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  On 07/04/2024 at 08:39, Ikon said:

We need this and that, here and there. BUT imho our top priority should be in getting the absolute fucking best CM out there that is possible to sign. Get THAt in to play with Bruno and Tonali. Own the midfield and so so much is won both defensively and offensively over a season. Technical ability to control games will do wonders. We play 3 midfielders so we need better quality and depth. Personally I don’t care what happens with the rest of our midfielders. I love Big Joe, don’t get me wrong. But if we can’t extend his contract and we have the possibility to get good money for him then it’s not the end of the world if we sell him and get another CM in. Hopefully he stays though. I genuinely don’t care if we keep or sell any of the other midfielders as I personally don’t rate them as they lack in vital attributes for what I want in a midfielder. Yes, we obviously need to strengthen RW and the defence and somehow get another striker in, but midfield is key imo along with a top top class CB and RW. Ideally I’d love a keeper but I guess that will have to wait. 

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Who would be the perfect third midfielder to play at LCM with Bruno and Tonali in our 4-3-3?

 

You're not allowed change to a 4-2-3-1, gotta be in the system we've seen that Eddie wants to play.

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  On 07/04/2024 at 08:59, Shak said:

Who would be the perfect third midfielder to play at LCM with Bruno and Tonali in our 4-3-3?

 

You're not allowed change to a 4-2-3-1, gotta be in the system we've seen that Eddie wants to play.

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I don't see that Eddie is wedded to that system. I think we wanted to transition to 4231 type style this season but injuries and a suspension stopped it. I don't buy that Tonali was merely a Longstaff like for like positionally upgrade.

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  On 07/04/2024 at 09:15, Yorkie said:

Joelinton :lol:

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Well, imo we need more than 3 quality CM’s. Injuries or suspensions “might” happen in football. Also, improving the technical ability in midfield wouldn’t be too stupid I think. We don’t exactly excel in controlling possession or creativity either.

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  On 07/04/2024 at 09:23, madras said:

I don't see that Eddie is wedded to that system. I think we wanted to transition to 4231 type style this season but injuries and a suspension stopped it. I don't buy that Tonali was merely a Longstaff like for like positionally upgrade.

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Merely is doing a lot of work there. 

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  On 07/04/2024 at 09:15, Yorkie said:

Joelinton :lol:

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I think he's a good fit, no doubt.

 

Reckon you wouldn't want someone with a bit more quality on the ball though?

 

Think between Bruno and Tonali we'd have enough bite that we could afford to sacrifice a bit of the presence Joelinton brings for someone who can affect the game a bit more in the final third?

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  On 07/04/2024 at 09:23, madras said:

I don't see that Eddie is wedded to that system. I think we wanted to transition to 4231 type style this season but injuries and a suspension stopped it. I don't buy that Tonali was merely a Longstaff like for like positionally upgrade.

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It's a possibility of course but I just don't see any evidence of that being Eddie's long term plan.

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An additional top-class CM would be immense, agreed. Bruno, Sandro + another, then bring Big Jo on to smash people up a bit in games we're struggling to control the centre. Or just have a bit of rotation in there, especially vital if we manage to snag any kind of Europe.

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  On 07/04/2024 at 09:37, Shak said:

 

It's a possibility of course but I just don't see any evidence of that being Eddie's long term plan.

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Last season he said we needed to be more possession based and the purchase of Tonali who's played his best at the highest level in a 2.

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I promised myself I wouldn't become emotionally attached to a player after James Perch. So, if this guy does leave for Man City or Real Madrid, I'll be fine. 

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  On 07/04/2024 at 10:06, madras said:

Last season he said we needed to be more possession based and the purchase of Tonali who's played his best at the highest level in a 2.

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Don't recall there being any suggestion in summer that we were heading towards that system, in fact I recall quite a lot of talk about how Eddie wanted three CMs that were all capable of interchanging with each other and having rounded skillets. Was also quite a bit of talk about how they'd cooled on Maddison as a target as they weren't sure he was a good fit for the system. That may have been PR after it was made known to them that Maddison preferred a move to Spurs, but it's not like we've been linked with many players that fit the bill of being a #10.

 

There's also the fact that when more or less everyone was fit at the start of the season we played 4-3-3.

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  On 07/04/2024 at 10:21, Shak said:

 

Don't recall there being any suggestion in summer that we were heading towards that system, in fact I recall quite a lot of talk about how Eddie wanted three CMs that were all capable of interchanging with each other and having rounded skillets. Was also quite a bit of talk about how they'd cooled on Maddison as a target as they weren't sure he was a good fit for the system. That may have been PR after it was made known to them that Maddison preferred a move to Spurs, but it's not like we've been linked with many players that fit the bill of being a #10.

 

There's also the fact that when more or less everyone was fit at the start of the season we played 4-3-3.

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Tonali didn't have any time to really integrate (and when Bruno came in he played to the right of Shelvey to bed him in) so it made sense to get him up to speed, used to the Prem. also there was talk recently that Ashworth blocked any move for Madison as he saw Anderson there.

 

Hopefully we get to find out next season.

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  On 07/04/2024 at 10:09, OCK said:

I promised myself I wouldn't become emotionally attached to a player after James Perch. So, if this guy does leave for Man City or Real Madrid, I'll be fine. 

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Hope he doesn’t go to anyone else in the Prem, that would be too cruel :undecided:

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  On 07/04/2024 at 09:23, madras said:

I don't see that Eddie is wedded to that system. I think we wanted to transition to 4231 type style this season but injuries and a suspension stopped it. I don't buy that Tonali was merely a Longstaff like for like positionally upgrade.

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In the past, he's used 4-4-1-1 a fair bit too.

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What's the opinion on giving him the captaincy?

 

It would go against everything Howe has done previously with the leadership group of Burn, Trippier, Lascelles, Wilson and Ritchie. But he's quite clearly the heart and soul of the team but may cause some friction which we've avoided so far within the group

 

Would be harsh on Trippier too but if we're building a team around anyone it has to be Bruno (or Isak who isn't really captain material yet imo)

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  On 07/04/2024 at 11:11, joeyt said:

What's the opinion on giving him the captaincy?

 

It would go against everything Howe has done previously with the leadership group of Burn, Trippier, Lascelles, Wilson and Ritchie. But he's quite clearly the heart and soul of the team but may cause some friction which we've avoided so far within the group

 

Would be harsh on Trippier too but if we're building a team around anyone it has to be Bruno (or Isak who isn't really captain material yet imo)

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We don’t really have a captain these days, it’s more of a leadership group which he should be sort of this point. 

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  On 07/04/2024 at 08:59, Shak said:

Who would be the perfect third midfielder to play at LCM with Bruno and Tonali in our 4-3-3?

 

You're not allowed change to a 4-2-3-1, gotta be in the system we've seen that Eddie wants to play.

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Obviously he needs a lot more development but in terms of profile Miley is the right kind of player to play with those two imo. Let Bruno and Tonali do the bulk of the defensive work and Miley is there to play the final pass in more of a Maddison role.

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I would prefer to move Bruno further up the pitch and get a defensive midfielder "a la Rice" who can also play good progressive football. A right midfielder, centre back and striker would hopefully push us up into top six/champs league contention.

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