KaKa

1 minute ago, ManDoon said:

Why didn’t Chelsea keep KDB if he was so good? Or Salah. Why didn’t Nice keep ASM if he was so good? 

Exactly towards the end Vieira was refusing to play ASM.

The same way Pardew ended up refusing to play Ben Arfa here.

All so circumstantial. Ben Arfa under someone like Keegan or a Harry Redknapp man, would have been so impossibly special.

2 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Fucking tedious this like 

I agree it is ... but I just can't let people dismiss Ben Arfa the way some do on here man. That man was a killer.

I find the comparison to ASM a bit embarrassing to be honest, and I like ASM, but just ... no.

Simply untouchable. No debate to be had.

4 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

Easy to forget just how productive HBA was at his best, that too in a Pardew side.

If Hughton stays on instead of that idiot coming in Ben Arfa would have gone on to become a massive player at Newcastle. Hughton would have accommodated him, and not been trying to turn him into a right back like that moron.

5 minutes ago, ManDoon said:

Yeah he is unvaxxed, but so our some of our players. I think Weghorst is more than a lump like, he’s a decent footballer. It’s whether he can translate it to PL football but his assist last night was really good. 

Yeah, Weghorst is better technically and more of a traditional hold up player. Think he'd have suited us better than Wood.

2 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

So we're just writing him off as shite straight away, then, despite him only being a bit meh as opposed to actually shite? Cos one argument against it is that his career record is 1 in 3, including at the highest level. 

Think he's a fairly solid striker, but not in the role we need him to play in our current setup unfortunately. Wouldn't say he's shite.

2 minutes ago, ManDoon said:

Yeah which I took some shit for saying on here, that game was an anomaly. Genuinely think Weghorst would have been the better option from what I’ve seen of the two.

 

 

 

In the lead up to the transfer window we were linked with Weghorst, Cabral and Maxi Gomez. All who were available for around £10 - £12 million.

All play with great physicality and bring others into play. I think as our league position became more precarious we have gone all in on the prem experience thing, which can be so short sighted, especially as we've seemingly done it for a striker that isn't even quite what we needed.

Definitely seemed to be a panic move after that Cambridge game and result.

3 minutes ago, xLiaaamx said:

I don't get why Howe wanted him at all tbh. Afobe, Wilson, King, Solanke, Mousset etc, all the strikers he bought at Bournemouth had mobility in their game. He's never ever used an immobile big man before. It looked a complete mismatch when we bought him and I'm even more convinced he can't hack it outside of Dycheball than ever. 

It's the firs time Howe has used more of a 4-3-3, which kind of came about due to a lack of options and Joelinton's performances in central midfield.

I can see why he was wanting a striker that could then drop deeper and help bring the midfielders into the game by being a focal point. Wood was completely the wrong choice for that though, and I'm not sure how that's all come about tbh.

1 minute ago, TRon said:

 

 

While I agree Willock is a great option off the bench, I think it's easy to underestimate the work he does in pressing the opposition even in the first 45 mins when he's not looking so great on the ball. He's not the liability people think he is, and he stretches the opposition with his runs when we have the ball as well.

Sorry, but I am not putting Bruno in a deeper midfield position to accommodate Joe Willock, not a chance in hell.

We need Bruno to be a midfielder that has the freedom to dictate play and initiate more of our attacks higher up the pitch, not to be sat in front of our defence, so Joe Willock can play.

1 hour ago, WillingtonMag said:

Ben Arfa couldn't lace his boots, never seen him dominate an opposition like that.

Nonsense.

Will always frustrate and delight in equal measure, and yesterday was no exception.

When we get a result the good plays will be at the forefront of everyone's mind and we'll be happy with him. When the result goes against us the bad plays will be at the forefront of everyone's mind and we'll be annoyed with him.

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

It's a real conundrum trying to figure out where to put him. We've all become accustomed to Joe's strengths following his revival, meanwhile Willock is improving and presses really well and - in theory - is one of our best chances of a goal in a team that doesn't score much.

 

Of the three, Shelvey is the weakest performer but I feel like he's the only one in the squad who really plays that quarter-back role. If last night is anything to go by, you'd only be getting 75% out of Bruno by putting him there. 

 

Despite his contributions I am dying to see Shelvey upgraded upon, but I don't think Bruno is that upgrade. 

 

Really dunno, but it looks like the added competition is already making a difference to the existing centre-backs and centre-mids, and both Bruno and Burn are going to have to fight for their places. 

It really isn't I don't think. 
 

Shelvey has performed better under Howe than Willock has. Bruno will come in for Willock.

You do not bring in a player with his ability on the ball, and ability to thread a killer pass and having him sitting as the deepest defensive midfielder.

Willock can be a midfield option off the bench later in games to take advantage of tired legs with his running ability.

6 hours ago, Thiago said:

The negative comments towards him are really irritating me. 

