bowlingcrofty Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Lingard on a two year contract with the option of a third would be fine. I think he’d be a good signing for the next step to become a top 10 side, and then when we look to make the next step to regular European qualification it would be time to go our separate ways. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledGeordie Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, bowlingcrofty said: Lingard on a two year contract with the option of a third would be fine. I think he’d be a good signing for the next step to become a top 10 side, and then when we look to make the next step to regular European qualification it would be time to go our separate ways. Hed fit in well, mates with Trippier etc too. Falls under the tried and tested too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stottie Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Lingard provides decent cover for many different positions. Another bonus with him is that we can get him and Trippier to tap up Rashford to come on a free in summer 2023, when we should/hope to be a top half club looking to kick on and threaten the top 4. Pogba's walking and PEA just bought out his contract. The times they are a changing. In the meantime, if he was half up for it before we won six games out of eight, I'd be tempted to go back for Ekitike. Lingard costs nowt, Ekitike whatever, and spend the rest on replacing the last of the deadwood, maybe a CH like Botman if the funds are available. I wouldn't spend big on a DM unless the idea is to change formation. The three is working well and we've not really seen it in a match where we are playing through Trippier and Targett to a Ekitike/Wilson/Lingard/ASM level front line. I think that would get us solidly Top 8. If we do get there, that'll be where difficult decisions and big signings would have to be made to take the next step up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happinesstan Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I'd take Lingard, I've always liked him though. Maybe because I am unaware of his online presence, I don't know. He can play anywhere in attacking midfield and would be a great player to have available. Him and a top quality RW would be a good start. Follow that up with a top forward and we're improved no end. I'm petty happy with our defence, if we can be more effective in attack. I'm sure if we'd managed to score against Everton we would have maintained our composure and not conceded late on. We definitely need better cover/competition, all across the back four. But our first team weaknesses are in attack. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 (edited) It annoys me far too much that people would turn their noses up at Lingard. I don't think anyone is suggesting that Lingard is going to fire us to the PL title but having extra quality in the squad might prevent us from having to look at Almiron or Murphy from the bench. OK, if we were having to pay a big fee we could probably look elsewhere for value for money but adding this guy for peanuts would be a no brainer for me. He's also incredibly versatile, he could play right, left or centre comfortably. Edited March 20, 2022 by STM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Fraser, ASM, Lingard and a potential signing like Raphinha from Leeds would make us look strong on the wings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
r0cafella Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 15 minutes ago, STM said: It annoys me far too much that people would turn their noses up at Lingard. I don't think anyone is suggesting that Lingard is going to fire us to the PL title but having extra quality in the squad might prevent us from having to look at Almiron or Murphy from the bench. OK, if we were having to pay a big fee we could probably look elsewhere for value for money but adding this guy for peanuts would be a no brainer for me. He's also incredibly versatile, he could play right, left or centre comfortably. I think the conversation is more nuanced than turning our noses up. We should look for someone younger with a higher ceiling than Lingard. Lingard is of course better than Almiron and Murphy and possibly Fraser however would he be motivated? Would he be worth paying over 100k per week for? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 4 hours ago, ExiledGeordie said: I defo definitely think we’ll spent up towards 150m but defo over 100m. A new striker is going to cost a fair chunk of that for starters and we’ll need quality in midfield. I hope we bring in a number 10 type player to play at the head of midfield. Not a fan of the #10 atm. Especially with a back 4 in a 4231. If we get a Raphinha style wide player, we don’t need a 10. I think Arsenal have the best 10 in the league and they still struggle for goals. I think often a 10 accompanies a stodgy midfield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxst Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said: Not a fan of the #10 atm. Especially with a back 4 in a 4231. If we get a Raphinha style wide player, we don’t need a 10. I think Arsenal have the best 10 in the league and they still struggle for goals. I think often a 10 accompanies a stodgy midfield. I’m not the most tactically minded of folk, but isn’t the #10 the middle player of that forward 3? Going with a 4231, it seems a natural fit to have a playmaker type there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stifler Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I’d take him as he would be better than other options we have on our bench and if played RW, he would be our best option on that side of the pitch. I wouldn’t want us to spend a fortune on his wages though, when we could get a better player instead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 (edited) 10s were classically the player that played behind the forward in European football (AMC in FM). The likes of Baggio, Hagi, Juan Roman Riquelme, etc. and to a lesser extent Messi. Players given a free role to create with the rest of the team taking up the tactical side of the game defensively. They faded out of popularity as tactical awareness grew and the role of the #4 changing into a defensive midfield role countered their influence (which resulted in the wide roles becoming dominate) - football always in a cycle. Edited March 20, 2022 by OCK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Yeah the idea of a "10" has changed. I always knew a 10 as Bergkamp/Gudjohnsen/Rooney type. A striker but a one who often played with his back to goal or saw their game as creative. At some point it changed to a midfielder who plays in an advanced creative player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 1 hour ago, Manxst said: I’m not the most tactically minded of folk, but isn’t the #10 the middle player of that forward 3? Going with a 4231, it seems a natural fit to have a playmaker type there? Yes but I’m not a massive fan of that formation. The best team that play it in the PL are Arsenal and I think they’re a rigid and stodgy side. But that Odegaard & Saka combo is legitimately elite. Before them Man Utd used it well under Olebut they were super reliant on Bruno and a bit of magic. I think it’s a luxury position that places too much emphasis on that player. I look at the best managers in the league and they don’t play with a sole 10 in a 4-2-3-1. Chelsea and Liverpool get creativity from wide and pressing. Liverpool have gotten more football ability from the 3 midfielders when that doesn’t work. Chelsea have 2 creators with a forward. City play with 7 creators. that’s why I’m so keen on Raphinha. He’s a genuine creator. He has the stats of one. But he plays wide. He might actually be a natural 10 he’s just got the stamina and pace to play wide. If we get Raph and a 10 - the 10 is just going to get in Raph’s way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 47 minutes ago, STM said: Yeah the idea of a "10" has changed. I always knew a 10 as Bergkamp/Gudjohnsen/Rooney type. A striker but a one who often played with his back to goal or saw their game as creative. At some point it changed to a midfielder who plays in an advanced creative player. I don’t think so. You always had your Zidane’s and Rui Costa’s. I think in England and the 442 the ‘second striker’ had more responsibility to score goals and had to hold it up in the air so were ‘strikers’. