impression on the contrary...highly rated youngster playing in a weaker league untested in the Premiership...sure we'be heard that one before. He's a million miles away from the type of player that we need.

 

[DaSpurs]

nothing but at the same time nothing has given me the impression on the contrary...highly rated youngster playing in a weaker league untested in the Premiership...sure we'be heard that one before. He's a million miles away from the type of player that we need.

He's 25 and has put up excellent numbers for both club and country. Not sure why you choose to apply past failures of other players to any other potential acquisition. Is the same logic as assuming that one screwdriver didn't work because it didn't fit the screw head, so therefore all screwdrivers will fail.

 

[stemark44]

Its gonna take a hell of a lot more than one winter transfer window to sort us out.

 

[Shadydan]

He's 25 and has put up excellent numbers for both club and country. Not sure why you choose to apply past failures of other players to any other potential acquisition. Is the same logic as assuming that one screwdriver didn't work because it didn't fit the screw head, so therefore all screwdrivers will fail.

So we're gonna keep speculating to accumulate in hope that one of these fancy names will work out will we? You have as much evidence as me to suggest that he will be a success or a flop but as I said before he's a million miles of the type of player we should be trying to sign.

 

[JohannTHFC]

Is James Milner available? Always gives 100% even when the odds are against him.

 

[nedley]

I really really want Ade gone this January - think it would the best for everybody concerned. He really holds us back.

Whoever we bring in, I want the transfer committee to really think long and hard and bring in players, not just with the right quality but the right mentality.

We need some leaders in the squad. Some arrogance, swagger.

 

[Snarfalicious]

I really really want Ade gone this January - think it would the best for everybody concerned. He really holds us back.

Whoever we bring in, I want the transfer committee to really think long and hard and bring in players, not just with the right quality but the right mentality.

We need some leaders in the squad. Some arrogance, swagger.

I think any potential Adebayor transfer will only be made even more complicated given he will likely be at the ACN.

 

[DaSpurs]

So we're gonna keep speculating to accumulate in hope that one of these fancy names will work out will we? You have as much evidence as me to suggest that he will be a success or a flop but as I said before he's a million miles of the type of player we should be trying to sign.

I've watched him extensively since those 2012 Euros, and the difference is I'm suggesting not that he's going to be a smash success but that he does provide a skillset we tremendously need, while you're suggesting almost factually that he's "a million miles from the type of player we should be trying to sign." In other words, you've jumped to a specific conclusion from very little data, while I'm proposing an applied hypothesis from a considerable amount of data.

 

[DaSpurs]

Is James Milner available? Always gives 100% even when the odds are against him.

Have always liked Milner. Would take him in a heartbeat, and think he would be excellent for this setup.

 

[Shadydan]

I've watched him extensively since those 2012 Euros, and the difference is I'm suggesting not that he's going to be a smash success but that he does provide a skillset we tremendously need, while you're suggesting almost factually that he's "a million miles from the type of player we should be trying to sign." In other words, you've jumped to a specific conclusion from very little data, while I'm proposing an applied hypothesis from a considerable amount of data.

No -He's a million miles away as in he has no Premiership experience, and there is another player who is a far better fit, proven and knows the managers philosophy inside out (Rodriguez) who we really should be looking at.

Quite simply we are not in that position, maybe we were 2/3 years ago but I'm sure you've noticed that the squad is severely lacking in character and experience. We cannot afford to carry passengers at the moment and I couldn't really care that he's been banging them in in the Ukraine League - good for him by the way, there is nothing to suggest that he'd be doing the same over here.

 

[nedley]

I'd be tempted to go for Bony in January.

In fact I'd like us to get two forwards in,

Lacazette being the other.

Before he signs for Chelsea.

 

[DaSpurs]

No -He's a million miles away as in he has no Premiership experience, and there is another player who is a far better fit, proven and knows the managers philosophy inside out (Rodriguez) who we really should be looking at.

Quite simply we are not in that position, maybe we were 2/3 years ago but I'm sure you've noticed that the squad is severely lacking in character and experience. We cannot afford to carry passengers at the moment and I couldn't really care that he's been banging them in in the Ukraine League - good for him by the way, there is nothing to suggest that he'd be doing the same over here.

