Anthony Elanga

[Coffee_Johnny]

I want this lad more now than when first linked.  Alex and Ant our new (Swedish) double act. Make it happen. 

[KingArthur]

20 minutes ago, Shadow Puppets said:

Do they? Everyone else finds better players who can meet all the criteria that we want and who come in and perform straight away, for less? In today’s market?

Who can say Elanga can perform straightaway? The fact that he comes from the same league doesnt mean he hits the ground running with us. 
 

60 million is a huge money. Again I dont think he starts for any other top team than us. Which of course tells something about our situation with RWs. 

[KingArthur]

8 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

Pace is also good for a low block. Sterling at City scored about 400 goals running to the byline and Howe has Almiron doing the same. Elanga is two footed too, he'll terrorise defences.

It doesnt help if there is no room to run. Cant compare Peps City with the way we attack. 

[Coffee_Johnny]

1 minute ago, KingArthur said:

Who can say Elanga can perform straightaway? The fact that he comes from the same league doesnt mean he hits the ground running with us. 
 

60 million is a huge money. Again I dont think he starts for any other top team than us. Which of course tells something about our situation with RWs. 

Guessing you don’t mean as in we had one of the best performing ones last season? 

[Mole]

I've watched a few extended highlights since I started reading the board again and I get the impression that low block isn't the issue so much as it is the ability to maintain pressure.

 

There's been quite a few games I watched where there was an inability to do that at times and attacks kinda petered out. While I know nothing about this lad I'm sure he's not the only area being targeted.

 

I will say regarding the maintaining pressure point, I read Trafford is good with the ball at his feet so signing him and a defender who is mobile and can break lines of defense will also help achieve this.

 

Reading through what everyone is saying it would be nice if the winger signed is more technically sound, but I get the impression it might not matter anyway. Granted I know very little as I haven't watched much, but just saying a few things based on what I noticed.

[Hanshithispantz]

Just now, KingArthur said:

It doesnt help if there is no room to run. Cant compare Peps City with the way we attack. 

I haven't checked the stats to see how high we rank, but we get the ball into the box a lot, out touches in the box is usually pretty high.

[captainhaircut]

Can someone please help me with the details of the low blocks we suffer with? I missed a lot of games last year for multiple reasons but from what I can see, we lost 13 games last season and drew 6. 
 

A breakdown of the games we didn’t win: 

 

3 x Brighton

2 x Bournemouth 

2 x Liverpool

1 x Arsenal

2 x Man City

2 x Everton

2 x Fulham

1 x Chelsea

1 x Palace

1 x Villa

1 x West Ham

1 x Brentford 

 

Other than Everton x 2 and West Ham at home, did anyone play a low block? Everton away Isak was missing and at home he couldn’t move…
 

I was at Craven Cottage and Fulham slapped us. At home, we were 1 nil up so we had control of that game. 
 

The rest of the sides don’t play low blocks at all. So maybe the issue isn’t low blocks at all?

 

Maybe it’s just that we need more depth and options off the bench. 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think it’s more teams that can maintain their style of play under pressure from us, can break through a press, can maintain possession and tire us out etc. 

 

As that list says, we disposed of the poor teams quite easily. 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2025 by AyeDubbleYoo

[GEFAFWISP]

Teams who are given free reign to execute the shite pep-ball niggling fouls on transition are also effective against us. Brighton and Bournemouth being two examples the shit housing cunts. 

[HawK]

Since Murphy has played on the right, the issue of breaking down low blocks is less because he plays with such pace on the counter (quick deliveries in or shots) that the opposition get less time to set up.

 

With Almiron and Tripps it was awful because Almiron would spend 13 seconds holding up the ball to wait for Tripps to give it to him so we'd then start our attack with the defence already set for the past minute.

 

Low block breaking is an issue for every team in the world, there'll always be passages of play when the opponent is camped outside their box. This is when you need technical players who can receive and play balls extremely quickly (Tonali's one touch passing would be absolutely superb at this), combined with players who can make intelligent runs and draw defenders out of position making gaps.

 

What we have though is mostly players who kick the ball far ahead of themselves and run as fast as they can - Gordon, Barnes, Joe Linton, Willock especially. They are next to useless in a low block situation most of the time.

