More transfer rumours

[STM]

49 minutes ago, JonBez comesock said:

I don’t get the (black) reference?

 

unless it’s your attempt at humour or racism ?

I think he's trying to imply that because I compared CHO to Atsu and Gordon to Milner, that I'm somehow a racist.

 

Which is funny because nobody else seemingly thought that and by pointing it out has actually looked racist himself.

[The Prophet]

7 minutes ago, jack j said:

 

The diaby links seem to be the new Ekitike "saga" daily stories on it now. Hopefully it ends better

 

Still nothing concrete mind, other than we're interested.

[JP]

Be interesting to hear from Eddie after the Gateshead friendly on Saturday. Wonder if he goes down the 'spinning plates' way that Bruce used to every transfer window 

 

The relief of knowing Ashley/Charnley/Bruce are no longer associated with our football club!

[The Prophet]

Is Clark off then?

[KaKa]

38 minutes ago, Mazzy said:

Hudson-Odoi would be a no from me.  Only got into that Chelsea team because Lampard couldn't buy anyone else and once they could he barely played. He's not a top half Premier League level player. 

 

Shockingly bad take on Hudson-Odoi, and incredibly poor reasoning for writing him off as a top half player at 21 years old. There's no way you've actually watched him play.

[Andybiotics]

Just now, KaKa said:

 

Shockingly bad take on Hudson-Odoi, and incredibly poor reasoning for writing him off as a top half player at 21 years old. There's no way you've actually watched him play.

Not that long ago Chelsea were knocking back bids from Bayern for him.

[Away Toon]

Unless we buy a top class midfielder, preferably defensive minded and mobile we'll continue to struggle to control games and keep possession. When was the last time we averaged 50% in a season?

[Dr Jinx]

It will be more straight forward to deal with the Germans.. they’ll have a price and probably some wiggle room, if they were totally set on keeping him we’d have already gotten a no.

 

Think this will happen. But maybe after the friendlies have started.

[et tu brute]

7 minutes ago, Away Toon said:

Unless we buy a top class midfielder, preferably defensive minded and mobile we'll continue to struggle to control games and keep possession. When was the last time we averaged 50% in a season?

Shhh don't mention that 

[Mikky]

2 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

It will be more straight forward to deal with the Germans.. they’ll have a price and probably some wiggle room, if they were totally set on keeping him we’d have already gotten a no.

 

Think this will happen. But maybe after the friendlies have started.

don’t know what it is but German to German transfers always seem real good value - for example say Bayern wanted Diaby - they could probs get him for 40m - anyone abroad is charged higher 

[KaKa]

6 minutes ago, Andybiotics said:

Not that long ago Chelsea were knocking back bids from Bayern for him.

 

The money in the game in this country has made people and clubs very lazy when looking at younger players.

 

One of my favourite things about Howe is that he has always looked closely at younger players with talent not getting an opportunity in this country. I think it's a huge area that can be exploited especially with the so called top six clubs that let so many talents go way too early.

 

The German clubs started taking advantage of it, and both AC Milan and Roma benefitted from it last season now too. We have to keep a close eye on these sorts of players too.

 

I'm sure if we had been taken over a year earlier and the club had gone for Tomori and Abraham there would have been people on here bitching. To buy those two now you would need to spend over £100 million.

[McCormick]

Speaking on young players; I think a few of us are writing off Willock a bit too soon as well. I get that his passing has been a bit shaky but the guy is still 21 and had just made a big move up from London, had no preseason and by all accounts was dealing with some injuries.
 

Despite that he still played well enough to keep Bruno out of the team for a bit and we achieved a lot of great results with him starting. This could be his season, hopefully.

[Kanji]

I'd honestly love to see Willock considered for a wide right role too if we needed him to be a wide forward to press and make runs into the box. 

[KaKa]

16 minutes ago, McCormick said:

Speaking on young players; I think a few of us are writing off Willock a bit too soon as well. I get that his passing has been a bit shaky but the guy is still 21 and had just made a big move up from London, had no preseason and by all accounts was dealing with some injuries.
 

Despite that he still played well enough to keep Bruno out of the team for a bit and we achieved a lot of great results with him starting. This could be his season, hopefully.

 

I think Willock under Howe will eventually become a main player in the team. Probably won't start this season, but he's going to play a lot and eventually he'll break into the team. Still just 22 years old and so time is on his side.

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, JP said:

 

Skin colour has nothing to do with any reaction?

 

How many white players get compared to Christian Atsu?

 

Players of African heritage are most often compared to other players of African heritage. Much like we compare Frenchmen to Frenchmen. It's lazy though.

 

The Atsu comparison is 100% lazy and wouldn't be said if CHO was a white Scandinavian with the exact same skillset. 

[LionOfGosforth]

17 minutes ago, TotalWar said:

I find myself regularly thinking that Ikon is the best poster on this forum.

 

Ikon makes a lot of sense and we clearly have both ends of the spectrum in here

[Coffee_Johnny]

2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

How many white players get compared to Christian Atsu?

