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So Sky suggesting we are looking at signing Kimmich on a free transfer in the summer. I don’t know what I think about this, although it would suggest to me that the departure of Jorginho and Partey means replacing them with two midfielders than just the one. And Kimmich is reasonably strong and technical
As long as his wages don’t mean we are not strengthening up front, I’m open to this I guess
Don't know who Kimmich is. So looked him up.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
:tumbleweed:
Seems like a logical move and he is a very good player tbf.
Yes…under the circumstances that was the reasonable moveQuote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
A last big pay day for him? That's my only concern, or interest.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
Then again, maybe he's Merino's replacement up front? Our new striker?
I worry about a players legs when they become 30, it’s why I’m generally not in favour of signing anyone over the age of 25 let alone older.
But he’s technically quite good (although I can imagine he would have lost those acceleration bursts he was once good at) and on a free transfer and as you say if his wages aren’t extortionate. I’m ok with it
Sell to buy is now the trend floating around the net. Opinions, opinions, different than facts. But sometimes opinions tally with the historical record.
Who do we have to sell that will raise the 200-300 million required to turn us into a club that can genuinely challenge?
Tierney - we should be keeping him anyway because he's our most effective full back - 20 mill?
Partey - btw, why are we actually selling him? Isn't he a decent enough squad player? Is it because he wants to go? - 20 mill? 30mill if some mug gets collared?
Jorginho - does he have a sell-on value? Can't see it, but 10 mill if we are optimistic?
Zinchenko - 15mill, 20mill? Delusional?
Best case, 80 mill?
It's Saliba, isn't it?
Trossard - 10 mill? Or Saudi for 2.5 trillion?
Martinelli - Saudi? 50 mill? 60mill?
I think Trossard is going anyway (he has twice refused to sign a new contract) I mean fair enough really, he doesn’t owe us anything…in this day and age especially he’s done ok for the money we signed him for so if he wants to leave and the Saudis want to take him off our hands….fare thee well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
Won't fund the window though, will it?Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
And the stupidity that is inherent in this so-called sport (in reality cash cow) means we'll need to spend 50, 60, 70 to replace him with anything half decent.
It's Hleb again, isn't it? Decent but ultimately part of the latest failed project.
Here's a simple route to guaranteeing the title next season.
Sell those who are surplus. Merino. Trossard if he wants to go (hopefully he'll stay). Jorginho if he want to go. Send Sterling back, obviously. I mean seriously - WE ARE SENDING STERLING BACK, RIGHT? Zin - don't need him. I guess hang on to Calafiore as cover.
Now hire the Sporting director and bring in Gyokeres. Pay whatever is required and outbid all other rivals.
Title guaranteed because there's nobody else in this league who are much of a challenge if we can sort out that striker role. Maybe Liverpool, but their luck can't hold forever, they'll have a dip too.
I bet if they hired me and we did this we'd win the title.
Instead, somebody else will sign Gyokeres and they will win the title. Come back here and prove me wrong in a year's time.
I don't think we actually need anything else, provided Odegard gets his shit together. Then again, Odegard and Gyokeres - match made in heaven.
Means holding on to Saliba, come what may. So my 200 mill would be spent getting Gyokeres, keeping Saliba and hiring the Sporting director.
If we want to win a title.
Otherwise sell everyone and bring in players that can keep us up there, challenging but never winning. This is the sensible option if we want to enrich the Kroenkes.
According to John Cross we need to sell him to fund the Window….John Cross with the greatest of respect to him is a twatQuote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
I think again it comes down more to the wage bill than the cost of transfers.
Wage bill spiked over the last couple of seasons. But so did revenues. A poor excuse if the football rapists that own us try it on.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
I can confirm, Cross is a twat. Is he still going? Wow, shitty job for life.
Also reports saying that we want to give Partey a one year extension
I’ll be honest if we are bringing in Zubimendi, I can’t really see the point
The ironic thing is that Partey has remained fit all season and has actually been one of our better players. Maybe he’s playing for that contract?