 

As we evolve into a team that holds more possession, we will meet low blocks more often and we'll need the tools to overcome them.

 

It's not about fundamentally changing how we play, which is unarguably very effective, it's just having horses for courses and it wouldn't hurt to have a slower, more technical player for those situations.

[et tu brute]

19 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

Pace is also good for a low block. Sterling at City scored about 400 goals running to the byline and Howe had Almiron doing the same. Elanga is two footed too, he'll terrorise defences.

 

 

 

The low blocks is  our big problem area. I don't rate Elanga anywhere near that price range. That's just my opinion

[Thumbheed]

35 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

Pace is also good for a low block. Sterling at City scored about 400 goals running to the byline and Howe had Almiron doing the same. Elanga is two footed too, he'll terrorise defences.

 

 

 

 

Pace gets you into positions player without pace can't. 

 

There's this preconceived idea of only way to breakdown low block defences is via a possession based style footballer with vision and clever passing, which i agree is a method, but you can also get there via quicker transistions in the turnover stage but also by virtue and having players with extra pace who can make run and receive balls in tighter spaces. Its their pace that gets them there and causes disruption is shape.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2025 by Thumbheed

[TRon]

35 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

It's a problem we need to resolve. Just not a great fan of his and think he's a younger Murphy nothing more. I think we will walk away and look elsewhere, now that our bid was knocked back. Time will tell though

 

Murphy's got poor ball control under pressure which makes possession an issue. He doesn't carry the ball particularly well either, I would argue Livramento is better in that regard. I don't think it's right at all to call Elanga a younger Murphy. 

 

That's not me having a go at Murphy either, he's got strengths which counterbalance his weaknesses, but for us to improve against the low block we need players who can help with ball retention. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

The tiki-taka approach to low blocks can really only be done as an entire team approach though. It can’t be done by adding one technical player to the Howe system. 
 

Sure if they can run all day and also pick a pass, great. 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2025 by AyeDubbleYoo

[Infinitely Content]

I'm certainly not an expert on football outside of England, but I am generally aware of talent across the main European leagues and I just feel there's a shortage of quality, attainable right sided wingers these days. I haven't really heard a name put forward who is both attainable and obviously better than Elanga. Semenyo perhaps would have been one before he signed his new contract - but I've heard Akliouche, Adeyemi, Madueke, Bakayogo & Kubo mentioned. I don't think any of them are definitively better than Elanga, nor necessarily considerably cheaper either. There's also then the element of character and application which is a key trait for us when signing a player and which Elanga possesses. £50-60m would be a money well spent in today's market imo. Gordon was around £45m over 2 years ago, and Elanga is better than he was when he signed.

[et tu brute]

Just now, TRon said:

 

Murphy's got poor ball control under pressure which makes possession an issue. He doesn't carry the ball particularly well either, I would argue Livramento is better in that regard. I don't think it's right at all to call Elanga a younger Murphy. 

 

That's not me having a go at Murphy either, he's got strengths which counterbalance his weaknesses, but for us to improve against the low block we need players who can help with ball retention. 

So has Elanga, sorry you're not going to change my opinion on the lad especially at the prices quoted. 

[TRon]

Just now, AyeDubbleYoo said:

The tiki-taka approach to low blocks can only be done as an entire team approach though. It can’t be done by adding one technical player to the Howe system. 

 

Absolutely this. 

 

When watching PSG in the CL final I was struck with how quick and precise all their passing was from back to front. 

 

You need players with technique for sure, but it's also about how the team can work as a unit to break down tight spaces, that can mean quick passing and movement, and pace is certainly an asset which helps. 

[TRon]

4 minutes ago, Infinitely Content said:

I'm certainly not an expert on football outside of England, but I am generally aware of talent across the main European leagues and I just feel there's a shortage of quality, attainable right sided wingers these days. I haven't really heard a name put forward who is both attainable and obviously better than Elanga. Semenyo perhaps would have been one before he signed his new contract - but I've heard Akliouche, Adeyemi, Madueke, Bakayogo & Kubo mentioned. I don't think any of them are definitively better than Elanga, nor necessarily considerably cheaper either. There's also then the element of character and application which is a key trait for us when signing a player and which Elanga possesses. £50-60m would be a money well spent in today's market imo. Gordon was around £45m over 2 years ago, and Elanga is better than he was when he signed.

