Anthony Gordon (now playing for FC Barcelona)

[JoeyBartoon]

He looks like a really strong player, right up until he gets in and around the box. Put it this way, I feel far more confident when Barnes finds himself in those positions than when Gordon does. 65m is good money for him. 

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

 

He's better than the average winger IMO. We've seen enough shite ones here to know that if we sell him, the chances of replacing him well could be really hit or miss. Top wide men cost a fortune for a reason. 

This.  
 

Never been a massive fan. But I don’t think he will be easy to replace. We’ve shown no transfer acumen in about 3 years.  Not in a rush to move him on at all

[TRon]

5 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

This.  
 

Never been a massive fan. But I don’t think he will be easy to replace. We’ve shown no transfer acumen in about 3 years.  Not in a rush to move him on at all

 

 

Very similar to how replacing Isak was never going to be easy. Personally I think Howe's 4-3-3 is heavily reliant on having a top class forward with pace, and a great team ethic, so if Howe stays on, we are still going to have that problem next season. Genuine quality strikers of that type cost a fortune, and they are few and far between. 

[Mole]

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Both Gordon and Barnes have contributed a lot to teams that have finished in the top 8 and won cups. They aren’t bad players or below our level.  I don’t think either are world beaters but both are decent players for this level.  
 

Neither Barnes or Gordon will be easy to replace.  Theres a reason 1 is going to the World Cup for England, linked to Liverpool and Bayern and the other is in the conversation to go.  There are not loads of top class wide players floating around.  And again - we have much weaker areas of the squad to address. 

Elanga and Murphy are not good enough for this level and the priority should be improving them. We lack quality in midfield.  We lack any quality upfront. We may only have 1 fullback in August.  Like I wouldn’t want to buy a LW unless Gordon really wants to move. 

I understand what you're saying but something I've felt for a while is the bit in bold.

 

When you have limited funds due to bullshit rules I genuinely think getting the players who have the highest impact is more effective than trying to spread out funds.

 

I don't think they are bad players but for a Howe coached team where the wingers have a tonne of responsibility and have a tonne of impact on results if they perform or not I don't think they are good enough.

 

Maybe getting this standard of player isn't possible but I think trying to get decent-good players in multiple areas is hurting more than it's helping.

[LFEE]

Not paying much attention to recent developments. What’s the overall story regarding to buy out clauses etc? £100m EPL £75m EU?

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, Mole said:

I understand what you're saying but something I've felt for a while is the bit in bold.

 

When you have limited funds due to bullshit rules I genuinely think getting the players who have the highest impact is more effective than trying to spread out funds.

 

I don't think they are bad players but for a Howe coached team where the wingers have a tonne of responsibility and have a tonne of impact on results if they perform or not I don't think they are good enough.

 

Maybe getting this standard of player isn't possible but I think trying to get decent-good players in multiple areas is hurting more than it's helping.

I agree with this. But where we need better players the most is CM, ST, RW etc.  

[nufcjmc]

7 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

I agree with this. But where we need better players the most is CM, ST, RW etc.  

Agreed however the leaky goals, the build up play, the lack of key cover to LWB/RWB, the shite or declining keepers there are issues all over the place.

 

I honestly don't relish the challenge to improve both quality of the immediate first 11, bringing average age of squad down and try and fix the issues we have all in one window with likely no allure of europe to distinguish between us and other bidding teams.

 

All while looking over your shoulder on players who would go if a good offer came in but not on your immediate plans to sell list.

 

 

Edited April 21 by nufcjmc

[The College Dropout]

3 minutes ago, nufcjmc said:

Agreed however the leaky goals, the build up play, the lack of key cover to LWB/RWB, the shite or declining keepers there are issues all over the place.

 

I honestly don't relish the challenge to improve both quality of the immediate first 11, bringing average age of squad down and try and fix the issues we have all in one window with likely no allure of europe to distinguish between us and other bidding teams.

 

All while looking over your shoulder on players who would go if a good offer came in but not on your immediate plans to sell list.

 

 

 

Agreed. 
 

This is why I’m in no rush to sell Gordon.  There’s lots of business to be done as is.  
 

Im actually less concerned about squad age. We could do with another leader out there.  

[SteV]

16 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Not paying much attention to recent developments. What’s the overall story regarding to buy out clauses etc? £100m EPL £75m EU?

There isn’t one (a buy out clause).

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I never wanted to sell Gordon but doesn’t it seem like it’s a done deal he’s gone now? Leaking all the Bayern stuff and then getting left out to the squad? Seems like the end. 

 

 

Edited April 21 by AyeDubbleYoo

[nufcjmc]

11 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Agreed. 
 

This is why I’m in no rush to sell Gordon.  There’s lots of business to be done as is.  
 