 

We've had so many whoppers come to this club, not perform, and stroll around when the club needed them. This lad has run his socks off in every game, tried to win headers, and help his teammates out - a few times tonight he even slotted in on the wing to cover for Maxi. 

 

If he doesn't score a single goal and we stop up he's done his job.

He certainly is putting himself about and is doing a good job of pressing from the front and covering defensively, and this may very well be what Howe was particularly looking for from the front man they brought in, and it's certainly contributing to us picking up points since he came in, so can't really knock it all.

It's just surprising seeing his limitations in holding up the ball up front, as you'd expect better from him on that front considering his stature, but it just doesn't appear to be his game. With the way we setup the 4-3-3 currently, it would have been really useful to have someone that could hold the ball and allow the midfielders to advance up the pitch off of that, more consistently.

Ultimately, if the team does enough to stay up it will all be fine, so lets hope the points continue as they have since he's joined.

6 hours ago, cubaricho said:

 

This literally doesn't matter to us at all anymore. Really wish people would stop banging this drum.

Yes, you are right, however for that outlay it's more that we could have done a much better job of finding a better quality forward.

I think we over emphasised the premier league experience angle with him, which is unfortunate. However, he is contributing to us picking up points at the minute so no issues whatsoever.

1 minute ago, ManDoon said:

That’s been my main takeaway. I didn’t expect him to score as I don’t really rate him but he gets knocked off the ball a hell of a lot 

Yeah, paid very close attention to him today, and he is never a target man. No chance.

If you look back at his goals for Burnley he tends to be looking to get in behind with Barnes doing all the physical dirty work.

With Barnes injured for most of the season it makes sense why he was struggling to score goals at Burnley this season.

Very surprised at how poor his hold up play is. Gets pushed off the ball really easily.

Despite his size he's not really a physical striker, which is likely why he was often paired with Barnes upfront, which is typically when he played his best as he looks to then get in behind.

Good news is he does get about and puts in the effort, and we've been picking points up with him in the team, and so thank God for that at least. Looks a really poor buy for £25 million, as I'm not sure he was the right fit for this 4-3-3 at all as we need someone that can hold up the ball and bring the central midfielders into the game.

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Why not bring someone in with experience of challenging for Europe then?

 

a Technical Director I want for 3-5 years.  In 5 years we should be challenging for CL. Id like a TD with experience of that level.  

A good technical director performs at the level relative to how much money they have at their disposal.

6 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

The fact Brighton are not a big club is part of the problem.  If we are looking to break into the top 8 in the next couple of seasons, why are we signing a TD with zero experience of the top 8? 
 

it looks to me like we are setting up to become a solid mid table side. Which is an improvement and perhaps a necessary step.  But I would like someone at the club with some experience of the level above If that’s our end goal. 

He's going to be working with a much bigger budget here than he had at Brighton man

The hire is more about the contacts he has and his ability to build a framework and structure that runs to a very high level.

This is so strange ...

It's also a completely different budget and project to what his remit at Brighton was. Doesn't make any sense to compare the two.

Just heard about Overmars ... my goodness man. What a catastrophe that is. Ridiculous.

On 31/01/2022 at 00:02, UTASeagull said:

It would be a massive loss for our club and a phenomenal signing for you. He is considered the best in the country at what he does, and has been personally involved in all our recent successful signings, including Lamptey. He has an outstanding knowledge of club's academies and has put together a leading international scouting network, which is seeing us pick up several "wonderkids" from South America and beyond for relative pennies. We are competing with some of the biggest clubs in the world for signatures, which is mental as a Brighton fan.

 

Tony Bloom, our chairman and lifelong supporter is the money man. His CEO Paul Barber does the commercial stuff. Everything football is Ashworth. 

 

He is absolutely irreplaceable and would be the best possible signing you could make. Pay whatever it costs. That said, I really, really don't want to lose him. 

I wouldn't worry about you losing him or anyone else at your club at this stage. The groundwork has been already well laid at your club.

I was reading that you have an ethos where you don't stand in anyone's way when they choose to leave because your whole framework is based on not just having great people in place but having the next man in line already in house and right behind them ready to step in and continue the work, already well versed and familiar with everything.

Think you guys are going to be around doing great things for a long time to come. 

Interesting how they've both come out with that statement.

It's rumoured we went back in for him at the end of the window, wouldn't be surprised if they've agreed a deal with us contingent on us staying up.

On 04/02/2022 at 18:08, GeordieDazzler said:

 

 

 

Love this. Seems to have a really cool personality. 

God willing a healthy run of no injuries the rest of the way now, and I think this guy will be a massive hit.

The absolute carnage if Weghorst bangs in goals for them man. I'll tell you what I am really nervous about it.

Weghorst, Zapata, Maxi Gomez and Cabral are all target men types that were available this January and we opted for prem experience in Chis Wood instead.

Can't lie, I would have gone for any of those four over Wood personally, but hopefully it all works out.

1 minute ago, HaydnNUFC said:

So much for the surprise.

When Divock and Dembele get announced in the next hour bet you won't be so smug!