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hoppaz

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    Sven Botman

    in Football

    Posted · Edited by hoppaz

    1 hour ago, Milanista said:

    If you are buying Botman, you won't sign Romagnoli. They're the same player. Left-footed CBs who can pass very well. I mean it, very well.

     

    Romagnoli was supposed to be the next great Italian CB. We bought him when he was very young. He stayed with us during our banter period, was better than Bonucci when he was here, became our captain, turned down huge offers from Chelsea and other big clubs to stick with us. His development stagnated a bit, don't think he got called up by Italy when he should have, but he was expected to be the leader of Milan, being made captain at 24 would be hard on anyone, let alone a club that was (at that point) spending a lot of money, and still struggling.

     

    He was compared to Nesta. Like Nesta, he is a boyhood Lazio fan who loved Milan, he wore Nesta's 13 shirt, so the pressure was there, and to be honest, I think he did very well his first few years here, in a team that was poorly constructed. He also wasn't being developed, new managers all the time. When Pioli came in, he looked like he was finally being settled, because in Jan. of 2020, we got Simon Kjaer, who I did not think would help, but he played at a world-class level, truly, world-class (which I define as being top 10 in your position, in the world) and Romagnoli did well next to him. Many thought Romagnoli finally had his mentor. We started playing a high-line. Suicidal high line, actually. Romagnoli struggled with that.

     

    But in 20/21 he had a very poor second half of the season and then we got Tomori (Jan of 21) and he was displaced by Tomori. Didn't complain. Professional. He had a bad Jan-May '21 run.

     

    In 21/22, he was determined to fight for his place. He was third choice CB, behind Kjaer and Tomori. Romagnoli was slaughtered for his 20/21 performances, and he actually came out with his best form when called upon in 21/22. Then he had a nightmare game against Sassuolo, where he literally fell flat on his face after being bamboozled by Berardi. Milan fans have written him off, they think he's terrible, even though he was very good outside of that performance. Like, excellent. Against Inter, where we won 2-1, Milan fans seem to forget that he was back there because Tomori had a minor surgery.

     

    Romagnoli then had a groin strain, which pushed Kalulu full time in the second half of 21/22, and we were one of the strongest defensive sides in Europe with Kalulu and Tomori.

     

    Romagnoli is a class defender, his positioning is very good, not perfect, but very good. He's not afraid, gets stuck in, but he's got a major weakness: he is slow. Actually slow. This is why the Nesta comparisons never made sense, because Nesta was fast. If you want to compare Romagnoli to Nesta, perhaps when Nesta was in his last year, his knees were a problem, and he had to rely on his guile. But even then, Nesta's positioning is what allowed him to compensate for his lack of pace at that age. Romagnoli does not have that. Romagnoli might be like many other Italian CBs who has a renaissance once he turns 30, like Barzagli, who until he turned 30, was widely seen as a laughing stock of a defender for his career, and his inclusion in the 2006 World Cup team as a funny trivia fact.

     

    Most Milan fans appreciate him as a captain, as a professional, and that he stuck with Milan when he had every reason to leave. His lack of pace is what killed him, because Lukaku destroyed him. Lukaku shoved him around like he was playing against his little brother. Milan fans have fixated on his errors, which aren't anywhere near Maguire-type errors, but are treated as such.

     

    I will be honest, the biggest reason that most Milan fans were indifferent to Botman was because they play very similarly. Botman is faster than Romagnoli, there's no doubt about that. If Romagnoli had pace, he would be an incredible defender, but, "if my grandmother had wheels..." but there's a very good defender in there, the problem is, he can't function in a high-line. He is a low-block defender. Elite, actually. But if you put him in an open field, with a high line, like we do, he can be torn apart. In my opinion, he would be perfect for Allegri's Juve. They play with a low-block, and the fact they haven't been linked is bizarre. The rumors are that he will be agreeing with Lazio, his boyhood dream. There are rumors now that he might re-sign with Milan, but, I would be surprised at that.

     

    I went past the first sentence because without development, Botman can become like Romagnoli. Development of young players is more important than transfers. Romagnoli, unfortunately, has not developed, but he has all the tools, even with his severe lack of pace. His lack of pace is why I don't think he would be a good fit for the EPL. I don't usually buy into the whole thing about the EPL being special or whatever, but in Romagnoli's case, he could only play in Spain (for Atletico) or for Juve, he can't be in aggressive, proactive sides. That's the worry with Botman--but, to be fair to him, in 20/21, Lille were usually on the front-foot, attacking teams, and he was fine. He's faster than Romagnoli, but I don't think he's as good of a passer. He's stronger than Romagnoli, though, but it's the speed that is the big difference here.

