PaddockLad 16505 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Dave’s rolled out his own personal spreadsheets in the first couple of weeks of the new year xls-cellent 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 29474 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 The best midfielders do not necessarily equate to the best midfield. Willock has been a massive miss to us with his running and ability to link the midfield with attack. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddockLad 16505 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 11 minutes ago, ewerk said: The best midfielders do not necessarily equate to the best midfield. Willock has been a massive miss to us with his running and ability to link the midfield with attack. All about “blend” … 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 48 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said: Guess the poster who has too much time on their hands? Lets be honest, none of us are exactly snowed under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 40 minutes ago, spongebob toonpants said: That's decent analysis, but for me I would have Willock in Group 1. Tbh I'd sell Miggy and Wison ahead of him. I haven't seen enough of Barnes or Tonali to have them in group 1. Trouble is, neither of them have a decent deputy. Almiron's deputy is currently Murphy, Wilson's is Gordon or Barnes out of position. So, selling either would still leave us short in those areas. e,g, say we sold Almiron for €30m, signed Wirtz for €60m. Now we've got an upgrade on Almiron, but no sub. Any injury to Florian and we're Wirtz off. We'd probably only get around €15m for Wilson, that's not enough for a 3rd choice striker for a team with lofty ambitions, let alone a 2nd choice striker who will likely have to play a lot of games to cover for the injured Isak. I take your point re: Tonali and Barnes, but given we've only just signed them, I'd be shocked if they were even considered for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meenzer 15111 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Just now, The Fish said: Any injury to Florian and we're Wirtz off. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 42580 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I think we need to move away from thinking about first 11 and who gets in ahead of them, and think more of it as a squad. I don't think you could strengthen by much, if at all, by selling Willock and using whatever that frees up to reinvest. Also, we bought Willock for 35m a couple of seasons ago, the FFP profit on him wouldn't be huge. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 40 minutes ago, ewerk said: The best midfielders do not necessarily equate to the best midfield. Willock has been a massive miss to us with his running and ability to link the midfield with attack. And if we could afford it, I'd strengthen the team without losing any good players, especially Willock. But we apparently have fuck all FFP room to manoeuvre . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 42580 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Also I think some might be forgetting how good a fit and firing Joe Willock is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 1 minute ago, Gemmill said: I think we need to move away from thinking about first 11 and who gets in ahead of them, and think more of it as a squad. I don't think you could strengthen by much, if at all, by selling Willock and using whatever that frees up to reinvest. Also, we bought Willock for 35m a couple of seasons ago, the FFP profit on him wouldn't be huge. That's a fair point. That might shift Longstaff into my crosshairs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 6 minutes ago, Meenzer said: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddockLad 16505 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 1 minute ago, The Fish said: That's a fair point. That might shift Longstaff into my crosshairs. Just a matter of time before you started to see things my way David my dear old chap 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 42580 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 He just needed someone with some GRAVITAS to say it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Just now, PaddockLad said: Just a matter of time before you started to see things my way David my dear old chap Genuinely think Tonali was bought to usurp Longstaff, and if he hadn't spent his time in the local Guglielmo Collina we might have been talking about Longstaff's imminent move to Fulham, but we are where we are. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobElliott 1417 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 4 minutes ago, The Fish said: That's a fair point. That might shift Longstaff into my crosshairs. When you say crosshairs, do you mean the when you go on excel and do borders inside 4 cells and none on the outside? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Just now, RobElliott said: When you say crosshairs, do you mean the when you go on excel and do borders inside 4 cells and none on the outside? And you're on the list. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 19293 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 20 minutes ago, Gemmill said: I think we need to move away from thinking about first 11 and who gets in ahead of them, and think more of it as a squad. I don't think you could strengthen by much, if at all, by selling Willock and using whatever that frees up to reinvest. Also, we bought Willock for 35m a couple of seasons ago, the FFP profit on him wouldn't be huge. Our lack of strength in squad this season has what has done us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 21280 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 when everyone is fit, Willock starts 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 21280 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 1 hour ago, The Fish said: I think you're misunderstanding the central point. Say there are three groups within the squad, we can argue about which player fits in which group, but as a starter I put it like this. Group 1 - The 'Purple players' Group 2 - Squad players Group 3- the Fringe Nobody in group 3 would command a decent fee, so lets rules them out as options to increase FFP wriggle room. So that leaves groups 1 and 2. Without spending a LOT of money on a replacement, I can't see anyone in group 1 that we should sell and it would leave us in a similar position where we're either putting square pegs in round holes, or significantly dropping the standard of player by using a deputy from groups 2 or 3. So that leaves group 2. In that group you've got a couple of young lads coming through in Anderson and Miley, their stock is set to rise and we don't yet know what their real ceiling is, and you've got Hall who isn't our player yet so we can't sell him anyway, so lets scratch them off the list. Dan Burn and Longstaff have shown they can play on the biggest stage and while we will need to upgrade them both, right now they appear integral to how Howe wants us to play, so they're out. So, who does that leave you with? And of those, who'd command the biggest fee? And who plays in a position we have depth in? I mean, if everyone is fit, who does Willock get in ahead of? Bruno? Joelinton? Tonali? Longstaff? He's a great option to have on the bench, or for certain opponents, but he doesn't command a starting place ahead of those lads. So, if that is the case, and we need money to bring in players for expensive positions (DM, RW & CF), does it not make sense to sell our most valuable, least integral player? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10422 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Just now, Dr Gloom said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 19293 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 16 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said: when everyone is fit, Willock starts Over Longstaff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJS 4252 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 15 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said: when everyone is fit, Willock starts I've said before the interlink/crossover with the two Joe's between midfield and wide left is our best option going by our best performances last season. I'd persevere with Gordon on the right in that context. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 21280 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 4 minutes ago, wykikitoon said: Over Longstaff? maybe but not necessarily. you could play him over miggy, put joelonton wide on the left and gordon on the right. the point is though that willock brings something unique. no one else in the squad can carry the ball like him. vitally important to our success last year and we have really missed him this season 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 19293 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Plus like G-Dogg says, it shouldn't be seen as 'Willock brought in for Longstaff' it should be seen as rotating and keeping things fresh etc,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 21280 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 12 minutes ago, wykikitoon said: Plus like G-Dogg says, it shouldn't be seen as 'Willock brought in for Longstaff' it should be seen as rotating and keeping things fresh etc,. yes, we illustrated pretty beautifully what happens when you play a high intensity game 2/3 times a week without rotation. willock is 100% part of the first team though - after bruno and joelinton, i'd say he's most important midfielder. he was outrageously good last season. not banging in as many goals compared to when he first joined but he was technically brilliant - superb energy, pace, ball carrying and pressing. the player we have missed most this season, if you ask me. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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