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happinesstan Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said: Yes but I’m not a massive fan of that formation. The best team that play it in the PL are Arsenal and I think they’re a rigid and stodgy side. But that Odegaard & Saka combo is legitimately elite. Before them Man Utd used it well under Olebut they were super reliant on Bruno and a bit of magic. I think it’s a luxury position that places too much emphasis on that player. I look at the best managers in the league and they don’t play with a sole 10 in a 4-2-3-1. Chelsea and Liverpool get creativity from wide and pressing. Liverpool have gotten more football ability from the 3 midfielders when that doesn’t work. Chelsea have 2 creators with a forward. City play with 7 creators. that’s why I’m so keen on Raphinha. He’s a genuine creator. He has the stats of one. But he plays wide. He might actually be a natural 10 he’s just got the stamina and pace to play wide. If we get Raph and a 10 - the 10 is just going to get in Raph’s way. If Raph is a natural 10 then we could play two 10s that can also exploit the width. Raph and Lingard, behind the striker. Backed up by a midfield trio, with natural width from the WBs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I really like this 433 and hope Eddie sticks with it. We just need better players. I suspect he will move to 4231 but for this to happen signing a quality CM to play alongside Bruno will be vital and a quality number 10 to create chances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happinesstan Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 1 minute ago, STM said: I really like this 433 and hope Eddie sticks with it. We just need better players. I suspect he will move to 4231 but for this to happen signing a quality CM to play alongside Bruno will be vital and a quality number 10 to create chances. Oh aye. But if we had two players that can play either wide or inside it gives us flexibility. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyCisse Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Not a fan of these Godfrey links, he’s looked awful for Everton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conjo Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 13 hours ago, Chicane said: We just spent £12m on the highest quality player we've signed in years That's just the initial fee. Assumed to be doubled if we stay up. Trippier is also a short term fix. Older players cost less. We're building for the future in the summer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 (edited) If we can't find a "star" striker from abroad, which I think is going to be our hardest task in the summer, I would be happy to see us go for Toney. Toney always looks an absolute nightmare to play against and has done really well goals wise in his first PL season. Edit: Hadn't realised he was 26, thought he was 24. He's still scored 11 in 24, which pretty decent going. Reckon he would get a few more with Trippiers crosses. Edited March 20, 2022 by STM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 It’s rare to find 31 year old players with that hunger and ability. If they’re available we should get them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghandis Flip-Flop Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 (edited) 6 hours ago, ExiledGeordie said: I think Lingard would be a great signing, he’d slot straight it and be a great option opposite ASM on the other side. That said if they’ve identified another younger option who can come in then great. I wouldn’t have any concerns over Lingard though, I’d be chuffed if he joined. Be a great player with experience to join as we look to push on in the next phase. What you basing that on? A 6 month loan spell at West Ham which is now a year ago? He was literally a meme for Man Utd prior to that loan spell. He went forever without providing a goal or assist for them. He is now 30 and someone that a club like ours should be avoiding, unless of course he is willing to significantly reduce his wage demands etc. Signing him in January made sense given our desperation and precarious situation, it makes absolutely no sense to continue to pursue it in the summer IMHO. Edited March 20, 2022 by Ghandis Flip-Flop Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 6 minutes ago, Ghandis Flip-Flop said: What you basing that on? A 6 month loan spell at West Ham which is now a year ago? He was literally a meme for Man Utd prior to that loan spell. He went forever without providing a goal or assist for them. He is now 30 and someone that a club like ours should be avoiding, unless of course he is willing to significantly reduce his wage demands etc. Signing him in January made sense given our desperation and precarious situation, it makes absolutely no sense to continue to pursue it in the summer IMHO. So we should stick with Murphy or Almiron? Or are you one of these people that thinks we will buy 10 new players, all of which will be class and cost a fair bit of money? You can't build a good side overnight. Every now and then you need pragmatic signings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Merse Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 It's a real pity zaha is such a London boy because I think he is really good - age and geography would probably be the main hindrance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conjo Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 15 minutes ago, Ghandis Flip-Flop said: What you basing that on? A 6 month loan spell at West Ham which is now a year ago? He was literally a meme for Man Utd prior to that loan spell. He went forever without providing a goal or assist for them. He is now 30 and someone that a club like ours should be avoiding, unless of course he is willing to significantly reduce his wage demands etc. Signing him in January made sense given our desperation and precarious situation, it makes absolutely no sense to continue to pursue it in the summer IMHO. It wasn't even a 6 month spell It was like 8 or 9 games, and he faded a lot at the end of his loan. 9 minutes ago, STM said: So we should stick with Murphy or Almiron? Or are you one of these people that thinks we will buy 10 new players, all of which will be class and cost a fair bit of money? You can't build a good side overnight. Every now and then you need pragmatic signings. We should get a young talented player in to compete with Fraser and ASM. Murphy and Almiron are ok as 4th and 5th choice unless we can move them on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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