 

Players of African heritage are most often compared to other players of African heritage. Much like we compare Frenchmen to Frenchmen. It's lazy though.

 

The Atsu comparison is 100% lazy and wouldn't be said if CHO was a white Scandinavian with the exact same skillset. 

Have to say I didn’t read it like that at all. Thought the comparison of players nailed what I was thinking. And I am pretty sure it didn’t involve any casual racism. Just like a Kante is like (a better) Batty would have also been a good comparison. 

[TRon]

29 minutes ago, McCormick said:

Speaking on young players; I think a few of us are writing off Willock a bit too soon as well. I get that his passing has been a bit shaky but the guy is still 21 and had just made a big move up from London, had no preseason and by all accounts was dealing with some injuries.
 

Despite that he still played well enough to keep Bruno out of the team for a bit and we achieved a lot of great results with him starting. This could be his season, hopefully.

 

Yeah, Willock is a talented young player with a lot of good qualities. That period you are talking about he was pressing really well and driving forward at defenses causing a lot of problems. He can be a bit sloppy in possession, but as you said, he's still only 21.

 

Some posters were trying to make a case for Almiron staying as an impact sub - I would say Willock is a squad player who could actually make an impact as opposed to just running around and generally being a good lad.

[TheBrownBottle]

1 minute ago, TRon said:

 

Yeah, Willock is a talented young player with a lot of good qualities. That period you are talking about he was pressing really well and driving forward at defenses causing a lot of problems. He can be a bit sloppy in possession, but as you said, he's still only 21.

 

Some posters were trying to make a case for Almiron staying as an impact sub - I would say Willock is a squad player who could actually make an impact as opposed to just running around and generally being a good lad.

I still think there is a good player in Willock, and I'm confident that if anyone is going to coach the lad to becoming the best he can be, then Howe is that coach.

 

Not sure if he'll make the full journey with us, but it would be nice if he did.

[Kid Icarus]

The same daft point has been being made on here for years. It used to be about calling any black player a 'beast' but it seems to have moved onto anyone having the audacity to compare players who also have the same skin colour or nationality. It's lazier than the comparisons it's aimed at criticising. 

[TRon]

5 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

I still think there is a good player in Willock, and I'm confident that if anyone is going to coach the lad to becoming the best he can be, then Howe is that coach.

 

Not sure if he'll make the full journey with us, but it would be nice if he did.

 

He didn't even have a good season last time round, you would normally expect to see a few more goals. I suppose you could say it was due since he probably over-achieved in the six month loan period in the previous season, but generally he is going to get goals, he just makes too many good runs to not get them.

 

Even if he doesn't make the full journey, he will still have been a good investment IMO. He'll be a good player for a mid-table PL side even if he isn't cut out to be with the very best.

[Kanji]

41 minutes ago, TotalWar said:

I find myself regularly thinking that Ikon is the best poster on this forum.

 

@Ikon nailed it in that post. We will not be controlling games against the top 7-8 sides if we have a midfield of Bruno/Shelvey/Joelinton or Bruno/Willock/Joelinton. Bruno is the only one of the group who can retain the ball, calmly pass it, find space and keep things ticking. Shelvey is technically brilliant at spraying the long passes, Joelinton is a destroyer and carrier of the ball, and Willock is a carrier and counter attacker. Getting a Paqueta allows us to control matches when he's on the pitch. 

[Ikon]

46 minutes ago, TotalWar said:

I find myself regularly thinking that Ikon is the best poster on this forum.

You should meet the cunt in real life! (Cheers) 

[et tu brute]

2 minutes ago, Kanji said:

 

@Ikon nailed it in that post. We will not be controlling games against the top 7-8 sides if we have a midfield of Bruno/Shelvey/Joelinton or Bruno/Willock/Joelinton. Bruno is the only one of the group who can retain the ball, calmly pass it, find space and keep things ticking. Shelvey is technically brilliant at spraying the long passes, Joelinton is a destroyer and carrier of the ball, and Willock is a carrier and counter attacker. Getting a Paqueta allows us to control matches when he's on the pitch. 

I've been saying it for weeks that a quality CM is an absolute must if we really want to make the move forward. Not next window or the one after, we need one in place this window. The current midfield we have now are not going to control games. 

[Kanji]

4 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

I've been saying it for weeks that a quality CM is an absolute must if we really want to make the move forward. Not next window or the one after, we need one in place this window. The current midfield we have now are not going to control games. 

 

100%

 

Equally as important as wide forward/winger IMO. And No, i don't think a defensive midfielder that pushes Bruno is the answer unless it's a clone of Rodri and someone who's as much a passer as is a shield for the defensive unit. I think Bruno is best served as the central deep playmaker, Joelinton/Willock as the box to box #8 with Joelinton the better tackler and Willock likely the better ball carrier (used situationally) and the other midfielder needs to be an attacking mid who's creative and able to unlock in the attacking 3rd via carrying the ball, passing, or scoring goals.