     

    As you can tell, I'm avoiding very important work by writing these posts lol.

    Thanks I guess that is why Youtube has a lot of scouting action of him without crowds as he was not always in the first team. Nesta was a brilliant defender and I actually liked him when he came and commentated for the BBC a few year back. He spoke excellent English which was quite a surprise for someone who played in Italy mostly and I know in the MLS for a short period.

    Sven Botman

    in Football

    Posted · Edited by hoppaz

    29 minutes ago, relámpago blanco said:

     250 quid a ticket which is covered as part of a new government incentive for citizens of Saudi Arabia.  NUFC get all gate receipts

     

    El Classico is going to be played in the Middle-East too.

    Sven Botman

    in Football

    Posted

    47 minutes ago, relámpago blanco said:

    Don't clubs end up just getting fined for breaching FFP in the end.  It's what happened to everyone else.

     

    Man City

     

    "The investigation by Uefa ultimately culminated in an £8.8million fine and a two-year European ban being overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), while the Premier League's inquiry continued privately until recently."

     

     

     

    Not when you play friendlies in Saudi at £50m a pop. 

    More transfer rumours

    in Football

    Posted

    44 minutes ago, Mikky said:

     

    He’s absolute shite from what I watched last season - incredibly slow and clumsy on the ball - just a lump 

    Liverpool supporting mate reakons he is superb. Monster in the air and sound defensively...

     

     

    Chris Wood (now playing for Nottingham Forest)

    in Football

    Posted · Edited by hoppaz

    Having watched the Burnley match live at SJP this season the team is a big bunch of blokes that make the most of their size and they were crap. Just looked at his stats over the last couple of years and 12 and 14 goals in that Burnley team mean he is better than what we have by a long margin apart from maybe Wilson. Big yes from me from a survival point of view whilst also weakening a rival.

    Transfer rumours

    in Football

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

     

    I genuinely don't understand what he's trying to say though :lol:

    Just lists some players he wants as quick transfers and someone to kill the game like the last two mentions I think

    Joelinton

    in Football

    Posted

    He has to put more effort in. He never looks to be giving 100%. Did anyone see when Shelvey pulled up in the Leicester game he stopped to stretch his leg out a couple of times but still managed to run back to defend ahead of this fella before they were even at the half way line.

    Martin Dúbravka

    in Football

    Posted

    I can't blame him too much the ball was rising fron Son's shot but it dipped last minute and he was obviously expecting it to hit his hands. Real time it would be impoosible to correct himself properly when it started to dip.

    Match tickets

    in Football

    Posted

    I feel sorry for you accepting that on Saturday. We should be lining up on a path for a Wembley semi final. Still the 50,000 sheep don't deserve nothing good so it's a good thing come to think of it

    What on earth are you rambling on about, man?

     

    I'm saying how we just threw away a good chance to make Wembley and nobody bats an eyelid. What a shell this club and its support is

     

    Because there wasn't 'a good chance' in the slightest. Man City, Man United, and Chelsea are all still in it for a start.

     

    We would be favourites v QPR or Portsmouth

     

    Then the last 8 would only have manure/Chelsea or city in. That's a 5 in 7 chance of a winnable QF. If we put a full team out Saturday and took it seriously we could have made Wembley. What's the point in it all if we won't even give it a go? Just to lose 0-3 tonight instead of 0-5?

     

    Going for the FA Cup worked out well for Wigan didnt it? I would agree if we were mid-table but as we are likely to be very good candidates to be relegated I would rather keep the focus on staying in the league.

     

    Losing 0-5 vs 0-3 still affects goal difference and you never know when a league position will be decided on it.

    Miguel Almirón

    in Football

    Posted

    Getting a player on loan from MLS would never be lived down :lol:

    Are we allowed another loan though?

     

    I saw something that said you were allowed 2 domestic and 1 foreign or are you actually allowed as many foreign loans as you want?

     

    As many as you like from abroad, a limit to how many in a squad for a game though, 5 i think.

     

    Thought it was 4 in one season and two at a time...

     

    https://www.premierleague.com/news/464747

     

    I think players loaned from abroad don't count in that mate, that's domestic only....not 100% but i think that's right.

     

    Its 4 and max and 2 per window anywhere I am pretty sure but not 100%

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