Moruinho is a cock blocking prick. Chelsea really don't need another central midfield player. Glad we've beat them to the punch.
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Moruinho is a cock blocking prick. Chelsea really don't need another central midfield player. Glad we've beat them to the punch.
Note they gave Özil a 7 in the match review :faint:Quote:
Originally Posted by Maestro
The worrying part about that article is:Quote:
Originally Posted by Maestro
If that's true I don't think that he's the right player for us. Unless Ramsey and Ozil significantly change the way they play, we basically need a holding midfielder.Quote:
He is reported to have never fully settled in the Spanish capital, where he has been asked to be become more of a holding midfielder - at his best for Germany and Stuttgart he has been a true box-to-box presence.
I've always been of the mind that the best midfielders are box to box nowadays. The Makele role is long dead.
As long as they are disciplined to read the game and be present and aware with developing danger then we don't need someone sitting on the half way line for most of the game.
Khedira is a definite upgrade on Arteta and Flams put together but if i was to choose between him Schneiderlin then id choose the latter everytime. He is a DCM by trade, has loads of experience in the PL, is younger and looks stronger and would probably cost around the same.
Hold on, WTF is going on here?
8 years in the wilderness and all of a sudden we're signing players from Barcelona and Real, seeing off the likes of Juventus and Chelsea?
Anyway, based on last seasons stats from that Squawka comparison tool, Schneiderlin looks by far the strongest option.
Sign him and I think we would pretty much steamroll all of the middle to lower order teams in the league.
Statistically Khedira looks a lot less strong, so he may well be less effective week to week.
Where I think he would shine though, is in those games we struggled last season, the 'big' games.
Khedira's seen it all, World Cup final, CL final, La Liga winner - nothing should phase him.
If football is n% mental, that goes doubly so for big games (2n%).
I also liked the way he leapt from the bench when Schweini caught one in the face last night.
Guy's ready to fight for his team.
:gp:Quote:
Originally Posted by Fist of Lehmann
We don't have to have the same set-up for every game. Why is a defensive midfielder needed when we play Cardiff, Norwich at home or Coventry in the cup? Aren't our defense good enough against pub team attackers?
We can play games with Khedira, Ozil & Rambo playing behind Walcot, Sanchez & Podolski for example ( still refuse to acknowledge Giroud as footballer). However when we play City & Liverpool, we can adopt the Schneiderlin approach, strengthen midfield & use the pace of Walcott & Sanchez on the counter.
We still have the likes of Wheelchair, Cazorla, Ox, Gnabbers to fit in at times but with our usual injury problems we have to have this strength in depth.
Don't see any issues with having two intelligent box to box midfielders alternating duties, we just need to make sure we get it right on the training pitch. Ramsey would be the other half of that partnership and he's more than capable. Vieira wasn't exactly a guy who spent 90 mins sitting in front of the back four.
I'd value natural ability on the ball as highly as strength and discipline, those rough, tough types who break everything up are all well and good until they hoof the ball and give it away. For me that's only 50% of the job done. Distribution and availability is important to keep the team on the front foot and the opponent under pressure. We are a team that used to excel in retaining possession, we've lost that in recent years. We need it back so for me Khedira is the better option compared to Schneiderlin, regardless of stats. Plus you can't underestimate the declaration of ambition and intent. Khedira is a much bigger signing, he sends out a louder message, he already has a rapport with Ozil, he's a world Cup winner. I don't think there's any real comparison.
It's just amazing we are even talking about signing this guy on the back of another huge signing (fat fuck Samuel's assassination piece notwithstanding). Our rivals have spent a lot of time laughing at us. Sign this guy plus a decent backup GK and add Remy to the mix if he can be persuaded to come down from cloud cuckoo land on the wages and I don't think anyone will be laughing. There will be genuine concern there. Tag on the fact we're running the club properly and our profits are real profits, add the fact we'll expand the fan base internationally by bringing these types of players in. The trend is up. We need to keep it heading in that direction. I wish we'd gone mad and signed Pogba, but Khedira will certainly do.
It's called - from the ridiculous to the sublime.Quote:
Hold on, WTF is going on here?
Whether Podolski was a worthy acquisition or not is not what is in question here but I can see I am about to go round in circles so will respectfully disagree on a few things and leave it be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpha