KaKa

Funny thing about all of this is, I can see Liverpool bottling this now

52 minutes ago, brummie said:

 

Ha ha ha. 

Just now, Geordie Ahmed said:

Think he isn't 100% fit and they want to save him for the CL final 

Ah, right. Think I would have played him anyway in these circumstances. Think Villa could easily get a draw today or snatch a surprise result.

Why are Liverpool not playing Van Dijk in a game of this magnitude?!

2 minutes ago, duo said:

Thing is he doesn't need to.  Just needs to add a bit more quality - Striker, CM, defender and we're set up nicely for next season.

 

 

 

I mean, managers usually have their preferred setup. If he decides to go with that then it will be because he believes it gives him the greatest chance of achieving his aims. You might not think it's what he needs to do, but what's to say it doesn't make us an even better team? I hope if he does change it, people don't start getting on his case, because I already get the impression that will happen.

14 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

Doubt it. 4-3-3 or variations of it is what the top sides play now, and we saw against Arsenal a glimpse of how he wants us to play next season and that was in the 4-3-3.

There is no set way of playing. It is based on each managers preference, so I doubt the decision will be made based on what the 'top teams' play.

The way we played against Arsenal was with more of a high press and greater ball possession, and that can be applied to lots of different types of systems.

Time will tell, but based on the strikers we are targeting, and the priority we appear to be placing on strikers ahead of additional central midfielders, my gut tells me we will be playing Howe's previous system, which he has typically always used previously.

The change to a 4-3-3 only even came about due to Joelinton having to drop deeper due to Clark's sending off, as well as a lack of availability of strikers due to Wilson getting injured.

2 minutes ago, duo said:

Be surprised if he messed too much with a winning formula

Think it was more a convenient formula based on the set of players we had at the club, and ensuring we stayed up.

We'll have to see what happens anyway. Have a feeling with a full pre-season and summer to reshape the squad, he'll return to his preferred system.

1 minute ago, toon25 said:

I'm more annoyed that Villa are making decent signings than missing out on him.

 

Would still bet that Villa will finish lower-mid table next year.

Yeah, it would be a decent coup for Villa, and I understand your sentiment, however I'm very relaxed about it. I love what we're doing as a club now and we are going to have our own business done soon enough too.

In actuality I kind of like the idea of other teams like ourselves, Villa, Leicester, West Ham and Wolves continuing to improve and applying lots of pressure to the teams at the top. I want the league to become more and more competitive. I think it will open things up much more and I'm confident we have a manager that will allow us to take advantage.

5 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

I like Kamara, good player. I trust Howe though and if we've not persued him because he feels that he's not the best fit for what we're trying to do, then fair enough.

My gut feeling is Howe is going to return to his attacking 4-4-2, with two strikers, two narrow inverted wingers, and two really attack minded full backs providing width. And so we appear to be after withdrawn strikers to support Wilson and Wood, which is why we are targeting two strikers that link play, one with a bit more experience and a younger one to be back up.

Think midfield is likely going to be Bruno sitting deeper in the number 6 slot and Joelinton as a ball winner/box to box number 8, which he has been so impossibly good at that they're going to continue to develop him in that position.

17 minutes ago, HTT II said:

Fuck off, he’s as Mexican as a Sombrero!

 

Loved him as a player mind, he featured in every Who to buy from our rivals series of articles every window. 

Oh lawd ... not another to add to the Mexican list

14 minutes ago, Emotic said:

That was the joke  Yeah I'd take Awoniyi. He only joined Union last year though.

Oh right! 

27 minutes ago, Emotic said:

Osimhen is geet quick though, very much like a Nigerian Mbappe. Awoniyi is beefier, more awkward with the ball at his feet, reminds me of a Nigerian....Yakubu. We wouldn't get Osimhen this season, I think, he's red-hot property like Nunez. I wouldn't turn down Awoniyi.

Yakubu is Nigerian

Awoniyi doesn't appear to be as quick because of his build, and yes he isn't as fluid or smooth on the eye, but he is very quick as well and is more of a rumbling bull.

Awoniyi is so underrated man. 

1 hour ago, toon25 said:

Bellingham and Foden defo in with a shout

Yes, absolutely. I'd even throw Saka in there too.

I think Mbappe vs Haaland had the potential to be really special though, and the next Messi vs Ronaldo.

1 hour ago, Manxst said:

https://punchng.com/osimhen-beat-vlahovic-leao-to-serie-a-award/?amp
 

just won Serie A Best Young player award. He’s got 14 goals but been injured most of the season. He’s fast, powerful, a good finisher, can hold the ball up well and bring other into play, and also got lots of potential to improve. 

Yeah, he's a great all around striker with top tier physical attributes.

The funny thing is another young Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, shares a very similar type of game and physical profile, but due to joining Liverpool as a teenager and not being able to get a work permit, has ended up taking a bit longer to emerge after continuously being loaned out to loads of clubs.

Finally joined Union Berlin permanently last season, and has had a great season with them, leading them into Europe. He would be an incredibly astute signing for someone this summer, because in reality he is not too dissimilar to Osimhen, but would be a fraction of the price.

1 minute ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

 

Of course, I don't deny that, if he even joined say Liverpool he would still make lots of money

 

Looking at it from a football perspective I would have liked to see him play in La Liga or even better the PL but he's still young, PSG are a big club (even if it's cos of the oil money and not historically) and it is his club as well, so him staying is hardly ludicrous 

 

My point is more about a player being smart (with a risk attached to it of course) of signing short contracts and then seeing it out to then get massive wages and a big signing on fee too 

 

 

Yeah, I get it.

I just think because of how poorly PSG is being run, with bringing in all these players on massive money, and allowing them to undermine every manager that comes in, it is just a terrible environment for any kind of real progress for him as a player.

He's a generational talent that I don't think we'll end up seeing the very best of now. All of that money and influence coupled with what is not really going to be a challenging environment, is likely to see him begin to fall off if anything. And I wouldn't be surprised if come the end of this contract he's not looking as attractive a coup as we might expect.

It's a shame, but other players will come through and pick up the mantle as is always the case. Think the road is clear for Haaland to be the clear top player of this generation of players now, be interesting to see who else comes to the forefront.

11 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

 

Calm yourself down, not sure why you are getting upset

 

I've made zero comment on it from a football perspective, just saying he's nailed it from making an obscene amount of money and he'll repeat that process in 3-4 years again. Not saying that is "right" or "wrong", just that from a financial point of view it's a clever approach

Nothing to be upset about, it's his life, so if he's happy with that decision then fine.

My point is that no matter how you cut it he's still making an obscene amount of money, every and which way, so there's nothing clever about his choice in that regard.

15 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

Mbappe has nailed it from maximising his income, he's going to earn ridiculous money over the next 3 years and he'll probably see his contract out and then sign another ridiculous 3/4 year contract 

Oh for goodness sake man ... 

Any offer on the table was going to set him, his family and multiple generations up for good. This is money he will never be able to spend all of.

And so in that position he should have been making the choice based on sporting ambition, if he had anything about him. Taking the most money just for the sake of taking the most money is lame. Guy has already been at PSG for 5 years. He turns 24 this year. It would be the ideal time for him to leave and still have a chance to continue to develop.

We'll all see how it plays out. PSG will no doubt continue to flame out, and Mbappe will stagnate, and only really shine in the French league where PSG can just stomp on everyone else. 

2 hours ago, gbandit said:

Massive shame, really can’t see him developing as well there compared to Real Madrid or other teams abroad. PSG are a fucking mess, feels like a terrible decision to stay with a basketcase of a club even if he’s now one of the richest people in France 

Yup, pretty much confirmed that's not really his priority. Weak mentality.

2 hours ago, Manxst said:

Real - who were willing to pay €230m to sign the forward on Deadline Day last summer - were ready to give Mbappe a signing-on fee of £110m and wages of £20m-a-year after tax. Their total investment would have been about £300m.

 

The news has been met with a vociferous response from Spanish football authorities, with LaLiga saying it will complain to UEFA, French tax authorities and the European Union over PSG's "non-compliance with UEFA's financial fair play".

 

PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino said last week he was adamant he and Mbappe will still be at the club next season

A statement from LaLiga on Saturday night read: "This type of agreement attack the economic sustainability of European football, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of jobs and sporting integrity at risk - not only in European competitions, but also in domestic leagues.

 

"It is scandalous that a club like PSG, which last season reported losses of more than €220m, after accumulating losses of more than €700m in prior seasons (while reporting sponsorship income at a doubtful valuation) with a cost of sports staff around €650m for this 2021-22 season, can face an agreement of these characteristics while those clubs that could accept the arrival of the player without seeing their wage bill compromised, are left without being able to sign him.

 

"For all of the above, LaLiga is going to file a complaint against PSG before UEFA, administrative and tax authorities in France and before the competent bodies of the European Union, to continue defending the economic ecosystem of European football and its sustainability."

 

The statement concluded that the behaviour of PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and his club "endangers European football on the same level as the European Super League".

 

(from Skysports)

Not enough for him to survive on according to @The College Dropout

1 hour ago, Dinho lad said:

If this means the French league gets to catch up with the other big leagues, then that's good for football. 

What?!

PSG are destroying the French league man.

Just now, PENKAAA said:

 

BeIN Sports 5 

Cheers pal

44 minutes ago, Joey47 said:

Can watch two of our Striker transfer targets in the same game in 30 mins.

Reims vs Nice - Ekitikie vs Gouiri 

What station is this on?

4 minutes ago, Zero said:

The signing bonus apparently increased to 300m

That's what has just been paid for Newcastle man

1 minute ago, elbee909 said:

Who's going to want to manage PSG?

It's a great question. Can't wait to find out myself

My God

This guy is going to be picking the manager and players at the club for goodness sake. What a complete farce  

It's going to be an embarrassing mess, and I am going to enjoy it so much.