The College Dropout

Really want to see how him and Elanga gel. It’s a massive shame we missed out on Mbeumo. I think Nick W’s attributes suit 2 inside forwards

They do Jill dirty every week.

this is funny. Al does live in his head rent free. I don’t take these comments seriously. It’s a bit. Him, Wrighty and Neville have good chemistry.

Would love to see him in the Joelinton position against weaker opposition. I think he can get the goals Joelinton did on Tuesday on a regular basis at his best

Goosebumps. Legends. All of them. (well except you know who).

Bruno G. I don’t think Miley is in there. Not on here at least.

I never said we are overly reliant on our strikers. I am content with that spread of goals. This is the second time I’m saying this. You didnt need to type all that.

I remember Shola doing Desailly dirty on the turn but to shoot not for pace. Lua Lua Bellamy Dyer Jenas all quick. Shola? Never for me. Mobile. Good size and strength. But quick?

Personally think his window for maximum PSR value has gone. Not today we can’t get good money. I am sentimental. But players that really get it. You keep around unless you really have to sell. I don’t see us moving beyond him on the pitch for atleast 2 years. Moving on Pope, Schar, Tripps, Burn, Lascelles, Bruno, Joelinton, Murphy, Krafthu, Tonali I dont get that same connection with Willock, Gordon, Botman etc.

Unless it’s club policy that any red is 2-weeks wages it seems OTT response

I’ve not said we are overly reliant. I think our spread of goals is fine. We were over reliant on Isak last season mind but he was world class and we didn’t have anyone else capable in the role. Think Nick W and Wissa will replace the Isak goals between them, hopefully more. We’ve been getting 12-15 goals from central midfield. More is great but I don’t think that’s bad.

Aye compared to Tonali it’s night and day. That’s the problem with the squad. But Miley is showing he’s getting better at it. Quickly too.

We totally outclassed them. We balled out (as we should with that strength of team). Bruno looked like a Brazilian international playmaker against a league 1 side. Gordon looked like an England international against a L1 side who doesn’t have his shooting boots on. We were levels. A lot of nice things you would hope we would see more of going forward. Quick passing through the middle.

I think you've misinterpreted my point. My point is - I don't think we have the squad to spread the goals out much further than we already do. Kanj said we've been overly reliant on our 9's. My point is that is by design, we aren't setup to spread the goals any more than we do. We look to get our strikers into great positions. Our right winger is there to get it to the main striker. A team like Arsenal is setup for a wider spread of goals. They do not look for their striker. Gyokeres will score goals but he would score more for a team that more actively looks for their striker.

We don’t have the team for spreading the goals around imo. Only Gordon/Barnes has a track record of scoring goals consistently. The squad is setup for the strike to bag goals imo. Elanga nope. Murphy nope. Bruno and Joe are good for a few.

There was one great tackle by the touch line. He looked better off the ball than he has previously these last two game imo. I don’t think he’ll be trusted as a single pivot in front of a back 4 in PL or CL games mind. But Howe has already surprised me with his willingness to rotate. But he’s doing it in different ways.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9562235/Wayne-Rooney-reveals-HATED-playing-striker-Manchester-United-saying-awful.html 'It took me seven or eight years to learn how to play there and to learn to play with your back to goal. It's the hardest position to play...I weren't enjoying it, but it was my best two years of scoring. I remember coming off the pitch and scoring two goals and saying, "I was awful. I didn't play that well today. I didn't have that many touches of the ball."'

My point is he needs to develop as a striker. He doesn’t have the experience and track record in that role as Isak did or most of our other targets. Hes 23 and not played a lot of top level football scoring goals as a striker. He needs more development in the role than Isak did.

He’s 23 and has scored 13 top flight league goals from open play in his career. 15 total. I think he would do brilliantly to score another 13 league goals from open play this season alone. Thats the reason we spent £50m on a 28 year old striker. Wissa is meant to carry the primary goal burden this season imo.

Are they so different? Similar players with Elanga having more to his game. Right footed right winger looking to feed a striker. Elanga hasn’t played with Nick W much. The assists will come when he does. Kudus is more talented and flexible but I don’t think we could’ve got him anyway. I think Kudus has the most successful take ins in the division. So far. I don’t think any of our wingers are in The top 20% for take-ons. And none of them Have a wand of a primary foot to create (Murphy might be the closest). That’s a design issue not the fault of the individual players.

I don’t remember that. Not like Osula certainly.

I don’t think it was a good idea to have him and Joe play 90 personally. KMs in the legs they don’t need. But he was having fun aye.

Not in the Bundesliga. Which is part of the reason why he’s a bit of a late bloomer. Barely scored a Bundesliga goal prior to last season. Had not played a ton of Bundesliga matches either. He’s learning.

I hope so. But I think it's difficult to teach someone how to be a killer. Kane was a killer first, then refined his wider game. People overemphasise Isak's struggles at Dortmund and Sociedad. Isak scores 10 goals in the equivalent of 18 full matches in the top Swedish division as a 17-year-old. Isak scores 13 in 16 as a 20-year-old in the Eredivisie. This is why Isak was a wonderkid from early. He showed he knew how to score goals in mens football from the very start of his career. Nick W doesn't hit double figures until 21 in the 3rd tier of German football. He's playing various roles too. They don't have similar career arcs at all. Isak was able to hit the ground running because his learning curve was less steep and his profile was plug & play into our system. I can see Nick W needs to sharpen his striker instincts and he's a way different profile to what we've ever had at striker.

I’m glad he’s way ahead of Joe Willock though. Willock is done here. Would love to sell Willock and bring in another proper CM