James Maddison (now playing for Tottenham Hotspur)

[Dr Venkman]

6 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

If you can get a player who'll pretty much guarantee you 20 goals/assists, you make tweaks to accommodate. 

I think some people get very rigid when considering new signings, reducing the discussion to ‘who would he replace in the first 11’ isn’t really the point. The more pertinent question when building a squad, IMO, is ‘do we have anyone else like him?’

 

I don’t think we do.

[The Prophet]

Coming into the window, I wasn't convinced he'd be a primary target, but it seems he's our top candidate for a versitile play maker. He'd be a massive asset if we pull it off.

[SUPERTOON]

Does wolves getting 47 million for Neves in the final year of his deal, up the price for Maddison ?

[GeordieDazzler]

20 minutes ago, relámpago blanco said:

How do they expect to get 50 when he has 12 months left and they've just been relegated.

He’s worth whatever someone is willing to pay for him. 
 

1 minute ago, SUPERTOON said:

Does wolves getting 47 million for Neves in the final year of his deal, up the price for Maddison ?

I don’t think so but it really helps Wolves FFP concerns. They were never getting that sort of Wedge off Barca.  

[Cronky]

I think the formation issue arises because it's easier to see him fitting into a 4-4-2, either as the most advanced player in a midfield diamond, or as a more withdrawn forward, with a free role. That's not how Eddie has been setting things up.  Basically, he looks like a player that would do better down the centre, than out wide.

 

I wouldn't question his defensive contribution quite so much. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with his work rate or his attitude to doing the dirty work - tackling just isn't a strength, but at least he's prepared to get in the way. ASM's defensive contribution seems unreliable to me. Sometimes it looks very half-hearted.

 

Overall though, I'd definitely take a punt, because his passing and his touch on the ball is so good. We need someone who can operate in tight spaces and find attacking players who are closely marked. I'd trust Eddie to sort the other roles within the team accordingly.

[Kanj]

He’s comfortably effective as a 10 and a winger. He’s got more than enough intelligence to learn how to be an effective 8 in Eddie’s system. Any talk that he’s not a priority is fucking bonkers. Any talk that he doesn’t have the physicality etc is also bonkers too. He’s one of the top attacking mids in English football and 4-5 years of stats back that up. He was our #1 choice last summer and I’m sure he’s 1a or 1b with Dom. 

[Andy84]

21 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Does wolves getting 47 million for Neves in the final year of his deal, up the price for Maddison ?

Could lower it, at least put a 4 on front of the number rather than a 5 or 6

[Kanj]

Anomaly that is Saudi pricing 

[Solitude20]

3 hours ago, Kanji said:

If Maddison signs I’m guessing he’s first choice winger for now. 

I am not sure about calling him a winger tbh. A wide midfielder is different than a winger. They both play close to the touch line, and on paper they occupy similar spaces, but they influence the game differently. A wide midfielder relies on passes and creativity to create chances for the team, while a winger relies on explosiveness and dribbling skills to create for the team. 
 

Look at the last England team, Maddison and Saka had different roles and they influenced the game in different ways even they they both played close to each touch line. It was Saka who performed the winger role, and Maddison played a playmaker/attacking midfielder role that happened to be close to the touch line. 
 

I believe we really need someone who is explosive and pacy, someone who can get past defenders multiple times per game and make use of the empty spaces at the flanks when we are stuck in a game, and this isn’t Maddison tbh. We can get Maddison as a central playmaker though, that’s for sure.
 

In last season, we were toothless and ineffective in many games where we were playing against teams that defend in a low block. We were just passing the ball around and then just crossing into the box. It was only when ASM came in the last few minutes that we suddenly became more dangerous. It was him who unlocked their defenses by attacking the spaces at the flanks. For a winger, I’d rather if we sign the Diaby type than someone like Maddison, as we really missed that last season. 
 

 

[SUPERTOON]

14 minutes ago, Kanji said:

Anomaly that is Saudi pricing 

We are owned by them though 

[Kanj]

We are?

[The Prophet]

The Saudi clubs going nuts are owned by PIF.

[NWMag]

Saudi league has no ffp 

[Danh1]

10 minutes ago, NWMag said:

Saudi league has no ffp 

Wonder if UEFA and co will review FFP when they see that there are top players in their prime moving to a league which has next to no pedigree. 

[NWMag]

19 minutes ago, Danh1 said:

Wonder if UEFA and co will review FFP when they see that there are top players in their prime moving to a league which has next to no pedigree. 

Hopefully. PIF playing 4d chess 

[Whitley mag]

24 minutes ago, Danh1 said:

Wonder if UEFA and co will review FFP when they see that there are top players in their prime moving to a league which has next to no pedigree. 

Unfortunately it’ll just be like the Chinese league and players taking a last pension fund, the big clubs will be rubbing their hands at the chance to get rid of big earners near the end of their contract.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by Whitley mag

[NWMag]

10 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Unfortunately it’ll just be like the Chinese league and players taking a last pension fund, the big clubs will be rubbing their hands at the chance to get rid of big earners near the end of their contract.