We want him to agree a wage reduction to stay, and I doubt he will do so.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
Depends really on what other teams can offer we probably pay more in general than most European teams (unless he goes to the Saudi pro league then the sky's the limiit)
Andrea Bertoni targeting Lautaro Martinez apparently
Not keen for three reasons. At 28 (27 but will be 28 by time he joins) too old (in my view), I don’t think scoring in Serie A necessarily translates to being able to score in the premier league. Also at 5ft 9 too short
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/617.../?redirected=1
Great article on Bierth, who scored again this weekend. Love the quote on how he deals with missing chances.
I recall similar articles about Folarin Balogun two seasons ago
He will have to have more than what he’s doing now, for me to put him on the level of Serge Gnabry in terms of players I regret us selling.
https://www.arsenalstation.com/2025/...ktor-gyokeres/ I hope this is just a rumor he's what 26-7 his previous club was Coventry City and he wasn't tearing up the league (championship I believe) £63m would be a complete waste of money.
You have to be joking, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by dazthegooner
Well here's hoping it's just his agent trying to get him a move to Manure for more commission.
Yeah quite, he's supposed to be good and as Isak will be silly money and Sesko's apparently not an out-and-out forward, maybe it makes senseQuote:
Originally Posted by KSE Comedy Club
I would take Gyokores over Sesko and Isak in a heartbeat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
He is a proper no. 9
Despite the fact that Gnarby has made a great career for himself and probably tops the list of young players we let go prematurely, I've actually never really been bowled away by his performances... don't get me wrong he is quality, but losing him or playing against him hasn't really given me sleepless nights like an Anelka..... probably more miffed about us losing him for peanuts.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
BTW surprised no one has brought up us being linked with Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike.
I've seen a few glimpses of the kid and for now he looks like something that could be really really special.
He's tall, pretty decent dribbler, has a crazy way he accelerates with the ball (not Martinelli aimless running) and seems to have that positive unpredictability that could really be a difference.
Love the glimpses of the kid I've seen so far, and though he's far from the finished article, if I had to compare him with anyone it would be Isak, and TBH the few glimpses of the kid I've seen is making me want him more than an unattainable Isak.
Right now he tops my list of strikers purely based on his potential (which is me doing a drastic uturn)...but I'd definitely take him over Sesko, all the attainable guys in the EPL , just a bit over Osimhen, and now its a straight duel between him and Gyokeres (head says a dependable Gyokeres but my heart says this kid is going to be crazy at a top club that counter attacks swiftly, really crazy). Probably fits Liverpool more than us but I sincerely hope that never happens.
I was going to say, we unfortunately don't counterattack quickly, if we did Pepe might actually have been a good player for us
We'd have to move Arteta on to get the best out of him - I'll leave it there
Possibly and looking at his goals per game ratio they weren't that bad I just can't help feeling if he tried hard enough under Arteta he might have nailed the inverted left back position ;)
Hopefully that day comes soon, not interested in any manager doing 10 years here no matter how brilliant (or not) they are.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Football is constantly evolving faster these days. Sticking with the same ideas is not only boring but also sets yourself up for failure, my opinion.
Agree, and even Arteta himself is somewhat adhering to old ideas, i.e. the way Man City used to play - if he can't move on from that there's no future for him hereQuote:
Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE
If we spend big in the summer the Kroenkes will surely expect an ROI of substance, not just finishing second and playing in the CL
On paper we should be favourites next year, with possibly all of TAA, Salah and VVD leaving Liverpool, plus Citeh also rebuilding - which means Forest PL win incoming :lol:
Seems like Trent is itching for the Madrid move now.
Interesting to see how Liverpool adapt without him next year because his passing is such a key part of how they’ve played for years.
Now that this season's disappointment is not so recent, I am beginning to come to the view that it's not so much that Arteta is wedded to the same ideas and incapable of evolving, but that we will never be a team under him that favours individuality over system based football.