 

That's the thing, all these players - and you can add Kudus to that list - are coming with huge fees mostly, and you have the top clubs all seemingly wanting a right sided forward. Even Chelsea who already have Madueke are rumoured to want Kudus.  

 

The only route as far as I can see it is to buy a relatively lesser known player who's not PL proven and hope he comes off. I thought Mitchell was supposed to source these type of players but he's gone now, so fuck knows what plan B is at the moment. 

 

[KingArthur]

39 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Guessing you don’t mean as in we had one of the best performing ones last season? 

Murphy had a great season. But he is playing at his maximum level. We cannot expect another season like that from him. 

Would Murphy/Elanga start for Liverpool, Chelsea, City, Arsenal? Or even Spurs or ManU? 
 

 

And behind him, we have no one. 

[KingArthur]

41 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

I haven't checked the stats to see how high we rank, but we get the ball into the box a lot, out touches in the box is usually pretty high.

True, but I would say we get the ball in the box in a quite a different way. 

[simonsays]

25 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

So has Elanga, sorry you're not going to change my opinion on the lad especially at the prices quoted. 

I think often when a player is very quick that is all people think he can do well.  Elanga looks like he has decent enough technique whenever I have watched him and he is genuinely two footed which helps open up a defence. 

 

We may not be able to change your mind on Elanga, but I don't think Eddie Howe is going to change what he wants from a wide player either, so you may have to just accept we are going to be buying a strong, quick winger rather than a technical one.  Whether that is Elanga or someone else.

[The College Dropout]

3 hours ago, 1964 said:

Agreed, the reason why premiership players cost more isn't just a tax on british based players, it's because the risk of failure is far lower because they've already done it in the league.   I'm sure we could all name shitloads of foreign imports who cost a fortune but could not adapt.  So get a cheaper alternative from abroad but accept the risk that you've wasted £40m rather than a guaranteed starter at £50m

Can name a shitload of expensive PL to PL transfers that weren’t successful too. 

[The Prophet]

41 minutes ago, captainhaircut said:

Can someone please help me with the details of the low blocks we suffer with? I missed a lot of games last year for multiple reasons but from what I can see, we lost 13 games last season and drew 6. 
 

A breakdown of the games we didn’t win: 

 

3 x Brighton

2 x Bournemouth 

2 x Liverpool

1 x Arsenal

2 x Man City

2 x Everton

2 x Fulham

1 x Chelsea

1 x Palace

1 x Villa

1 x West Ham

1 x Brentford 

 

Other than Everton x 2 and West Ham at home, did anyone play a low block? Everton away Isak was missing and at home he couldn’t move…
 

I was at Craven Cottage and Fulham slapped us. At home, we were 1 nil up so we had control of that game. 
 

The rest of the sides don’t play low blocks at all. So maybe the issue isn’t low blocks at all?

 

Maybe it’s just that we need more depth and options off the bench. 

 

 

You're right, always a bit mystified where the low block stuff comes from.

[KingArthur]

29 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

The tiki-taka approach to low blocks can really only be done as an entire team approach though. It can’t be done by adding one technical player to the Howe system. 
 

Sure if they can run all day and also pick a pass, great. 

 

 

 

I doesnt change with adding one player with techical ability. We need a player who can win his 1v1 with the defender in a static situation and/or force the opponent to double up on him. Now that Murphy doesnt do that, he is left to cross the ball a lot. That means a lot of turnovers and Isak often 1v2 at the center. We have to have players like Salah, Saka, Doku or even Diallo, Madueke and Kudus who create something when the opponent takes away the space behind. 
 

”Attacking quicker” is not a solution if the opposition decides to sit back. 

[timeEd32]

1 hour ago, Hanshithispantz said:

I haven't checked the stats to see how high we rank, but we get the ball into the box a lot, out touches in the box is usually pretty high.

 

6th in penalty area touches

9th in attacking third touches (1-3k behind City, Liverpool, and Arsenal)

 

9th in possession and total touches