Sandro Tonali

[oldtype]

We're going to have this guy and Bruno in midfield together? Seriously? Criminal amounts of class.

[madras]

Just now, jack j said:

Surely old fashioned want the best players 1-11 though...

Hey, no numbers back in the day. 

[Zero]

Just now, oldtype said:

We're going to have this guy and Bruno in midfield together? Seriously? Criminal amounts of class.

 

Robert Lee and Speed again

[Scoot]

Just now, oldtype said:

We're going to have this guy and Bruno in midfield together? Seriously? Criminal amounts of class.

 

Compared to 2 years ago when it was Hayden and Shelvey or Shelvey and Hendrick or Hayden and Hendrick.

[oldtype]

Just now, Scoot said:

 

Compared to 2 years ago when it was Hayden and Shelvey or Shelvey and Hendrick or Hayden and Hendrick.

 

I vaguely recall writing some kind of teary-eyed post on here when Cabaye left about how we'd never employ a CM of that quality again.

[Viana]

I'll never understand why he doesn't wait, but then perhaps the comedy of him getting the numbers wrong is the appeal.

[Shearergol]

14 minutes ago, RodneyCisse said:

Not a chance we give our record midfield signing number 20.

He’s getting number 8

[Doctor Zaius]

Hope we actually do sign another Italian. Can any of our squad speak it? Perhaps Schar, Krafth was there. 

[madras]

2 minutes ago, Doctor Zaius said:

Hope we actually do sign another Italian. Can any of our squad speak it? Perhaps Schar, Krafth was there. 

More to the point, can he speak much English ?

 

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by madras

[James]

3 minutes ago, Doctor Zaius said:

Hope we actually do sign another Italian. Can any of our squad speak it? Perhaps Schar, Krafth was there. 

Tindall can

[Gawalls]

This cunt a homophobic yet?

 

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Gawalls

[Shearergol]

5 minutes ago, Doctor Zaius said:

Hope we actually do sign another Italian. Can any of our squad speak it? Perhaps Schar, Krafth was there. 

Bruno 

[Vinny Green Balls]

1 hour ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

Yes TCD, we get it, you think he's like Longstaff. The times I've read that today and yesterday must be in the teens. 

TCD must be great fun at parties, especially with that trick of counting dropped change.

[Kanj]

50 minutes ago, madras said:

Has he been ? Hadn't seen anything about him but dont know why it would be a surprise for him to be involved.

 

Nickson is our Chief Scout so I'd imagine he'd have passed his thoughts on to Ashworth, Eddie, and the Board before we sent a bloody bid  

[Nobody]

45 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Yeah, I’ll hold my hands up on this one 

Sounds like you've got your cover story sorted

[The College Dropout]

56 minutes ago, reefatoon said:

 

You admitted yourself you only watched Tonali in some you tube clips, yet you have the lad nailed on exactly how he plays. That’s some going. It’s amazing what some people can accomplish over 8 minutes of highlights. You Dennis Wise?

 

 

 

No doubt my view is limited to compilations from YouTube, stats from fbref sofascote and whoscored and articles from the likes of James Horncastle.
 

I’m not pretending to know the player inside out but with the above I have a decent picture of his strengths AND weaknesses. Based on what I’ve read and seen I think he’s going to be a big success here. His physical profile and supposed mentality is perfect for the league and Howeball in particular. I’m just not expecting that we’ve signed the next Pirlo and I personally like the skill profile of some other players more.  For the money i would expect some elite technical ability and all of the data I’ve seen so far doesn’t suggest that’s the case. However I think we’re getting all the intangibles and a player perfect for our manager and team so I’m happy. I’ve just tempered expectations. 

57 minutes ago, madras said:

That may be in part down to our speed of breaking. I'm sure there was a stat about how we were quickest from winning possession to creating a chance and given that our XGa was high, that's not a bad thing. So overall possession  stats isn't a great worry. More so is that when teams defended with a low block and broke well we struggled to break them down.

We’re not the best at controlling games with the ball. As a 50+ game season team we’ll need to develop that part of our game. Tonali adds that extra bit of class to help us out there and I expect another signing to contribute to us being able to keep the ball a bit better and control games a tad more.   

 

———
 

I had these same debates with people using the same method with Pope, Botman and Gordon. The data and YouTube suggested Pope was a more proactive goalie than Dubs and he would be a big improvement. People argued with me when I said Botman looked good but a bit slow.  Now we all agree that he’s brilliant but he IS slow etc.  

 

1 hour ago, McDog said:

 

Can you imagine Guimarães, Tonali and Maddison? Yea, would be insanely good.

That has it all. I think that turns a good few of our draws into wins. 

[madras]

4 minutes ago, Kanji said:

 

Nickson is our Chief Scout so I'd imagine he'd have passed his thoughts on to Ashworth, Eddie, and the Board before we sent a bloody bid  

That's why I said I don't know why it would be a surprise.

 

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by madras

[Kanj]

1 minute ago, madras said:

That's why I said I don't know why it would be a surprise.

 

Nah i know, 100% with you. 

 

Nickson was having to "sort" deals for Hamza Choudrey and gets to scout Tonali. I'm chuffed for him too! 

[Ronson333]

 

[Kanj]

Just now, Ronson333 said:

 

 

 

 

Ignoring the ESL comment which is 100% the worst thing you could suggest. 

 

What if that bid came from Man United? Or Liverpool? they aren't state owned teams. But how about they just look inward? They were bought be a SPAC in Redbird. They won the league, then sacked one of the greatest footballers of all time, their legendary player their Sporting Director. There is a lot wrong with football, but if Tonali is officially sold - they sold one of their top players for a big fee who is a boyhood fan of the club - who took a pay cut for the club. And they seemingly are pushing him out. This is ALL on the ownership at Milan. 

[Jonas]

So kinda like Serie A was until the mid 90s. Where a yo-yo club like Bari could buy the best player in the English league and a small club like Parma could sign World Cup top scorers from Barcelona, seasoned internationals and one of the hottest prospects in Europe.

 

Wouldn't worry about Longstaff etc. missing games. Its a squad game now not just over a season but over a game. Players on the bench know they'll be interchanging with the players out there to keep the momentum and pressure up and the spirits seem great besides that.

[SteV]

Just now, Ronson333 said:

 

 

[STM]

Football is finished for every club who it is finished for but not the ones who it isn't... 

 

Man City = Not finished

Leeds, Leicester, Everton= probably finished

Man united= wasn't finished in the 90s, definitely finished now, unless they get the takeover and then it's not finished again

 

Football was finished for us 2 years ago... until we got taken over and now it's not finished anymore. 

 

When things are going bad for you, blame everyone else, it's the system that's failing you.

[Anderson]

This feels like such a massive step up still in profile of signing. We’ve gone out and bought elite level players before in Bruno & Isak, but we’re now waltzing into Milan and picking up their poster boy before most other sides have even picked up a phone this window. Nee idea if he’s actually any good, but it’s mental.  

[Kimbo]

Fuck these ESL clubs. They tried to kill off everybody outside their little club, and now they want sympathy because there are more Gorillas in the room now.