James Maddison (now playing for Tottenham Hotspur)

[snakzz]

1 hour ago, JP said:

The 'richest of the rich' Man City have just walked away from Cucurella because they don't think he's worth 50mil and wouldn't go above their bid of 40m. The two elite clubs in the country, City and Liverpool, both operate like this. If our recruitment don't value Maddison at 60m then so be it, us fans need to learn to accept that our owners will do this. Yet they are still taking us in absolutely the right direction.

 

Because they are not so desperate for that position as we are....

They have decent cover, we have not.

 

Like comparing apples and oranges.

[snakzz]

48 minutes ago, Rich said:

We have to be aiming for 7th or 8th as a club, surely? Too many of the players have talked about qualifying for Europe for that not to be the target, even Howe almost let it slip in one interview.

 

I think 10th is the absolute minimum based on last season. We’ve got a full season with Howe and the January signings, that’s going to make more of a difference to us than signing Maddison will.

 

5th sounds crackers, though, even if stranger things have happened. The top few teams just look far too strong.

 

You think our squaq right now is good enough for 7th or 8th?

 

I think what we have noe is an 9-10th squad.

[Rich]

14 minutes ago, snakzz said:

 

You think our squaq right now is good enough for 7th or 8th?

 

I think what we have noe is an 9-10th squad.

 

Aye, but you can barely type.

[bigfella]

45 minutes ago, sushimonster85 said:

 

I'm Paqueta

 

I'm Paqueta and so is my wife.

[prefabtoon]

Super computer says we finish 13th this season cant argue with that.

[Coffee_Johnny]

30 minutes ago, Conjo said:

Using Brunos alleged need for instant success (which he himself has disputed) as an argument for paying more than the club is prepared to do for players is one of the most boring arguments I read on here.

Think it is just worry based rather than boring. I get the anxiety. Can’t recall the last player I would have been so upset to lose; particularly if it was through lack of ambition. 

[thomas]

7 minutes ago, bigfella said:

 

I'm Paqueta and so is my wife.

The man bursts into tears. "But doctor", he says, "I am Paqueta."

[Coffee_Johnny]

6 minutes ago, prefabtoon said:

Super computer says we finish 13th this season cant argue with that.

Given:

we banged out a ridiculously good 19 games, which gave us the third highest points accrued in that half season;

we have improved the squad;

Howe and team know the team better and have had a preseason; 

the established system and style of play preseason;

and my belief that we will add at least two forward players this month. 
Even taking into account other teams improvement, I think 5-8th is achievable. 

[sushimonster85]

I imagine the fivethirtyeight supercomputer didn't really know what to do with us this year, given we spent the first half of last season as the worst team in the league, and the second half as one of the best. 

[ponsaelius]

I learned during last season that fivethirtyeight is basically garbage and that bookies odds are actually more accurate.

[gazza ladra]

1 minute ago, ponsaelius said:

I learned during last season that fivethirtyeight is basically garbage and that bookies odds are actually more accurate.

 

[Shearergol]

54 minutes ago, snakzz said:

 

You think our squaq right now is good enough for 7th or 8th?

 

I think what we have noe is an 9-10th squad.

 

So really only 1 place difference. How many points do you think that is?

[Yorkie]

If we sign Maddison and Wilson stays fit then we should definitely be in 6th place's orbit, imo.

 

7th-13th should be very competitive next season with us, West Ham, Villa and Southampton all having a serious bash at recruitment; Leicester, Wolves and Brighton haven't added anything but they're well-run and ambitious clubs and you'd expect them to be competing again. But I definitely fancy us over the latter three in-particular.

 

Jury's out on Palace and Leeds imo; Brentford too, to an extent, who've lost probably their best player and might face the existential crisis that new PL teams often do. You could easily see any of them three struggling. 

 

Everton will do nothing under Lampard and I'd expect to see them down there with the promoted clubs; of them, Fulham being the ones I expect to buck the trend and have a decent season. Surely Mitrovic is going to offer something this time?

[Beth]

9 hours ago, Pata said:

Maddison could easily play for Man City or Liverpool in a main role.

 

 

 

Nah, I think he'd get rotated in for maybe 15 league starts against the weaker teams and/or after midweek european games. Just look at Grealish last season for instance.

[Flip]

9 hours ago, Pata said:

Maddison could easily play for Man City or Liverpool in a main role.

 

 

 

 

I really really like Maddison and wouldn't mind us bidding £60m for him (not my money hey) but I don't agree. Where and who would he displace in each of those sides if they're playing the same formation and tactics as of today? 

[JP]

1 hour ago, snakzz said:

Because they are not so desperate for that position as we are....

They have decent cover, we have not.

 

Like comparing apples and oranges.

 

They had no striker last summer and chose to go without for a season and wait for Haaland rather than sign Ronaldo because the figures didn't meet.

 

Also what decent cover do they have now Zinchenko has gone to Arsenal?

 

Cancelo will start at left back but behind that there's Ake/Laporte but they're primarily centre backs. They're in the market for a left back but they didn't value Cucurella at 50m. We're in the market for attacking players but maybe don't value Maddison at 60m.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by JP

[Beth]

7 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

Surely Mitrovic is going to offer something this time?

Fourth time lucky?

[snakzz]

53 minutes ago, Rich said:

 

Aye, but you can barely type.

True, goes to fast on the cell sometimes. 
 

But thats optimistic with our current squad I think. With the squad we have atm before more incommings I think the aim should be top 10. 

 

Lets see how this goes ?

[snakzz]

37 minutes ago, ponsaelius said:

I learned during last season that fivethirtyeight is basically garbage and that bookies odds are actually more accurate.

What does the bookies odds say then?

[black_n_white]

For me if this deal is still doable we’ve got to make it happen, having Bruno and Maddison in the midfield would be unreal.

[Kid Icarus]

fivethirtyeight and Nate Silver are perhaps the world's biggest stat nonces and regardless of what they might tell you about the algorithm, are essentially only giving you probability based on the existing conditions.

[sushimonster85]

17 minutes ago, snakzz said:

What does the bookies odds say then?

 

Feel like the betting market it almost too optimistic. Most bookies I have checked have us at 7th. Essentially winning the 'without the top 6' market. 

[Pata]

24 minutes ago, Flip said:

 

I really really like Maddison and wouldn't mind us bidding £60m for him (not my money hey) but I don't agree. Where and who would he displace in each of those sides if they're playing the same formation and tactics as of today? 

I was responding to Dr Jinx’s post that said Maddison wouldn’t be that good signing for where we want to go. Wasn’t thinking about the fit or who he would replace, just that he’s good enough to play for them.

 

He doesn’t really fit Liverpool’s formation but imo would be great option for Man City. Teams play so deep against them that his shooting and crossing would be a real threat and he’s a really good passer too.

[LV]

1 hour ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Given:

we banged out a ridiculously good 19 games, which gave us the third highest points accrued in that half season;

we have improved the squad;

Howe and team know the team better and have had a preseason; 

the established system and style of play preseason;

and my belief that we will add at least two forward players this month. 
Even taking into account other teams improvement, I think 5-8th is achievable. 

The other teams have improved their squads too and we can’t expect to produce the same overachievement unless we are operating an in environment where we are facing exactly the same circumstances/ fixtures etc that we did back then.

 

It’s a whole new environment. 
 

I’d love it if we achieved 5th, love it! But I can’t see it without quite a few more top quality additions. 
 

Then again, who actually knows! 

[Scoot]

Probably lock this one now...