KaKa

49 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

For 12 million I’d be all over this deal for Cabral.

 

https://www.westhamzone.com/news/west-ham-yet-to-reach-basel-asking-price-for-striker-arthur-cabral/

Really baffled that no one in any of the bigger leagues has gone in for him. Absolutely wish we would have.

1 minute ago, Manxst said:

He’s had multiple chances to repeat the Kane/Son triumvirate under every manager though, and always failed to deliver. It’s as though he just can’t be arsed these days. Mourinho stated as much when he said he was a lazy player/trainer. It’s nothing to do with choice of manager, but if it is, he’s bang out of luck- if he needs a perfect fit as manager to get anything out of him then he’s currently even worse than I presume. Managers come and go (as they have done for him)- it’s going to be impossible for him unless Poch keeps signing him every time he moves as manager. 

 

Did I say he could only play for Poch? I said it is down to the style of football. This kind of thing happens all the time. It was no different to Mourinho's treatment of Pogba at Man Utd.

But I can see we are not going to agree on this so fair enough. Be interesting to see how it plays out for him.

10 minutes ago, Manxst said:

I just can’t see him as you describe- his figure for goals/assists against his approaches in the last four season suggest he’s certainly not ‘lethal in the final third’ at all. You’re judging him on past performance nearly half a decade ago, and under a specific manager. Under three decent/world class managers since, he’s failed dismally. He had the chance to have a fresh start under Conte and has just reverted to type as opposed to regaining any semblance of form or ability/attitude.

 

 

Every player is not suited to every type of manager. It's as simple as that for me really.

Dele is what people would typically describe as a luxury player. If it's a more attack minded team and setup, and the rest of the team can cover for his weaknesses he is fantastic in the final third. I mean you just have to have watched him over the years in Poch's team linking up with Son and Kane. That trio was brilliant together. He was averaging double figures in both goals and assists every season under Poch.

Mourinho, Nuno and Conte do not play the same type of football Poch played and he has suffered for it. He is a very limited player in that respect as he cannot really adapt to a more highly disciplined, defence first style of football. Guy is still just 25 years old and it will be interesting to see what comes of him  in the next few years. He really needs to be careful where he goes next and who he chooses to play for, as it needs to be a manager that is not as rigid.

1 minute ago, Manxst said:

My original post? Not me, I don’t think? They should’ve sold him a year or two back imo. His stock has fallen so badly they won’t be getting true market value right now. In respect of him being ‘mismanaged’- that’s nothing to do with being sold or not in my opinion. He’s been shite due to his own attitude and hence had limited appearances. That’s not mismanagement. It’s management that’s been perceived the right thing for the team/club. 

Ah, it was the post I originally responded to from SUPERTOON. 

Dele was a huge asset at one point. People always tend to focus on his weaknesses i.e. defensive contribution, but he is lethal in the final third both scoring goals and creating them. Poch was clever enough to find a way to accommodate him in a team that went all the way to the Champions League final, and he was a key contributor.

Spurs have gone for a certain type of manager since Poch, and they are all types that would not really find a place for a player like Dele and so in the first instance once Mourinho came in and started ostracising him, they had to make a tough call at that point. If they were going to back Mourinho to the hilt then they should have moved him on when there was still pretty decent interest in him. Poch wanted him at PSG and I imagine they could have got a decent fee for him from them.

5 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Solid defensively ?

Harder to say from youtube clips, but he does look like he's got decent pace and strength, and is physical when going after the ball. Think he'd be a very interesting signing.

3 minutes ago, Manxst said:

Mismanaged? By Mourinho, Nuno AND Conte? It screams lack of application by the player to get picked rather than mismanagement, imo. His performances when he DOES get picked back this up too- he hardly busts a gut and makes it impossible to drop him. 

I said he has been badly mismanaged at Spurs and he has been. In the sense that they should have sold him much sooner, before he completely fell out of the picture. They will be in no kind of position to be tough in negotiations for him like your original post stated. Interest in him has completely dried up.

Was watching some clips of that Mitchel Bakker kid and he looks like he would be a fantastic signing. Gets forward well and looks like he has a really good delivery into the box. 

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Can’t imagine levy being easy to negotiate with for this.

Dele has been brutally mismanaged at Spurs, and his value has plummeted. They'll be glad to get something for him at this point. He's not beign used by Conte now either and so his value will only continue to fall further and further.

18 minutes ago, POOT 2.0 said:

Has there been a clearer pen than the one today against ASM?

 

 

Short clips are legal, right? Classed as educational/for discussion/critique. 

 

 

 

ASM does such a bad job selling that. The two arms raised and flailing was too dramatic. Think the histrionics makes the ref think he's being conned, so he ignores it.

However, there was clearly contact there and so yet again, why is VAR not reviewing that and making the right call? No idea what the point of VAR is anymore.

6 minutes ago, Menace said:

Most of my mates support Arsenal too, Leno gets beaten near post far too often. He's better than Dubravka though 

Yeah, Leno can be very shaky. Dean Henderson is who we should be aiming for, even if it means waiting till the summer.

1 hour ago, MarkyMark said:

I know it hasn’t been seen as a priority, but if the rumour mill is correct (ha!), I reckon Leno would be a cracking signing.  I don’t think it can be understated just how much our piss poor goalkeepers are making our piss poor back line even more nervous than they would be otherwise.