Im actually less concerned about squad age. We could do with another leader out there.  

based purely on links it seems the club in general put the squad age as a high priority or is it more to do with trying to find value on those not in peak years on lower fees with room to improve and subsequently increase their value. Barnes/Big Joe/Bruno/pope/murphy come the end of next summer wont exactly be spring chickens in footballing terms we need to strike the balance of course  it cant be a team of kids and no leaders but it also cant be an aging and declining/stale squad either. 

 

I am torn on Gordon like I am with Tonali or Tino or anyone else sold, we need to sell to buy and improve as those we want to go will go for very little or nothing if we could get good money for willock, pope, BDB, osula and small acceptable losses on elanga/wissa/big nick then it could be enough to go again in the market with the more suitable model of staying away from prem premium. 

 

The issue the club has is those players above wont bring big money in or wont attract any interest and a purple/mainstay first 11 needs to be sacrificed, issue is which one? They are all on their day excellent but have also contributed in their own way to our downfall this season. 

 

I would probably pick Tino due to him not having any attacking output and injury issues but is that enough? 

 

We may end of getting some left field interest on players we don't expect like big joe or Barnes instead I just hope those that are in charge 1 have a plan, 2 have back ups to plan A and 3 are ready for all possibilities not just what they would like to happen

 

it may come down to Gordon not wanting to be here (not proven) and if that's the case then a bad apple being forced to stay doesn't sound appealing either even if he doesn't go full rat. 

 

 

Edited April 21 by nufcjmc

[KaKa]

It's so interesting that Gordon is thought so little of when he plays but at the same time people are now so fearful of moving him on and getting replacements in.

 

If the recruitment isn't well equipped enough to build a better squad with the money that comes in then even bigger and more wide ranging changes are needed at the club.

 

It's time for a big refresh. Get these players out that don't want to be here get the money in and get to work in the market.

 

 

 

[Fak]

If Nickson is able to pull rank on his replacement I'm fairly optimistic that the singing won't be a disaster.

[PauloGeordio]

1 minute ago, KaKa said:

It's so interesting that Gordon is thought so little of when he plays but at the same time people are now so fearful of moving him on and getting replacements in.

 

If the recruitment isn't well equipped enough to build a better squad with the money that comes in then even bigger and more wide ranging changes are needed at the club.

 

It's time for a big refresh. Get these players out that don't want to be here get the money in and get to work in the market.

 

 

 

[nufcjmc]

Just now, KaKa said:

It's so interesting that Gordon is thought so little of when he plays but at the same time people are now so fearful of moving him on and getting replacements in.

 

If the recruitment isn't well equipped enough to build a better squad with the money that comes in then even bigger and more wide ranging changes are needed at the club.

 

It's time for a big refresh. Get these players out that don't want to be here get the money in and get to work in the market.

 

 

 

I think the fear is the ability to replace what you lose with the sale and also improve on the position while at the same time making use of the "profit" to the longer lasting benefit to the side. 

 

We seen in the summer how hard that can be while Gordon isnt on the rats level he has still at times been our best attacker/best striker etc 

 

The fear is not that I love Gordon and will miss him the fear is the money is wasted and the issues we have before thinking about Gordon arent addressed leaving us weaker in general with more issues to solve. 

 

I agree that a big refresh more than what we all expected come the end of last season (I thought it would just be defence to fix in the summer due to the age of trips/burn and schar) 

[SteV]

4 minutes ago, nufcjmc said:

I am torn on Gordon like I am with Tonali or Tino or anyone else sold, we need to sell to buy and improve as those we want to go will go for very little or nothing if we could get good money for willock, pope, BDB, osula and small acceptable losses on elanga/wissa/big nick then it could be enough to go again in the market with the more suitable model of staying away from prem premium. 

Pope, Burn and Willock have all only got one year left. So you’d be looking at very minimal amounts for Pope and Burn, and maybe around £10m for Willock. Obviously Osula is the one you’d be hoping to generate a decent amount on.

[nufcjmc]

Just now, SteV said:

Pope, Burn and Willock have all only got one year left. So you’d be looking at very minimal amounts for Pope and Burn, and maybe around £10m for Willock. Obviously Osula is the one you’d be hoping to generate a decent amount on.

ooh I know the players I listed were more that in an ideal world your surplus to requirements/older/declining/not good enough players bring in enough revenue where you hold on to everyone else. 

 

I expect pope and burn to go on frees unless pope is unhappy being a number 2 next season. 