 

 

 

Ruben neves is in his prime though, could be the first of many 

[Whitley mag]

Just now, NWMag said:

Ruben neves is in his prime though, could be the first of many 

First one that is be interesting to see if many more follow suit.

[Begbie]

55 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

The Saudi clubs going nuts are owned by PIF.

Lets hope they can loan players to us for cheap

[Abacus]

I read a suggestion that the Saudi clubs might buy players in their prime from our direct rivals to weaken them.

 

Seems a pretty far-fetched idea to me, but for anyone that enjoys a good tinfoil hat theory, you can have that one for free.

[nufc123]

1 minute ago, Abacus said:

I read a suggestion that the Saudi clubs might buy players in their prime from our direct rivals to weaken them.

 

Seems a pretty far-fetched idea to me, but for anyone that enjoys a good tinfoil hat theory, you can have that one for free.

If they weaken them, it will be for inflated money wich the top clubs will benefit from so I dont see the logic.

[Jaqen]

6 hours ago, Interpolic said:

Leicester finished 9th, 5th, 5th, 8th in Maddison's first 4 seasons at Leicester (and won an FA Cup) - to ignore that and put their relegation last season at his and Barnes' door is about as reductive as disregarding Howe's record at Bournemouth other than the relegation season at the end. 

 

There were lots of things fundamentally wrong at Leicester last season - well publicised financial issues last summer, Rodgers' methods can eventually stop working as we've seen before, the managerial change was left quite late and was lacklustre, and there was a real imbalance in the squad with lack of nous and leadership towards the end. 

 

Maddison has been a standout PL performer for many years now and I personally don't count last season as much of a black mark against him, if at all. Would be delighted if we signed him, and trust Howe would have no issues fitting him in. 

 

 

 

 

Even as bad as they were last season they had attacking numbers for a top half finish still. Their CMs turning to shite and a defence and keeper that looked like they were on the take all year is the main reason they went down. If Maddison and Barnes were such defensive liabilities they wouldn't had all the success they had with them in other seasons like you mentioned. Maddison would be a brilliant signing and someone who'd turn a fair few of those draws last season's into wins imo. 

[Abacus]

8 minutes ago, nufc123 said:

If they weaken them, it will be for inflated money wich the top clubs will benefit from so I dont see the logic.

Me either, tbh. It was a bit of a daft suggestion by a columnist who was talking about how the Saudi league could distort the game.

 

The logic being they would entice players on vastly inflated wages which then wouldn't directly benefit the selling club - the likes of Gundogan was mentioned. No, I can't see it making much sense either.

 

As for Maddison, I'm at the point where I could take him or leave him. A very good player, but I think we have plenty of options if he goes elsewhere.

[Deuce]

we sign this fucko yet

[LFEE]

7 hours ago, Interpolic said:

Leicester finished 9th, 5th, 5th, 8th in Maddison's first 4 seasons at Leicester (and won an FA Cup) - to ignore that and put their relegation last season at his and Barnes' door is about as reductive as disregarding Howe's record at Bournemouth other than the relegation season at the end. 

 

There were lots of things fundamentally wrong at Leicester last season - well publicised financial issues last summer, Rodgers' methods can eventually stop working as we've seen before, the managerial change was left quite late and was lacklustre, and there was a real imbalance in the squad with lack of nous and leadership towards the end. 

 

Maddison has been a standout PL performer for many years now and I personally don't count last season as much of a black mark against him, if at all. Would be delighted if we signed him, and trust Howe would have no issues fitting him in. 

 

 

 

We finished 4th and a cup final without them and they’ve been playing in a consistently better team yet best they got was 5th so does that not say something about the players we already have here ?

 

You can always argue stuff like that both ways and I’m certainly not putting their relegation solely at their door but there’s got to be questions asked of them as they were part of the collective. Lot of Leicester fans were mention on here questioning him and his attitude for parts of the season. You can’t say they were completely blameless. They might of been successful going one way as per stats show but what about the other way which is needed the way we play.

 

He will have more chance of standing out if he takes all the FKs. Penalties and set pieces. If he came here he’d quite likely be off all 3. Possibly the odd FK and corner. Look at the difference of Bruno Fernandez either side of Ronaldo signing and leaving to see my point. If we assume so then we are left focusing on the rest of his game. He’d bring some more potency from long range possibly and has an eye for a pass. So possibly a more mobile Shelvey ?

 

It’s going to be a fascinating watch either way. I just wonder however us getting ECL so quickly has worked against us wanting to sign him more than him now wanting to the move. So despite not qualifying Spurs are still in with a very good shout of signing him.

 

If he’s coming as a 3rd quality midfielder addition and happy to play squad rotation then fair enough but I think he’s at an age he will be expecting to start every game. This and the talk is we are only going to make two quality midfield signings is what is making me think and I guess hope we look elsewhere if having to be smart with our money. That and I think Gordon and even Willock will play at times more centrally than they have previously.

 

Anyway if he’s picked next game I might force myself to watch England and see if I can warm to him as a player a bit more. Not seen him do much previously in an England shirt but I’m guessing that’s down to him not getting much of a look in then unfortunately timed injuries at the World Cup.