 

Probably just the usual paper talk - but for me it would sit alongside our centre halves and centre mids in terms of an obvious area to strengthen.  The team’s spine is shite 

As someone who follows Arsenal quite closely due to having a ton of friends that support them, I'm really not sure about Leno at all.

10 minutes ago, Clockwork Cheese said:

Think he's 10 years too late at Spurs - he would have loved playing for Redknapp.

 

"MK Don's, National Team. BANG!" At some point he's taken his foot of the gas, and doesn't have that killing hunger that forced Poch to throw him straight in and saw him through the first few seasons of his career.

 

Towards Pochettino's end he eventually pissed him off, and his form tanked. Mourinho became at his whits end with him, and now it seems Conte has given a limited chance he hasn't taken. 

 

Poch, Mourinho, Conte - three managers that all share a core tenant that you need to sweat and eat grass to play for them. I'm in Mourinho's camp on this one.... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, Redknapp is the exact sort of manager that would have got the best out of him.

He comes across as being a bit cocky, but it's all a front. The guy isn't that confident I don't think, and needs a manager that can cajole a performance out of him.

39 minutes ago, Clockwork Cheese said:

 

Love this whole conversation.

On a day to day basis though, I think Dele is one of those that needs a manager that is more positive and upbeat with their encouragement of him, which isn't really Mourinho's forte when the season gets up and running and things start getting tough.

Think he'd be a good fit with Howe.

https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/mitchel-bakker-who-is-bayer-leverkusen-s-dutch-left-back-signed-from-psg-16537

Can apparently play left back, left wing-back and left side centre back in a back three. Really like this guy's profile. Hope this one can be done quickly and doesn't turn into another saga.

55 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

 

This seems reasonable, feasible and is still an exciting move for a young talented player. More of these types of moves please.

5 minutes ago, elbee909 said:

 

If this goes ahead it'll be a crying shame that the Botman deal didn't happen. Botman and Robin in defence would just be too much.

Genuinely worth bidding £100 million for Botman just for that reason alone 

I think for the price we are being quoted they ought to look at someone a couple of years younger at the max, so no older than 26 really.

I really like Demiral and Milenkovic who are both major talents we have also been linked with and would be worth paying around the fee we are being quoted for Carlos because they are younger.

Is this guy really worth all of this effort and money?! My goodness. Surely there must be other centre backs out there that are comparable. This is mad.

27 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

It sounds better than the reality tbf, I mean he's 34 and he's already retired once if I'm not mistaken. So life would probably mean 6 more games here, then off to the Bahamas for a couple of months before he decided to pop up somewhere in France again. 

Bet we'd win those 6 games though! 

21 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

I don't know why, but I read it as Hatem Ben Arfa signs for Life.

If only! 

Replacing Ikone right? Can't wait for their Champions League match against Chelsea.

1 minute ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

not having ASM being a better dribbler. He’s got a more show boating style of dribbling but Ben Arfa had it stuck to his foot before deciding to give it a little nudge to power past defenders. Much more effective style.

I like ASM and not blind to Ben Arfas failings but imo there’s nothing that ASM scores more highly on

This, this, this, this this!!!

It didn't make sense how good he was at that while moving at high speed and while constantly changing directions. It was impossible for defenders to handle. Just an incredible ability.

14 minutes ago, Heron said:

That's fair. From a purely objective stance, I think he had a bit more end product than ASM but ASM is arguably a more skilful dribbler of the ball, despite not being technically as good.

 

I think if we had a similar quality team to then, now, ASM would be loved a similar way, but fankly we're well away from that level at present.

 

Ultimately though, both are FIFA street ballers with a showman attitude in a team game, playing for a club where luxuries cannot be afforded and they need to learn to do more to 'fit' the needs of the team rather than have the team 'fit' their own (personal) needs. 

 

 

 

ASM is a talent, but I don't think he touches Ben Arfa as a dribbler of the football. 

ASM is more of an explosive over dribbler that loses the ball a fair bit. Think Ben Arfa was so much more technically gifted and had an immense touch and control of the ball. He was a puppeteer that had defenders on a string. He toyed with them and it was incredibly difficult to get the ball off him.

16 minutes ago, Disco said:

 

Fire up the old thread!

Transfers: Newcastle probe French international Alassane Pléa (Mönchengladbach)

The French striker from Borussia Mönchengladbach (28 years old, 1 selection), under contract until 2023, is of interest to the English club. It could be sold this winter or next summer.

Very active on dozens of tracks since its takeover by a Saudi consortium in October , Newcastle has just probed Alassane Pléa. The French international striker (1 selection in November 2018), under contract until June 2023 with Borussia Mönchengladbach, could be sold by his club this winter or next summer, when he will probably not extend.

The current staff of the Magpies, whose team is struggling in the penultimate place in the Premier League , is interested in the profile of the player trained at OL (28 years old) and has even taken information from Allan Saint- Maximin, friend with Pléa since their joint season in Nice in 2017-2018.

Just now, TRon said:

 

I would just write off the Leeds game tbh, we have a break after that, and I suspect we'll be bringing in most of our signings at the end of the window. Just have to hope there's still enough winnable games to be able to turn it round in that time. 

Yeah, I'm thinking this is pretty much going to be the approach to things now.