Jump to content

NUFC summer activity prediction thread


Pilko

Recommended Posts

It's not exactly an uncommonly heard thing that Ben Arfa is not much of a team player, and the new lad is apparently the same. I wouldn't say it was an invalid concern.

 

Eh? How is that anything like 'going missing'?

 

You missed the rest of that line. When the going gets tough, ie when there's hard work to be done for the benefit of the team. Tracking back, possibly filling in out of position, keeping things simple and so on.

 

Nobody is saying it's definitely going to be an issue, but I don't see what's so controversial about it being a concern.

 

MEH.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's not exactly an uncommonly heard thing that Ben Arfa is not much of a team player, and the new lad is apparently the same. I wouldn't say it was an invalid concern.

 

Bellamy and Robert was, according to many reports, not easy to handle, but they were both great on the pitch. I wouldn't give a shit if HBA and Marveaux were hard to handle off it if they are anywhere near as effective as Bellamy and Robert were on it.

 

Bellamy was the epitome of a team player, not sure of the comparison there. Robert fair enough, and yes that's good evidence that if they're talented enough it doesn't really matter. But that was just one player, a luxury. The comment from Wallace is that putting too many of these types in the team might have a negative effect. As I say, I think it's a valid concern.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm delighted so far and although part of me is sure they will fuck it up, I'm not sure how. Talking about how we might fuck it up by selling players, I don't think there is anyone we could sell now who would really piss me off apart from Tiote and maybe Colo.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I hope we spend some money. Not just for the sake of it, but because I think one or two additions could really propel us towards the top six. We might be top half anyway, so players like N'Zogbia could push us that bit further.

:thup:

Nice to see return of the avatar too Dave.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Right, I'm officially off the reservation after Marveaux signing. Teetering on the edge after Cabaye, Nolan brought me back down to Earth with a bang and now we've had two free transfers in two days to get me right back up there again.

 

I want, nay, I DEMAND a right-back and centre-back of an equivalent quality of these attacking players brought in, given how little the outlay on transfer fees has been so far. I don't even care if they're French/Senegalese again. A sort Beye/Bassong equivalent, without the fucking off part. Given our knowledge of the league's attacking players, surely we've singled out defensive targets aside from M'Bengue if Enrique goes?

 

Williamson/S. Taylor and Simpson are the two areas of the team that stick out like a sore thumb to me as the two we could look do better on by bringing in more continental players of this type, although I wouldn't say no to Samba and Walker, given that we've taken about £40m in transfer fees and spent £10M in the same time (Ben Arfa and Cabaye). I appreciate there will have been signing on fees and the wage bill will likely have increased (although not by a great deal given that Nolan/Carroll were probably on very good money between them and there will be the likes of Barton following them).

 

I want a right-back who is very quick, of reasonable build and well capable going forward (can dribble/cross/pass a bit), while also not being a complete liability defensively and I want a beast of a central defender, who isn't a total carthorse and doesn't have the turning circle of a tank.

 

Too much to ask if we sign another attacking player as well? I hope not.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's not exactly an uncommonly heard thing that Ben Arfa is not much of a team player, and the new lad is apparently the same. I wouldn't say it was an invalid concern.

 

Bellamy and Robert was, according to many reports, not easy to handle, but they were both great on the pitch. I wouldn't give a shit if HBA and Marveaux were hard to handle off it if they are anywhere near as effective as Bellamy and Robert were on it.

 

Bellamy was the epitome of a team player, not sure of the comparison there. Robert fair enough, and yes that's good evidence that if they're talented enough it doesn't really matter. But that was just one player, a luxury. The comment from Wallace is that putting too many of these types in the team might have a negative effect. As I say, I think it's a valid concern.

 

I'm not sure where you've heard that HBA is not a team player. He's hard to handle off the pitch, which is why I compared him to Bellamy. From the reports that came out about Ben Arfa, he took too many players on and doesn't release the ball quick enough. That might be confidence, that might be arrogance, but it doesn't reflect anything about his workrate when we're defending. I don't think you can make a judgment on that until we actually see him have a proper run of games.

 

In general I think we can afford one or two lazier players who don't always track back when defending as long as we're a good team who can keep the ball. If we get pinned back and our wingers don't track the overlapping full-backs then we'll usually get fucked, but if we're dominating possession and only getting attacked on the counter by the weaker teams then it'd be rare for the opposition FBs to attack as well, which is why it won't matter that much if Marveaux/HBA are a bit lazy to track back.

Link to post
Share on other sites

When I first came on this forum five years ago people were on my case for not understanding banter and taking jokes too seriously.

 

I don't know what to think about having the opposite problem now. :lol:

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think we're getting all the free/contract loophole players in early to beat any potential competition.

 

At some point in the near future I hope the manager/whoever takes stock of what we have and then spends some money on the areas we still need to improve.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think we're getting all the free/contract loophole players in early to beat any potential competition.

 

At some point in the near future I hope the manager/whoever takes stock of what we have and then spends some money on the areas we still need to improve.

 

My take as well

 

Will be interesting to see an official £9m bid come in for Zoggy, see what our intensions are. But since many teams are still in neutral we wait while snapping up freebies who are in negotiations with other parties.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting thought, hope you're right.

 

Basically like on FM when on the first day you snap up all the good Freebies. :lol:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting thought, hope you're right.

 

Basically like on FM when on the first day you snap up all the good Freebies. :lol:

 

:lol:

 

Start Game => Choose Team => Player Search => Filter: Contract - Expired :lol:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny. Don't get your hopes up Jonny.

 

 

Ah, too late.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Right back is not our top priority.  I would reserve 15m each for 1 striker and 1 left back.  In case Enrique agrees to stay, those 15m would be used to invest in 1 more midfielder or right back.

 

I am very pleased at what's going on so far.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Right back is not our top priority.  I would reserve 15m each for 1 striker and 1 left back.  In case Enrique agrees to stay, those 15m would be used to invest in 1 more midfielder or right back.

 

I am very pleased at what's going on so far.

 

But surely if Enrique goes, his fee would more or less cover the incoming left-back? Hence, there'd be money there to get a right-back if possible. You've also not taken into account all of the other possible outgoings that could see us bringing in a good few million more/trimming money off the wages to be used on first-choice players.

 

Got to think ahead man. Also, to reserve £15m for a left-back is a ridiculous expectation of the current regime.

 

Plus, we currently only have 3 central defenders - I can see that getting addressed at some stage and I'm hoping we bring in someone capable of partnering Colo from the off/breaking into the team like Bassong did, rather than another Neil Taylor/Perch.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Right back is not our top priority.  I would reserve 15m each for 1 striker and 1 left back.  In case Enrique agrees to stay, those 15m would be used to invest in 1 more midfielder or right back.

 

I am very pleased at what's going on so far.

Pleased too but I'm reserved in my optimism about spending big sums on single players.  If we top 10m for a single player this summer I'll be shocked. 
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...