The College Dropout

Agreed. We don’t produce Bruno’s and Paqueta’s. THATS why TAA is in the team I think to be that midfield distributor. But I keep screaming it, he’s not a CM because he’s not good enough a footballer. TAA can hit every pass Toni Kroos can. But Toni Kroos can control a football under pressure, Toni Kroos can play with his back to goal. TAA can’t. It will be so interesting to see him play under a different club manager. I think Slot likes 5 at the back which will work great for TAA. He’s a liability at RB and not good enough yet as a player to play CM.

The balance is out of whack. I like Guehi. He’s starting for England, he wouldn’t make the French squad. We have no fit left back (sounds crazy but Hall should’ve went). We have 1 central midfielder who regularly plays there at the highest level. We have 1 natural LW and he has 3 caps and didn’t come off the bench. We have what feels like 7-8 players with barely any caps and about 1 years experience at the highest level. We have about 3 brilliant 10s though. And 4 great RW options. Harry Kane. Declan Rice. From the little I’ve seen Wharton is the best partner for Rice. Positionally conservative, combative enough and a 1-2 touch passer to better players. He probably won’t get a minute. Better yet if both Rice and Bellingham are happy to play conservatively have them as a solid athletic double pivot. My only issue with them both is they both progress the ball through carrying. I’ve not seen Jude control a game through passing. At international level Pogba was able to be positinally disciplined and progress his team with passing. I don’t know if Jude can do that. If Kane wants to come deep, drop Foden - Bellingham and Gordon are better in behind.

This isn’t a squad for of world class players. There’s multiple positions of weakness.

What’s all in?

When Pepe came back they had the best defence in the tournament which ultimately won it for them.

England can’t build from deep in midfield and that’s why they won’t go to the final. Might not even make it past the QFs.

Bellingham is a better 10 than Foden for England if Kane is going to do that drop deep stuff. Bellingham runs in behind more and is a bigger threat late in the box. Personally I think a tournament is too late to start trying to build a team around Foden. Do what works well and have Foden off the bench. Fodens never stood out for England. Professionally he’s only flourished under Pep. Southgate should’ve picked a LW who has done well for England before. Sterling or Rashford. I don’t trust that he trusts Gordon enough.

Didn’t like the CM balance from the start. Rice was deeper than TAA. Trent’s not a CM, if he is to play at CM he should play simple, central and deep not marauding around like a headless chicken. Gallagher and Rice doesn’t work because neither are good at passing it through the lines to build attacks. Foden should play 10 or sit on the bench. Great option for Bellingham or Saka.

TAA isn’t good enough at football to play with his back to goal at CM. He’s susceptible to getting caught like that. Happened when he inverted at Liverpool numerous times.

Saka is consistently excellent for England.

Because of how he looks and talks. He’s a better pundit than Shearer.

Nah if it’s debatable - stick with the refs decision. If everyone agrees he’s flat out wrong - overturn it. Most things are subjective. Only use VAR sparingly.

Nah I like the clear and obvious rule. Otherwise the game is entirely refereed twice.

That sums him up. Playedthe majority of his career at top clubs and contributed without being a 20-league goal a season striker. Has bags of ability but can lose his confidence. He’s a killer instinct away from being a top striker. As he is he’s a very talented footballer probably best coming off the bench at an elite side or accepting he’ll be an up and down 10-15 league goal striker at that rung below. He’s a dynamic player. At the last euros he looked really good and super involved and doing classic Morata things

Liverpool fans said Szob was poor second half of the season.

Minteh compares favourably to any youngster who isn't in an elite league. Compare Olise in the Champ or Minteh in Eredivisie - Minteh's had the better season. It helps that Minteh was in the best team but still. Not only is he productive - he has physical gifts. At the least - he's a legit wonderkid.

Thanks. Wanting us to sign a 19yo who has never played competitive football over Minteh, is an opinion.

Who the hell is ACD?

We should never sign anyone from AC Milan again

I like Madueke but he lacks end product from what I've seen. Minteh has been more productive than he ever was in Eredevisie at a younger age. His underlying stats for end product aren't overly impressive either. Xa or Xg are ok-good but far from great. In our system he'll score more goals I'm sure - doesn't seem a bad finisher at all. I'll take him for £30m to share minutes with Minteh & Murph/Almiron. But would absolutely not sell Minteh to find Madueke.

Upamecano is not it. I'm sorry.

FMs scouting hasn't been at all bad throughout the years tbf

What I don't know is - does the additional players count as book value? So £20m cash, McKennie £20m, other lad £10m. Does that make it a 50m transfer on the books? If that's the case. It gets them out of PSR bother this season and unlocks a CL spending spree (the 2-3 quality players they need for the fight).

Amortisation is never ‘done’. KDB still has an amortised figure. It’s just very low. So you sign a player for 50m on a 5 year deal. 10m per year. But after the 3rd season you extend him for another 5 years. So 30m has been amortised with 20m left. That 20m is then amortised over the new 5 year deal so it’s 4m per year. I think the only way a player becomes 100% amortised is if the players contract is only renewed at the very end of the contract. Luiz was signed for 15m ish iirc. He’s played 3 or 4 of a 5 year contract (or something). So only 1/5 or 2/5 of his fee is on his book value. So the transfer is mostly book profit. But it’s not pure profit like an academy graduate. I’ve said this before. Luiz would’ve wanted Tielemans money to stay. Thats 7.5m-10m a year. Selling him makes sense on a lot of fronts. But the fee is so poor.

He's got better physical tools than Anderson.