McCormick

I’m the same. I think it’s his general demeanor; he’s got that distinct smugness/air about him that only someone born into unbelievable wealth has.

Disagree tbh. It’s one of the areas of our first xi that most needs an upgrade. Burn’s been great for the most part but a fully fit Tierney potentially gives us so much more. Great character by all accounts too.

Might just be my lack of knowledge on left-backs but- injury history aside- I can’t think of a better (realistic) option for us than Tierney. If it’s 30m or less then it’d be a great deal imo.

Nah if he’s going to the Saudi league, it’ll be Hilal.

Ah, the mercenary’s playground.

He’d be a sensational signing imo. Surprised none of the “bigger clubs” have been linked.

Quoting myself here but another issue I have with Kone is he’s quite slow, whereas K. Thuram is rapid.

Thuram seems more versatile in that he can play as a 6 if needed (he’s an 8); he’d be a perfect Howe player imo, great with progressive carries, great engine and elite athleticism. I think he’s better offensively and defensively than Kone (with the latter seemingly a better dribbler). Also, it’s no secret nowadays that excelling in the French League is a better barometer for success in the PL than doing the same in the German league.

Prefer Thuram but if he goes to Liverpool this guy looks like a very decent alternative, especially at that price.

Can see him leaving in a couple of years for big money but no way he goes this summer, especially to Liverpool. If we want to keep him we’ll need to consistently finish in the Champions’ League though.

@Joseph The La Liga highlight show on Bein every week ; they actually did a glowing feature on him as a “rising star” and what his strengths and weakness were. Even in a segment that was meant to boost his profile he didn’t look like a player that would improve us. Only reason I remember it is because we were linked in January.

Not trying to yuk anyone’s yum here but he wouldn’t displace any of our current midfielders on current ability. Reminds me of Ayoze Perez but playing deeper.

No imo.

Hmm. Not sure about him tbh. Really raw and 30m is a lot for midfielder that lacks athleticism and struggles to pass the ball.

In saying that, there’s never been a PIF project- ever- that hasn’t gone over budget .

Of course it’ll be defined, man. Will it be advertised to journalists? No, but how can you successfully navigate a transfer window when you don’t know your budget?

Not just in England as well but around the world there’s this idea that England produces overrated players. I disagree; I watch a lot of world football and England are top 3/4 imo for producing talent in numbers.

The more you see a player the more likely it is that you’ve seen him have a poor game (and if they’re your own nationality, you’ve seen them way more than other players). The old “familiarity breeds contempt” idea in practice, really. Oh and possibly the stereotype of Brits being massive moaners in general may come in to play too .

Not sure it’s about nationality; I’ve seen posters dismiss very good non-British players that play in the PL as well. Imo it’s got a lot to do with people scouting foreign-league players on YouTube, where their best hits are being shown on a highlight reel- whereas they’ve seen PL players playing all the time, warts and all, so their familiarity and knowledge of their weaknesses make them less appealing. People just seem want shiny new things and I don’t mean that in a condescending way. As an example: If we didn’t already have him and he was still in Ligue 1 offering similar performances as he is here, people would probably be absolutely frothing over the idea of signing Saint Maximin. Yet many are very happy to sell him (rightly or wrongly).

If Adams is going cheap, I’ll take him. Looks likely that we’re spending big on an 8 this summer with Bruno continuing as our 6; which means we’ll need a capable 6 stand-in for when BG can’t play. He’d be a decent enough squad option imo and, if the price is right, would allow to spend more on other positions.

Yeah, Liverpool we’re unlucky with injuries and had pretty lackluster midfield options. They’ll rectify the squad issues in the summer by spending big and will almost undoubtedly finish in the top 4 next season.

Was gonna say. We seem to have been chasing the same targets last season too.

That’s annoying. Looks like a really good player.

With his finishing, he’d fit in here like a glove

Risky but he’s had a good season for Real Madrid; been lazy or inconsistent for years after he was touted as being the next big thing. Another in the Spanish production line of mercurial, technically gifted cam-wingers with suspect athleticism/ work-rate. He’ll do well for Villa but he screams mercenary to me, like.