Indeed I have noticed this. I'm also sure you've noticed that Poch's plan has not exactly been applicable to us since his arrival. I'm not sure what you chalk that up to, but I choose to believe it a variety of factors, including that I'm not sure he fully comprehended just how consistently and quickly teams compact against us. I think he believed his method would open teams up so he could induce his gameplan, but I think he's finding that no matter what, teams are playing against our players the same way because we are massively lacking in a few areas. One of those areas is attack, in which we offer not one player who offers an excessive skill coupled with aggression that causes them to have to exert in defense. With Bale, we had that, and this trait literally pried defenses open for us.

So yes, we do need character and experience. But just as much, and possibly even more so, we need someone who can spread defenses out and open them up. Rodriguez does not offer the ability from a wide position to unlock defenses. He's the kind of player who made the runs in behind the forward passing from deep against an open, and often high, defense to his success. We almost never face high lines as he did at Saints, and are almost always facing compact boxes. All that Prem experience will equate to about fuck all if we still cannot spread these defenses out.

So we have no choice but to leave overarching generalizations such as "Prem experience" and "weak foreign leak hype" at the door, as at this point we have no choice but to look at very specific tactical causes for why some of our very talented players are being stood up week in and week out by supposedly inferior players.

 

[eddiebailey]

Was just about to post the same thing, we need two or three experienced leaders with a bit of guts and determination about them as a necessity in January. I don't even care who they are at this point or how much they cost, they could be a freebie/loan, or short-term signing if we struggle to identify players and have to make do with a stop gap, some fighting spirit and leadership is desperately needed ASAP.

The frustrating thing is that this was obvious before the start of the season, but some - Levy presumably included - thought that all that was needed was a manager who could maximise the awesome potential of our talented squad. There would have been outrage on here if we had made those sort of signings.

 

[Syn_13]

I'd be tempted to go for Bony in January.

In fact I'd like us to get two forwards in,

Lacazette being the other.

Before he signs for Chelsea.

I know nothing of Lacazette really to know whether he'd suit the EPL or our team.

However, I do think Bony has settled well and proven that he can get the job done in an EPL team that likes to play good football. I think that we've got to be realistic though and expect that trying to buy any proven striker from this league is going to cost us upwards of £20m, unless they have contractual stipulations/issues.

 

[mpickard2087]

The frustrating thing is that this was obvious before the start of the season, but some - Levy presumably included - thought that all that was needed was a manager who could maximise the awesome potential of our talented squad. There would have been outrage on here if we had made those sort of signings.

Probably would have been, you're right. The buying policy and squad building over the last couple of seasons has been awful though and Levy, Baldini and partly AVB all need to take some of the blame for this. Too many young, inexperienced players who need to adapt to the league and all leadership and character stripped from the squad. Will be interesting to see if Poch does try to rectify this in January, I hope so.

 

[shelfboy68]

Indeed I have noticed this. I'm also sure you've noticed that Poch's plan has not exactly been applicable to us since his arrival. I'm not sure what you chalk that up to, but I choose to believe it a variety of factors, including that I'm not sure he fully comprehended just how consistently and quickly teams compact against us. I think he believed his method would open teams up so he could induce his gameplan, but I think he's finding that no matter what, teams are playing against our players the same way because we are massively lacking in a few areas. One of those areas is attack, in which we offer not one player who offers an excessive skill coupled with aggression that causes them to have to exert in defense. With Bale, we had that, and this trait literally pried defenses open for us.

So yes, we do need character and experience. But just as much, and possibly even more so, we need someone who can spread defenses out and open them up. Rodriguez does not offer the ability from a wide position to unlock defenses. He's the kind of player who made the runs in behind the forward passing from deep against an open, and often high, defense to his success. We almost never face high lines as he did at Saints, and are almost always facing compact boxes. All that Prem experience will equate to about fuck all if we still cannot spread these defenses out.

So we have no choice but to leave overarching generalizations such as "Prem experience" and "weak foreign leak hype" at the door, as at this point we have no choice but to look at very specific tactical causes for why some of our very talented players are being stood up week in and week out by supposedly inferior players.

All of this is spot on but we clearly lack a leader and organiser at the back a sort of John Terry type 100% commited and never knows when he is beaten to inspire others and he is allowed to be a **** like Terry.