 

Willock probably similar fee to longstaff the 12/15m its hardly going to allow the club to put down 6/7 signings of 15/20/25/30m+ 

 

Osula will be interesting based on him scoring recently only 24 do you now hold onto him especially if the fee we get is the 22-30m mentioned last year? It may come down to wissa and big nick being unsellable for different reasons entirely and the only way to go again in the striker area is use any money from the osula sale to do it. 

[Superior Acuña]

24 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I never wanted to sell Gordon but doesn’t it seem like it’s a done deal he’s gone now? Leaking all the Bayern stuff and then getting left out to the squad? Seems like the end. 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, seems one of those inevitable ones. I'd have kept him giving our myriad of problems but seems inevitable and like it could maybe get toxic if he stays. Selling him abroad for a good price is the ideal way for it to end.

[Mole]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

I agree with this. But where we need better players the most is CM, ST, RW etc.  

Obviously agree on striker, but I personally think CM could possibly be avoided if the wingers were high enough quality.

 

I think they both compound each other (Wingers don't provide enough to allow the midfield to do less and vice versa)

 

In a different set up maybe it would be okay, but Howe really needs them to be better.

[Minhosa]

He's the only one out of our front seven players I'd really like to keep tbh;

 

Left Side Options:

1. Gordon

2. Barnes

 

Right Side Options:

3. Murphy

4. Elanga

 

Central Options:

 

5. Woltemade

6. Osula

7. Wissa

 

I'd prioritise moving out every other player in that list over him if I could be sure he was committed to the cause. If not, which is as it appears, then I guess we'll have no choice but he's literally the only effective one in that list imho.

 

For Howe's preferred system, Barnes cannot effectively press, isn't great at offering Hall cover and cannot beat a man to save his life. Yes, he chips in with goals, but in my mind he's bascially a centre forward profile sat out wide. You can't sustainably rely on that over an entire season as he's proven the last couple of months.

 

Gordon offers TONNES more off the ball than Barnes, in particular being able to lead a press. In fact, he offers tonnes more than all of our other wingers put together imho and, again in Howe's system, he's our most effective central option right now too.

 

Selling him guarantee's we'll be stuck with a few of the others above which essentially guarantees we'll be watching shite out wide next again at some point or another. Probably all season again.

[TRon]

2 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

He's the only one out of our front seven players I'd really like to keep tbh;

 

Left Side Options:

1. Gordon

2. Barnes

 

Right Side Options:

3. Murphy

4. Elanga

 

Central Options:

 

5. Woltemade

6. Osula

7. Wissa

 

I'd prioritise moving out every other player in that list over him if I could be sure he was committed to the cause. If not, which is as it appears, then I guess we'll have no choice but he's literally the only effective one in that list imho.

 

For Howe's preferred system, Barnes cannot effectively press, isn't great at offering Hall cover and cannot beat a man to save his life. Yes, he chips in with goals, but in my mind he's bascially a centre forward profile sat out wide. You can't sustainably rely on that over an entire season as he's proven the last couple of months.

 

Gordon offers TONNES more off the ball than Barnes, in particular being able to lead a press. In fact, he offers tonnes more than all of our other wingers put together imho and, again in Howe's system, he's our most effective central option right now too.

 

Selling him guarantee's we'll be stuck with a few of the others above which essentially guarantees we'll be watching shite out wide next again at some point or another. Probably all season again.

 

 

We won't be selling him because Howe has lost belief in him. We'll be selling him because Gordon has lost belief, and he knows he can get a CL club for his next move. 

 

That said, we might as well get the best price we can while we can. After a disastrous campaign, a rebuild looks inevitable, and we aren't successful enough to hold onto our best players just yet. The PL rules are designed to make us trade our best players. We just have to be better at replacing them. 

[ianbeany]

Don't know if true but just heard Gordon missed the last match because of a neck injury

 

 

It's down to his head being turned so often apparently

[Minhosa]

Just now, TRon said:

 

 

We won't be selling him because Howe has lost belief in him. We'll be selling him because Gordon has lost belief, and he knows he can get a CL club for his next move. 

 

That said, we might as well get the best price we can while we can. After a disastrous campaign, a rebuild looks inevitable, and we aren't successful enough to hold onto our best players just yet. The PL rules are designed to make us trade our best players. We just have to be better at replacing them. 

Can't argue with that. I'd still rather ship out 4 of the dogshit around him than Gordon himself though tbh.

 

He's a very long way off our biggest problem imho.

[TRon]

1 minute ago, Minhosa said:

Can't argue with that. I'd still rather ship out 4 of the dogshit around him than Gordon himself though tbh.

 

He's a very long way off our biggest problem imho.

 

 

Clubs don't want our dogshit, otherwise we'd have no problems trading our way up. 

[Minhosa]

34 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

 

Clubs don't want our dogshit, otherwise we'd have no problems trading our way up. 

We bought theirs ...