And I'm not so sure that this is a bad thing. Systemic football is the reality these days, and a combination of the best players and the best system is bound to prevail. Gone I think are the days when teams were built around a single mercurial talent - you only need to see Portugal with Ronaldo, or the fact that Norway strangely seem to be less effective than might be thought with Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard in it to see evidence of this.
I am coming to the conclusion that our travails this season have been not so much our failure to counter attack and manage transitions well (my previous view), but because Arteta's system is so finely honed that taking out Odegard (missing or out of form for most of the season); Saka and Havertz will make it look ineffective. We showed that we could survive one of our key players being absent - but not three - which I suppose is not so surprising.
I think that Arteta has a great deal of tactical acumen and the ability to evolve. Let's see whether I am right when we invest, and have a fuller complement of forwards after the Summer.
I do think it's a bad thing, the best managers are able to combine a good system which inherently allows more freedom for players to exercise their strengths, I feel Arteta part-strangles some talents with the way he over managesQuote:
Originally Posted by IBK
The inability to counter-attack you mention lies firmly at Arteta's feet, not the players IMO, there are players there who could do it a lot more under the right system
I haven't watched Norway much at all but Odegaard and Haaland by themselves can't lift a team if the other players are significantly inferior (which isn't also to say it's possible the system isn't right either)
I can only point again to Everton to show how a manager can improve a team infinitely by playing a freer style and encouraging players to be more positive, which is without doubt what Moyes has done
So the answer is to bring in Moyes obvs :haha:
I take your point but I wasn't saying that Arteta won't give his players freedom to exercise ther strengths. When you look at Saka, Havertz; Odegard; Nwaneri; Rice; Ben White and pretty much all our left backs - all of these players have licence to roam, and within our system I'd say that they play to their strengths - and even that the system is geared to this. Even in defence - particularly Saliba and Raya are hardly wedded to a traditional pitch position.
What I was saying is that Arteta's teams are not based around individual 'maverics' - and I can see the merits in working with a system intended to maximise potential as a team rather than relying principally on moments from individuals. I maintain that football generally is evolving in this way, and my view is that the best system rather than having mercurial individuals is likely to bring the greatest benefits.
Regarding your comments about Norway, the argument can go the other way also. Greece; Denmark won the Euros with very ordinary players. Iceland similarly humbled England and reached the Quarters in 2016. This season, Forest; Brighton; Fulham are all flying high with teams of players who pound for pound are inferior to those of the traditional top 5 or 6 in the league. Liverpool are the exception really - given their reliance on Salah and the jury is out on how they will fare without his extraordinary returns. Focussing on individuals rather than forging a team system is in my view an obviously flawed approach.
This is not to say that harnessing player strengths is not vital. It is. And we all have our views on how certain of our players could be used differently. But I don't think Arteta can be accused fairly of not playing to his players' strengths.
Whether his system is too inflexible is really another question. I think that at times it has been - not just this season, but in past ones. But as I have said, I've come to the view that this deficiency this season has been driven first and foremost by missing players rather than a manager who simply cannot see that we have lacked menace at times. This is why I am prepared to reserve judgment until we have players back, refreshed our personnel and got in a decent pre-seacon in the Summer.
I recall distinctly complaining on here in 2021/2 and 2022/3 that we looked too robotic a lot of the time and lacked movement and penetration - but this was hardly the case in the second half of last season was it? The system clicked then and we were not lamenting strangling of talent. Arteta has changed during his tenure and I am hoping that he can again.
Fair enoughQuote:
Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE
It could also derail the end of their season, the fans have already said they want to shout abuse at him every game til he leaves now, what with him being a dirty rat and a traitor, etc, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Even if this happened and Liverpool tried to do a Newcastle by losing 5 of the 9 games they have left, we'd still be unable to take advantage as we aren't able to score goals consistently thanks to not having something as basic as a striker, largely due to Mr Smarty Pants.Quote:
Originally Posted by KSE Comedy Club
Oh I agree - but there is a possibility that could all change now that Saka is due back soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE